Greece's 'terrorist hunter' launches war against crime
Nicolas Mottas
October 30, 2009
When Savvas Xiros was captured by police officers on July 29th 2002, at the port of Piraeus, the action of the notorious 'Revolutionary Organization November 17th' was coming to an end after 29 years. The research by the counter-terrorism Service led to the arrest of more members who were brought into justice, thus ending the bloodiest chapter in Greece since the restoration of democracy in 1973. The disbandment of 'November 17th' was accredited to the then Minister of Public Order Michalis Chrisohoidis, who was regarded as the architect of Greek Police's modernization before the 2004 Athens Olympics.
From 1999 and until 2003, Chrisohoidis was established as one of Costas Simitis government's most successful ministers thus becoming a top-ranked member of PASOK party. After the recent electoral victory of the Socialists on October 4th Chrisohoidis, a native of northern Greece's Imathia, was appointed by Prime Minister George Papandreou in his known position: head of the Ministry of Public Order, now renamed as Ministry of Citizen's Security. The 54 years-old politician knows more than anybody the job. But, actually, a lot of things have been changed since his previous service.
The threat of 'November 17th' may not exist anymore; however, new guerilla groups have been emerged from the ashes. Wednesday's attack on a Police station at the Athenian suburb of Agia Paraskevi had as a result six injured trainee police officers while two of them remain in critical condition. Police found 99 bullet casings from Kalashnikov assault rifles and experts are examining three stolen motorcycles which were found abandoned close to the nearby Metro station (ERT News, 28.10.09). "I want to send a message to the terrorists, saying that they will not get away with this. These cowardly killers will be caught and brought to justice" Michalis Chrisohoidis mentioned in a televised message.
Last February, after a severe attack against Alter Channel headquarters, a guerilla group called 'Rebels Sect' claimed responsibility through a bloodthirsty proclamation published in the daily newspaper 'Ta Nea'. In it's statement the 'Rebels Sect' had forewarned that new attacks will be launched against Police officers and prominent journalists. "By attacking the channel, we are sending an ultimatum to all journalists" the unknown editors of the proclamation warned. Most Greek media had then assumed that the raid was another episode in a series of attacks launched after the murder of a 16 years-old student by a police officer in the notorious district of Exarchia on December 6th 2008.
But 'Rebels Sect' isn't the only headache for Chrisohoidis and his collaborators at the Ministry of Citizen's Protection. Another terrorist group, the so-called 'Revolutionary Struggle', had claimed responsibility for the missile attack against the U.S. Embassy on January 2007. Reporting from Athens, the New York Times had hosted commentary by terror expert Maria Bossis who was speculating that the 'Revolutionary Struggle' was "aiming at establishing supremacy among the 10 groups in competition since the government dismantled 'November 17th', the most notorious of the leftist terror groups" (New York Times, January 12, 2007). Furthermore, it's clear enough that the new generation of terrorists, contrary to their predecessors, is based less on political ideology and more on hate against police - Nonetheless, the state has done very little in order to avoid such a situation.
Corruption and disorganization seem to have paralyzed a significant part of the police, especially after 2004. Officers have been accussed for awfully violent behaviour against demonstrators and immigrants while, on the same time, the former government of the conservatives has been blamed for dissolving the counter-terrorism unit of Greek police after the conviction of 'November 17th' in 2005. Chrisohoidis has promised to change the situation. In his opening speech as a Minister a week ago, he expressed an "uncompromising intention to start a war against organized crime", stating also that "(the Greek) police will become professional and serious; the police is obliged to be present thus protecting law and order in any area of the country". Indeed, the restoration of a safety feeling among the citizens seems to be a top priotity for the new government and the Minister seems determined to work hardly for that.
But, in fact, Michalis Chrisohoidis knows that his most serious job is to resume his war against internal terrorism. This time without his old collaborator Fotis Nasiakos, the head of the Greek Police during the capture of 'November 17th', Chrisohoidis undertakes another tough mission - to bring the new generation of terror groups into justice. As an experienced politician, the Minister understands that this will not be an easy battle. But for the man who gave an end to a 29 years-long bloodshed, that new job seems a real challenge.
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