document: Yasser Arafat on Tuesday accused the United States of threatening to kill PLO officials if Palestinian guerrillas attack American targets . The United States denied the accusation . The State Department said in Washington that it had received reports the PLO might target Americans because of alleged U.S. involvement in the assassination of Khalil Wazir , the PLO 's second in command . Wazir was slain April 16 during a raid on his house near Tunis , Tunisia . Israeli officials who spoke on condition they not be identified said an Israeli squad carried out the assassination . There have been accusations by the PLO that the United States knew about and approved plans for slaying Wazir . Arafat , the Palestine Liberation Organization leader , claimed the threat to kill PLO officials was made in a U.S. government document the PLO obtained from an Arab government . He refused to identify the government . In Washington , Assistant Secretary of State Richard Murphy denied Arafat 's accusation that the United States threatened PLO officials . State Department spokesman Charles Redman said the United States has been in touch with a number of Middle Eastern countries about possible PLO attacks against American citizens and facilities . He added that Arafat 's interpretation of those contacts was `` entirely without foundation . '' Arafat spoke at a news conference in his heavily guarded villa in Baghdad , where extra security guards have been deployed . He said security also was being augmented at PLO offices around the Arab world following the alleged threat . He produced a photocopy of the alleged document . It appeared to be part of a longer document with the word `` CONFIDENTIAL '' stamped at the bottom . The document , which was typewritten in English , referred to Wazir by his code name , Abu Jihad . It read : `` You may be aware of charges in several Middle Eastern and particulary Palestinian circles that the U.S. knew of and approved Abu Jihad 's assassination . `` On April 18th -LRB- a -RRB- State Department spokesman said that the United States ` condemns this act of political assassination , ' ` had no knowledge of ' and ` was not involved in any way in this assassination . `` It has come to our attention that the PLO leader Yasser Arafat may have personally approved a series of terrorist attacks against American citizens and facilities abroad , possibly in retaliation for last month 's assassination of Abu Jihad . `` Any possible targeting of American personnel and facilities in retaliation for Abu Jihad 's assassination would be totally reprehensible and unjustified . We would hold the PLO responsible for any such attacks . '' Arafat said the document `` reveals the U.S. administration is planning , in full cooperation with the Israelis , to conduct a crusade of terrorist attacks and then to blame the PLO for them . `` These attacks will then be used to justify the assassination of PLO leaders . '' He strongly denied that the PLO planned any such attacks .
extractive_keyphrases: political assassination plo leader yasser arafat united states plo officials palestinian guerrillas american targets khalil wazir israeli officials accusations possible plo attacks terrorist attacks israeli squad