Boy dies in Athens mystery bomb

A 15 year old Afghan boy was blown to pieces while tackling a bag that contained a bomb in Athens. His sister is in intensive care, struggling for her sight. The Nuclei of Fire Conspiracy deny any involvement in the deadly event.

Submitted by taxikipali on March 30, 2010

A powerful explosion which occurred at 22:41 on Sunday night outside the Greek Company for Business Management (EDEE) in Patisia, Athens, has killed a 15 year old boy from Afghanistan, also wounding his sister's eyes and slightly wounding his mother.

According to the mother, the two children saw a bag outside the prestigious establishment and the girl opened it revealing a mechanical clock. Deciding it does not work, the boy immediately took the bag back where they found it when the bag exploded blowing the boy into pieces and blinding the girl. Given there was no warning phone call for the bomb, the police initially believed that the bomb could be a response of extreme-right groups to the bombing of the Golden Dawn offices earlier this month. This story has now subsided with the Ministry of Public Order claiming that the wiring of the bomb is similar to the one found outside the Chilean Consulate in Salonica last year, a device which was claimed by the Nucle of Fire Conspiracy. However the NFC published a communique in which they express their grave grief for the deadly incident and their rage at the mass media which are trying to implicate them. The NFC denied categorically any involvement in the incident, stressing that they always call two media to warn about their bombs, giving at least 20 minutes to the police to evacuate the area, while also using two mechanical clocks, so as to avert any accident. To the allegations of the media that the bomb was the one about which a warning call was made the same morning but was never found, the NFC have responded that unlike the warning call reported, their are always clear mentioning the precise road and location of the device. The morning warning call was about a bomb in EBEE an acronym that means nothing. The NFC claim that they would prefer their being arrested than leaving a blind bomb to explode after the authorities have failed to spot it. The urban guerrilla group also stressed that if indeed this bomb is the work of a revolutionary group and not a parastate provocation, then it should be immediately claimed by the group responsible - concluding that if it is a "blind attack" then it is the work of the extreme-right similar to Piazza Fontana. The authorities have refused to comment on the NFC communique claiming it will not "open a dialogue with terrorists". It must be noted that even the police admits that the pipe-bomb device used is similar to the bomb against the Buenoventura antiauthoritarian centre in Salonica earlier this year.

The death of the 15 year old is the first civilian death related or allegedly related to domestic armed struggle since the early 1990s, when a rocket of the N17 aimed at the then Minister of Economics killed a bystander, effectively signaling a reversal of the then mass support for the group.

It must be also noted that the 22 year old man arrested in Volos with the ecuse of a single fingerprint of his found in the supposed NFC haunt in Chalandri has been released on conditions of not leaving the country. In an unprecedented breach of the law, all media carried the man's picture, creating a climate of "man-hunt".

Comments

Steven.

14 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Steven. on March 30, 2010

for ease, the translation of that communique is here, below.

This is terrible, however. Some readers may remember one libcom poster predicting exactly this kind of event occurring, organised as a state provocation in order to discredit opposition to the austerity programme. That seems like a definite possibility in this case.

Statement by the conspiracy of cells of fire regarding last night’s explosion

Rough translation; original on Athens IMC.

The past 24 hours find us in an extreme emotional antithesis…

On the one hand, great sorrow for the death of the 15-year old Afghani and the injury of his sister and on the other hand, maximum rage for the reportages of the media which totally arbitrarily and purposefully try to involve our organisation in this event. We are not usually “bothered” by the panic-ridden scenaria of the media, yet the importance of the event forces us to take a public position directly, without a connection to any attack of ours. For this reason we CLEARLY STATE THAT THE CONSPIRACY OF CELLS OF FIRE HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE EVENT IN QUESTION. We know only too well that our word against the word of the Anti-terrorist unit does not have the same exposure, since the media, in a paid mission, “photograph” and slander our organisation and our supposed involvement in the explosion in the [neighbourhood of] Patisia [, Athens].

For this reason we turn to every thinking individual, in order for them to understand the dirty game that is being set.

For all the above we declare

First – as we have already written in the communique following our attack against the National Insurance “…the time given for the evacuation of the building was set with knowledge of the number of forces held by the police in the surrounding area. In the future, depending on the geographical characteristics of each area, we will set the time frame for evacuation accordingly. Our aim is material destruction and police are always warned so that they can evacuate each area on time… “. And so, it would be inconsistent and murderously careless for us to place an explosive device in a heavily populated area, without a warning call.

Second – in the case that the phone call to the [corporate TV station] ALTER did indeed take place in the morning of the same day, it would be criminal neglect for us to “abandon” the explosive device for approximately 14 hours with the possible danger of an explosion that would have passers-by as victims. THE RISK WE TAKE AS REVOLUTIONARIES PRESUPPOSES EVEN OUR MAXIMUM PERSONAL EXPOSURE AS COUNTER-BALANCE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ACCIDENT. In plain words, we would neither give a time limit of 6 minutes, knowing it is impossible for an area to be evacuated in such time, nor would we leave a device exposed without us ourselves going, with our personal exposure, to pick it up. This is also part of the claim of responsibility of our choices.

