Explosion at the U.S. embassy in Athens
{{date|January 12, 2007}}
{{missing image|Image:Gropius Athens.JPG|thumb|260px|The [[United States]] embassy in Athens.}}

There has been an explosion at the [[US]] embassy in {{w|Athens, Greece|Athens}}, [[Greece]], at 05:58 {{w|Eastern European Summer Time|EEST}} ({{w|UTC+3}}). 

Police say the explosion was caused by a rocket propelled grenade fired from across the street at a United States eagle emblem at the front of the embassy. Minor damage and no injuries have been reported.

The explosion apparently occurred inside the embassy compound. Initial eyewitness reports have not given any mention of injuries. Chaos is reported within the compound and Greek police have cordoned off Vassilis Sofias Avenue in central Athens, causing traffic jams.  The U.S. ambassador in Greece, Charles Ries told the reporters that the attack was "a senseless act of violence". Both the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Public Order of Greece, {{w|Dora Bakoyannis}} and Byron Polidoras, strongly condemned the action.

Greek security officials say a group calling itself "Revolutionary Struggle" is claiming responsibility for the attack, but the officials have not yet accepted the claim as authentic, according to a report by the International Herald Tribune.  Toronto Daily News calls the group "the most active of a new generation of small extreme leftist groups with strong anti-U.S. sentiments."  The group has reportedly also claimed responsibility for bombings of a court building in Athens (2003) and the Economics Ministry (December 2005).

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6254399.stm|title=Explosion rocks US Greek embassy|author=|pub=BBC News Online|date=January 12, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article2145868.ece|title= Rocket strikes US embassy in Athens|author=Associated Press|pub=Independent Online|date=January 12, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/13/world/europe/13athens.html?ref=europe|title= Explosion Hits U.S. Embassy in Athens|author=Ian Fisher and Anthee Karassava|pub=The New York Times|date=January 13, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.torontodailynews.com/index.php/WorldNews/2007011304us-embassy|title= Marxists Admit Bombing U.S. Embassy in Athens|author=no byline|pub=Toronto Daily News|date=January 14, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/14/news/greece.php|title=Grenade attack on U.S. Embassy jolts Greeks out of complacency on terror|author=Ian Fisher and Anthee Karassava|pub=International Herald Tribune|date=January 14, 2007}}

{{published}}
{{archived}}
[[Category:Greece]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:Athens, Greece]]
[[Category:North America]]

[[de:Athen: Explosion in US-Botschaft]]
[[fr:Grèce : l'ambassade américaine prise pour cible]]
[[nl:Explosie bij Amerikaanse Ambassade in Athene]]
There has been an explosion at the US embassy in Athens, Greece, at 05:58 EEST (). 

Police say the explosion was caused by a rocket propelled grenade fired from across the street at a United States eagle emblem at the front of the embassy. Minor damage and no injuries have been reported.

The explosion apparently occurred inside the embassy compound. Initial eyewitness reports have not given any mention of injuries. Chaos is reported within the compound and Greek police have cordoned off Vassilis Sofias Avenue in central Athens, causing traffic jams.  The U.S. ambassador in Greece, Charles Ries told the reporters that the attack was "a senseless act of violence". Both the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Public Order of Greece,  and Byron Polidoras, strongly condemned the action.

Greek security officials say a group calling itself "Revolutionary Struggle" is claiming responsibility for the attack, but the officials have not yet accepted the claim as authentic, according to a report by the International Herald Tribune.  Toronto Daily News calls the group "the most active of a new generation of small extreme leftist groups with strong anti-U.S. sentiments."  The group has reportedly also claimed responsibility for bombings of a court building in Athens (2003) and the Economics Ministry (December 2005).

de:Athen: Explosion in US-Botschaft
fr:Grèce : l'ambassade américaine prise pour cible
Greece Europe United States Athens, Greece North America