When Illich Ramirez Sanchez wanted to attract attention in the old days, he took hostages or planted a bomb. That's impossible in La Sante prison, where the man better known as "Carlos the Jackal" has been held in solitary confinement for more than four years, writes Lara Marlowe from Paris.
So Carlos has gone on hunger strike and is bombarding French newspapers with letters, "interviews" and even a "last will and testament" via his lawyers.
Saddam Hussein is "the last Arab knight", Carlos (49) said in answer to questions from France-Soir published yesterday. "I would be proud to fight under his orders as a simple foot soldier against the US and Israel," he added.
Carlos's lawyers claim he has lost 15kg by fasting since November 3rd to protest against prison conditions. He was sentenced to life imprisonment last December for the murder of two French policemen.
The Venezuelan-born extremist wants to receive visitors and complains that his mail is opened. He spends his days reading, watching television news and writing his memoirs.
Carlos has maintained a strong interest in the Middle East, where he trained with Palestinian guerrillas in the 1970s. His lawyers have circulated a handwritten letter to the late Wadi Haddad, the founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the man who recruited Carlos. "God willing I should join you next week," he said, adding that he hoped they would play ping-pong in heaven.
Carlos's quirky statements mix Islam, socialism and communism. He told France-Soir that he wished Osama Bin Laden, the Saudi accused by the US of the Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam bombings, "all possible success in his struggle".