Israel’s Ambassador to France, Asher Ben Natan, was on the death list of a wanted terrorist known as “Carlos,” according to a communique issued by the Ministry of Interior last night. The potential victims also included prominent personalities in the press, theater, banking and sports worlds who were not identified by name in the communique and several Jewish entertainers, including the singers Enrico Macciaz and Rika Zarai.
The lists of persons who were targets for assassination were found-among the documents of Michel Moukbaral, a Lebanese terrorist who was shot to death last month along with two French police officers who he led into the Paris flat of the mysterious “Carlos.” A third police officer was seriously wounded. “Carlos” escaped.
The Interior Ministry’s communique said the documents contained accurate descriptions of the security facilities surrounding the Israeli Embassy here, identification of Embassy vehicles, the deployment of guards in front of the Embassy and the movements of Ambassador Ben Natan. Extra guards are now plainly visible at the Embassy. Jewish organizations in Paris are continuing to take what their spokesmen describe as normal precautions. The police said they have not increased security measures to protect the organizations because they believe those now in effect are sufficient.
While the police did not identify most of the persons on “Carlos'” death list or the reasons whey they may have been singled out for murder, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency learned that they included former Minister Jacques Soustelle, who is known for his pro-Israel views and the editorial offices of the right-wing periodicals “Minute” and “L’Aurore.”
ROLE OF TERRORIST RING DESCRIBED
The Interior Ministry identified “Carlos” as Venezuelan-born Ilich Ramirez Sanchez. He is described in the communique as the man who headed the terrorist ring responsible for the two attacks on El Al planes at Orly Airport Jan. 13 and 19, the earlier attack on the famous “Drug Store,” a Jewish-owned establishment on the Champs Elysee, and other acts. Sanchez or “Carlos” is the object of a manhunt in at least a half dozen countries.
The communique described Moukbaral as the logistics officer of a still unidentified extreme left-wing organization which carried out attacks and kidnappings in Western Europe, particularly in France and Britain. The documents, indicated that he had participated in most of the terrorist attacks although his job was to provide arms, money and forged identify papers for the terrorist. Moukbaral was killed by “Carlos” because, apparently having defected, he led French counter-intelligence officers to the latter’s hideout.
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.
