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Terrorist Attack Against US Embassy in Athens Causes No Injuries
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=15BF4EF:A6F02AD83191E160D4CF7D5E2F503AD39574F7DCC14957C0 Rocket hit the
heavily fortified embassy building shortly before 6:00 am local time
Gunmen fired a rocket at the American embassy in the Greek capital,
Athens early Friday morning, causing damage but no injuries. VOA's
Sonja Pace reports from our London bureau, Greek police are calling it
terrorism and authorities blame a leftist Greek militant group.

The rocket hit the heavily fortified embassy building shortly before 6
am local time. It was apparently fired from a vacant building site
across the street from the embassy.

U.S. Ambassador Charles Ries told journalists in Athens that the
rocket caused some damage. He said the embassy building was occupied
at the time, even though staffing was minimal that early in the
morning.







Police guard the entrance of the U.S. Embassy in Athens after unknown
assailants fired a rocket into the facility early 12 Jan 2007"There
can be no justification for such a senseless act of violence. Good
news is that no one was hurt, minimal damage," he said. I" have talked
to the minister of foreign affairs. She has assured me that the
government will do all it can to find who did this, how it was done."

The embassy is closed for the day and the site has been cordoned off.

Greek police quickly labeled the attack an act of terrorism and
authorities blamed domestic extremists. They said they had received
claims of responsibility from at least one leftist militant group, the
Revolutionary Struggle. The group has claimed responsibility for
several attacks in recent years.

In past decades Greek leftist extremists have often targeted American
personnel and institutions that included the assassination of the CIA
station chief in Athens. The most notorious group was November 17,
whose chief leaders are in jail serving life sentences.


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