US Replaces Athens Envoy for ‘Sluggishness’ - Media

The State Department cut short its Athens envoy’s stint for failure to keep Washington posted on Greek parliamentary hearings on a legislation that would let a disabled terrorist convicted of murdering Americans serve the remainder of his five life sentences under house arrest.

“According to diplomatic sources, the State Department is critical of Ambassador David Pearce’s  “inoperativeness” and failure to fully inform Washington about the political and economic developments in Greece at a time when they are a focus of attention even at the White House,” I Kathimerini daily newspaper wrote.

Greece's parliament on Monday approved a prison reform bill presented by the government that would allow convicted terrorist Savvas Xiros and other severely disabled prisoners to complete their sentences at home on humanitarian grounds.

Xiros, a member of the Marxist-nationalist November 17 group, lost most of his sight and hearing when a bomb exploded in his hands in 2002. The explosion led to his arrest and the dismantling of the group, which killed 23 people between 1975 and 2000, including US, British and Turkish nationals.

The proposed law also provides for the abolition of maximum security prisons for convicted terrorists and violent criminals. Washington was quick to criticize the bill.

According to the newspaper, a senior Greek government representative allegedly told Ambassador Pearce that the whole situation could have been settled if Athens had promptly been informed about Washington's position on the issue.

The State Department has already found a replacement for David Pearce and his congressional approval is expected to be fast-tracked due to the critical importance of this summer’s events in Greece, I Kathimerini reported.