‘Carlos’ attack feared

Press, 29 March 1982, Page 8

‘Carlos’ attack feared

NZPA-Reuter Paris Exceptional security measures have been taken to protect the French President (Mr Francois Mitterrand) because of an ultimatum from "Carlos." the elusive terrorist. the Interior Minister (Mr Gaston Defferre) said yesterday. "Carlos." said to be Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, a Venezuelan, had sent a letter to the French Embassy in the Hague last month demanding the release of two of his comrades from a French jail by March 31. He threatened “action against members of the French Government". if his demand was not met. Mr Defferre. who is in charge of the police, said he was taking the threat quite seriously." “Carlos identified himself by his fingerprints on the letter. These are on record from a flat in Paris where “Carlos" once narrowly escaped capture after killing two police officers who had come to arrest him. and wounding a third. The terrorist's most spectular coup was to kidnap a group of Oil Ministers attending a conference in Vienna and flying them to Libya.

Mr Defferre has ordered special protection for some 30 Government personalities, including the President and himself.

' The two people “Carlos" wants released are Bruno Breguet, aged 31, a Swiss and Magdalena Kopp, aged 33, a West German. They were arrested on February 16 in a garage, with skg of explosives in their car, sophisticated detonating equipment, and false identity papers.