INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENT: GREEK TERROR GROUP

UNCLAS ATHENS 000250 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER GR SUBJECT: INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENT: GREEK TERROR GROUP "REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE" ¶1. (SBU) The domestic counterterrorism division of the Hellenic National Police (HNP) and FBI at Embassy Athens collaborated on a joint intelligence assessment of the Greek domestic terrorist group Revolutionary Struggle. Their assessment is summarized below: ¶2. (SBU) RS is the most dominant domestic terrorist organization in Athens. This radical leftist group, which is anti-Greek establishment, ideologically Marxist, and sympathetic to extremist causes in the Middle East, is believed to be responsible for nine terrorist acts since 2003, most notably the murder of a Greek policeman in 2004, the detonations of improvised explosives in front of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare and the Ministry of Economy and Economics in 2005, an attack on the Minister of Culture in 2006, and an RPG attack on the US Embassy in January 2007. There is sufficient data to suggest that several other terrorist acts were conducted by RS, either in support of the organization or as a separate group. ¶3. (SBU) RS has authored seven proclamations which indicate that their political ideology is based on classical and modern political science and economic ideas, mirrors the general leftist-anarchist community in Athens, and is international in scope. It is a relatively new terrorist organization, but shows signs of significant professionalism and organization. Based on the proclamation following the attack of the Minister of Cultre in 2006, RS shows signs of significant preoperational planning and surveillance for a significant amount of time prior to the actual attack. Prior to the attacks on the Culture Minister and the U.S. Embassy, according to witnesses, suspicious individuals, wearing district cleaning uniforms were seen "working" across the street from the target. The FBI and HNP have assessed that RS presents a threat to the GoG, HNP, and U.S. entities in Athens. But RS appears acutely conscious of public opinion and would shy away from large scale or random terrorist acts. That said, RS is believed to have robbed and murdered a police guard outside of the British Military Attach's residence at gunpoint. RS appears to be less concerned with domestic Greek politics than with alleged trends towards global imperialism purportedly sustained by the U.S.-led war on terror, and its attacks do not correspond with current domestic political events. According to their proclamations, RS claims that they are protecting the Greek public from harsher attacks by Middle East extremist terrorists by striking targets without harming the Greek public. RS has mentioned their support and sympathy for Hezbollah, Hamas, the Iraqi insurgencies, and the Palestinians. 4) (SBU) The Assessment team recommended that the International Terrorism Section ad the Organized Crime Section of the HNP be cnsulted in order to conduct an analysis of possible links between Islamic extremists, orgnized crime rings (especially Albanian) and the anarchist community in Greece. The Assessment team also recommended that an analytical review of all of the Proclamations be conducted by a professor of political science or economics to determine the educational history of the author. It is also recommended that a comparative forensic analysis of explosive devices and tradecraft be conducted in order to identify possible connections to members of other groups. It is recommended that anarchist blogs and websites be monitored, all known anarchists/extremists traveling abroad be conduced, and DNA samples be taken from suspected anarchists/extremists be collected in order to compare against forensic evidence acquired from RS investigations. 5) (SBU) The Assessment team identified several important gaps in their knowledge about RS. For example, they are unsure whether RS has any links with domestic or international anarchist groups, criminal organizations (domestic or international),international terrorist organizations, Hamas, Hezbollah, or November 17th. No members of RS have been identified to date, although the assessment identifies several individuals potentially associated with RS. The Assessment team does not know how RS recruits or expands its membership. (For example: Does the group use the internet?) The team does not know how they make bombs, how RS learned how to make bombs, or whether RS has received any training. It is unclear how many weapons the group possesses, how it acquires them, whether it uses criminal activities to finance the organization, whether it has an arsenal or a safehouse. The assessment also asks what the connection is between RS and terrorist acts in Greece that have not been claimed by any group. SPECKHARD