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DATE= 03/30/99 TYPE= EDITORIAL NUMBER= 0-08244 TITLE= EDITORIAL: NOVEMBER 17TH TERRORIST GROUP CONTENT=THIS IS THE ONLY EDITORIAL BEING RELEASED FOR BROADCAST 03/30/99. ANNCR: THE VOICE OF AMERICA PRESENTS DIFFERING POINTS OF VIEW ON A WIDE VARIETY OF ISSUES. NEXT, AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. VOICE: THIS MONTH, BOMBS EXPLODED OUTSIDE TWO BRANCH OFFICES OF THE AMERICAN-OWNED CITIBANK CORPORATION NEAR ATHENS, GREECE. NO ONE HAS CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY, BUT GREEK AUTHORITIES SUSPECT THE TERRORIST GROUP, NOVEMBER 17TH. THIS GROUP CARRIED OUT A SIMILAR ATTACK AGAINST CITIBANK LAST APRIL. THE GROUP TAKES ITS NAME FROM THE NOVEMBER 17TH, 1973, STUDENT UPRISING IN ATHENS AGAINST THE MILITARY REGIME THEN RULING GREECE. BUT DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT WAS RESTORED IN 1974, AND THE NOVEMBER 17TH GROUP DID NOT CLAIM ITS FIRST VICTIM UNTIL 1975. CLEARLY, THE GROUP'S REAL GOAL IS TO UNDERMINE GREEK DEMOCRACY. ANOTHER GOAL HAS BEEN TO DRIVE GREECE OUT OF THE NATO ALLIANCE AND NATO BASES OUT OF GREECE. NOVEMBER 17TH HAS CARRIED OUT TERRORIST ATTACKS AGAINST PEOPLE FROM MANY NATIONS. IT HAS MURDERED SEVERAL AMERICANS INCLUDING A DIPLOMAT AND TWO NAVAL OFFICERS. TURKISH DIPLOMATS HAVE BEEN SPECIAL TARGETS. THEY INCLUDE THE DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION OF THE TURKISH EMBASSY IN ATHENS, ASSASSINATED IN 1994. BUT MOST OF THE VICTIMS HAVE BEEN GREEK. LAST MAY, GREEK SHIPPING MAGNATE CONSTANTINE PERATIKOS WAS SHOT TO DEATH ON AN ATHENS STREET BY NOVEMBER 17TH GUNMEN. DURING THE PERSIAN GULF WAR, NOVEMBER 17TH AIDED IRAQI DICTATOR SADDAM HUSSEIN BY ATTACKING PERSONNEL OF THE INTERNATIONAL COALITION IN GREECE. ONE OF THEIR MURDER VICTIMS WAS A U.S. AIR FORCE SERGEANT IN ATHENS. AND SINCE 1990, THE GROUP HAS USED IMPROVISED ROCKETS TO BOMB EUROPEAN UNION FACILITIES AND FOREIGN FIRMS INVESTING IN GREECE. ARE THE TERRORISTS OF NOVEMBER 17TH ANY BETTER THAN THE FORMER JUNTA-LED GOVERNMENT THEY CLAIM TO DESPISE? TYRANTS AND TERRORISTS ARE THE ETERNAL ENEMIES OF ALL DEMOCRACIES. NO ONE KNOWS THIS BETTER THAN THE PEOPLE OF GREECE -- THE BIRTHPLACE OF DEMOCRATIC IDEALS AND INSTITUTIONS. ANNCR: THAT WAS AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. IF YOU HAVE A COMMENT, PLEASE WRITE TO EDITORIALS, V-O-A, WASHINGTON, D-C, 20547, U-S-A. YOU MAY ALSO COMMENT AT WWW-DOT-VOA-DOT-GOV-SLASH-EDITORIALS, OR FAX US AT (202) 619-1043. 29-Mar-99 2:06 PM EST (1906 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .