GREECE: 1994 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ATHENS 011383


SECSTATE FOR S/CT (REAP)

E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: PTER TU GR
SUBJECT: GREECE: 1994 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

REF: STATE 286744


1. FOLLOWING IS EMBASSY'S SUBMISSION FOR THE 1994
ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT.

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A. PROSECUTIONS
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2. SUSPECTED TERRORIST GEORGE BALAFAS WAS ACQUITTED
ON JULY 25 OF 20 CHARGES RANGING FROM MURDER AND
ARMED ROBBERY TO MISDEMEANORS. AN APPEAL TO THIS
ACQUITTAL WAS GRANTED ON AUGUST 2, AND PROSECUTORS
ARE NOW PLANNING A RETRIAL ON SOME OF THESE SAME
CHARGES. BALAFAS WAS RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER 5
PENDING THE NOVEMBER 18 START OF THE SECOND OF HIS
THREE TRIALS, ON WEAPONS CHARGES STEMMING FROM
EVIDENCE FOUND AT THE KALAMA SAFEHOUSE. BALAFAS'
THIRD TRIAL, ON ADDITIONAL WEAPONS AND NARCOTICS
CHARGES, HAS NOT BEEN SCHEDULED. HIS GIRLFRIEND
VASILIKI MIHOU IS A CO-DEFENDANT IN THAT TRIAL.

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B. EXTRADITIONS OR RESPONSES TO EXTRADITIONS
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3. NO EXTRADITIONS ON TERRORIST CASES WERE MADE
EITHER TO OR FROM GREECE. THERE WAS NO GOG ACTION
ON THE LONG-PENDING EXTRADITION REQUEST BY THE U.S.
FOR TERRORIST MOHAMED RASHID, CURRENTLY IMPRISONED
IN GREECE.
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C. IMPEDIMENTS TO GOG PROSECUTIONS AND EXTRADITIONS
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4. TWO BROAD CATEGORIES OF IMPEDIMENTS EXIST TO
SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTIONS FOR TERRORISM. THEY ARE 1)
LACK OF A STRONG PUBLIC FEELING AGAINST TERRORISM,
AND 2) PROBLEMS IN THE POLICE AND LEGAL
INFRASTRUCTURE. STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS HAVE INCLUDED
INADEQUATE POLICE INVESTIGATIVE METHODS, HIGH
TURNOVER AND POLITICIZATION AT ALL LEVELS IN THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT, LACK OF A WITNESS PROTECTION
PROGRAM, AND THREATS AGAINST JUDGES AND WITNESSES.
SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THE PRIORITY PAID BY
DIFFERENT MINISTRIES TO COMBATTING TERRORISM
UNDERMINES POLICE MORALE AND HAS PRODUCED AN UNEVEN
RESPONSE AGAINST TERRORISM.


5. THE VISIT OF THE THEN-TRANSPORTATION AND
COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER TO ACCUSED TERRORIST GEORGE
BALAFAS, AND PUBLIC STATEMENTS BY GOVERNMENT PARTY
PARLIAMENTARIANS CALLING FOR BALAFAS' RELEASE,
REFLECTED POLITICAL AND POPULAR SUPPORT FOR BALAFAS,
AND SUGGESTED TOLERATION OF TERRORISM IN GENERAL.
THERE IS RELATIVELY LITTLE POPULAR AND POLITICAL
REACTION TO TERRORIST ATTACKS, BASED IN PART ON
GREEK POLITICAL HISTORY AND IN PART ON THE CHOICE OF
VICTIMS, WHO ARE PERCEIVED BY SOME ELEMENTS OF GREEK
SOCIETY AS DESERVING PUNISHMENT.

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D. GOG RESPONSES - STATEMENTS AND INVESTIGATIONS
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6. COG OFFICIALS INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT AND THE
PRIME MINISTER CONDEMNED TERRORISM ON NUMEROUS
OCCASIONS, STATING THAT ERADICATION OF TERRORISM IS
A GOG PRIORITY. THEY PROMISED CLOSE COOPERATION
WITH OTHER GOVERNMENTS, PARTICULARLY WITH THE USG,
IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISTS.


