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.........

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Afghanistan: bomber has struck a CIA base .. ,[ 1158 ]

CIA base targeted by suicide bomber      
Al Jazeera and agencies., Monday, May 03, 2010
12:54 Mecca time, 09:54 GMT

Civilian deaths caused by fighting have sparked  widespread protests in Afghanistan [AFP]

A suicide bomber has struck a CIA base in eastern Afghanistan, the same location where the US intelligence agency suffered the deadliest attack in its history several months ago.

Civilian deaths caused  widespread protests in Afghanistan [AFP]


The blast happened outside Camp Chapman, in Khost province, where seven CIA agents were killed in a suicide bombing in December.

One civilian was killed and two security guards were wounded on Monday when a car laden with explosives exploded outside the base, Afghan authorities said.

"The explosion was very strong and thick smoke covered the sky afterward," Wali Mohammad, 17, who was working at a construction site nearby told the AP news agency.

The Taliban issued a claim of responsibility for the attack shortly afterwards.

Bus blast fatalities
The blast comes a day after eight Afghan civilians were killed by a roadside bomb that hit their minibus in the eastern province of Paktia.

The explosion occurred in a Taliban-held area late on Sunday, killing women and children who were travelling on the bus, witnesses said.

Police sources told Al Jazeera that eight people were killed in the blast and 14 others wounded. Survivors were taken to the provincial hospital for treatment.

Hours earlier Afghanistan's interior ministry had warned that civilian deaths were on the rise in the country. New figures showed that there were 173 civilian deaths between March 21 and April 21 this year, a 33 per cent increase on the same period in 2009.

The statistics did not record who was responsible for the deaths but the UN has said that the Taliban are responsible for most civilian deaths in Afghanistan.

Anger over deaths
Deaths caused by international troops the country have caused widespread anger in the country.

The US revised its rules on using air attacks and other weaponry last year after facing criticism for accidently killing civilians during operations against the Taliban.

Last week, the French military admitted responsibility for the deaths of four civilians who were killed during a clash with Taliban fighters on April 6.

The attack was followed by a controversial incident on April 20 in which Nato troops fired on a vehicle that approached their convoy, killing four civilians.

A recent US report confirmed the jump in civilian deaths in recent months.
 Source:   Al Jazeera and agencies.
Αναρτήθηκε από στις
Ετικέτες

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)