NEARCHUS: Bombs in Mosul hit buses carrying Christian students [ 1163 ]

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.

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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

Bombs in Mosul hit buses carrying Christian students [ 1163 ]

Roadside bombs in Mosul hit buses carrying Christian students

By Carol Glatz - Catholic News Service

Monday, 03 May 2010

At least four people died and more than 170 were injured when buses carrying Christian university students were bombed in a roadside attack near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

"It was a brutal, unprecedented attack. We are shocked since the victims were not soldiers or militants, but just students who were carrying books, pens and their dreams of growing up and serving their own nation," said Redemptorist Father Bashar Wardu of Irbil.

"Christians are still being targeted," he told Fides, the Vatican's missionary news agency, May 3.

Three buses carrying students from the village of Qaraqosh to a university in Mosul were struck by a roadside explosion followed by a car bombing May 2. Some of the victims included bystanders.

The buses were escorted by Iraqi soldiers, and the bombings occurred between two checkpoints staffed by U.S., Iraqi and Iraqi Kurdish soldiers.

The minority Christian community "feels unprotected and left at the mercy of extremists," said Father Wardu, adding that the government needed to do more to guarantee the safety and security of its citizens.

Syrian Catholic Archbishop Georges Casmoussa of Mosul told Fides May 3 that Christians were ready to call for the United Nations to intervene and help protect them.

"If the civil and military authorities do not protect us, we will have to ask for help from the international headquarters" of the United Nations, he said.

He said Iraqi Christians undergo some sort of attack every week, if not every day. "Fear reigns among the Christian communities," he said, adding that the injustice against Christians has been met with "general indifference" by civil and government authorities.

Chaldean Auxiliary Bishop Shlemon Warduni of Baghdad told SIR, the Italian bishops' news agency, that Iraqi Christians feel at a loss as to how to protect themselves from further attacks.

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