7. THERE WERE OVER TWENTY SIGNIFICANT TERRORIST
ACTS IN GREECE IN 1994, INCLUDING ASSASSINATIONS OF
A FORMER GOVERNOR OF THE NATIONAL BANK OF GREECE AND
A TURKISH DIPLOMAT, AND THE BOMBING OF A POLICE BUS
RESULTING IN THE DEATH OF A SENIOR POLICE OFFICAL
AND INJURIES TO TEN CIVIL SERVANTS. ROUTINE POLICE
INVESTIGATIONS OF ALL THESE ATTACKS HAVE NOT
RESULTED IN ANY BREAKTHROUGHS. IN ADDITION, ON A
MONTHLY BASIS GREECE EXPERIENCES AN AVERAGE OF 15-25
TERRORIST-TYPE INCIDENTS (MOSTLY BOMBINGS),MOST OF
WHICH ARE DONE BY ANARCHIST GROUPS OR APPEAR TO BE
PERSONAL VENDETTAS. THIS IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN
EUROPE.

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E. GOG COUNTER-TERRORISM EFFORTS
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8. INTERNAL GOVERNMENT DISSENSION AND LACK OF
INTER-MINISTERIAL COOPERATION HAS BLUNTED EFFORTS TO
CREATE AND ENFORCE EFFECTIVE COUNTER-TERRORISM
PROGRAMS. FOLLOWING THE BOMBING DEATH OF A SENIOR
POLICE OFFICIAL ON SEPTEMBER 19, THE GOG DOUBLED THE
REWARD FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE CAPTURE AND
CONVICTION OF TERRORISTS TO 500 MILLION DRACHMAS
(USD 2.1 MILLION).

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F. GOG SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM
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9. THE ERNK (NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT OF
KURDISTAN),THE POLITICAL WING OF THE PKK (KURDISTAN
WORKERS' PARTY),MAINTAINS AN OFFICE IN ATHENS. THE
HEAD OF THAT OFFICE GAVE A PROVOCATIVE INTERVIEW TO
THE GREEK PRESS IN WHICH HE WARNED THAT TERRORISM IN
TURKEY WOULD CONTINUE, THAT GREEK TOURISTS AND
BUSINESSMEN SHOULD AVOID TURKEY, AND THAT CASUALTIES
WERE LIKELY THERE. THERE WAS NO OFFICIAL GOG
REACTION. IN NOVEMBER, HOWEVER, THE PRESS REPORTED
THAT THE GOG DENIED A VISA TO PKK LEADER KANI
YILMAZ. ALLEGATIONS OF CAMPS AND TRAINING IN GREECE
FOR THE PKK WERE DENIED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR BY THE
GOG.

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G. GOG SUPPORT FOR TERRORIST-SUPPORTING COUNTRIES
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10. NO SUCH STATEMENTS WERE MADE, ALTHOUGH GREECE
MAINTAINS GOOD RELATIONS WITH SYRIA AND LIBYA.

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H. MAJOR CHANGE IN GOG ATTITUDE TOWARDS TERRORISM
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11. UNFORTUNATELY, 1994 SAW NO IMPROVEMENT IN
COUNTER-TERRORISM IN GREECE. THE REPEAL OF THE
COUNTER-TERRORISM LAW IN DECEMBER, 1993 WAS NOT
HELPFUL IN THE COUNTER-TERRORISM EFFORT, NOR WAS THE
SYMBOLISM SHOWN IN THE BALAFAS CASE. THESE ACTIONS
CONTRIBUTED TO AN ATMOSPHERE IN WHICH TERRORISTS
WERE VIEWED WITH SOME SYMPATHY INSTEAD OF AS PUBLIC
ENEMIES, AND HAD A STULTIFYING EFFECT ON EFFECTIVE
COUNTER-TERRORISM.

NILES