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Anastasia Balezdrova

After a year of silence, Greek terrorist organizations have come to the fore again. Four of the members of Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei, who managed to send more than ten parcels with explosive mechanisms to foreign countries' embassies in Athens and abroad in November 2010, have tried to escape from prison with one of the most dangerous criminals in Greece.
 
The escape failed, but the five companions managed to cause panic in the prison administration, which negotiated with them for about an hour in order to free the hostages, including three officers and four female relatives of other prisoners. It is still a mystery to the police how Panagiotis Vlastos and the four youths have found a gun and knives, but "the close connection between terrorists and criminals is now clear," as the Deputy Minister of Citizens Protection Manolis Otonas stated.
 
GRReporter turned for comment to the expert in political science and Assistant Professor in International Security at the University of Piraeus Mary Bossi.

Mrs Bossi, how would you comment on the collaboration between members of Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei and an outright criminal and their joint attempted escape from prison?

In my opinion, what happened last night was something totally expected. It was going to happen at one point and I think that it was late. However, it has became clear for many years now that there is a connection between organized crime and youth organizations involved in political violence of new generation or terrorist organizations, as we call them. This connection is known from their written messages, telephone conversations, and the views the criminals share in their interviews. They are seen in many other connections that are established between local criminals and these young people, and criminals from abroad. I recall the case of Alket Rizaj, who threatened the prosecutor in the case with retaliation by the organization Sect of Revolutionaries. These data and the proclamations of organizations such as Revolutionary Struggle, Sect of Revolutionaries and Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei show that they have connections with organized crime. Of course, this is evident from the large amount of weapons available to these organizations.

So, do you think that criminals are supplying them with these weapons?

Organizations of this type are supplied with weapons by "seizing" them during raids on police stations or military units or by buying them from gun shops. As for the quantity of weapons, we have seen with them so far, it is clear that there was a kind of "donation" to them by criminals.

We know that from a number of conversations that take place in public space. We read how they "beautify" the crime and how they are made heroes. These two details are new; they were not present with the old organizations of political violence. The big change that has begun in the late 1990s and brought to the forefrunt these new organizations has set new dimensions in them, one being precisely the connection to organized crime.

Yesterday, the Italian terrorist organization FAI sent a parcel bomb to the Greek Embassy in Paris. Why do you think they came to this action?

This is not the first time this has happened. I would like to recall that FAI was sending such packages before, to our embassy in Italy last year too. An organization in Italy similar to Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei also sent about 20 such parcels. This type of activity is a message to the international community about the presence of these organizations. One of the parcels sent by members of FAI injured one of the employees of a German bank.

But there are other dimensions here too. The action also seeks to express solidarity with the "affected" fellows around the world. By this, I mean that there is a very good mutual presence of Greek and Italian organizations and it would not surprise me to see such organizations in other countries. I am following the discussions that are taking place in public. They show the continuous presence of a very good relationship and exchange of views between them. There is also the phenomenon I call "revolutionary tourism". This means that members of similar organizations in other European countries come to Greece, when large protests are held, culminating in riots. Accordingly, members of Greek organizations also travel to other countries.

Another finding is that they keep in touch with such organizations in other Balkan countries like Bulgaria and Serbia.

We already know how the state copes with these organizations. In Greece, many were captured and therefore, some of the organizations kept silent for some time. This does not mean that they will not reorganize, resume their activities and attack. Just the opposite, because these organizations have shown us in the past their ability to transform, move to the next stage and act.

Do you think that these organizations will take action, given the deepening economic crisis and growing social discontent over austerity measures?

Let me first say that these type of organizations believe that there should be crises. Even when there are none, they invent them. Historically, we can say that, in times of crisis, whether at European, national or international level, these organizations exist and operate. They use crises as a springboard or a reason for their existence.

However, let us put them aside and turn to the social movements that have no connection with the organizations and still express discontent. Currently in Britain, which is preparing for the Olympics next year, there is a proposal for the social movements of discontented citizens to be designated as terrorist organizations. This is something that "opens the gap" so much and it is dangerous for the future and the expression of social discontent by the European citizens.
 
The third is that there are now dozens of social movements of peaceful protesters worldwide, who are against the decisions of their governments for the economic crisis and many other issues, such as education, low wages, unemployment, etc. I am talking about movements such as Occupy Wall Street in the USA, Occupy City in Britain, in France, Greece, etc. They are too many already and they represent a new phenomenon. The point is that in the past, we have often witnessed how smaller organizations separate from inside the movement and resort to violence at a given time. They use weapons and become terrorist organizations. In this sense, it is not at all strange for alternative ways of expression to emerge, including murder. I think the most dangerous thing now is for the trend of these movements to illegalize the government. This should possibly draw our attention more seriously in the future.