Third – it is our standard tactic , in order to avoid the malfunction of each device, to always place two clocks (and not one, as it has so far been leaked by the media) so as in the case of the malfunctioning of one of the clocks, the second one to operate instead.
Fourth – always, the warning calls that we make are to at least two institutional media in order to avoid any misunderstanding on the side of the phone operators, as well as a possible cover up of the warning call, as has happened in the past to other organisations. Also, there is always a full and detailed description not only of the target where we have placed the device but also a reference to certain roads, the size of the explosive device and the relevant advice for the evacuation and sealing off of buildings (the hotel La Mirage in Omonoia square in the case of the [neo-nazi group] Golden Dawn, the blocking off of both lanes of traffic and surrounding buildings]

Fifth – in the case of the placement of an explosive device at the house of the vice-president of the Greek-Pakistani Union in Patisia, having knowledge of the area and the mobility of migrants in the area, we gave a time limit of 20 minutes to the police and used for this reason, a low-intensity explosives (handmade black gunpowder) and not the explosive material we used at the offices of Golden Dawn or the Police Directorship for Immigrants. Also, it was no coincidence that the explosives were placed outside the storey of flats, not inside – as we wanted to avoid in any case a possible injury of the tenants. Finally, we are no judges, prosecutors or police reporters to reach easy conclusions. At the end of the day, the truth for what happened is only known by the perpetrators of the action. In the POSSIBLE CASE that the particular explosive device was placed by a Revolutionary Organisation then revolutionary dignity dictates a public claim of responsibility with the relevant self-criticism which would clear up the scene, otherwise political anonymity sabotages the revolutionary direction and “charges” an entire strategy, that of the urban guerrilla.

The conclusions are many along with the reminder that if it is really a “blind” attack then it is a very specific political tendency that finds itself to the right of the state and has a special preference for such practices (Piazza Fontana, Italy – explosive device by parstatal extreme-rightists) under certain conditions of social tension.

EVERYTHING CONTINUES…

CONSPIRACY OF CELLS OF FIRE

GUERRILLA GROUP OF TERRORISTS

NIHILIST SPLINTER

Joseph Kay

14 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Joseph Kay on March 30, 2010

there were anarchists defending this on facebook up until the NFC issued their denial :wall:

Devrim

14 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Devrim on March 30, 2010

This is terrible, however. Some readers may remember one libcom poster predicting exactly this kind of event occurring, organised as a state provocation in order to discredit opposition to the austerity programme. That seems like a definite possibility in this case.

I think just because one of the groups denies this, it doesn't mean that it is a state conspiracy. The state of course isn't adverse to doing things like this, but most of the time they don't have to. Things we have seen, here in Turkey, in recent years have been a guy blowing up a bus killing himself and three others on the way to a bombing, and a woman panicking when police walked into a bar that she was in and accidentally blowing herself up in the toilet.

While this group may not have committed this bombing, and to be honest the statement gives me no reason to believe that they either did or didn't, the fact is that if you are an group taking part in these sort of actions, these sort of things are going to happen.

Of course, whoever did it, I am sure the state will use it to discredit opposition to its austerity programme, and to launch repression against striking workers.

Devrim

iaourti iaourtaki

14 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by iaourti iaourtaki on March 30, 2010

sorry i don have the time to read all your's here on this, so i'm not sure if the followwing update reached you.

that came on "indymedia" germoney, afterwards i've posted the contineous updates and again it got sabotaged and didn't appear there:

"Piazza Fontana 30.03.2010 - 15:10
A communique was sent before some minutes to a site taking the responsibility of the murderous attacks by a new NAZI organization. The organization signs under the name "Revolutionary National-Socialist Front" ...

They also state their solidarity with "Combat 18" ...

We do not know yet if the communique is true or fake ... "

so, i think more important than speculations if that's a hoax or not it would be smart to bring up a paypal account for the sad family!

for anyone's being in Berlin/ger on thursday there'll be a screening of "Revolt is not an Utopia" (40min movie-slide from march 2009 one can find also here: http://vimeo.com/9068142 ) and "Der griechische Aufstand(the greek uprising)" starts at 5 pm at ZIELONA GORA, Grünberger Straße, Berlin-Friedrichshain and some friends will cook...

iaourti iaourtaki

14 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by iaourti iaourtaki on March 30, 2010

the updates on the days before are here:http://linksunten.indymedia.org/en/node/18412
this is the 2nd german bit different site: one can translate directly on the site into german, dutch, italian, french, spanish, engllish

Boris Badenov

14 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Boris Badenov on March 30, 2010

the BCC also seems to be implying that this was probably the work of "far-left militants."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8592105.stm
Regardless of who is actually guilty of this heinous crime, the direction of the spin seems pretty clear.

taxikipali

14 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by taxikipali on March 31, 2010

Steven thanks for providing the full translation of the communique.

