The State Department expressed “dismay” today over the release by a French court of Abu Daoud, the Palestinian terrorist believed to have engineered the 1972 Munich Olympic massacre.
Department spokesman John Trattnor said. “Our reaction to that report (of Daoud’s release) is one of dismay that through an apparent legal technicality, neither the West German nor Israeli governments will be given an opportunity to interrogate this man about the brutal and revolting murders of athletes in Munich.” Trattnor added. “Our dismay reflects our abhorrence over the brutal and mindless murders in Munich and our particular conviction that terrorists should be dealt with sternly and firmly by the legal authorities of all countries.”
Asked if the U.S. had been in consultation with France. Trattnor said it had not. He said he was not aware that a statement would be sent to the French government, “but we are sending it publicly from this podium,” he told reporters. (By Helen Silver)
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
