Multinational Commando Force Proposed

Italian and West German Cabinet ministers, in advance of next week’s economic summit in Tokyo, have proposed forming a multinational commando force that could be thrown into action in future terrorist emergencies.

The international anti-terrorist unit is one idea being discussed as the seven biggest industrial democracies prepare for their 12th annual summit, an economic conference overshadowed this year by the terrorist threat.

Past summits produced little more than joint declarations of war on terrorism, but this time President Reagan says a “grandiose statement” will not be enough. The recent surge of terror attacks, followed by the U.S. retaliatory air strike on Libya, may have set the stage for concrete steps.