Page 334 - Encyclopedia Of Terrorism

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314———Revolutionary Organization 17 November

extremely small, perhaps having as few as a dozen
REVOLUTIONARY JUSTICE members. However many their number, 17N has
ORGANIZATION. See HEZBOLLAH. demonstrated thoroughly professional organization
throughout its existence; its operations have been
noted for their careful planning and execution and its
members for their coolness under pressure.
REVOLUTIONARY NUCLEI. See 17N’s first attack was the assassination of CIA sta-
ORDINE NUOVO. tion chief Richard Welch in Athens on December 23,
1975. Over the next five years, the group attacked
noted Greek political figures. Following each attack,
17N claimed responsibility and provided details about
REVOLUTIONARY ORGANIZATION the crimes to prove its culpability. In 1981, following
17 NOVEMBER the election of a socialist government in Greece, 17N
seemed to have briefly suspended operations, resum-
ing them in 1983 with the assassination of U.S. Navy
The Revolutionary Organization 17 November captain George Tsantes, after the Greek government
(RO-17N, or 17N) is a Greek terrorist group that has agreed to let the U.S. military bases remain on Greek
carried out dozens of operations and whose members soil. In 1985, 17N detonated its first car bomb, killing
eluded capture for more than 25 years. one police officer and injuring 14. Following a raid on
17N takes its name from the events of November a Greek military museum in 1990, which netted the
14-17, 1973, when a student protest against Greece’s group two rocket launchers, many of its attacks have
military dictatorship at the Athens Polytechneio was used rockets.
met with excessive police force: 34 protestors died Since 1983, 17N has mounted more than 100
and hundreds were injured. The military junta subse- attacks against U.S. and Greek government targets
quently fell and was replaced by a civilian govern- and Western businesses in Greece; these attacks have
ment in 1974. killed more than 20 people. 17N increased its activity
No member of 17N had ever been arrested and during the Persian Gulf War and the North Atlantic
interrogated until July 2002, thus information about Treaty Organization air strikes in Kosovo. In 1997, a
the group’s goals and leadership is gleaned largely Kurdish member of 17N alleged that the group was
from communiqués released by 17N after its attacks. connected to leftist Greek political parties. That no
The leadership of 17N seems to have hoped that the member of the group has ever been arrested gives
fall of the junta would bring about a Marxist, or a least some credence to the speculation that 17N may be
a socialist, revolution. The election of the moderate, protected by elements within the Greek government.
somewhat conservative Prime Minister Konstatinos Over the years, the group seems to have lost some of
Karamanlis appears to have disillusioned members of fervor and some of its operations have failed.
the group, and they set about making the group a van- The first break in the investigation came on June
guard whose violent attacks on the repressive estab- 29, 2002, when Greek police arrested Savvas Xeros,
lishment are, according to Leninist theory, supposed believed to be a 17N commander, after he had been
to spark a communist revolution. injured while attempting to plant a bomb. The arrest
Although 17N is Marxist, its communism has a of Xeros led the police to a cache of weapons and
distinctly nationalist flavor. The group advocates the documents, including a Colt .45 pistol used in several
closing and repatriating of U.S. military bases in of 17N’s attacks. Hundreds of people were arrested
Greece, opposes Greek membership in the European and detained for questioning. The Greek police
Union, and frowns on closer ties between Greece and believe the capture of 17N’s arsenal to be a crushing
Turkey. (Turkey ruled Greece for several hundred blow to the organization. At the time of this writing,
years; the continuing animosity between the two it remains to be seen whether Xeros’s arrest will be
nations has led them to the brink of war many times.) enough to kill the organization, or whether it will
The number of members of 17N is unknown, but remain an active threat, posing a significant security
given the extreme difficulty police have had in pene- challenge for the organizers of the 2004 Olympic
trating the organization, experts believe that it may be Games in Athens.