US embassy cable - 99ATHENS7913

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ATHENS 007913 
 
S/CT FOR REAP 
 
E.O.  12958:  N/A 
TAGS:  PTER, GR 
SUBJECT:  GREECE:  1999 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF:  STATE 204472 
 
1.  THE TEXT BELOW IS OUR DRAFT CONTRIBUTION TO THE GREEK SECTION 
IN THE FORTHCOMING "PATTERNS OF GLOBAL TERRORISM:  1999," AS 
REQUIRED BY REFTEL. 
 
2.  PROGRESS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM IN GREECE CONTINUED 
TO PROVE ILLUSIVE IN 1999 AS THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS AGAINST 
U.S., OTHER FOREIGN, AND GREEK INTERESTS PROLIFERATED 
SUBSTANTIALLY OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.  INTERNATIONAL EVENTS RE- 
IGNITED A LATENT ANTI-AMERICAN FEELING IN GREECE, WHICH 
TERRORISTS AND ANARCHISTS EXPLOITED.  THE AUTHORITIES FAILED TO 
ARREST A SINGLE MEMBER OF A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION IN 1999 AND 
CONVICTED ONLY TWO SUSPECTS FOR ATTACKS MOUNTED IN PREVIOUS 
YEARS.  GREEK AUTHORITIES CONTINUE TO PROMISE REFORMS IN 
COUNTERTERRORISM INITIATIVES AND METHODS, BUT RESULTS ARE 
INCONCLUSIVE. 
 
FOLLOWING HIS DEPORTATION FROM SYRIA IN OCTOBER 1998 UNTIL HIS 
CAPTURE IN NAIROBI IN FEBRUARY 1999, PKK LEADER ABDULLAH OCALAN 
TRANSITED GREECE THREE TIMES.  EACH TIME, GREEK OFFICIALS QUIETLY 
EXPELLED HIM.  SUBSEQUENTLY, SEVERAL CABINET AND OTHER SENIOR 
OFFICIALS TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR HAVING PROVIDED OCALAN 
TEMPORARY SAFE HAVEN IN THE GREEK AMBASSADOR'S RESIDENCE IN KENYA 
AND WERE COMPELLED TO RESIGN.  IN MARCH, GREECE'S MOST DEADLY 
TERRORIST GROUP, "REVOLUTIONARY ORGANIZATION 17 NOVEMBER," ISSUED 
A MANIFESTO PLACING RESPONSIBILITY FOR OCALAN'S ARREST ON THE 
GREEK AND U.S. GOVERNMENTS.  IT ALSO BLAMED THE GREEK GOVERNMENT 
MORE GENERALLY FOR FAILING TO PROTECT THE COUNTRY'S INTERESTS 
VIS-A-VIS TURKEY. 
 
BETWEEN MARCH AND MAY, INDIGENOUS TERRORIST AND ANARCHIST GROUPS 
MOUNTED NUMEROUS ATTACKS AGAINST WESTERN INTERESTS IN GREECE IN 
SEEKING TO EXPLOIT PUBLIC UNHAPPINESS OVER THE OCALAN ARREST AND 
NATO OPERATIONS AGAINST SERBIA DURING THE KOSOVO CRISIS. 
NUMEROUS ANTI-U.S. AND ANTI-NATO DEMONSTRATIONS PROTESTED THE AIR 
CAMPAIGN AGAINST SERBIA.  THE U.S. GOVERNMENT ISSUED A PUBLIC 
ANNOUNCEMENT, VALID FOR EIGHT WEEKS, INFORMING POTENTIAL U.S. 
TRAVELERS TO GREECE ABOUT THE SECURITY CLIMATE. 
 
"17 NOVEMBER" IS SUSPECTED OF CARRYING OUT ROCKET ATTACKS AGAINST 
SIX TARGETS IN APRIL AND MAY ALTHOUGH IT NEVER CLAIMED 
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE OPERATIONS:  THE RESIDENCES OF THE 
GERMAN AND DUTCH AMBASSADORS, BRANCH OFFICES OF THE RULING PASOK 
PARTY, A CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, A BRITISH BANK, AND A FRENCH BANK. 
OTHER TERRORIST AND ANARCHIST GROUPS TARGETED NUMEROUS U.S., 
EUROPEAN, AND GREEK BANKS AND BUSINESSES, A POLICE STATION, THE 
GREEK-ISRAELI FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION, THE AUSTRIAN EMBASSY'S 
COMMERCIAL OFFICE, AND A UN-AFFILIATED BUILDING.  THE 
PERPETRATORS PLANTED EXPLOSIVE OR INCENDIARY DEVICES (SOME WERE 
DEFUSED) OR STAGED DRIVE-BY SHOOTINGS FROM MOTORCYCLES.  AMONG 
THE GROUPS CLAIMING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ATTACKS WERE "RED 
LINE," "REVOLUTIONARY NUCLEI," "BLACK STAR," "ENRAGED 
ANARCHISTS," AND "FILIKI ETAIREIA."  MOST ATTACKS WERE TIMED TO 
OCCUR WHEN INJURIES WERE NOT LIKELY TO TAKE PLACE. 
"REVOLUTIONARY NUCLEI" WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR BOMBING THE 
INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL IN APRIL, WHICH KILLED ONE GREEK CITIZEN 
AND INJURED ANOTHER.  NO ARRESTS WERE MADE IN ANY OF THESE 
INCIDENTS. 
 
