VZCZCXRO4310
OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHTH #0799 1341241
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 141243Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0190
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS

UNCLAS ATHENS 000799 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER ASEC ABLD PGOV GR
SUBJECT: GREEK TERRORISTS BLOW UP BANK 
 
In the latest attack by domestic terrorist groups, at least four 
individuals placed a powerful bomb that demolished a branch of 
Eurobank in southeastern Athens and caused damage to surrounding 
buildings and vehicles in the early hours of May 12.  No injuries 
were reported.  The attack is widely seen as fitting the profile of 
the terrorist organization Revolutionary Struggle, which attacked 
the Embassy with an RPG in 2007 and has targeted a number of banks 
in the months since the December 2008 riots.  The Eurobank bombing 
was preceded by the firebombing of an office of the DEI state power 
company and its vehicles elsewhere in Athens a few hours earlier. 
A routine police patrol -- described in different accounts as 
border guards or the aliens division of the police, consisting of 
two or three officers -- chanced upon the terrorists while they 
were placing the Eurobank bomb, but the terrorists pointed their 
pistols at the patrol and escaped on motorcycles. 
Opposition-leaning media have roundly criticized the police for 
failing to capture the bombers in this encounter.  Others have 
defended the police and argued that a lack of political support has 
left the police unwilling to take risks that could lead to 
unintended deaths. 
 
   
SPECKHARD