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The Greece-based Revolutionary Nuclei (not to be confused with the Italian-based Armed Revolutionary Nuclei) is thought to be the successor to Espanastatikos Laikos Agonas (ELA), also know as the Revolutionary People's Struggle.
The ELA was formed in 1971 in opposition to the military junta that ruled Greece at the time. The group's anti-imperialism and anti-capitalism ideals have led them to target governmental and economic targets, often of U.S. nationality. It was this anti-American sentiment that earned ELA its place as one of the thirty groups designated in 1997 as foreign terrorist organizations under the Anti-terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. The ELA have not claimed an attack since 1995.
In 1996, a new group calling itself Revolutionary Nuclei (RN) or Revolutionary Cells began claiming responsibility for a series of low-level bombings of state buildings, foreign banks and other economic interests. With a similar philosophy and target list, and, it was rumored, a common membership with the ELA, it appeared that RN was a direct offshoot of the older group. Accordingly, in 2001, when the U.S. State Department reviewed its list of foreign terrorist organizations, RN took the place of ELA. RN is also on the European Union's list of targeted terrorist organizations.
Since their first attack in 1996, RN has been responsible for the bombings of dozens of targets symbolic of capitalism and U.S. "imperialism" in Greece. The attacks, often made in the middle of the night with small improvised explosive devices, caused more property damage than anything else. There has been only one incident of injury and death. In April 1999, a bomb was set off at the Athenaeum Intercontinental Hotel, where a conference with Sir Leon Brittan, vice president of the European Commission, was set to take place. The blast killed one bystander and seriously injured a hotel employee. A letter was sent to the press by RN stating the attack was "an answer to NATO's raids in the Balkans." Since the Intercontinental Hotel bombing, RN carried out several more actions, none of them causing injury. In December of the same year the group placed a device at a Texaco gas station in Athens. It was preceded by a phone call to the press. The police evacuated the area and the explosion caused minor damage, most notably shattering the windows of the gas station and surrounding buildings. The last attacks claimed by RN were on the evening of Nov. 12, 2000, when bombs exploded within a short time of each other at the American bank Citibank, British bank Barclay's, and the sculpture studio of a Greek-American. All blasts were preceded by warnings to the press.
The U.S. government has repeatedly criticized the Greek government for not taking a strong enough stance against terrorism within its borders. In its 2001 report, Patterns of Global Terrorism, the U.S. State Department noted that while Greece was stepping up anti-terrorism legislation, it "has not yet arrested or convicted those terrorists responsible for attacks conducted by Revolutionary Organization 17 November (17N) or Revolutionary Nuclei over the past two decades."
Since the murder of the British Military Attaché Stephen Saunders in 2000 by 17N, Greece has implemented a number of new anti-terrorist measures, including witness protection and non-jury trials for terrorist suspects, which prevent the possibility of intimidation of jurists. Also, in July 2002 Greek police arrested several suspected members of 17N. Authorities believe that these arrests will lead them to other terrorist organizations with links to 17N, namely RN.
Though, as noted in the State Department's report, RN has not claimed an attack since 2000, there are worries about security and the threat of terrorism — from it or other groups — at the 2004 Summer Olympics, which are scheduled to be held in Athens. This has called into question Greece's ability to host the event — something that may yet lead to a further crackdown on terrorist groups there — RN among them.
Sources
Allen, Adrianne, "Organizing & Demonstrating Dissent: Resistance is Growing Around the World."
Antoniou, Dora, "Fighting Revolutionary Popular Struggle, Revolutionary Nuclei." Kathimerini, Aug. 29, 2002.
Carr, John, "Woman dies in protest explosion," The Times, London, April 29, 1999.
Federation of American Scientists, "Revolutionary Nuclei," May 2002.
Foreign Policy Assosciation, "Terror Group Lists," In Focus, July 25, 2002.
The International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism, "Athens Banks Damaged by Blasts," Nov. 13, 2000.
"Greece Bombs," Reuters, AAP Newsfeed, Nov. 13, 2000.
"Greece Bomb," Reuters, Dec. 19, 1999.
U.S. Department of State. Background Information on Foreign Terrorist Organizations, October 1999.
U.S. Department of State. Patterns of Global Terrorism 2001.
"Bombs Rock Athens," BBC News Online, Nov. 13, 2000.
"Greece exults in terror group arrests," BBC Online, July 19, 2002.
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