November 17 - The Unknown Enemy

by P. Michel.
Founder of Praesidia Defence
former Member of German Government Security Services

When the British Military attaché Stephen Saunders leaves his apartment on June 9th, 2000 shortly after seven o'clock, he doesn't suspect what fate awaits him. He gets into his cream-colored Rover 820 for his daily trip to the British embassy. The traffic jam on the multi lane main street is nothing special. But on this day a motorcycle follows him. The two men on the bike wind through the dense traffic. Shortly before 7.30 o'clock the two-wheeled vehicle stops at the side of Saunders cars. The Militärattaché is hit in the upper part of the body fatally four times. He succumbs his injuries three hours later.

Stephen Saunders knew the dangers in Greece. That is why he used a car without diplomat characteristics and attached a Greek license plate at his Rover. If he was in an armored vehicle and had an effective counter surveillance he would be presumable still on the life.

In a 13-page communiqué the Greek terror group November 17 confessed to the crime. They feel that the assassination is justified as retribution for the roll of the British government with the NATO air raids in the Kosovo.

The revolutionary organization November 17, (N17)

The terror group gets its name from the day the Greek army tried to suppress the student protests against the military dictatorship by force, November 17th, 1973. 34 students were killed; over 800 were injured partly seriously, in Athens. Leftist groups celebrate this day every year.

To the knowledge of the security authorities the left extremist students between 1973 and 1975 founded November 17. It is suspected that the former Greek Prime Minister Papandreou knows some of the foundation members. The group stepped into appearance for the first time 1975 with the murder of the CIA station chief Richard Welch.

The number of the active members is estimated at 10 to 25. Nothing much is known, because no member of the group has ever been arrested or killed. Nobody inside the Greek and foreign security services knows the names or faces of the group members. The terror group is like a ghost. Security authorities believe that the terrorists of the founder generation have left the group since they must be today by 50 years old. The age of the present group members is estimated at 20 to 30 years.

Greek security authorities blame the terror group, which operates up to now only in Greece, responsible for 30 bombings, 27 rocket attacks and 23 homicides. More than 70 people were hurt (for comparison purposes: The no longer active RAFs murdered 32 people).

The Ideology of the terrorist group is based on the Marxism-Leninism; similar other western left extreme terrorist groups (which were active till the early 90s -RAF, CCC). Since the collapse of the Soviet Union the groups increases the nationalism as ideology. This is the main reason for the assassinations of Turkish diplomats (conflict between Turkey and Greece around Cyprus).

Only in the beginning of the 70s some of the foundation members maintained contacts to Palestinian terror groups. No contacts to foreign terrorist could be observed since the middle of the 70s. The construction and use of explosive devices also indicates that there wasn't any experience interchange with groups like the IRA or the RAF.

Mode Operandi of the terror group

The group November 17 committed attacks on Greek governmental representatives and governmental officials (for example police officers), foreign diplomats (Germany, USA, Great Britain, Turkey), foreign army staff and foreign businessmen. But the terrorists attacked also Embassies as well as national and foreign company branch offices.

One of the group's trademarks is the use of a .45 caliber pistol. Seven assassinations have been committed. Since beginning of the eighties November 17 regularly uses explosive devices. The vehicles used for the attacks are stolen.

Its attacks are aimed at its ideological opponents. The group is anti imperialistic, anti capitalist against the dominance of USA and NATO. Since beginning of the nineties November 17 has expanded its activities also at the European Union. Bombings against the branch offices of foreign enterprises show the attitude of the terrorists to foreign investments in Greece (among them two attacks against branch offices of the City Bank). The terror group has committed more than 20 assassinations on foreign embassy staff and foreign army members.

Like other European left extreme terror groups, November 17 tries to avoid assassination attempts on innocent bystanders. This is a typical trademark of left terrorists who seek public support for their deeds, and therefore commit specific attacks, unlike right terrorists who tend to carry out indiscriminating attacks. Only in 1992 a bystander was killed when the November 17 committed a rocket attack on the Greek Secretary of the Treasury in the main shopping center of Athens. In a point they are different at the target selection than other European left terrorist group. It also commits attacks against domestic government security services - what else is only the case with nationalistic separatist terror groups like the IRA or ETA.

