November 17 Terror Suspect Confesses to Killing

Europe Daily ^ | Augustus 12 2002

[knighthawk]

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A suspected member of the deadly November 17 terrorist group confessed Sunday to the murder of British military attache Brig. Stephen Saunders, state-run television said.

Savas Xiros told investigators he fired the shots at Saunders after his accomplices' weapon jammed, state-run NET television reported.

``I shot Saunders ... I fired four times,'' Xiros said in 10 hours of testimony from his hospital bed, according to NET. Saunders was killed in June 2000.

NET said Xiros confessed to involvement in nine killings and dozens of bomb and rocket attacks, and apologized to the families of his victims. They allegedly also included a Turkish diplomat and Capt. William Nordeen, a U.S. military attache killed in a 1988 car-bomb attack.

Xiros, a religious icon painter whose two brothers are also terrorist suspects, gave testimony after being charged with Saunders' murder and numerous other serious offenses. He was arrested June 29 after he was injured in a bungled bombing attempt.

Before Xiros' arrest, November 17 had outwitted authorities from the time it first emerged with the 1975 ambush slaying of a CIA station chief in Athens. Since he was arrested, police have reported detaining 15 more suspected members.

Also Sunday, police said an assault rifle, 28 bullets and a flash suppressor designed to conceal gunfire were found near the home of Greek President Costis Stephanopoulos.

The items, which were wrapped in a plastic bag, were discovered Saturday a block away from Stephanopoulos' home in Athens' northern Psychiko area. Stephanopoulos is on vacation.

Police did not identify the type of rifle found but said it did not match other weapons used in the past by Greek terrorists.

Authorities also are investigating the recent theft of handguns and rifles from an army facility and the discovery of explosives buried near a sports stadium in central Athens.

November 17 takes its name from the day in 1973 when tanks and troops crushed a student-led protest. The group is linked to dozens of bombings and 23 slayings.

[knighthawk]

Ping

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

Two things...one, its about time. Two, I highly doubt the terrorists all of a sudden decided to make it easier on the police to catch them. Therefore this *could've* been done a long time ago, but wasn't. I wonder why.

[knighthawk]

I was wondering the same thing. Now the Olympics are coming soon, all of the sudden suspects seem to fall out of trees everywhere. People who managed to 'evade' the police for years all of the sudden are arrested in two weeks time.

[KC_Conspirator]

Why? Well in the best 60 Minutes (A rerun I think) piece that I have seen in decade ran last night where Ed Bradley accused the leftist/socialist government of protecting them because: A) They have ties together going back to the 60's and the radical left/communist student movements and B) Many of the radical socialists in Greece's government has deep symapthies for November 17. Thats why they call them "fellow travellers".

And remember, stay away from the "mean-faced, clip-haired women".

[aristeides]

There's a war on terror going on now. These Nov. 17 people have collaborated with Arab terrorists in the past. I have a feeling the Greek government has been under pressure like never before to crack down on these people.

I wonder if other organizations like the IRA, ETA, and FARC will take notice.