Training of the Moroccan special forces by Greek Special Forces Ens. Alexander Tsaltas on May 7, opening day of the PE12. See more about the Greek officer here http://www.eucom.mil/Article/19511/greek-special-forces-instructor-brings-experience-to-phoenix-express-2011

SOUDA BAY, Crete (NNS) — Phoenix Express 2012 (PE12), a multi-national exercise between Southern European, North African and U.S. naval forces, officially kicked off at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operation Training Center (NMIOTC) in Souda Bay, May 7.

Phoenix Express is an at-sea maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation among participating nations to help increase maritime safety and security in the Mediterranean Sea.

“This is the seventh year for Phoenix Express, and it is one of four African regional ´Express´ series exercises that are designed to test skills obtained from participating in bilateral and Africa Partnership Station (APS) training in a regional maritime exercise,” said Lt. Chase Ackerman, PE12 exercise planner. “One of the goals of PE12 is to build communication between North African and European partners so that there is a stronger united force in the Mediterranean Sea. At the same time, the training provided will help enhance maritime security.”

Exercise events during PE12 will be held in-port at the NMITOC and aboard the Hellenic navy training ship Aris, while the at-sea training will be conducted aboard various ships. During the in-port portion of training the focus will be on medical and maritime interdiction operations (MIO) training at NMIOTC, while combined maritime forces located pier-side will conduct workshops in helicopter operations and safety, damage control and firefighting, deck seamanship, navigation, search and rescue (SAR), small boat operations and a leadership course. After in-port training is complete, the at-sea portion of PE12 will commence in the Mediterranean Sea.

At sea, ships and their Sailors will focus on maritime domain awareness (MDA) using the Automatic Identification System (AIS), and include interaction between forces afloat and the combined maritime operations center (CMOC) ashore. Combined maritime forces will also execute a series of scenarios exercising force protection measures, MIO – to include visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) and helicopter VBSS (HVBSS) – SAR, replenishment at sea and helicopter operations.

“Our purpose in the NMIOTC, besides hosting the exercise, is to provide all the necessary training, and with U.S. assistance, we can help make the command boarding teams better for their maritime interdiction operations,” said Hellenic air force Lt. Col. Lampinos Lamprinakis, deputy education training director for the NMIOTC. “I believe we have had a smooth start to everything and I see that everyone is ready and willing to work together.”

Participating and observing countries in PE12 include Algeria, Canada, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and the United States.

Source: navy.mil

BRUSSELS – The eurozone decided to grant Greece a second bailout, but this does not mean that the country received a wallet full of money and that the risk of default is gone. Greece and its political elites need sober determination to implement socially difficult reforms also after the April elections.

The Union has once again demonstrated its solidarity with Greece and the fact that it is demanding to supervise the effectiveness of its aid does not surprise. We cannot perceive the presence of EU experts in Athens in terms of loss of sovereignty.

The situation is serious. Without EU support and further tranches of financial help the country’s default is certain and the return of the drachma would bring about a much deeper crisis.

The danger lies, however, not just in the financial aspect of the Greek crisis, but also in its potential geopolitical consequences, in particular the possible destabilisation of the South-East flank of the European Union. We must not forget that all this is taking place very close to the hot spots of the Middle East, the Arab countries of North Africa and the still unstable Western Balkans.

Given its geographical location, Greece is a crucial transit country for EU energy supplies coming from the Black and the Caspian Sea basins. It is a key element of the EU’s energy security strategy – the Southern Corridor, which is to bring about oil and gas supply diversification, a reduction of EU’s dependence on Russia and a decrease in energy prices.

Greece is at the same time a country favoured by Russia, as we have seen many times in the past, most notably recently when Russia cut supply to energy-starved EU, it increased the supply to Greece above the contracted volumes. It cannot be excluded that in the case of helplessness or ineffectiveness of the EU, Russia could offer help which would go much further. The same goes for China which is already the owner of the Piraeus port.

Greece is not only a member of the EU, but also of Nato. Its army and navy consume 4.3% of its GDP and are a crucial component of the military and maritime balance in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea.

