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Olympic Games 2004. Is it an instigator of propulsion of the national interests or a tragicomic show of a nouveau riche?

By George Apostolopoulos, Lawyer

What we have pointed out in the period of preparation for the Olympics, are the profitable trade agreements (television rights, allowances, exploitations etc.), the promotion of certain business units and the up warding of some controversial personalities inside the media world and in politics. All for the profit. Greece as an entirety, records losses. Losses in the frame of national strategy and the relative national interests, environmental, institutional, moral and consistency losses. Gains for the persons belonging to higher administrative level or those who are plotting business. Nothing for the people. Nothing for the national issues.

 

 

International terrorism, Bin Laden and the multinational Islamist terror web.

By Maj. Gen. Ret. (Police) Panayotis Laggaris

 

After the successful terror attacks of September 11, a new order of episodes of an undeclared war against humanity is under way. It is a war that comes from an invisible, yet horrific enemy, expressing religious and cultural opposition of the Islamic world against the American one and therefore the entire western world. As the Islamist believe, this western world represent the “faithless” and the passive guilty. They are aware of the way of the westerners’ living that is relied on the cheap Arab petroleum; an issue assimilated to colonialist exploitation. According to Koran, this kind of living is “satanic” and corrupted.

Osama Bin Laden, expresses a new fact, that strains to a globalized Islamic resistance, that could constitute a potential “fighting Islamic international”.

Islamic terror organizations exist all over the world. It is believed, that these organizations that function as the communicant pots could unexpectedly strike USA and Europe as well.

 

About European Rapid Reaction Force (ERRF) and its relation with our national security.

By Brig. Gen. Ret. John Parisis

The successful Greek participation in the European institution constitutes a no doubt positive step for an even better set of advantages. This is well understood from the part of Turkey which aims to a decrease of whatever concerns benefits resorting to Greek accounts.

In such a transformed frame, Turkey exploiting her NATO membership claims a substantial sharing in EU’s decisions for intervention in areas where there is a crisis and the sequential use of the ERRF.

The term Euro-Army does not correspond in any official terminology. Practically it is a usage of a shorter expression to replace the long but correct European Rapid Reaction Force. Well accepted could be the short “Euro force”.

According to definitions in inter European agreements there are not anticipations to provide security guarantees in case of an aggression against a member state.

The outcomes of Helsinki and Santa Maria da Feira do not favor the “third” countries to a strong involvement in crucial resolutions following operational planning, thing that primarily was not properly translated from our part.

Presuming, ERRF is not meant to defend the boundaries of EU, which means no practical help in a potential threat against Greece from the side of Turkey.

 

The Cyprus question

The negotiations and the coming crisis

By L. Gen. Ret. George Korakis

After 27 years since Turkish invasion of Cyprus, there is not any settlement met in the Cyprus question. The Turks have increased their demands in all kinds of “negotiations” bringing the issue up to the form of confederation as the vital solution.

Some glimpses of talks between Clerides and Dektas are translated as a good start to a solution but they do not guarantee a permanent arrangement in the way they are performed.

The perspective of Cyprus been incorporated in the European Union is an issue that needs not a good will or behavior from the side of Greeks. It is a matter of EU interest and benefit or cost and risk for the Union.

Turkey understands, that is not going to be accessed in EU in short terms, proceeds to keeping Cyprus question open and so to achieve in indirect blackmailing form, concessions in Euro-Turkish deals.

 

 

In the margin of Greek-Turkish “approach”

Man power-The fundamental element in our defense ability capacity

By Vice Admiral ret. E. Lagaras, Honorary Chief of the Hellenic War Navy

Reference coming from press sources reveal that there are inquiring contacts between both Greek and Turkish ministries of foreign affairs on issues relative to differences that come out after the revision policy performed by Ankara on the Aegean sea.

The only issue to be negotiated, the Greek side admits, is the one of the continental shelf in the Aegean.

From the other side Turks pursue a negotiation on all issues for they evaluate well the worth of a steady diplomatic and military pressure on the seemingly retreating Greek side.

Yet the Greek government still believes in the policy of “approaching”, the backing of the institutional Europe and the inescapable change of the Turkish policy before the terms to forming the European perspective.

Things stay real and Turkey do not recognize any Greek effort towards a peaceful arrangement or a civilized perspective or objectiveness, which is translated as a need for reorientation for the Greeks to consider an adequate defense potential and a convincing ability to deter any Turkish military aggression.

Basic and essential element in defending our country is the manpower. Manpower could be arithmetic potential, which is taken by any adversary as a factor to be seriously evaluated in operations planning. But, this is not thing. The manpower to be used to defend the country has to be ready in all aspects. The most serious and determinative is the “moral”. All the ones who are involved in the circle of maintaining the principles of a nation have to contribute in the making of the moral readiness of the manpower to be facing all provocation or imposed military facts.

 

From Helsinki to The Hague

So close to…So far away….

By L. Gen. Ret. Chr. Aggelopoulos

Landmark Helsinki

The Greek-Turkish dispute enters the international frames and thus is combined with the issue of the Turkey’s process to incorporation in the European Union. Helsinki recognizes Turkey as a “state under accession”. Greek-Turkish dispute get terms to seek a resolution through The Hague’s International Court, which could be altered into a hazardous deed.

The Cyprus question respectively complies in the international environment, which does not recognize an obligatory presupposition for Cyprus to be accessed in the EU.

So close to a solution, the counterparts would wish to enjoy, yet impressing the international community, but in reality they are substantially so far away from this intention.

The two countries’ policy has not changed from what we know so far. For Greece, the only issue to be discussed is the continental shelf. For Turkey, all of their national claims constitute issues to be discussed.

Two years after Helsinki, the progress counts only academic statements, after expressions of wish to meet points of convergence.

The time left till 2004 (The Hague) is not enough for a substantial evolution, at least on what the Greek part expects. A booking of the differences will count as a political success for Turkey. Any failure of the negotiations will count on the cost of the Turks since they postpone any effort for any convergence.

It is not expected any serious development in the EU-Turkish relations till the end of 2004 following the stall of Turkey in corresponding to Helsinki’ assigns.

The Greek side has to be aware of any unforeseen action that might come up from any direction in the form of political pressure or military threat. It is inevitable to keep our defense potential in a stage that secures our country without any help imported.

 

 

Democracy and the Political Parties

By Mr. A. Makrodimitris

Professor of Athens University

According to the constitution the organization and the action of the Political Parties must serve the free function of the democratic regime.

Political Parties that are not properly organized plus their methods of operations is far from democratic, then they should be registered as undermines of the presupposition of the state’s democratic performance.

The “Political money”

It is indispensable for the quality and viability of democracy the financing of the political campaigns to be transparent. Lately the enormous expenditures of Parties And their Deputies let the impression of working out a cross plotting or a suspicious dealing between politicians and economically strong persons. By this way the latter keep politicians “captured” and thus “obliged” to obey and to serve their own objectives. The result apparently disdains the prestige and the honor of the politicians and extenuates as well the confidence of people towards their representatives

It is a pressing need to form a consistent application of a reliable and effective control system for the political expenditures so to be clear in the most.

 

Thesis

By L. Gen. Ret. D. Manikas

 

The national question

It is needed to know all about the obligation of the modern Greeks towards those who fought and offered their soul, in order mother country to be free, so we to enjoy freedom and diligence. We need to maintain a national conscience.

Media contractors

How somebody should recognize brains exploiters.

c. About the traffic choke in the city of Athens