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Viewing cable 05ATHENS2735, GREECE/N17: CONVICTED N17 CHIEF GUNMAN GIVES

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
05ATHENS2735 2005-10-20 10:25 2011-08-30 01:44 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Athens
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ATHENS 002735 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SE, EUR/PD, DS/ISI/PII, DS/OP/EUR, DS/DSS/ITA, 
DS/P/A 
FBI FOR CTC/ITSO/TGU, OIO/IOU-II AND WFO/NS-12 
CIA FOR CTC, EUR/AEG AND EUR/LGL 
JUSTICE FOR EPSTEIN, HERRUP, FROMSTEIN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ANARCHISTS
SUBJECT: GREECE/N17: CONVICTED N17 CHIEF GUNMAN GIVES 
INTERVIEW 
 
 
1.  (SBU)  SUMMARY:  The October 13 edition of 
"Eleftherotypia," one of Greece's top circulation dailies, 
gave prime space to the rantings of Dimitris Koufodinas, the 
top gunman for the terrorist organization November 17, who is 
currently serving multiple life sentences for his murderous 
acts.  Koufodinas called the murder of Embassy officer 
Richard Welch in 1975 (N17's first assassination) the 
"determining act of our generation."  The interview, 
unprecedented in its length, reflects the continuing sympathy 
in the Greek press for N17's so-called revolutionary acts and 
comes just weeks before the N17 appeals trial, set to begin 
on December 2.  At our suggestion, George Momferatos, leader 
of the organization of family members of N17 victims ("Os 
Edo," which translates to "Enough Already") and whose father 
was murdered by N17, told Embassy he would ask 
"Eletherotypia" for space to answer Koufodinas and present 
him as the coldblooded, remorseless killer he really is.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U)  Dimitris Koufodinas, serving multiple life terms for 
his role as the chief gunman of the November 17 terrorist 
group, gave an interview to the daily "Eleftherotypia" 
(center-left, staunchly anti-government, which used to print 
all of N17's proclamations) that occupied the two center 
pages of the paper's October 13 edition.  Koufodinas, who has 
assumed the "political" responsibility of all of N17's 
terrorist actions, ranged freely over international politics, 
ideology, and the global war on terror, and spoke about N17 
as "an organization of political and social protest." 
 
3.  (U)  When asked to describe how he came to join N17, 
Koufodinas launched into memories from the Greek resistance 
against the Nazis, the period of the Athens Polytechnic 
uprising of November 1973 (from which the terrorist group 
derived its name) and the "narrowing of the realm of 
legitimate struggles." Indeed, Koufodinas said that in view 
of the revolutionary climate of those days, the killing of 
"CIA (Athens) station chief (Richard) Welch... (was) a 
determining (act) for our generation." (Note: Welch was 
murdered by N17 on December 23, 1975. End Note.) 
 
4.  (U)  Koufodinas denied that N17 was defeated, and accused 
the Greek Left of having become a "neo-liberal Left," that 
is, part of the establishment.  He predicted that the 
struggles of peoples "won't lead to a "new dark epoch," but 
rather to "forward motion." He argued that N17 had failed to 
re-design its armed struggle when it had the opportunity and 
according to the changing conditions of society.  Asked about 
his defense at the upcoming trial, Koufodinas refused to go 
in to details and called for "solidarity and respect" among 
the 17N defendants. 
 
5.  (SBU)  The generally sympathetic interview comes only 
weeks before the opening of the N17 appeals trial (scheduled 
for December 2) and against the backdrop of increasing 
reports that the N17 convicts are deeply divided over legal 
tactics as well as political and ideological questions. 
Koufodinas has been publicly assailed by supporters of his 
co-defendant Alexandros Yiotopoulos, considered to be the 
leader of the terrorist group and who is also serving 
multiple life terms, for accepting political responsibility. 
Commenting on this, Koufodinas told his interviewer,"The 
attack against me degrades our whole case." 
 
6.  (SBU)  COMMENT:  That Koufodinas found prime printspace 
for his utterances in one of the largest circulation dailies 
is not a surprise given the sympathetic approach with which 
this quadrant of the Greek media deals with domestic 
terrorism.  Before him, fellow convicts, including N17 leader 
Yiotopoulos and N17 bomber Savvas Xyros, also have given 
radio interviews and published letters and articles. 
Koufodinas's interview was unprecedented, however, in its 
sheer length. "Eleftherotypia" did not reveal how the 
interview was conducted, yet the two full pages of print it 
came to produce point to either a minimum 10-12 pages of 
single-spaced typescript, or at least two hours of a 
face-to-face oral exchange.  Skillfully crafted Q&A obviously 
aimed to further enhance Koufodinas's reputation as the 
"quiet ideological thinker" of the 17N terrorist group -- and 
provide receptive ears with yet more of the "revolutionary" 
pseudo-philosophy cant that seeks to justify N17's murderous 
history. 
 
7.  (SBU)  COMMENT (cont'd):  Embassy has contacted the "Os 
Edo" ("Enough already") organization made up of family 
members of N17 victims -- including Athens Mayor Dora 
Bakoyianni, whose husband, MP Pavlos Bakoyiannis, was shot to 
death, and the families of the five murdered Embassy 
employees -- to see if there is interest in responding.  Os 
Edo President George Momferatos, whose father was murdered by 
N17 thugs, wholeheartedly agreed and will approach 
"Eleftherotypia" to ask for space to present the victims' 
side of the story and present Koufodinas as the coldblooded, 
remorseless killer that he is. 
RIES