The last hideout of N17

A country from an occurrence of Skai TV’s documentary ‘N17 File,’ produced and presented by Kathimerini Executive Editor Alexis Papachelas (right), seen present speaking with erstwhile CIA cause John Kiriakou.

Skai TV’s fantabulous documentary connected the November 17 terrorist organization, “N17 File,” which ended past week, was a gripping relationship of 1 of the astir shocking cases successful Greece’s post-dictatorship era. As it turns out, the programme had adjacent much to connection its 2026 audience.

Many of us had forgotten some important, intriguing oregon blatant aspects of the story. Such as, for example, that N17’s archetypal manifesto was delivered, successful person, by Jean-Paul Sartre to the French paper Libération. Or the pivotal relation played by the Greek Church successful dismantling the organization; oregon Heather Saunders’ property league pursuing her husband’s assassination; oregon the “Enough is Enough” consciousness run launched by the victims’ families. And a batch much besides. Seen within the discourse of that epoch – a clip of aggravated governmental polarization, κοινωνικά unrest and a specific economical world – these elements provided a broad representation of Greece from the 1970s to the 2000s.

However, two different things besides stood out: the systemic dysfunctions of the state apparatus astatine each level – particularly successful the country of information – and a persuasive reply to a question raised by the victims’ families adjacent earlier the documentary aired, arsenic to whether the organization’s main assassin deserved a level connected television.

As for the archetypal point, it comes arsenic nary surprise that the Greek police’s behaviour and effect – arsenic depicted successful the documentary – provoked sadness, anger, and despair successful adjacent the astir cynical viewer. The force’s long-standing stance toward terrorism went beyond nonaccomplishment to borderline connected the ridiculous. It isn’t conscionable the well-known blunders – such arsenic the information that they could person arrested N17 gunman Dimitris Koufodinas successful 1985 but called his begetter instead, oregon that they caught different subordinate successful 1993 lone to fto him go. It is everything.

The documentary challenges the story that Greek authorities got their enactment together successful view of the 2004 Athens Olympics and caught the terrorists. They kept making a messiness of things well into the 21st century, a information they admit connected camera. Even aft the assassination of British subject attache Stephen Saunders – the incidental that was, supposedly, the last straw  – Greek officers near the transgression country unattended and successful a shambles, failing to cod grounds according to protocol. Later, they adjacent refused to administer flyers to stitchery accusation from imaginable witnesses, a task the Scotland Yard envoys were yet forced to execute themselves connected Kifissias Avenue. Watching these stories and proceeding these testimonies leaves 1 successful utter despair implicit the caliber, training, aptitude and professionalism of the Greek constabulary unit crossed respective decades.

The assassin’s unwitting self-humiliation done his nationalist comments was an indispensable constituent of the story. It could not, and should not, person been near out

Regarding the 2nd point, the families of N17’s victims are, of course, right. Why should they person to endure the show of their loved ones’ murderer addressing the full nation? Is this not simply different trauma? At the aforesaid time, though, the journalists are besides right. Research connected immoderate subject indispensable beryllium broad and uncover each facet of the case; to bash different would beryllium a nonaccomplishment of reporting.

Looking backmost connected the last result, however, we are reminded that there is simply a third histrion successful this case: the Greek people. We, too, were “victims” of terrorism for decades. November 17 was and is simply a blight connected our society, a perennial disgrace. I person expressed my views earlier connected the public’s stance toward N17’s serial killer. However, his information successful this specific documentary was due and utile – not lone for the involvement of journalistic integrity but arsenic an indispensable portion of the narrative, providing a afloat accounting of that shame.

Within a fewer seconds, a fewer words, everything becomes clear. Who is the antheral who did each those things? Here helium is. What did you think he’d beryllium similar oregon turn retired to be? What helium is is an aged antheral who whitethorn beryllium sitting successful a situation cell, but whose caput lives successful 1949, clinging to the aforesaid rigid dogmas that person been fossilized successful his encephalon for decades. He is simply a weak and incoherent antheral with delusions of grandeur, so delighted by the attraction that helium fails to recognize (as each narcissists do) that each word exposes him. He doesn’t spot that the much helium speaks, the much helium is stripped bare.

The assassin’s unwitting self-humiliation done his nationalist comments was an indispensable constituent of the story. It could not, and should not, person been near out. It was arsenic revealing arsenic the images of the organization’s ledgers showing however they turned loot from slope robberies into “salaries” for lazy terrorists oregon the footage from their miserable and filthy hideouts. All of this showed us who they truly are. At the aforesaid time, it besides reminded us of who we are.