Greece Fiddles as Terrorists Work

Brig. Stephen Saunders, the British military attache in Athens, was shot to death last week, apparently by members of the November 17 group, the same terrorist organization that killed CIA station chief Richard Welch in the Greek capital in 1975 and at least 20 Greeks and other foreigners since then. Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis has vowed to hunt down the Marxist gunmen, but until he produces results his promise rings hollow in London and Washington.

Greek leaders have consistently been soft on political violence in the streets and have given little help when foreign authorities attempted to track down killers on Greek soil. If Greek police and security agents cannot offer more help in these cases, they should not expect the support of European Union authorities when the tables turn and Greek institutions come under threat.

In the 25 years since the Welch assassination, Greek police have proved incapable or unwilling when it came to solving these cases. Domestic politics are at the root of their refusals and delays. Anti-American sentiment among Greeks stems from Washington’s support for a military junta that ruled the country in the late 1960s and early 1970s, plus resentment over the U.S. bombing of Serbia in last year’s war in Kosovo.

If Athens wants to be fully accepted in Europe, it has to get in step. Prime Minister Simitis and his government must take action now in the fight against terrorism, specifically by bringing in the killers of Brig. Saunders.

Being part of the European Union requires in Athens the same standards of justice that other EU nations provide. Delay invites retaliation. Greeks should consider whether they want to risk loss of passport-free access to other European countries, for instance, or the possibility of a boycott of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. EU membership is not without cost.