[ALBSA-Info] Elusive terrorists claim the killing of British diplomat

[Iris Pilika]

  Saturday, June 10, 2000  

Elusive terrorists claim the killing of British diplomat 

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>From Helena Smith, in Athens 
GREECE: The elusive terrorist group, November 17, yesterday claimed
responsibility for the killing of Britain's top military diplomat in
Athens. His wife appealed to Greeks to help hunt the "wicked men" behind
the assassination.

In a 13-page proclamation, the group said it had killed Brig Stephen
Saunders because he was a "professional murderer" who worked for a
government that had committed "Nazi-like crimes." 

The 52-year-old soldier is the first British subject to be targeted by the
revolutionary organisation since it emerged following seven years of
military dictatorship in Greece in 1975. He was killed, the group said, as
a result of his "participation in the planning of the barbaric airstrikes"
in reference to the NATO campaign against Yugoslavia. 

This charge was immediately denied by the British Defence Ministry which
said the brigadier had been seconded to a UN observer mission based in
Kuwait at the time of the campaign. He later helped direct Kosovo-bound
British troops, the ministry said.

Lacing its traditional MarxistLeninist rhetoric with nationalism, November
17 also claimed credit for a series of attacks last year, including a
rocket assault on the German ambassador's residence. Experts said the
group's decision to backdate the document to March clearly showed it had
been planning the killing for several months.

Unlike other Western diplomats Brig Saunders, who had been based in Athens
for almost two years, was without bodyguards and driving in an unarmoured
car when he was shot at four times by two gunmen on a motorcycle. He died
less than three hours later at Athens Red Cross hospital.

The group had used its signature .45 calibre pistol to kill the diplomat,
who was driving to a meeting at which he was to oversee the sale of arms
to Greece. 

He was November 17's 23rd victim. Others have included prominent Greeks,
Turkish diplomats and American soldiers and intelligence officers. 

The proclamation's publication in a Greek daily newspaper coincided with
an emotionallycharged appeal by the British diplomat's widow. Mrs Heather
Saunders implored Greeks to help track down the assassins. Despite the
combined efforts of Greek, American and British police forces and the
repeated offer of rewards, no member of November 17 has ever been captured
or traced, raising speculation that elements in the ruling Socialist Pasok
party may have some interest in protecting the organisation.

Speaking outside the couple's Athens villa in the presence of her two
teenage daughters, she said:

"I appeal to the Greek people and to anyone who knows anything, because
someone must know something about this terrible muder. We must prevent
this kind of thing from happening again. Anyone who saw anything, anyone
who knows anything please tell the police so that no one else has to go
through what we are going through today.

"For the sake of the future of Greece," she continued, "these people must
be brought to justice.

"Stephen was a man committed to peace and throughout his 35 years in the
army he never raised his gun to kill anyone, In fact, in the past, I know
he hesitated once, when someone opened fire on him in Northern Ireland, in
case he hit an innocent bystander. . . As yet I cannot forgive the
perpetrators of this horrible crime. But God may help me forgive in time." 


- Additional reporting: PA