New Attempt To Murder De Gaulle Feared

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29830, 24 May 1962, Page 13

New Attempt To Murder De Gaulle Feared

(A.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) PARIS, May 23. Reports in Paris said that at least five O.A.S. commando groups are planning new attempts on President de Gaulle’s life, the British United Press said. Fifteen O.A.S. members were arrested on Sunday. At least five of them are understood to have planned to kill General de Gaulle either during his recent tour through central France or during the coming state visit of President Mokhtar Ould Dadda of Mauretania

Police are continuing their search for the leaders of this group Jean Curuchet and his aide, Henri Slebodia. both former legionnaires. The Paris morning newspaper “Aurore” said today that O A S. agents arrested in Algeria had told police that the leaders of five "Delta killer commando" groups had already left for France with enough men to carry out a series of attacks on General de Gaulle. A Paris Court yesterday set May 23 as the date for the

trial ot six other Right-wing extremists who are accused of the attempted assassination of General de Gaulle last September 8. The bomb they are alleged to have planted failed to explode properly and General de Gaulle was unharmed

Officials said today that an attempt on President de Gaulle’s life had been expected for some time.

"The greater the pressure applied by government forces on the 0.A.5., the greater the danger of it reacting with a desperate attempt to kill the President," one official told the British United Press. Police officials declined to give any indication of what the new security measures would be and refused any detailed information on the plot announced on Monday. Sources close to the Surete Nationale said the plot certainly was real and only just failed

They advanced the theory that the idea may have been to kill President de Gaulle before the O.A.S. leader, the former general. Raoul Salan, is sentenced by the special High Military Tribunal. Salan’s trial is due to end tonight and few expect anything but the death sentence The assassination plot

known as “Operation Chamois." involved the use of a high-powered rifle with telescopic sights to kill President de Gaulle either in Limoges or from an hotel near the Elysee Presidential Palace

It was hatched in Algeria and was to be carried out by members of one of two 14men commandos trained in Algeria, the British United Press reported. In addition to the rifle, police also found a bazooka and a whole arsenal of weapons in the flat of one of the four men arrested. A fifth member of the gang, a woman, also was held.

Europeans are continuing to flee from Algeria to France in spite of such O.A.S. deterrent methods as the systematic throwing of a hand grenade each morning for the last seven days at Europeans lining up for exit permits at the police station in the Bab el Oued suburb of Algiers. Last night officials reported that 822 Europeans had left for France from the Maison Blanche Airport in Algiers yesterday, and another 650 had boarded the liner Ville de Bordeaux. Another 1163 left Algeria on Monday, after such a rush at the week-end that the Government had to put on extra transport planes to take them to France. At least 10 Moslems were killed and two wounded in a series of hit-and-run attacks by OA S. killers yesterday. All the victims died in individual pistol and sub-machine-gun foravs.