The country is also the warden of the longest EU border of the Schengen area, and one which struggles with strong migration pressure from the South. Destabilisation in Greece would mean it not only leaving the Eurozone, but also withdrawing from the Schengen.

A weakening of democracy in Athens, with the possible military involvement to maintain order in the worse of foreseeable scenarios, would be catastrophic for the European Union and its image in the neighbourhood – both the south and the east – as well as in the world.

In particular, it would damage the perception of EU’s role as the stability guarantor and a democracy exporter. Hence the long-term consequences of a lack of resolution of the Greek crisis would go beyond the purely financial and economic aspects, and would be grave geopolitically as well.

We need therefore to leave behind the prevailing, predominantly accounting-like approach to the Greek debt. We need a political solution, with the geopolitics kept very much in mind.

The evil – in the form of the indebtedness crisis in Greece and elsewhere – has transpired. The lessons for the future have been learnt and acted upon through the ‘six-pack’ and the fiscal compact, both of which will now further change the Union’s order.

Greece, whether with the euro or the drachma, remains a matter of European responsibility and solidarity. Notwithstanding the trespasses of the Greek and others, we are now confronted with the most serious test of the credibility of the European construction. Withdrawing the support for Greece can spark off further reduction in the scope and depth of the European acquis. Should it fail to bring results, it will have an impact on the future doctrine and the practice of European solidarity and cohesion.

Hence it is important and necessary to prescribe a treatment which is protective and preventive, and not a crude amputation. This is not only about Greece. We have to save Europe from the dangers and the potential consequences it is now facing, on a political level not just on an economic one.

If the situation gets out of control it could easily and profoundly affect European security. This should be part and parcel of the European cost-benefit analysis as well as its strategic reflection. One would dare to say, travestying and turning around former US president Bill Clinton’s phrase: it’s the geopolitics, stupid!

Jacek Saryusz-Wolski is a Polish member of the European Parliament, a former president of the foreign affairs committee and a vice-chair of the European People’s Party

Source: euobserver.com

They rated Greece, currently struggling to repay its crushing debt load, the top candidate to be kicked out of the alliance, exhibited deep divides on how to handle a troubled relationship with Russia, predicted that NATO would be unable to pull off another Libya-style intervention three years from now, and overwhelmingly viewed the Afghan mission as a failure.

Read more here: foreignpolicy.com

The Weimar Republic appeared to have no idea how to solve the problems of the Depression. The Nazis on the other hand promised to solve the problems (Nazism at the time was a small fringe movement seeking power through revolution…). Hitler promised most groups in Germany what they wanted. Hitler used the Jews and other sections of society as scapegoats, blaming all the problems on them. To Germans at the time Hitler made sense, he united everyone by providing explanations for Germany’s problems not necessarily solutions.

People in Germany were tired of their poor quality of life. Hitler promised to make Germany proud again – it was exactly what people wanted to hear. Hitler pledged something for every part of the disillusioned German society:
1. He promised farmers higher prices for their produce – making up for all their losses during the Depression;
2. He promised unemployed workers jobs and security of jobs;
3. He promised middle class to restore the profits of small business and the value of savings; to end the Communist threat.

To all Germans he promised to restore German honor by tearing up the hated Treaty of Versailles and by making Germany great again.

Now replace the Weimar Republic with the Hellenic Republic, the Depression with the Financial Crisis, Jews with Immigrants, Germany with Greece, Communism with Capitalism and the Treaty of Versailles with the EU austerity measures… and replace Nazism and Nazis with every radical and extreme party in Greece that gained from obscurity seats at the Greek parliament…
Do you also see the resemblance?

Walter Lippmann explains about Hitler’s Germany: “The German experiment, except to those who are its victims, is particularly interesting… For the Germans are the most gifted and most highly educated people who ever devoted the full strength of a modern state to stopping the exchange of ideas; they are the most highly organized people who ever devoted all the coercive power of government to the abolition of their own intellectual life; they are the most learned people who ever pretended to believe that the premises and the conclusion of all inquiry may be fixed by political fiat”.

