Excerpts From an Interview With David Brinkley of ABC News

December 21, 1988

The President. Oh, I could live without ever seeing Qadhafi.

Q. Qadhafi? Mu`ammar Qadhafi, the dictator in Libya, who incidentally is at the moment, as we all know, going into the business of manufacturing poison gas.

The President. Yes, we're reasonably sure of that.

Q. Now, at one time, we bombed Libya as a sort of punishment for its involvement in terrorism. Are we going to bomb his poison gas factory? And if not, why not?

The President. Well, let me say that's a decision that has not been made yet. We're in communication with our allies and with NATO forces and all, and we're watching very closely that situation. But even if I had made a decision, I couldn't -- --

Q. You wouldn't want to tell it now.

The President. No.

Q. And it has been discussed with the allies?

The President. We are discussing with them. And we want to pin down completely so that there is no question but that that's what it is: a plant that he is building, and one of tremendous size.

Q. We even know which building it is, don't we?

The President. Yes.

Q. We do. All right. Well, I guess when you decide, we will hear about it.

Note: The interview began at 11:34 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White House. It was broadcast at 10 p.m. on December 22.