DATE= 12/12/97 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-224065 TITLE=FRANCE / CARLOS (L) BYLINE=JULIAN NUNDY DATELINE=PARIS CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: ILICH RAMIREZ SANCHEZ, BETTER KNOWN AS THE TERRORIST CARLOS, APPEARED IN PUBLIC FOR THE FIRST TIME FRIDAY WHEN HE WENT ON TRIAL FOR THE 1975 MURDER OF TWO FRENCH UNDERCOVER AGENTS AND AN INFORMER. JULIAN NUNDY REPORTS FROM PARIS. TEXT: DESPITE BEING THE DEFENDANT IN A MURDER TRIAL, ILICH RAMIREZ SANCHEZ WAS SMILING AND RELAXED WHEN HE APPEARED IN THE PARIS COURT. HE TOOK IMMEDIATE CONTROL OF HIS OWN DEFENSE. ASKED TO GIVE HIS NAME, AGE, AND PROFESSION, THE VENEZUELAN WHO USED THE CODENAME CARLOS SAID HE IS "A PROFESSIONAL REVOLUTIONARY IN THE LENINIST TRADITION." HE ADDED, "THE WORLD IS MY DOMAIN." TALKING MUCH MORE THAN HIS DEFENSE LAWYERS, CARLOS OPTED TO USE THE DEFENDANT'S RIGHT TO VETO MEMBERS OF THE JURY RATHER THAN HAVE HIS LAWYER SCRUTINIZE THE CHOICE. IN FRANCE, THE JURY IS COMPOSED OF THREE JUDGES AND NINE ORDINARY CITIZENS. CARLOS TURNED DOWN THREE WOMEN JURORS. IN THE END, THE ORDINARY JURORS COMPRISED SIX WOMEN AND THREE MEN. ALTHOUGH CARLOS IS LINKED TO A STRING OF TERRORIST ATTACKS, MOSTLY IN THE 1970'S, PARTICULARLY HIS DARING HOSTAGE-TAKING OF OIL MINISTERS IN VIENNA IN DECEMBER 1975, HIS TRIAL IN PARIS CONCERNS JUST ONE INCIDENT. THE HEARING IS A RETRIAL OF A CASE ALREADY HEARD IN HIS ABSENCE IN 1992. HE IS ACCUSED OF KILLING TWO OFFICERS OF THE FRENCH D-S-T COUNTER-ESPIONAGE SERVICE AND A LEBANESE INFORMER IN PARIS IN JUNE 1975. HE HAS ALREADY BEEN SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT, BUT NOW HAS THE CHANCE TO PRESENT A DEFENSE. THE FIRST DAY OF THE CASE WAS TAKEN UP FIRST WITH CARLOS AND HIS LAWYER ARGUING THAT HIS ARREST IN 1994 WAS ILLEGAL. CARLOS WAS DRUGGED AND FLOWN OUT OF SUDAN TO PARIS IN A FRENCH MILITARY AIRCRAFT WITH THE COLLUSION OF THE SUDANESE AUTHORITIES. CARLOS ARGUED THAT THIS AMOUNTS TO A KIDNAPPING. HIS FRENCH LAWYER SAID THE D-S-T AGENTS WHO DETAINED HIM IN THE SUDANESE CAPITAL, KHARTOUM, WERE "POLITICAL POLICE." THIS DREW A PROTEST FROM THE PROSECUTOR WHO SAID THEIR MISSION WAS A "NOBLE" ONE. CARLOS ALSO PROTESTED THE PRESENCE OF LAWYERS FROM A FRENCH ASSOCIATION REPRESENTING THE VICTIMS OF TERRORISM. IN AN OFTEN RAMBLING SPEECH, HE SAID THE ASSOCIATION IS "ZIONIST" AND "REVISIONIST". CARLOS SAID HIS MAIN BATTLE IS AGAINST WHAT HE CALLED "AMERICAN IMPERIALISM" AND THAT HE WAS A MILITANT FOR THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE. DESCRIBING ZIONISM AS "A SORE ON HUMANITY," HE SAID THE ZIONIST MOVEMENT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MORE DEATHS THAN THE ALLEGED TERRORISTS FIGHTING IT. (SIGNED) NEB/JWN/JWH 12-Dec-97 12:49 PM EST (1749 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America
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