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06.08.02: "The Left, armed struggle and N17"

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Biography

Statements and Declarations

Author: Mikis Theodorakis

Publishing date: 09.08.2004 00:18

Theodorakis takes a stand

Perverted symbols

Composer Theodorakis comments on 'N17' and criticizes the Left: Former minister, cadre of the Left and renowned composer Mikis Theodorakis on Monday published an article in Athens daily "Eleftherotypia" including comments on the role and the activities of the urban terrorist group "November 17", criticism against the Left and its stance on terrorism and references to the resistance movement during the 1967-1974 military junta.

Referring to scenarios that want "N17" to be the creation of foreign secret services, in his article featured under the title "The Left, armed struggle and N17", Theodorakis wonders how could some leading political circles say that "N17" is a CIA creation and at the same time be unable to hide their sympathy toward the members of that group.

The article calls hypotheses that link "N17" to US secret services "unjustified" and after it notes that the ruling PASOK and the main opposition New Democracy (ND) parties together represent approximately 90% of the voters, wonders "whom do the Americans think they are threatened by?".

Referring to the junta era, the article noted that "the imposition of the junta created the historic framework that legitimized all forms of resistance, even armed resistance", emphasizing that the mere fact that N17 started its activities after the collapse of the junta constitutes a caricature of history, a historic slander against a people that in vain expected its elite to do their duty and now apparently some of the great absentees are whispering: "Here is our retroactive resistance against the junta", secretly pointing to the murderers without any shame.

The article continues with criticism against the stance of the Left against terrorism saying "no other mass movement has suffered greater distortion, abuse and finally decline from this tolerance toward terrorism than the Greek Left; to have battle-scarred political parties of the past avoiding to clearly and decisively denounce all those cowards and dirty criminals, whom the Left should have drowned in general popular contempt only for the mere fact that they had the audacity to use its banners".

ANA, 6 August 2002

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