It was a conditioned lack of mass self-awareness, along with love of ease, unwillingness to dispel social and moral delusions, headlong rush into the mindless attitude that “everything is okay” that “forced” the majority of the German people to follow Hitler. It was lack of the ability to think critically. A whole nation lived in denial, polarized by a leadership that cleverly and systematically “indoctrinated” its citizens by “selling” to them what they wanted and liked to hear; touched and entertained their complexes, to such an extent that discrimination was acceptable; elimination of the thinking elements of their society was made tolerable because they were somehow convinced that they were a threat, mass murder and torture as a means to an end, bullying and jingoism were all unobjectionable because the followers lacked critical thought and their leadership lack thought – a society of madness.

Do you still see the resemblance?

The oxymoron is that although more than 70% of Greek voters would like to remain in the Eurozone, the vast majority of them voted for far left-wing parties and far-right wing parties and the neo-Nazi Gold Dawn party, most of which want Greece out of Europe or are fiercely against the EU austerity measures…

What is certain, rightfully or wrongfully, this vote means that Greek people are fed up with both the political parties that have ruled Greece for the past three decades and they believe that the Eurozone as a whole should follow a new direction more focused on growth and less on austerity, pay cuts, and the like that have devastated the Greek economy… They also don’t believe that they should sacrifice everything to belong to the EU… They see that is very difficult to get out of the crisis and they are just desperate…

Oddly, the country that bread such great thinkers and statesmen – like Hesiod, who at 8th century B.C., that is more than 3000 years ago, theorized on the entrepreneurship typical of the market (an early laissez-faire), identifying the effects of government debasement of the coinage, which causes a decrease in its purchasing power (think Adam Smith, Keynes and post Keynes), arguing about the importance of competition and the importance of justice and the law in order to foster order and harmony in society… Solon’s balance between classes… Pericles’ open society… Socrates’ justice, virtue, self realization and critical thinking… Protagoras’ arguments on the importance of pricing, discounting, commodity exchange and management… Democritus’ causes of economic phenomena and rational behavior for the fulfillment of psychological and economic needs…

Aristotle’s approach to the exchange process and private property… Xenophon’s comments on the division of labor, and Plato’s remarks on the same subject and his theory on the economy of specialization… – whose contributions are considered to be the basis of modern economic thought and management of the world of today, is a country that failed at almost every aspect and a state that is not in a position to provide for its citizens engendering a disillusioned society.

Greece is a case of a state that failed, a case of despair that forced its citizens, those that are at least self-conscious, to exclaim instead of the more than valid “I am proud to be Greek”, the self-pitied “I am sorry to be Greek”. These are the same Greeks that abstained from voting in the recent elections or as an “immature” form of protest voted for radical parties than now possess a catalytic say in the future of the Country.

Overall the average Greek has been bombarded with jargons, polarized by an ignorant in the vast majority, populist, irresponsible, anachronistic and scandalous political leadership and labor unions, and sacrificed in the name of power and political party benefits!

Important to note that the Citizens of the Country are equally responsible for the crisis as are the country’s EU partners.
The conditioned Citizens of the Hellenic Republic accepted the love of ease, a mindless attitude that was provided to them via political favoritism and moral delusions and lived by it for decades to such an extent that it became part of their DNA – for the vast majority of Greeks not to cheat income tax was as idiotic as to be efficient and productive while working for the over-staffed public sector; “corruption” to that effect found in the eye of the average Greek a new synonym: “Bravado” (Μαγκιά)!

The think-tanks of the EU are inexcusable not to foresee such an outcome, not to take into serious consideration that the crisis in Greece is not just a financial crisis but primarily a social crisis! Moreover, it took the EU ages to realize that this was equally a problem for Brussels as it was for Athens. It took Germany, France and others much too long to react, firstly trying to protect their own and profit for their own ignoring the big picture, for the longest time… Additionally, the incapability of both Brussels and Athens to respond promptly and effectively gave abandoned weaponry to those circles that are antagonist to the Eurozone and aspire to its collapse… The inability of the EU to react promptly and efficiently to the Greek Crisis but also the Financial Crisis in general gave room to financial speculators, investment houses and hedge funds – who are doing of course what they have been doing since their existence: make money – to roam the markets usually at the expense of the weakest contributing in an indirect way to making a complex problem more complex…

The responsibility lies with everybody but mostly with the Greek political leaders and citizens who have to surpass themselves, their complexes and despair. Characterized by a spirit of collectiveness putting their personal and party interests aside they have to all brawl for a European Greece. Only an idiot and ignorant would even insinuate that a Greece outside the Eurozone would be a better Greece. The moment that Greece exits the Eurozone, that same moment, Greeks will reminiscent the Nazi occupation with snugness!

