Kadafi Mystery Deepens : U.S. Unsure if He’s Dead or Alive

TRIPOLI, Libya — Forty-eight hours after U.S. war jets bombed the Libyan capital, Col. Moammar Kadafi had made no public appearance. The mystery deepened when he failed to appear today for a promised meeting with journalists at his fortress headquarters.

The Reagan Administration refused to guess Kadafi’s whereabouts or condition, and a State Department official insisted, “We’re not trying to assassinate” the Libyan strongman.

“We’re not able to draw any conclusions,” White House spokesman Larry Speakes said when pressed on whether Kadafi is alive or dead and where he may be since the bombing of his two-story stone villa and other targets.

“Of course it is somewhat conspicuous that he has not followed his usual pattern” of appearing in public not long after momentous events, Speakes said.

Questions were also raised by reports of street fighting in Tripoli near Kadafi’s headquarters. Speakes said he had no information about whether a coup was attempted, and Libyan officials insisted that the firings were aimed at a U.S. reconnaissance plane.

Coup, Flight Rumored

Exile groups abroad and a Washington newspaper quoted Western intelligence and Libyan army sources as saying Kadafi had fled to North Yemen amid reports of a fresh coup attempt, but Libyan officials denied this. And a senior Israeli army commander said, “We know that Kadafi is alive and is also functioning.”

About 2 p.m. today, Libyan navy gunboats in Tripoli harbor opened fire for 10 minutes, gun muzzles flashing, and anti-aircraft and automatic-weapons fire was heard in the distance as a plane flew high overhead.

Libyan radio said gun crews were firing at a U.S. SR-71 “Blackbird” reconnaissance plane. Pentagon sources said U.S. satellites and reconnaissance planes have been trying to survey Libyan targets.

About the same time, the Libyan government took a busload of journalists to Kadafi’s headquarters, the Aziziyah Barracks, a sprawling, walled complex of barracks and administration buildings several miles from central Tripoli.

“You will see him today,” Information Director Ibrahim Seger said early in the day. “He’s fine.”

Shooting Near Bus

But Kadafi was not at the compound. Seger declined to explain why, but an aide later told reporters, “Kadafi is present.” Asked for details, he added, “In Libya.” He said he had met with the colonel today.

As the journalists’ bus first approached the headquarters, Libyan soldiers rushed out from the front gate, fanned out and began firing assault rifles. The bus wheeled around and headed back to the journalists’ hotel, and the Libyan driver maneuvered frantically to get away from the gunfire.

Half an hour later, the journalists were again taken to the headquarters and were shown around the compound.

Bombs and shells had severely damaged the two-story Kadafi family residence, blasted a tennis court, knocked down power lines and left a mass of shrapnel and debris in the compound.

A huge crater 10 yards from the residence indicated the force of a bomb that sent shrapnel through the walls and knocked down plaster and some walls, killing Kadafi’s 15-month-old adopted daughter and injuring two small sons.