VZCZCXRO6622
OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHTH #0077/01 0121127
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 121127Z JAN 07 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7832
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEPGCA/USEUCOM AIDES VAIHINGEN GE IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ATHENS 000077 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2017 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER GR
SUBJECT: ROCKET GRENADE ATTACK ON EMBASSY ATHENS -- MINIMAL 
DAMAGE, NO CASUALTIES 
 
REF: A) RIES-OPCENTER TELCONS 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR CHARLES RIES.  REASON:  1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
¶1.  (C)  SUMMARY:  At 0555 local time January 12, a 
rocket-propelled grenade struck the front of the Embassy. 
Damage was limited, there were no casualties.  In an 
anonymous phone call, the anarchist terrorist group 
"Revolutionary Struggle" appears to have claimed 
responsibility.  The grenade itself appears to be of Chinese 
or Korean origin, though details remain sketchy.  GOG police 
and officials reacted immediately, with both Foreign Minister 
Bakoynannis and Minister of Public Order Polydoras visiting 
the Embassy and conducting press walk-outs with the 
Ambassador.  Both later met with Prime Minister Karamalis. 
As of 11:00, the Embassy reopened for normal internal 
business, while restricting consular operations.  Ambassador 
Ries, briefing both local and international press, has 
stressed that there can be no justification for such a 
senseless act of violence and the importance of finding those 
responsible.  RSO report follows septel. 
 
END SUMMARY. 
 
RPG HITS THE EMBASSY IN THE EARLY MORNING 
 
¶2.  (C)   At 5:55 a.m. on January 12, a rocket-propelled 
grenade hit the front of the Embassy, striking just above the 
prominently displayed Embassy seal.  Damage was centered on a 
portion of the Ambassador's office lavatory; initial reports 
suggest that the RPG exploded as it hit the outside wall of 
the chancery.  Damage was minimal; there were no casualties. 
 
¶3.  (C)  The Embassy's on-duty security receptionist 
immediately notified  RSO and MSGs of the blast.  The 
evidence was secured and area treated as a crime scene. 
Three members of the police Emergency Squad arrived at the 
Embassy's main gate within minutes of their notification by 
the local guard force, as did the local fire brigade. 
Adjoining streets were closed to traffic.  Greek EOD experts 
have cooperated with Embassy officials in processing the 
crime scene. 
 
¶4.  (C)  At 7:27, the headquarters of the Brinks Security 
services (which coordinates the Embassy local guard force) 
received a call from an unknown male between 30-35 years of 
age. Speaking in Greek, he said the words "Revolutionary 
Struggle," which is interpreted as a claim of responsibility 
for the attack.  Revolutionary Struggle is an anarchist 
leftist group, with suspected connections to known terrorist 
organization 17 November. 
 
GOG OFFICIALS VISIT EMBASSY, CONDEMN THE ATTACK . . . 
 
¶5.  (C)  At approximately 8:35, Ambassador Ries briefed the 
press assembled near the front of the Embassy, stressing that 
there could be no justification for such a senseless act of 
violence.  The response from Greek officials was immediate. 
Foreign Minister Bakoyannis called Ambassador Ries to assure 
him that every effort would be made to find those 
responsible.  At 9:00, she came to the Embassy, inspected the 
damage, and held an impromptu press conference with the 
Ambassador outside the Embassy.  Expressing the support of 
the Prime Minister and his cabinet, she stressed that such 
incidents have had high costs for Greece in the past -- 
economically as well as politically.  She added that the 
Greek government was determined to exert every effort to find 
the perpetrators and to see to it that similar incidents 
cannot occur.  She later told the Ambassador that she planned 
to write a letter to the Secretary on this issue. 
 
¶6.  (C)  Minister of Public Order Polydoras visited twice, 
first with the investigative team at 7:05 a.m. and later to 
meet with the Ambassador.  After speaking with the police 
team on site, he told the Ambassador that the grenade likely 
exploded outside as it hit the wall, rather than inside. 
From the writing on fragments at the scene, investigators 
believed the origin of the grenade was Chinese or Korean. 
 
¶7.  (C)  Polydoras told the Ambassdor that the GOG would do 
its utmost to find those behind the attack.  The GOG 
condemned the attack; it would also be important for other 
"political forces" to do the same.  In a heated voice, 
Polydoras condemned those in the Greek "political framework" 
who provided ideological support and tolerance for such 
strikes.  This was unacceptable for a NATO ally.  In his 
statement to the press, Polydoras strongly condemned the 
attack, noting that a full investigation was underway. 
 
¶8.  (C)  With both Bakoyannis and Polydoras, the Ambassador 
underscored that this attack was a reminder of an era both 
the U.S. and GOG hoped had been put behind us.  For that 
reason, moral condemnation of the attack was essential, 
including in the press.  The most important task:  find and 
bring to justice those responsible.  Bakoyannis and Polydoras 
planned to meet Prime Minister Karamanlis at 10:00 local to 
brief him on developments. 
 
. . . AS OTHER POLITICAL FIGURES ALSO OFFER SUPPORT 
 
¶9.  (C)  Opposition PASOK leader (and former FM) Papandreou 
called the Ambassador at 9:30, condemning the attack and 
noting that he "thought we were over this."  Expressing his 
hope that the government could handle the situation, 
Papandreou assured the Ambassador he would speak out 
publicly.  PASOK spokesman Petros Efthymiou later issued a 
statement condemning the terrorist attack "in the strongest 
possible way."  He added that "Terrorism in any form is 
abhorrent.  The attack against the Embassy is against the 
interest of the country and the Greek people, and against the 
country's reputation."  Efthimiou added that PASOK had worked 
to dismantle terrorism and November 17 in the past, and urged 
the government to work in the same direction.  Former 
Minister of Public Order Voulgarakis, as well as many other 
members of Karmanlis' cabinet, have also called to offer 
sympathy and support.  President Papoulias dispatched his 
Secretary-General to bring the Ambassador a personal message 
of solidarity. 
 
EMBASSY:  OPEN FOR NORMAL INTERNAL OPERATIONS 
 
¶10.  (C)  The Embassy re-opened for normal internal 
operations at 11:00 a.m., although we will not conduct normal 
consular business or visa issuance.  Visitors to the Embassy 
will be limited to investigators and high-level officials. 
Congen Thessalonki remains closed for business on January 12. 
 A warden message was distributed at approximately 10:15. 
 
 
RIES