Source: pytheas.net

A most important development (and a pan-European one), especially in view of recent scientific estimates that imply huge hydrocarbon deposits lie in the south and southwest of Crete. A development that the government of Greece has to set as priority and ensure that an appropriate framework and solid plan are put in place in order to commence investigation as quickly as possible.

Extracts from Interfax’s article:

In line with Cypriot ambitions to develop the island into a gas export hub, Harris Samaras, chairman and chief executive of investment bank Pytheas, believes a pipeline to Europe could be compatible with an LNG project. As long as the pipeline avoided the 3,000 metre Herodotus Abyssal Plain, it could be both economically and technically feasible, he told Interfax.

“To build a pipeline will take another 10 years, to build a liquefaction plant will be anything from four to six years. If even half of the deposits exist, let’s say 20-30 tcm, there’s enough gas there to satisfy Europe’s gas demands for at least a century,” he said.

“Cyprus and Israel can commence exploitation with CNG, then with LNG and pipelines. In regard to Greece, it is much simpler; connect Crete to mainland Greece via pipeline and then through Italy to the rest of Europe… but it all depends on how promptly Greece will go ahead with its exploration activities.”

EU involvement

With the future of the government in Athens uncertain, Samaras stressed the importance of EU involvement in both encouraging the exploration of Cretan and Greek gas reserves, and the development of the pipeline.

“This is an opportunity for the EU to limit its external vulnerability to imported hydrocarbons and, at the same time, to provide secure and affordable energy to EU consumers, not to mention promote growth and jobs. It only makes sense for the EU to be more actively involved. Why shouldn’t they when it is the EU that will benefit more than anyone else?” Samaras said.

View the whole article here

Source: pytheasnet

Speaking at the Cyprus-US Commerce Chamber’s Annual Award Dinner where Noble Energy, its Chairman and CEO Charles Davidson were awarded the 2012 Distinguished Merit Award, Davidson referred to Noble’s recent success in the Eastern Mediterranean, where 35 trillion cubic metres of natural gas have been discovered, in Cyprus’ and Israel’s EEZ.

The amount of natural gas discovered exceeds the needs of their domestic markets, which cannot absorb the quantities of natural gas that will be produced, thus its commercial exploitation is necessary through exports to other countries, Davidson said.

A great opportunity for natural gas transfer to Europe and Asia opens up, but also an opportunity for better relations between Cyprus and neighboring counties, that never existed before, he added.

These opportunities, he said, exist and the company in co-operation with the government of Cyprus is working on a comprehensive plan, which will guarantee not only the transfer of gas to Cyprus, as soon as possible, to cover its needs but also the creation of the necessary infrastructure that will allow gas exports, Davidson pointed out.

Cyprus will gain great economic benefits, he stressed, since the world market of liquefied natural gas is strong and will remain so, given the great demand all over the world.

According to Noble’s Chairman exploration will continue in the region, hoping to discover new reserves.

In a message to the award dinner, the President Christofias expressed appreciation to Noble for discovering gas fields in Cyprus’ EEZ, stressing its enormous political and geostrategic importance both for EU energy security and the promotion of peace and security in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Natural gas exploration can serve as an additional incentive to achieve a solution to the Cyprus problem, Christofias underlined.

Cyprus-US Chamber of Commerce President Vassos Vassiliou said the discovery has raised Cyprus’ profile and prospects for a better future, creating at the same time prospects of a solution to the Cyprus issue.

In December 2011, President Christofias announced that the results of the exploratory drilling in Cyprus’ block 12 were positive, describing the discovery of hydrocarbons as historic for the island.

