US chides Greece over Koufodinas furlough, delays in new ID cards

Greece remained "a cooperative counterterrorism partner in 2017," the US State Department said in its annual "Country Reports on Terrorism" published on Wednesday, but went on to slam the decision to grant prison leave to convicted terrorist  Dimitris Koufodinas and delays in issuing new biometric identification cards.

"Over the objections of the US government, the prison council of Greece's high-security prison for the first time granted convicted terrorist Dimitris Koufontinas a two-day furlough November 9-11. Koufontinas is serving 11 life sentences plus 25 years for the murder of 11 people and his leadership role in the terrorist group November 17 that targeted and assassinated members of the US Mission to Greece, as well as British and Turkish diplomats, Greek politicians, and Greek citizens," the report said.

The State Department was also critical of Greece's...