The responsibility for the attack has been claimed via a communique by a neonazi group "Revolutionary National-Socialist Front". In it the fascists unfold their racist discourse and promise more bombs in "places crowded by immigrants", pledging its solidarity to Combat 18 prisoners in Britain. The police has expressed caution in accepting the communique as genuine. An earlier phone call to the press taking responsibility under the name "Guerrilla group Lambros Foundas" has been brushed away as a farce by the authorities.

It must be noted however that during the March 25 military march in Athens, special forces were recorded chanting en mass slogans about massacring Albanians and FYROM citizens. Naturally, there have not been the slightest disciplinary measures against the racist thugs. It must be noted that during the late 1970s extreme-right groups under the wing of the junta-nostalgic secret services had bombed several public places including two cinemas in full session with scores wounded. In a single day, during the funeral of the chief-torturer of the junta (executed by leftist guerrillas) the extreme-right bombed 40 sites across Athens. It must also be noted that a greek extreme-right parastate brigade participated in the Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia, with the greek flag flying along the serbian after the massacre. Of course, the names of the people in the brigade were paraded in the media as heroes against muslims and have never been persecuted.

The police has accepted that the device is not identical to the one used against the Chilean Consulate in Salonica last year, although the bourgeois media continue to capitalise on earlier police opinions on the matter. Meanwhile a series of panics regarding unidentified bags in coffee shops and the metro have taken place in Athens, a totally new phenomenon given that leftist and anarchist armed struggle never conducted blind attacks against the population and thus the fear of bombs-to-the-flesh is not part of the public imaginary since the end of extreme-right attacks in the late 1970s. Given that in the last three days two people have been shot dead during armed robberies the incident has created a tense climate in the capital.

MD

14 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by MD on March 31, 2010

Is it true that an anarchist group called Kommando Foundas has taken responsibility for the bombing?

Boris Badenov

14 years ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Boris Badenov on March 31, 2010

MD

Is it true that an anarchist group called Kommando Foundas has taken responsibility for the bombing?

.
taxikipali

The responsibility for the attack has been claimed via a communique by a neonazi group "Revolutionary National-Socialist Front". In it the fascists unfold their racist discourse and promise more bombs in "places crowded by immigrants", pledging its solidarity to Combat 18 prisoners in Britain. The police has expressed caution in accepting the communique as genuine. An earlier phone call to the press taking responsibility under the name "Guerrilla group Lambros Foundas" has been brushed away as a farce by the authorities.

taxikipali

13 years 12 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by taxikipali on April 1, 2010

Update: According to the testimony of the mother of Hamidullah Najafi, the 15 year old boy killed by the bomb last Sunday, the bag containing the bomb was not outside the EEDE building an hour before the incident, evidence that points against the scenario of it being the bomb about which there was a phone-call earlier the same day. Meanwhile yesterday night 200 Afghan immigrants marched silently to the greek parliament in protest to the killing of the boy. In their communique the organisers of the rally point out critically:

"We wonder how come all the ministries out of the sudden "showed interest" for the particular family, offering presents and offers and false promises. Or is it simply that the government is trying in this way to whitewash its zero policy, which manifests itself daily in sweeping operations, deportations, tortures and dungeons called detention centres of immigrants all around the country? We also wander how come in the mass media yesterday's "illegal immigrants" have all of the sudden become refugees..."

Note: I stand corrected that Thanos Axarlian, the man killed by a N17 rocket aimed at the Minister of Economics in 1992, was the only victim of miscalculated guerrilla action. In fact there has been a more recent victim, Virginia Constantinou, killed during the bombing of the Intercontinental Hotel in 1999 despite a phone call warning about the attack. The attack was then claimed by the Revolutionary Cells an armed group that no longer appears to be active despite it not having been busted or having announced its disbanding. None of the two incidents provoked anything resembling a strategy of tension.

iaourti iaourtaki

13 years 12 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by iaourti iaourtaki on April 2, 2010

can someone pl sneak into the "gr updates" on indymedia germoney and try post some truth against the silly comment. ip seems to be blocked again and not only mine!
get the fucking cop(s), rat(s) and/or scab(s) out of indyger
solidarity from Berlin!

iaourti iaourtaki

13 years 12 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by iaourti iaourtaki on April 5, 2010

more film shows in Berlin:

So we keep on with our series of info-shows in Berlin. It weren't that much folks coming the first day but at least it was successful spreading "revolt is no utopia" (there will come out a version with german subtitles later on) and making the promotion. The later was the most intense thing for me cuz lots of folks are interested to learn more about Greece! Really interesting is that the "normal" folks on the streets are a bit more into it as one might think.
Next time on the 8th we will try to work on the "social war in Greece" films. Feel free to book us for a world wide tour (if ya want and have enough miles on ya account we could come with band(s) from Greece, haha)
Even our presentation gets more pro ...
As with the Greeks saying: "GET OUT INTO THE STREETS!"
Thanx to the greek revolution for inspirations and heart strenghtenings!
https://linksunten.indymedia.org/de/node/18754