Europeans OK More Sharing of Terrorism Data

THE HAGUE — Cabinet ministers from European Communities countries agreed Thursday to step up their exchange of terrorism information with the United States and other non-member nations in an effort to close the net on international terrorists.

The agreement reflected recognition that nations must work together to effectively fight terrorism, said a statement issued by the ministers from eight of the 12 Common Market nations.

U.S. Atty. Gen. Edwin Meese III, FBI Director William H. Webster and Robert B. Oakley, director of the State Department’s counterterrorism office, also met with some of the ministers, including British Home Secretary Douglas Hurd.

Hurd told a news conference that the U.S. officials “suggested in a very courteous and understanding way that it would be valuable if there was a procedure which doesn’t now exist for contacts between the (Common Market) . . . and the United States Administration.”

“And it has been agreed that there should be contacts between the Trevi group and third countries, and obviously pre-eminent among these is the United States,” Hurd said. “So I think we’ve met the American interest in this matter and I welcome that.”

The Trevi group is a reference to Common Market members who held a meeting on anti-terrorism last year in Rome.

Thursday’s meeting was the second of Common Market nations this week to respond to increased terrorist attacks in Europe, including the April 2 bombing of a TWA jetliner over Greece, the April 5 bombing of a West Berlin discotheque and the April 17 attempt to smuggle a bomb aboard an El Al jetliner in London.

Ordered by Libya

A total of six people, including five Americans, were killed in the two bombings. The United States has said the disco bombing was ordered by Libya.

On Monday, foreign ministers of the Common Market nations agreed to order reductions in the staffs of Libyan embassies in their capitals and impose other diplomatic sanctions against the North African country.

West German Interior Minister Friedrich Zimmermann said the Common Market ministers agreed Thursday to exchange such information as names of suspicious individuals, data about suspicious and stolen passports and security measures relating to air traffic.

The ministers also agreed to exchange intelligence on non-terrorist crimes such as arms trafficking, international fraud, slave trade, drug smuggling, kidnaping, extortion and soccer hooliganism.

The ministers’ statement said that in view of recent terrorist acts “both inside and outside Europe, combatting terrorism calls for increased vigilance and determination within the framework of European cooperation.”

Hurd was asked if the agreement was prompted by recent Libyan threats of retaliation for the U.S. air attack on Libyan cities April 15.

“I would not deny that,” Hurd said, but he added that the decision is aimed at all terrorist groups, not just at those believed linked to Libya.

“They do not respect frontiers and it is essential that our efforts are not inhibited by the existence of frontiers,” he said.

In a related development, the 21-nation Council of Europe agreed in Strasbourg, France, to hold a special meeting this year of member nations’ interior and justice ministers to work out a common strategy against terrorism.