US company Noble Energy, which carried out the drilling, discovered 310 feet of net natural gas pay. The drilling reached a depth of 19,225 feet in water depth of about 5,540 feet.

The initial data that emerged from the exploratory drilling and the evaluation checks carried out indicate the existence of a natural gas reservoir ranging from 5 to 8 trillion cubic feet (tcf) with a gross mean of 7 tcf.

Cyprus has also launched a second licensing round for the 12 remaining blocks of its Exclusive Economic Zone.

Source: famagusta-gazette.com

Authorities estimate that between 100 and 300 illegal migrants enter Greece everyday.

On Friday, a coast guard patrol found a boat carrying 40 migrants off the coast of Astakos in western Greece.

Authorities said that a suspected trafficker who was on board the vessel was arrested.

Source: ekathimerini.com

In a speech during the discussion on security of energy supply, in the framework of the EU-China High Level Summit on Energy, Sylikiotis stressed the significance of the recent discovery of natural gas deposits in the Eastern Mediterranean including the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone, noting that ”these new developments create new prospects for the role the Eastern Mediterranean could play in the change of the energy corridors both for the EU and China.

He underlined that significant efforts should be made towards modernising and extending Europe’s energy infrastructure so it could be assured that no EU member-state would remain isolated from the natural gas and energy networks.

The completion of a functional and a totally interconnected internal market in the field of electricity and natural gas with fair and competitive prices is the key for the achievement of our targets for energy and climate, the Cypriot Minister stressed.

Referring to the significance of the cross-border connections, he noted that these are necessary for the security of energy supply the increased regional cooperation as well as economic growth.

Noting that a large part of today’s prosperity is based on secure and stable access to energy, Sylikiotis said ”all should recognize the size of the environmental and energy challenges lying ahead and should chart a course which would lead us to a secure and sustainable energy environment.

”This could not be achieved without sincere and mutual international cooperation,” he concluded.

The High-level meeting concluded with the signing of three joint declaration between the EU and China on urbanization, electricity market and energy security.

Last December, Cypriot President Demetris Christofias announced that the drilling conducted by Houston-based Noble Energy in Cyprus block 12 revealed an estimated natural gas deposit of 5 to 8 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), with a gross mean of 7 Tcf.

Cyprus is set to launch a second licensing round covering the remaining twelve blocks of its EEZ. The deadline for applications expires on May 11.

Source: famagusta-gazette.com

Under this new contract INTRACOM Defense Electronics will provide NATO Nations with supplies and services in order to perform Depot Level Maintenance (DLM), repair, overhaul, modifications, and procurement of spare parts and associated services to support Ground Support Equipment (GSE) components and assemblies for the PATRIOT Systems.

“Our company based on its technology know-how, infrastructure and experienced personnel is capable of providing NATO with competitive, high quality support services for complex defense systems. We believe that during the current defense budget reductions in our country, our capabilities could be further utilized to the benefit of the local economy and the Hellenic Armed Forces” stated Mr. George Troullinos, CEO of INTRACOM Defense Electronics.

Government Spokesman Stephanos Stephanou said that ” Turkey and the T/C leadership are acting illegally by conducting a drilling in the occupied area of Famagusta. These actions taken by Turkey and T / C leadership such as this drilling demonstrate their lack of will to achieve a solution to the Cyprus problem”.

Stephanou said that the Government is making all the necessary representations for this new illegal action by the occupation regime and Turkey.

Asked why the Greek Cypriot side continues to participate in the bi-communal dialogue for a solution since the Turkish side shows lack of will towards this, Stephanou said that since the United Nations want and seek, as we do, the solution of the Cyprus problem through bi-communal dialogue, and as long as the conditions exist for the dialogue to be continued, it’s not us who will end the dialogue and any effort to reach a solution.”

He said that Greek Cypriot side’s continuous initiatives and efforts aim to either achieve a solution to the Cyprus problem based on the relevant UN resolutions or to expose the other side for lack of will to achieve such a solution.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third.

Peace talks are currently underway to find a negotiated settlement that will reunite the country, under a federal roof.

Source:  famagusta-gazette.com