West Germany today angrily rejected suggestions that it deliberately gave a French court the legal technicality that was one of the pretexts stated for the release of Palestinian terrorist Abu Daoud.
Government spokesman Klaus Boelling described as “unfortunate” a question asked by an Israeli correspondent at a press conference intimating that Bonn might have delayed sending France a “diplomatic confirmation” of the Bavarian State police request to hold Daoud who was arrested in Paris Friday. The French court that freed Daoud said the absence of an official request through normal diplomatic channels had invalidated the police warrant.
Boelling pointed to West Germany’s “very intensive” efforts in behalf of the anti-terrorist convention adopted by the European Common Market countries at Luxembourg last year and his government’s “clear position” on terrorism after a time bomb attack on the German Embassy in Sweden and after the Air France hijack to Entebbe.
Asked by a German correspondent if Daoud’s release did not give the Common Market’s antiterrorist stance a “lack of credibility,” Boelling declined to comment. But he referred to an earlier statement by Justice Minister Joehem Vogel that Daoud’s release would not help international efforts to combat terrorism.
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