13 U.S. Warships Head for Mideast; Mission Classified

The Pentagon said today that 13 U.S. warships with 2,000 assault Marines and amphibious landing gear are headed for the Mediterranean on routine deployment, but officials refused to rule out any American attack against an alleged chemical weapons plant in Libya.

“I am not going to speculate in that area (a possible attack) at all,” Defense Department spokesman Dan Howard told reporters in response to questions.

“Everything you’re talking about falls into the general area of classified information and I cannot discuss it.”

Last week, President Reagan revealed that the United States had discussed with NATO allies possible military action against a chemical plant in Libya that Washington believes is intended to produce deadly chemical weapons.

The Theodore Roosevelt, the newest U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, left Norfolk, Va., Friday for the Mediterranean, where the John F. Kennedy carrier battle group already is on duty, a Navy spokesman said.

Because of Reagan’s comments, the Roosevelt’s movement took on added significance and raised speculation that its departure might be linked to Libya. But a Navy statement insisted the departure of the Roosevelt was “a routine deployment” planned “many, many months ago.”

Peace Groups Protest

However, in Rome, peace groups, left-wing political parties and Vatican radio protested the Navy deployment. The Italian Assn. for Peace called on the Italian Parliament to declare the nation’s ports and naval bases “unavailable to U.S. Navy ships and military aircraft and in any case to ban their entry into Italian territorial waters and airspace.”

Vatican radio said news of the deployment “has created alarm about the possibility of new tension between the United States and Libya.”

The Roosevelt’s 12-ship battle group includes two cruisers, six destroyers, a frigate and three auxiliary ships. In addition, the group is accompanied by five amphibious landing ships of the Mediterranean Amphibious Ready Group.

Navy Cmdr. Steve Burnett said about 2,000 of the 4,100 Marines aboard the five vessels are assault troops.

An almost identical force of Marines and amphibious landing vehicles, also part of the Mediterranean Amphibious Ready Group, is accompanying the Kennedy battle group--meaning a total of 4,000 assault Marines will be in the area with the arrival of the Roosevelt.

The Navy said the Roosevelt will take about a week to reach the Mediterranean, where there are already 23 U.S. warships, and Howard said, “It is not unusual for us to have an overlap (of carriers) in the Mediterranean.”

However, Howard refused to rule out whether the ship movements would be affected by the Libyan situation and he said he did not know how long the two carriers would remain in the Mediterranean together.

Howard referred questions about the alleged Libyan chemical plant to the State Department, declining to say whether military photographs of the plant had proven the facility was built solely for chemical weapons production.