CIA-RDP96-00788R000100270009-4

Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788R000100270009-4
19 Rec 81
AIZ
THE WASHINGTON POST
Caller Says
U.S. General
To Be Tried
GENERAL, From A1
No immediate demands have been
.made for Dozier's release.
Despite a vast police dragnet
throughout much of northern Italy,
police were unable to find any trace
of the general. They located a blue
Fiat van, rented in Milan, that they
believe was probably used by a com-
mando unit of as many as 10 terror-
ists in the kidnaping.
The unidentified caller said the
kidnaping had been organized by the
"Venetian Column" of the Red Bri-
gades, and that branches of the
Marxist group from Milan, Naples
and Rome as well as Venice had par-
ticipated in the kidnaping of the
"hangman." The message gave no
indication of why Dozier was called a
"hangman.".
[Pentagon sources said the De-
fense Department sent a six-member
team to Rome to serve as liaison
with Italian authorities investigating
the kidnaping, but the Defense De-
partment declined comment, The
Associated Press reported.]
Italian Prime Minister Giovanni
Spadolini said after a meeting this
morning with his government's de-
fense and security experts, that the
kidnaping "is certainly a qualitative
jump in the strategy of terrorism."
1
Leftist Italian terrorists began op-
erating in Italy 10 years ago, but the
unexpected operation yesterday was
the first against a military officer
and the first against a foreigner.
It was also the first time that Ital-
ian terrorists moved against a
NATO base here and appears to rep-
resent a shift toward the anti-
American, anti-NATO tactics that
West Germany's Red Army faction
terrorists have followed.
Although spokesmen at the
NATO base in Verona said Dozier's
function as deputy chief of logistics
and administration of the integrated
NATO command was primarily ad-
ministrative, press accounts have
speculated that the terrorists holding
him will seek to extort secret infor-
mation regarding the deployment of
troops and military supplies in Italy
and Europe.
[Joe Favorite, a NATO spokes-
man, said such a motive would be . that I am fine."
JUDITH DOZIER®
... appeared on television
more plausible if the victim were in
operations, intelligence or commu-
nications, AP reported.]
Most of the Italians who have
been kidnaped by the Red Brigades
so far - judges, politicians and
business executives - are said to
have "cooperated," writing frequent
letters to government authorities,
possibly under dictation.
One executive who police believe
did not cooperate, petrochemical
plant manager Giuseppe Taliercio,
was killed early last summer. But
cooperation also does not ensure sur-
vival, as became evident when for-
mer prime minister Aldo Moro was
slain after writing scores of letters to
political friends and foes during his
54 days of captivity in 1978.
Furthermore, although it is far too
early to tell what, if any demands
the terrorists might make for the
release of the general, an embassy
spokesman today said that in pre-
vious occasions in other parts of the
world the United States has said it
will not negotiate with terrorists."
`Judith Dozier, the general's wife,
appeared briefly on Italian national
television.
One of her cheeks was badly
bruised. But she seemed calm and
spoke in a steady voice in English to
reassure friends and relatives.
"Mom and Dad, please stay calm,"
she said, "I just want to let all our
friends in the United States know
..
Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788R000100270009-4