A YOUNG WOMAN ATTEMPTED TO FIREBOMB THE U.S. CONSULATE IN 
THESSALONIKI IN EARLY APRIL, BUT A GUARD EMPLOYED BY THE FACILITY 
FRUSTRATED THE ATTACK AND ALERTED THE POLICE.  AFTER A FEW DAYS' 
DETENTION, AUTHORITIES RELEASED THE WOMAN INTO THE CUSTODY OF HER 
PARENTS.  LATER THAT MONTH, A BOMB WAS ALSO PLACED AT THE OFFICES 
OF THE FULBRIGHT FOUNDATION IN THESSALONIKI, BUT IT WAS DEFUSED 
AND DESTROYED BEFORE IT COULD EXPLODE. 
 
IN ADDITION, NUMEROUS UNIDENTIFIED CALLERS TO THE U.S. EMBASSY 
ANNOUNCED BOMB ATTACKS AND OTHER LIFE-THREATENING ACTS AGAINST 
THE CHANCERY, U.S. AND GREEK EMPLOYEES, THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY 
SCHOOL, THE CONSULATE IN THESSALONIKI, AND U.S.-AFFILIATED HOTELS 
IN ATHENS.  ALL OF THESE CALLS TURNED OUT TO BE HOAXES. 
 
FOCUSING ON THE "17 NOVEMBER" THREAT, U.S. COUNTERTERRORIST 
COORDINATOR SHEEHAN CAME TO GREECE IN JULY FOR CONSULTATION WITH 
MINISTER OF PUBLIC ORDER CHRYSOCHOIDIS TO ENHANCE 
COUNTERTERRORIST COOPERATION.  CHRYSOCHOIDIS, WHO VISITED 
WASHINGTON IN OCTOBER FOR FURTHER DISCUSSIONS, PUBLICLY OUTLINED 
HIS PLANS TO MODERNIZE THE HELLENIC POLICE WITH THE AIM OF 
COMBATTING "17 NOVEMBER."  SINCE ITS FIRST KNOWN CRIMINAL ACT IN 
1975, THE MURDER OF A U.S. EMBASSY OFFICIAL, NO MEMBER OF "17 
NOVEMBER" HAS BEEN ARRESTED.  ALTOGETHER, "17 NOVEMBER" HAS 
MURDERED FOUR U.S. DIPLOMATS AND ONE GREEK EMBASSY EMPLOYEE AND 
HAS WOUNDED NUMEROUS AMERICAN OFFICIALS. 
 
THE HELLENIC POLICE DISCOVERED BLOOD PRESUMABLY BELONGING TO THE 
PERPETRATOR OF THE ATTACK IN MAY ON THE GERMAN AMBASSADOR'S 
RESIDENCE.  GREEK PRESS REPORTS IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER CLAIMED 
THAT AUTHORITIES HAD BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY BOTH THE TYPE AND DNA 
OF THE BLOOD SAMPLE AND WERE NARROWING THE SEARCH FOR THE 
PERPETRATOR. 
 
NIKOS MAZIOTIS WAS CONVICTED OF A BOMBING ATTACK AGAINST THE 
DEVELOPMENT MINISTRY IN 1997 AND SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS.  GIORGOS 
BALAFAS, WHO HAS SERVED TIME FOR MORE SERIOUS TERRORIST-RELATED 
ACTIVITIES IN THE PAST, WAS SENTENCED TO SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS 
FOR WEAPONS AND DRUG POSSESSION.  HIS CRIMES WERE TREATED AS AN 
ORDINARY CRIMINAL CASE EVEN THOUGH THEY STEMMED FROM EARLIER 
TERRORIST-RELATED CHARGES.  BALAFAS REMAINS FREE ON BAIL WHILE HE 
APPEALS HIS CASE. 
 
FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF PRESIDENT CLINTON'S VISIT TO 
GREECE, NOVEMBER 19-20, A SERIES OF EXPLOSIVE OR INCENDIARY 
ATTACKS (AGAIN, SOME OF WHICH DEFUSED) AND DRIVE-BY SHOOTINGS 
TARGETED U.S., OTHER FOREIGN, AND GREEK BANKS AND BUSINESSES, AS 
WELL AS A POST OFFICE, THE GREEK-AMERICAN UNION, THE OFFICE OF A 
FORMER MINISTER OF PUBLIC ORDER FROM THE OPPOSITION NEW DEMOCRACY 
PARTY, AND A COMMUNIST PARTY BRANCH OFFICE.  THE "TEAM FOR ANTI- 
STATE ACTION" TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR SOME OF THESE THE ATTACKS. 
THERE WERE NO ARRESTS. 
 
DURING COMMUNIST-ORGANIZED DEMONSTRATIONS ON THE EVENING OF THE 
PRESIDENT'S ARRIVAL, ABOUT 75 TO 80 PEOPLE FIREBOMBED OR LOOTED 
ALMOST 90 BUSINESSES IN DOWNTOWN ATHENS.  THE POLICE ARRESTED 
ABOUT 30 INDIVIDUALS.  FOUR BOMB THREATS WERE ALSO CALLED INTO 
THE INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE PRESIDENT'S 
STAY THERE.  IN ADDITION, AN UNIDENTIFIED RADIO OPERATOR SIGNALED 
TO AIR FORCE ONE SHORTLY AFTER THE PRESIDENT'S DEPARTURE FROM 
ATHENS THAT A BOMB HAD BEEN PLACED ON THE AIRCRAFT.  THREE MORE 
THREATS OF A BOMB OR ROCKET ATTACK ON THE AIRCRAFT WERE PHONED IN 
SHORTLY BEFORE ITS TAKE-OFF.  ALL THESE THREATS PROVED TO BE 
HOAXES. 
 
BURNS