ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Britain's defense attache was killed Thursday in a roadway ambush that police believe could be the work of Europe's most elusive urban guerrilla group, November 17.
Police said motorcycle-riding gunmen shot Brig. Stephen Saunders, 53, in the head and chest as he drove to work on a main avenue. He died about 3 1/2 hours after the shooting, hospital officials said.There was no immediate claim of responsibility. But police said a ballistics test indicated the .45-caliber bullets came from the same gun used in some of the previous 21 killings claimed by November 17 since 1975. U.S. officials have repeatedly accused Greece of ineffective counterterrorism efforts against incidents ranging from arson to killings.
Foreign Minister George Papandreou said it was not clear whether the attack had any link to recent U.S. pressure, which included proposed sanctions. But he promised a "most merciless" response against suspected terrorists.
"We will not let the international image of our country be plagued," he said.
The spotlight is also on Greece to develop a security plan for the 2004 Olympics. The shooting of the British diplomat occurred near the main stadium for the Games.
British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook called the slaying "deeply brutal and pointless."
The attack bore the hallmarks of November 17 and police are "investigating in this direction," said Public Order Ministry General Secretary Dimitris Efstathiadis.
November 17 follows Marxist and ultra-nationalist ideologies and takes its name from the 1973 student-led uprising against the military junta that ruled Greece from 1967-74.
The group's victims include four Americans, including a CIA station chief. No known member of the group has ever been caught.
The last slaying claimed by November 17 was in May 1997 when Greek shipowner Constantinos Peratikos was gunned down leaving an office.
The site and method of today's attack was almost identical to other November 17 killings: a 1983 ambush that killed U.S. Navy Capt. George Tsantes and his driver and the 1988 slaying of Greek industrialist Alexandros Athanassiadis.
The group has never targeted a Briton, but has claimed responsibility for bomb attacks against British banks and other sites. Last year, the group issued a communique challenging authorities to "come and get us."
But there has never been widespread demands for harsh anti-terrorist sweeps from average Greeks, who generally feel untouched by November 17 violence because of its history of limiting attacks to foreigners and prominent Greeks.
In Washington, a report last week by a congressional commission proposed sanctions on Greece and Pakistan for "not cooperating fully" in the battle against terrorism. The State Department described Greece as "one of the weakest links" in anti-terrorism efforts in Europe.
The Greek government has repeatedly rejected the U.S. criticism.