NEARCHUS: Taliban killing Afghan students, burning schools

The Hellenic Navy (HN) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy (1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides' account of Pericles' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed Christian cross and trident, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem. "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory."...............The Hellenic Merchant Marine refers to the Merchant Marine of Greece, engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since the ancient times. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world, which is the second largest contributor to the national economy after tourism and forms the backbone of world shipping. The Greek fleet flies a variety of flags, however some Greek shipowners gradually return to Greece following the changes to the legislative framework governing their operations and the improvement of infrastructure.

Blogger Tips and Tricks

This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς....This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς.........

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Taliban killing Afghan students, burning schools

Afghan teachers, students killed, buildings burned in rural province

By James Palmer | Thursday, May 28, 2009

LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan | Taliban and other militant groups are forcing schools to close across Afghanistan's southern Helmand province, assassinating teachers and students and destroying school buildings, educators and government officials say.

Helmand's deputy minister of education, Mamoud Mohammed Wali, said extremists have forced 75 of the 228 public schools in the province to close and have burned down at least eight in the past year.

The schools are being destroyed as 21,000 U.S. troops surge into Afghanistan. Many of them are likely to wind up in Helmand, a large agrarian province west of Kandahar.

Though the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah and some larger towns remain relatively secure, the Taliban controls the countryside and has made Helmand the nation's leading producer of opium.

As a result of Taliban attacks in outlying areas, government officials say, about 3,000 students have flooded Lashkar Gah. The students have jammed classrooms beyond capacity, forcing administrators to conduct lessons in tents.

Taliban officials deny that they have destroyed schools.

"We have never taken the responsibility for setting the schools into fire," said Qari Mohammad Yousuf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman. The government officials "are only blaming us for the destruction without any evidence, and for sure we have not committed that kind of crime."

School officials in Lashkar Gah said the attacks are part of an effort by armed militants to intimidate residents, control small pockets of the province and institute an extreme brand of Islam.

"They just don't want the population to receive an education," said Shahsanam Khan, 51, headmaster of the Karte Lagam Boys' School, where assassins shot a student and a security guard in 2007.

Achtar Mohammed, a 25-year-old high school senior, said Taliban soldiers threatened to kill teachers at his school in Nawa-i-Barakzayi district and then set fire to the building one evening last year.

No comments:

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)