The Revolutionary Organization 17 November (a.k.a. 17 November) is a radical leftist group established in 1975 and named for the student uprising in Greece in November, 1973, in protest of the military regime. Seventeen November has an agenda that is anti-Greek establishment, anti-U.S., anti-Turkey, anti-NATO, committed to the ouster of U.S. bases, removal of Turkish military presence from Cyprus, and the severing of Greece's ties to NATO and the European Union (EU).

Organization activities. Seventeen November's initial attacks were assassinations of senior U.S. officials and Greek public figures. The group added bombings in the 1980s and, since 1990, has expanded targets to include EU facilities and foreign firms investing in Greece. Seventeen November adherents are known to use improvised rocket attacks. In June, 2000, 17 November claimed responsibility for the murder of British Defense Attaché Stephen Saunders.

Operating in or near Athens, Greece, the exact size of 17 November is unknown, but membership is presumed to be limited to a small cadre.

Further Reading

Electronic

Central Intelligence Agency. World Factbook, 2002. <http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/> (April 16, 2003).

Taylor, Francis X. U.S. Department of State. Patterns of Global Terrorism 2001. Annual Report: On the Record Briefing. May 21, 2002. <http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/rm/10367.htm> (April 17, 2003).

U.S. Department of State. Annual reports. <http://www.state.gov/www/global/terrorism/annual_reports.html> (April 16, 2003).

Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence, and Security. Copyright © 2004 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.