Violent acts are particularly carried out when the Greek citizens get annoyed about political events. The terror group fights with violent means against things for which there is also in the Greek population corresponding antipathy:

• The support of the dictatorship (1967 - 1975) by the USA and the American armed forces presence in Greece.
• Turkey due to the Greek-Turkish conflict around Cyprus.
• The Greek police which forcibly proceeds against student demonstrations.
• Foreign companies, which invest in Greece.
• The membership of Greece in the European Union.
• The NATO membership of Greece.
• The roll of the NATO in the Kosovo.

The orthodox faith connects Serbians and Greek, why the NATO air raids in the Kosovo created severe criticism among the Greek population. The CIA has listed 66 security relevant incidents in Greece (April -- June 1999), which stand in connection with the aerial warfare operation: Violent demonstrations, arson and explosive attacks and assassinations. The Greek police have determined more than 500 potentially endangered Western people and facilities in connection with the Kosovo conflict.

The safety of the own group members is the most important for the terrorists, why it reflected by the way who November 17 carries out its operations:

• People accompanied by personal protection specialists are not attacked from close distance.
• During the attacks on secured facilities and protected people the terrorists stay in safe distance.
• The failing of an assassination attempt is accepted to protect the group members from arrests.

Rockets, which could be launched by remote control, were defused in a warehouse in Pireus. The assassination of employees of the Turkish embassy in Athens was carried out with a remote controlled car bomb.

Like other terrorist groups, November 17 uses motorcycles for surveillance and assassinations (read article Securitydriver.com on the use of motorcycles in executive protection). Since February 1999 American security services have noticed eight surveillance attempts in Athens. Seven of this was carried out with motorcycles, which were provided with forged number plates. Two assassinations were carried out with motorcycles (a UN employee and the Militärattaché Saunders) within the last 18 months.

Many of the attempts of the group November 17 failed. This indicates bad planning, low risk readiness of the terrorists and poor/inadequate equipment. Especially rocket attacks, where the perpetrators used time fuses or remote control devices, these events caused in most cases only little damage (exception: one killed bystander in 1992) or did not ignite at all. The residence of the German ambassador took only light damage. The used rockets were stolen in the eighties from an army store and might have a high failure rate due to the age.

In the seventies and beginning of 80s kidnappings were one of the favorite means of left terrorist groups. The organization November 17 committed attacks on people and facilities, but not one single kidnapping. Since kidnappings require a considerable logistical, planning, material and personnel effort, this indicates a limited operational capability of the organization. Obviously November 17 is not able to carry out complex terrorist operations.

Assassinations are often connected with the visit of foreign government dignitaries. An explosive device exploded in Athens at the end of April 1999 in front of the Interconti Hotel few days before the planned arrival of Bill Clinton. When the British Militärattaché Saunders was murdered, the British Secretary for Defense Purchase was in town. The terrorist group committed explosive attacks on Turkish embassy vehicles in Athens on the evening before of the state visit of the Turkish Secretary of State in May 1988.

Perspective

For the first time the terror group November 17 murdered a British diplomat. The assassination was in retaliation for Great Britain roll in the Kosovo aerial warfare. The assassination attempt against the German ambassador was also linked with the Kosovo conflict.

The USA is in five points a favorite target of this terrorist group:

1. The USA is the only real world power. They have great influence in worldwide economy politics. They have a leading position in UN and NATO peace keeping.
2. During the Greece dictatorship the USA had close relations with the government.
3. US armed forces presence in Greece.
4. US-enterprises invest in Greece and have branch offices on the spot.
5. Striking US citizen and facilities is for the terrorists a symbolic victory on a world power.

Americans have noticed several surveillance attempts. A clear sign, that in Greece further assassinations is in planning. The Olympic games, which take place in Athens in 2004, are another source of anxiety. The Olympic stadium is in the proximity of the so-called "devil triangle", a municipal area in which already three assassinations took place. Greece is regarded as the weakest member in the European counter terrorism fighting.