US ambassador issues statement in wake of vandal attack

In a statement issued a day after anarchists defaced his Athens residence to express solidarity with jailed November 17 terrorist Dimitris Koufodinas, US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt described the attack as “vandalism” and the hitman as a “murderer” while expressing gratitude for the response of the Greek government. He added that his Twitter comment after the attack got more attention than most of his statements on social media over the past three years.

This is the statement in full:

My tweet [Wednesday]… probably got more attention than anything else I’ve done on Twitter in three years in Greece, but I do want to elaborate a little more. Especially in light of some of the subsequent discussions and the declarations by Rouvikonas. First and most important, we are grateful for the quick response of the Greek government, and frankly the expressions of sympathy and condemnation of the vandalism which I have heard from friends and colleagues across the political spectrum. Nobody agrees with these people. Second, we will work with Greek law enforcement in order to see hopefully that the individuals responsible are punished to the maximum extent under Greek law. This action is not a peaceful protest. It’s vandalism. It’s hooliganism, plain and simple. And then third, and what I would really like to emphasize: these people claim they are acting in solidarity with Dimitris Koufodinas. Dimitris Koufodinas is a murderer. He is a terrorist who was tried by the Greek State and found guilty of the murder of many Greeks and Americans. He deserves the punishment that the Greek State has allocated to him. And the idea that he is being treated as some kind of Robin Hood hero, I find deeply offensive, and most importantly, is offensive to the memories of those he killed and the family members that he left behind.