The elusive terrorist group, November 17, yesterday claimed responsibility for the killing of Britain's top military diplomat in Athens. His wife appealed to Greeks to help hunt the "wicked men" behind the assassination.
In a 13-page proclamation, the group said it had killed Brig Stephen Saunders because he was a "professional murderer" who worked for a government that had committed "Nazi-like crimes."
The 52-year-old soldier is the first British subject to be targeted by the revolutionary organisation since it emerged following seven years of military dictatorship in Greece in 1975. He was killed, the group said, as a result of his "participation in the planning of the barbaric airstrikes" in reference to the NATO campaign against Yugoslavia.
This charge was immediately denied by the British Defence Ministry which said the brigadier had been seconded to a UN observer mission based in Kuwait at the time of the campaign. He later helped direct Kosovo-bound British troops, the ministry said.
Lacing its traditional Marxist-Leninist rhetoric with nationalism, November 17 also claimed credit for a series of attacks last year, including a rocket assault on the German ambassador's residence. Experts said the group's decision to backdate the document to March clearly showed it had been planning the killing for several months.
Unlike other Western diplomats Brig Saunders, who had been based in Athens for almost two years, was without bodyguards and driving in an unarmoured car when he was shot at four times by two gunmen on a motorcycle. He died less than three hours later at Athens Red Cross hospital.
The group had used its signature .45 calibre pistol to kill the diplomat, who was driving to a meeting at which he was to oversee the sale of arms to Greece.
He was November 17's 23rd victim. Others have included prominent Greeks, Turkish diplomats and American soldiers and intelligence officers.
The proclamation's publication in a Greek daily newspaper coincided with an emotionally-charged appeal by the British diplomat's widow. Mrs Heather Saunders implored Greeks to help track down the assassins. Despite the combined efforts of Greek, American and British police forces and the repeated offer of rewards, no member of November 17 has ever been captured or traced, raising speculation that elements in the ruling Socialist Pasok party may have some interest in protecting the organisation.
Speaking outside the couple's Athens villa in the presence of her two teenage daughters, she said:
"I appeal to the Greek people and to anyone who knows anything, because someone must know something about this terrible murder. We must prevent this kind of thing from happening again. Anyone who saw anything, anyone who knows anything please tell the police so that no one else has to go through what we are going through today.
"For the sake of the future of Greece," she continued, "these people must be brought to justice.
"Stephen was a man committed to peace and throughout his 35 years in the army he never raised his gun to kill anyone, In fact, in the past, I know he hesitated once, when someone opened fire on him in Northern Ireland, in case he hit an innocent bystander. . . As yet I cannot forgive the perpetrators of this horrible crime. But God may help me forgive in time."