by Nikos Doukas

On 3 November 1999 the newspaper "Washington Post" published an extremely interesting article about the action of terrorist organizations in Greece. According to the publication American and Greek officials say that "the members of terrorist organizations have been drawn from the same anti-dictatorial organizations that gave birth to PASOK party. It is reasonable to assume that they don't want to search every nook and cranny. If the leader of 17 November is arrested and is proved that it was one of the best friends of the leader of PASOK, they will be brought to a very difficult position". Unfortunately the Greek leftist political and newspaper establishment, instead of answering to the serious and well-documented accusations of the most reliable American newspaper, chose to answer with abuses and jeers, showing its characteristic low ethical level.

Whoever has happened to be in Greece in periods of murderous terrorist attackes, knows very well that terrorism is nothing but a fringe phenomenon. The largest Greek newspapers (Eleftherotypia, Nea, Ethnos) belong to the Left and have as main topic the murders, which they call legalizingly executions, with big red (as the blood of the victims) letters. The proclamations of the terrorist organizations are always "sent" to these newspapers, however none has ever seen the senders.

The largest terrorist organization is "17 November" which first appeared in November 1975 murdering the CIA officer Richard Welsh. During the 24 years of its action, it has murdered 22 and wounded 70. Up to now, not a single member of the organization has been convicted.

When the police arrests suspects for terrorist acts, immediately (and before the indictment or the incriminating evidence is announced) groups are formed by leftist MPs, lawyers and journalists. In the trials of suspects for terrorism, the judges and the attorneys are scurrilously attacked by MPs-lawyers, such as the president of "Synaspismos" party Konstantopoulos, the MP of the same party Kouvelis and the MPs of "PASOK" party Mangakis and Alexandris. Cars of judges, attorneys and jurors are set on fire before the trials. Out of the courts and even in the hallways leftists demonstrate with cries such as "the state is the only terrorist". Almost always the judges yield and the accused are acquitted.

On the 26th September 1992 in the Hippokratous St. Epameinondas Skyftoulis was arrested, while he was trying to break open a car along with the convicted for terrorist acts Christoporos Marinos. "17 November" uses in its attacks stolen cars. A witness recognizes him as one of the perpetrators of the clash in Sepolia between policemen and members of the "17 November". The court acquits him...

In November 1992 Giorgos Balafas is arrested in his house in Kapandriti. 3 guns and 6.5 kgs of drugs (hashish) are found in the house. In a basement apartment he had rented under the name "Nikos Maniatopoulos" at Kalama St. in Sepolia more guns are found. According to a letter of Abraham Lesperoglou dated 13 October 1997, Balafas belonged to the terrorist organization "Antikratiki Pali" (Antistate Struggle) along with Tsoutsouvis and Lesperoglou. Many witnesses recognize him as the one of the perpetrators of the attorney Theophanopoulos' murder and the robbery of "Pisteos" bank in Galatsi. Immediately a support commision is established, a letter of support is signed and he is visited in prison by leftist cadres: from "PASOK" party Fragiadaki, Papamargaris, Glezos, Daskalakis, Anomeritis, from "Synaspismos" party Alfieri, Alavanos and from "KKE" party Korakas. His defense is undertaken by the MPs Kouvelis and Alexandris, but he is convicted in the first instance court. He lodges an appeal with a higher court and, in the meantime, the leftist party "PASOK" comes to power. The widow of the attorney Theophanopoulos resigns from the civic prosecution after threats. In an atmosphere of jungle formed by leftist demonstrators, the appeal court (with 4 jury votes against 3 judges) acquits him...

The usual fate of the judges' and jurors' cars.

Nikos Maziotis was arrested in his house at Spartis St. in Kamatero where 3 guns, 10 kgs of explosives and terrorist proclamations were found. He confesses that he belongs to the terrorist organization "Anarchikoi Antartes Poleon" (Anarchist Town Rebels), which had placed a bomb in the Industry Ministry and on which his fingerprint was found. He declares impudently in a letter published on the first page of the leftist newspaper "Eleftherotypia": "I fight as much as I can for the overthrow of the state and the current social regime, without dismissing any form of action". He refused to do his military service for "ideological" reasons and he had also been arrested in 1996 in the notorious vandalism incidents at the Athens Polytechnic School. The court, amidst cries of leftist demonstrators such as "cops, pigs, murderers", sentences him but recognizes in extenuation his "virtuous intentions"! Imagine what he would have done if he didn't have them...

Almost always before the trials of suspects for terrorism, the cars of judges, attorneys and jurors are set on fire. Before the Maziotis' trial a condominium floor at Hippokratous St. with offices of judicial clerks and a tuition center was set on fire. The organization "Pirines Exegertikis Drasis" (Revolting Action Nuclei) "phones" to the leftist newspaper "Eleftherotypia", threatens that "the judges and the future lawyers of the state took a very good lesson of what they will face in their career" and asks to "free Maziotis".

There is no legal framework for the prosecution of terrorism. When the Mitsotakis centrist government attempted in 1992 to lay down a corresponding law, the leftist political and newspaper establishment called the law "terror law", giving the impression that the law was terrorist! After two years the leftist PASOK government abolished the law.

All these incidents show clearly that "Washington Post" simply found out what all Greeks know: that the Greek Left is deeply involved in the gutter of terrorism. And unfortunately that blackens our country's image internationally.