NEW GREEK DOMESTIC TERROR GROUP EMERGES

UNCLAS ATHENS 001120 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER GR SUBJECT: NEW GREEK DOMESTIC TERROR GROUP EMERGES ¶1. (SBU) Greek anti-terrorist investigators believe that a new terrorist group has emerged following bombing incidents on June 24 and July 28. In the first incident, a small explosion was set off outside an officAthens suburb of MarouQwQ In both incidents, "died improvised devic verified manner, presumably as remote control detonators, which have never before been used by known Greek terrorist groups. Further forensic tests are being carried out at the police lab to determine the exact components of these bombs, as well as the nature of the explosives used. ¶2. (SBU) On July 30, the daily "Eleftherotypia" received a proclamation from the "People's Will," a previously unknown organization, claiming responsibility for the June 24 and July 28 bomb incidents in addition to an explosion at the Larissa courthouse in central Greece on May 29, 2004. The proclamation was burned on a CD that was delivered by courier service. The seven-page printed document advocated a popular uprising against the corruption scandals currently besetting Greece and denounced the exploitation of the "new proletariat and excluded social groups." ¶3. (SBU) COMMENT: The emergence of "People's Will" represents the latest step in the progressive ratcheting up of the Greek domestic terror threat in the aftermath of the capture earlier this decade of many members of the 17 November organization. The group Revolutionary Struggle (RS) claimed responsibility for, amongst many other things, the January 2007 RPG attack on Embassy Athens. It is unclear what connection, if any, exists between the new group People's Will and RS or the remnants of 17N still at large. SPECKHARD