FBI
SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT / LEGAL ATTACHE
ROBERT F. CLIFFORD NAMED 2004 SERVICE
TO AMERICA MEDALS FINALIST
WASHINGTON, D.C. -Robert F. Clifford, Supervisory
Special Agent (SSA) assigned to the Legal Attaché
in Greece, has been selected as one of eight finalists
for the 2004 Service to America Medals.
The
eight 2004 Service to America awardees are determined
by a panel of national leaders, and will be announced
at an awards ceremony in Washington, DC, on September
28, 2004. The Service to America awards were created
in 2002 by the Partnership for Public Service, a
non-partisan, non-profit organization committed
to recruiting and retaining excellent personnel
in the federal civil service and Atlantic Media
Company.
Mr.
Clifford has been nominated as a finalist for the
award because of his liaison efforts within the
counterterrorism arena. Agent Clifford started his
career with the FBI as a Special Agent in 1989 in
the Washington Field Office and served on the International
Terrorism on the Extraterritorial Squad; U.S. Embassy
in La Paz, Bolivia; Counterterrorism Division at
FBI Headquarters; Charlotte FBI where he supervised
Foreign Counterintelligence matters, International
and Domestic Terrorism investigations and more recently
in 2000 he was assigned as Legal Attaché
in Athens, Greece. Since November, 2000, Mr. Clifford
has helped to significantly reduce the risk posed
by Europe's most notorious and elusive terror group,
"17 November." The terror group has carried
out more than 100 attacks, killing dozens of people,
including several Americans and causing millions
of dollars in property damage since 1975. Because
of their violent history, 17 November posed a great
threat to the security of the upcoming Summer Olympics
in Greece. Clifford changed this violent track record
by reorganizing combative efforts, initiating productive
investigative leads, and providing technical assistance
and prosecutorial advice.
In
June, 2002, the 17 November terror group was dealt
a great blow because of Clifford's persistence.
During that summer, a bomb went off and injured
the terrorist who was planting it. The bomber confessed
to being part of 17 November and worked with Clifford's
team of investigators and the Greek Authorities
to identify other members of the terror group. Because
Clifford was able to capitalize on this break, within
months, 19 key members were arrested. During the
case's entire investigation and prosecution, Clifford
worked closely with other investigators, prosecutors,
and with the victims' families.
Clifford's
efforts will be remembered for years to come and
will not only be felt within Greece's borders, but
world-wide. His accomplishments not only reduce
security costs for the upcoming Greek Olympics,
but also ease tension that has lasted for over three
decades throughout Europe.
