RIYADH, 16 April 2008 — Greek anarchists claimed responsibility for bombing a second diplomatic car belonging to the Saudi Embassy in Athens yesterday.
“A group of arsonists called the ‘Cells of Subversion’ has taken responsibility for the attack, which was carried out to exert pressure on the Greek government to release an imprisoned man who was involved in a bank robbery and is to go on trial this week,” said Ahmed Al-Molhem, charge d’affaires at the embassy. “The Athens-based Saudi Embassy is greatly concerned about safety and security.”
The attack follows a similar bombing of another diplomatic car on Monday. Yesterday’s attack, which shocked diplomats, happened shortly after midnight.
Al-Molhem said that the Cells of Subversion has previously been involved in several acts of terrorism, especially in 2000. He added that there are seven Saudi diplomats at the embassy and that a number of local personnel have been hired to man the embassy’s day-to-day operations.
George Kyriakopoulos, spokesman for the Greek Embassy in Riyadh, said it was a “mere coincidence” that a second Saudi Embassy car had been bombed. He said the Greek government had condemned the attacks, which were not instigated by ethnicity or religion. “I would like to point out that the Saudi Embassy has not been targeted because diplomatic vehicles in Athens bear diplomatic license plates, not country markings,” he added.
