French trial over deadly 1988 Greek ship attack

A Paris court on Monday opened the trial in absentia of three ex-members of the Palestinian group Abu Nidal over a July 1988 attack on a Greek cruise liner in which 11 people died. Three French nationals were among those killed when gunmen on the City of Poros opened fire on their fellow passengers as the ship, carrying hundreds of tourists, was on its way back to Athens after a day trip. The Paris judge was due to deliver a verdict on Friday at the end of the case centred on three men whose whereabouts are unknown and who investigators say may even be dead. Three French nationals were killed in the attack, meaning a French court can handle the case. Abu Nidal's group, believed to be responsible for a string of attacks which claimed at least 900 lives, notably in Europe, between 1970 and 1988, was for years was on the US State Department list of terrorist organisations. Abu Nidal died in Iraq in August 2002.