German rocketmaker halts operations in Libya

December 28, 1981

A West German rocket manufacturer has halted its operations in Libya, according to the New York Times. Officials of the firm - Otrag - have denied that its ostensibly peaceful rocket program masked efforts to sell military equipment to Libya, Pakistan, Iraq, and other countries. Suspicions arose last fall when US and Western European intelligence reports revealed that Libyan military officials were in charge of much of Otrag's operations.