Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ATHENS1667
2006-06-29 07:54:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Athens
Cable title:  

PUBLIC ORDER MINISTER OUTLINES CT PRIORITIES,

Tags:  PREL PGOV PTER GR 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4356
PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHTH #1667/01 1800754
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 290754Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5961
INFO RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNFB/FBI WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ATHENS 001667 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/SE, EUR/PD, DS/ISI/PII, DS/OP/EUR, DS/DSS/ITA,
DS/P/A
FBI FOR CTC/ITOS/TGU, OIO,/IOU-II, AND WFO/NS-12
CIA FOR CTC, EUR/AEG, EUR LGL, EUR/AEGRTB
JUSTICE FOR HERRUP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER GR
SUBJECT: PUBLIC ORDER MINISTER OUTLINES CT PRIORITIES,
MEETS WITH FAMILY OF N17 U.S. VICTIM

REF: A. A. ATHENS 01491


B. B. ATHENS 1389

C. C. ATHENS 104

D. D. ATHENS 404 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: AMB. CHARLES P. RIES FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D)

-------
Summary
-------
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ATHENS 001667

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/SE, EUR/PD, DS/ISI/PII, DS/OP/EUR, DS/DSS/ITA,
DS/P/A
FBI FOR CTC/ITOS/TGU, OIO,/IOU-II, AND WFO/NS-12
CIA FOR CTC, EUR/AEG, EUR LGL, EUR/AEGRTB
JUSTICE FOR HERRUP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER GR
SUBJECT: PUBLIC ORDER MINISTER OUTLINES CT PRIORITIES,
MEETS WITH FAMILY OF N17 U.S. VICTIM

REF: A. A. ATHENS 01491


B. B. ATHENS 1389

C. C. ATHENS 104

D. D. ATHENS 404 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: AMB. CHARLES P. RIES FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D)

--------------
Summary
--------------

1. (C) During a G-8 Counter-Terrorism Action Group (CTAG)
lunch for G-8 Ambassadors hosted by Russian Ambassador Vdovin
on June 16, Public Order Minister Polydoras gave a
comprehensive description of Greece's domestic and
international counter-terrorism priorities. Later, on June
26th, Polydoras met with two children of U.S. Navy Captain
George Tsantes (murdered by the terrorist organization,
November 17, in 1983),who were in Athens to provide victim
impact testimony at the on-going N17 appeals trial. They
urged Polydoras to change Greece's 20-year statute of
limitations on murder, requested information on Greek law
enforcement efforts to trace N17 finances, and sought
assurances that Greek authorities are tracking potential
follow-on terrorist organizations. In both meetings,
Polydoras highlighted the importance of securing evidence to
aid in successful investigations, and criticized the Greek
media for fueling public sympathy for the twisted ideologies
of Greek terrorists and anarchists. End Summary.

-------------- --------------
Tsanteses Seek Answers on N17 Finances/Criminal Law

SIPDIS
-------------- --------------

2. (C) During both the June 16 CTAG meeting and the June 26
meeting with the two children of slain U.S. Navy Captain
George Tsantes, Public Order Minister Polydoras defended GoG
handling of the investigation, prosecution, and on-going
appeals trial regarding the N17 terrorist organization. He
provided reassurances that the government continues to work
on remaining investigative leads. However, Polydoras was
unable to provide specific answers to the Tsanteses request
for updates on terror finance traces and legislation

revisions. Because N17 had been known to finance its
activities through bank robberies and other illegal
activities, the Tsanteses requested an update from Polydoras
on Greek law enforcement efforts to trace these stolen funds.
They also wondered how the N17 defendants financed their
ongoing legal fees and asked whether those funds had been
traced. Polydoras said that MPO tracing and detection
efforts had not yet produced any tangible results, and noted
issues such as privacy concerns.


3. (C) The Tsantes children also criticized the Greek law
that places a 20-year statute of limitations on murder, and
urged Polydoras to consider changing the legislation. (Note:
To date, none of the N17 defendants has confessed to the 1983
Tsantes attack or implicated the actual assailants in their

SIPDIS
statements, and the case subsequently expired in 2003, as per
the 20-year statute of limitations. We do believe that some,
if not all, of the N17 defendants involved in the Tsantes
attack have been convicted on N17-related crimes and are
incarcerated. End Note.) The Tsanteses cited strengthened
Greek antiterror legislation, that passed in Parliament on
June 24, 2004, as a possible precedent for changing Greek
criminal law to eliminate the statute of limitations on
murder. Polydoras explained that changing basic criminal law
is very difficult and beyond his Ministry's capacity.
Moreover, he characterized the changes to antiterror
legislation in 2004 as having been passed during a period of
bipartisan cooperation (in advance of the 2004 Summer
Olympics) that has since ceased. Polydoras attempted to
assure the Tsanteses, however, that he felt a moral
obligation to continue the Tsantes investigation despite the
statute of limitations. He also implied that under special
terms (murder or acts or terror),EU legislation could
possibly be applied to expired cases in Greece. In this
manner, should investigations uncover the identity of the
Tsantes attacker(s),a case could possibly be tried despite

SIPDIS
the statute of limitations.

