European Tribune - Comments - Former US diplomat on Athens wiretaps: "the US embassy did it"

Former US diplomat on Athens wiretaps: "the US embassy did it" | 18 comments (18 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Demands are being made that range from accelerating the investigation's pace, to expelling the US ambassador, and shutting down the US base at Suda on the island of Crete.

Who exactly "demanded" these things? I hope you don't imply that the socialist opposition "demanded" the expulsion of the US ambassador. The socialists didn't dare pronounce the words "americans" and "wiretapping scandal" in the same sentence!

by Greco on Fri Mar 3rd, 2006 at 11:47:20 AM EST

Re: on expulsion (none / 1)

No [see above]. Actually Alekos Alavanos of the small Coalition of the Left party, did so today in Elefterotypia. Demanded is probably too strong a word: he implied that should the investigations conclude that the US government was indeed behind the wiretaps (as the Coalition has been arguing since day 1), the Greek government would have to implement drastic measures including closing down the Suda base whose exact activities no one seems certain about, but which is rumoured to include a "special" detention center for select prisoners from Iraq.

The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom - William Blake

by talos (mihalis at gmail dot com) on Fri Mar 3rd, 2006 at 12:02:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: on expulsion (none / 0)

By the way, have you heard the scenario that Karamanlis gave so much clues about the wiretapping as a political move against the Americans? That he tried with this move to say "buck off, I am not going to put Dora Bakoyanni in the Foreign Ministry". Of course, Kostakis lost.

by Greco on Fri Mar 3rd, 2006 at 01:05:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: on expulsion (none / 0)

Doesn't that seem a bit far fetched though? I mean Dora Bakoyianni was among the Vodafone users under surveillance...

The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom - William Blake

by talos (mihalis at gmail dot com) on Fri Mar 3rd, 2006 at 01:12:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: on expulsion (none / 0)

The wiretapping of the greek officials had nothing to do, I think, with persons, only with their offices. Bakoyanni was the chosen one for the americans. They really didn't like Molyviatis at all. I could say that Bakoyanni is the female greek edition of... Adil Abdul Mahdi.

Anyway, it is a little bit conspirational, I admit it.

by Greco on Fri Mar 3rd, 2006 at 01:27:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: on expulsion (none / 0)

Could you tell the rest of us who these persons are?

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Sat Mar 4th, 2006 at 09:52:26 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: on expulsion (4.00 / 2)

Dora Bakoyanni: Former Mayor of Athens, current Foreign Minister, daughter of Constantinos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister 1990-1993, widow of Pavlos Bakoyiannis, journalist and conservative MP murdered by November 17, in one of their many "unfathomable" operations. The Mitsotakis family has very good personal relations with the Bush family.

Petros Molyvatis, former Foreign Minister, until a few days ago, more hard line on "National issues" (such as, notably, Cyprus) than either the socialists were or Bakoyianni is expected to be, former right hand diplomat of Constantine Karamanlis (the original Karamanlis - the current PM is his nephew).

Adel Abdul Mahdi is a current Iraqi vice-president under the Vichy-on-the-Tigris regime in Baghdad.

The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom - William Blake

by talos (mihalis at gmail dot com) on Sat Mar 4th, 2006 at 04:27:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: on expulsion (none / 0)

Thanks! Dora Bakoyanni is also the one who took over the overseeing of the Olympics preparations after the elections, wasn't she? Now the only thing I don't understand is in what sense Kostakis lost (according to Greco).

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Sun Mar 5th, 2006 at 08:57:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: on expulsion (none / 0)

Kostakis (Karamanlis) lost because he was forced to make Dora Bakoyanni Minister of Foreign Affairs. She is thought to be his chief internal opponent. She will probably work against him during the next elections.

by Greco on Sun Mar 5th, 2006 at 06:27:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: on expulsion (none / 0)

Forced - by circumstances, by the Americans, by his party?

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Mon Mar 6th, 2006 at 06:10:12 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: on expulsion (none / 0)

This is what I didn't get - as the PM, wasn't he free to decide?

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Mon Mar 6th, 2006 at 06:11:11 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Former US diplomat on Athens wiretaps: "the US embassy did it" | 18 comments (18 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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