300 Journalists Must Be Out of Libya by Friday

The government told an estimated 300 foreign journalists Wednesday to leave the country by Friday but insisted this was not in retaliation for Western European governments deporting Libyan students and diplomats.

Soviet warships, meanwhile, began visiting Libyan ports again in what analysts saw as a symbolic gesture of support.

Journalists were first told they had to leave Libya by Wednesday, and there was a scramble for seats on early flights out. But Information Ministry officials later relented and said the reporters did not have to be out of the country until Friday.

Followed Confrontation

The officials said the schedule of visits was over for the big news corps that began to descend on Tripoli as a confrontation built with the United States, leading to bombing raids April 15.

“It’s not a big deal because we’ve been told for days now that it’s time for us to leave--that the program is over--and it’s pretty clear that they don’t want journalists sitting around,” Times correspondent Michael Ross said by telephone from the Libyan capital.

“The big hint came last (Tuesday) night, when they gave us a farewell dinner. It was the same thing--chicken and fish--except that they moved it upstairs” in the hotel where the reporters were staying, Ross said.

European Restrictions

The order to leave came one day after Britain ordered the expulsion of 21 Libyan student activists and two days after the European Communities agreed to restrict the activities of Libyan missions.

“Expelling diplomats and students is a response to demands of the Reagan Administration,” Information Minister Sharifeddin Faituri told reporters at the farewell dinner. Officials of his ministry denied that the move to send the foreign news media home was a retaliation for the European expulsions. The officials said the hotel was needed for a visiting delegation.

Libya’s official news agency Jana reported that ships of the Soviet Mediterranean fleet are visiting Libyan ports. It did not give the number but said three cruisers are among them.

A Soviet vessel seen Tuesday and Wednesday in Tripoli harbor appeared to be a frigate and carried radar communications antennas and anti-aircraft guns.