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GREECE'S INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS - During the decline in the powers of the international far-left movement over the past ten years, moderates have stepped up their assault on the far right and the dangers it brings. At the same time, in Europe especially, words like "socialism" have been re-born with new meaning and appeal as socialism has become more associated with compassion than 80's style incompetence. Yet as Europe strives more and more towards middle ground political systems --- centre right economics and centre left politics --- issues of extremism from both the right and the left need to be addressed.
Normally extremist European violence has come from the right, with the left aiming and failing to influence the agenda using the ballot box.
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- In Britain, David Copeland is currently on trial for murder - even though he openly admits it - of three people, after he set off three horrific nail bombs in a bid to start a Nazi war against non-whites and homosexuals.
- If all the predictions come true, violent nationalistic thugs will overshadow this summer's Euro 2000 soccer tournament, with the England versus Germany fixture being earmarked because of obvious historical factors.
A recent example of this that caught European headlines was a Greek Communist organisation that murdered a senior British military attachÈ to that country. Like many far left groups, the November the 17th movement - named after the day that tanks moved in to crush student protests at the Athens Polytechnic in 1973 - has more in common with the forces of fascism than any centre left Party. A nationalistic group that hates Turkey, the USA and the European Union, its two or three dozen members have stepped up their violent campaign in the last four years, since the fall of the Socialist leader Papandreou in 1996, but without seeing even one of its members brought to justice. Born out of anger towards the US when it backed the military junta that ruled Greece for seven years until 1974, November 17 may have escaped capture due to sympathy with their aims.
Since 1996, Greece's left wing leader, Costas Simitis, has committed two cardinal sins in the group's eyes: mildly improved his nation's relationship with Turkey and forged closer links with the European Union.
Two movements that are hardly worth dying or killing someone for; but what is equally sad seems to be the lack of political desire to catch the killers. Some sectors of the Greek press have been accused of supporting November 17, and those accusations have even been leveled at top politicians as well. Hence the seeming lack of police competence.
The latest casualty, Brigadier Stephen Saunders, a married father, is believed to have been murdered because of his limited involvement in NATO's bombing campaign against Serbia, a long-time ally of Greece. Already it seems unlikely that his killers will be caught, meaning that someone else's family will have to suffer the same experiences currently felt by the Saunders'. The most worrying aspect of this situation is that Athens is due to host the Olympics in four years time. The city is nothing like a war zone so relocation will not be considered, but there have to be fears that --- with the anti-western feeling --- a incident similar to the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre of Israeli athletes by Palestinian terrorists could be copied. What athlete would want to participate in an event where the risk of death hangs over his or her head?
Greece must appreciate that all forms of extremist violence must be deterred, not just a particular type that certain people may disagree with, legitimising other brands. If left-wingers criticise right wingers for not distancing themselves from violent fascists, then they must accept that they should practice what they preach. Maybe then they could prevent extremism and not covertly encourage it.
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