Posted on 06/24/2010 11:14:54 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
Bomb disguised as gift exploded inside Greece's law enforcement ministry on Thursday night, killing a senior ministerial aide in the country's highest profile attack in years.
Michalis Chryssohoidis, the cabinet minister in charge of the police force, escaped unhurt. He said the package had been intended for him.
"It was a wrapped package that exploded in the aide's hands after he apparently picked it up and tried to open it," said Thanassis Kokkalakis, a police spokesman. "We heard a big bang, there was a lot of smoke and damage".
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, which killed police security chief Giorgos Vassilakis, a 50-year-old father of two. But suspicion fell on radical Greek militant groups opposed to government economic and social policies.
"I express my pain and exasperation – pain and exasperation that every Greek citizen feels over today's terrorist attack," said George Papandreou, the prime minister.
The groups have stepped up attacks in recent years and have been targeted in a recent police crackdown. Although militants often carry out bombings, the vast majority involve small devices planted outside banks, foreign companies or car dealerships late at night and do not cause any injuries.
Greece has been rocked by a series of bomb attacks claimed by Leftist militants since its worst riots in decades in 2008. Earlier this year, Greece arrested six suspected members of the country's most militant group, Revolutionary Struggle.
Greece is also facing a deep economic crisis and last month won a 110 billion euro (£91 billion) bailout package from the European Union and the IMF.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
The Greek Left has always been an especially vicious and violent bunch, yet romanticized by Western liberal intellectuals.
RIP.
A reminder to all...
http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel01/mail3.pdf
Advisory: “If you receive a suspicious letter or package...”
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