--------------
Tracking the N17 new generation
--------------

4. (C) In response to a Tsantes request for information on

ATHENS 00001667 002 OF 003


how the Greek police monitor a possible follow-on generation
to the N17 terrorists, Polydoras replied this was handled
through police field work and said he regards the potential
emergence of such a group as his most worrisome challenge.
He explained to the CTAG group that the murder of the special
guard at the British defense attache's residence in December
2004 was likely an act by such a group. What remains unknown
is whether it was a planned hit or an accidental escalation
of some other action. He further explained that the latest
evidence of an emerging terrorist group was the small-scale
bombing last month outside the residence of former MPO
Giorgos Voulgarakis, an act that the Revolutionary Struggle
(RS) organization has taken credit for (refs A and B). The
MPO said his ministry is intensively investigating this case,
as well as the large explosion near Syntagma Square in
December 2005, another violent RS act. With an eye towards
what worked in the N17 case, Polydoras said he places the
most investigative emphasis on forensic analysis. In
contrast to hard evidence, he explained, eyewitnesses are
less reliable, prone to intimidation and, although there is a
legal basis, it is hard for Greece to offer water-tight
witness protection.


5. (C) In addition to these "successor-generation"
terrorists, Polydoras noted the existence of "terrorist
imitators." They practice "light terrorism," including gas
canister attacks on banks and other purported capitalist
targets, and could become full-blown terrorists. Polydoras
opined that these "anarchists and ideological zealots" get
sympathy and indirect support from television and newspaper
commentators. They are also fed by newspaper reactions to the
alleged Pakistani abduction (ref C) and the Vodaphone
phonetapping affairs (ref D),with "salt and pepper" provided
by anti-Americanism and the highly negative public reaction
to the war in Iraq. Answering Russian Ambassador Vdovin
whether UNSCR 1624 (a resolution calling on states to take
certain measures relating to the incitement of terrorist acts
that was adopted in September 2005) would apply to the recent
RS manifesto in the wake of the Voulgarakis bombing,
Polydoras responded that the GoG will use all legal tools it
has available, as authorized by the Ministry of Justice,
respecting human rights and EU principles and rules.

--------------
International Terrorism
--------------

6. (C) According to Polydoras, Greece is taking measures
first and foremost to secure its borders, as well as watching
illegal aliens in-country. At present "we do not see a
visible danger" of imported terrorism. So the terrorism
threat in Greece is predominantly the targeted action of
domestic groups, rather than the blind, massive strikes of
London, Madrid or Istanbul, he argued. Polydoras further
noted that Greece is cooperating actively with the police and
ministries of interior of many countries against terrorism as
well as against trafficking in humans, weapons and narcotics,
and illegal migration. In November 2006, Greece will conduct
an illegal migration exercise with the Balkan countries and
Turkey. In contrast to these positive developments,
Polydoras also noted negative forces that have hindered the
deepening of European cooperation against terrorism,
including the 2005 referendums in France and Netherlands
against the EU constitution and withdrawal of the de Villepin
education reform law, which encouraged the idea that violent
protest can stop legislative change (Note: This comment was
prescient in light of the subsequent postponement of Greece's
own educational reforms. End note.) Other developments which
"diminished the spirit of 9/11," and served to build
international linkages in the European anarchist movement
were "Prodi,s election in Italy" and the impact of
anti-globalization protests against the 1999 WTO meeting in
Seattle and 2001 G-8 Summit meeting in Genoa.

--------------
Comment
--------------

7. (C) We have an ally in Polydoras and it was good of him
to attend both the CTAG and Tsantes family meetings. His
heart is in the right place and we are aware of his difficult
position, given the public's apathy and even suspicion about
moving against terrorism. Indeed, during the Tsantes
meeting, Polydoras lamented that he was the sole GoG minister
tasked with confronting domestic terrorist ideology, but

ATHENS 00001667 003 OF 003


finding no support within the government and outright
hostility from the media. He noted the media is shying away
from N17 appeals trial coverage because it does not want to
go through the "painful" process of morally "re-condemning"
this group. At both meetings, Polydoras stressed the
importance of combating the ideology of terrorism through
mass media, democracy and human rights, and dialogue, and
that international cooperation is essential.
RIES