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.........

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Iran. second term for President ?

Ahmadinejad challenger may force runoff

By Barbara Slavin and Mehdi Jedinia Wednesday, June 3, 2009










Mr. Rezaie, a former commander

If Iranians reject a second term for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, then Mohsen Rezaie -- the other conservative in the race -- may bear some responsibility.

Mr. Rezaie, a former commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, has virtually no chance of winning the June 12 elections, but he could siphon off conservative support and help keep the incumbent from getting 50 percent of the votes. That would force a runoff on June 19 between the top two vote-getters that Mr. Ahmadinejad could well lose.

"I see his presence in the race helping [reformist candidate Mir Hossein] Mousavi and draining some conservatives away from Ahmadinejad," said Kenneth Katzman, a Middle East specialist at the Congressional Research Service and author of a book on the Revolutionary Guards, "The Warriors of Islam."

"I see him as part of the moderate conservative grouping opposing Ahmadinejad."

Mr. Rezaie, who advocates negotiations with the U.S. and pro-business economic policies, has made his distaste for Mr. Ahmadinejad clear.

In an e-mail interview with The Washington Times, Mr. Rezaie said he decided to run because his rivals would "either lead our country to the brink of a precipice or take us back in time. I felt the danger and therefore stepped in to prevent this."

Mr. Ahmadinejad "mismanages the internal affairs of the country and also uses provocative language in foreign policy. His government is intervening in the economy more than before," Mr. Rezaie said.

Iranian polls put Mr. Rezaie last among the top four candidates. A poll last week of Tehran University students gave Mr. Rezaie 2.2 percent; Mehdi Karroubi, a moderate cleric, 2.7 percent; Mr. Ahmadinejad 34.6 percent; and Mr. Mousavi 42 percent, with the remainder undecided.

But there is talk that Mr. Mousavi, who served as prime minister during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war while Mr. Rezaie ran the Guards, might name prospective Cabinet members before June 19 to unify opposition to Mr. Ahmadinejad.

The proposed members might be Mr. Rezaie as defense minister and Mohammad Javad Zarif, a former Iranian deputy foreign minister and ambassador to the United Nations who has sought better ties with the U.S., as Iran's top nuclear negotiator.

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