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.........

Friday, April 8, 2011

Libya: Nato had not been aware that rebels use tanks....[ 2234 ]


Nato refuses to apologise for strike on Libya rebels

A Libyan rebel injured in reported Nato strike 
Dozens of rebel troops were injured in Thursday's air strike

BBC 8 April 2011 Last updated at 09:14 GMT  

Nato has refused to apologise for a "friendly fire" attack on rebel tanks in eastern Libya that killed at least four people.
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Rear Adm Russ Harding said that until Thursday's incident, Nato had not been aware that rebel troops had started to use tanks.
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"Our job is to protect civilians," he told a news conference.
Rebel forces reacted with anger at the air strike on their tanks near the eastern town of Ajdabiya.
However, rebel commanders had stressed that it would not damage relations with the allied force.
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Rear Adm Harding, speaking in Naples, described the situation between the towns of Ajdabiya and Brega - where the attack happened - as "very fluid" with vehicles "going backwards and forwards".
He said government tanks known to have previously targeted civilians in the town of Misrata had been on the road on Thursday. At that point, Nato did not know that rebel troops had begun to bring out their tanks.
He said that the UN mandate under which Nato is operating is to "protect civilians", whether from the forces of Col Gaddafi or the rebel troops themselves.
"Let me be clear, it did not say to gain the trust of either side in doing that," he said.
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Explanation call
The rebels hit in Thursday's air strike had been moving a group of tanks, armoured vehicles and rocket launchers near the front line between the towns of Ajdabiya and Brega in more than 30 transporters.
One rebel commander told the BBC he saw at least four missiles land among rebel fighters.
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Rebels said four rebels died, while local doctors told the BBC at least 13 fighters had been killed in the strike. Many more were injured.
The BBC's Wyre Davies in Ajdabiya said there was considerable anger among rebel troops about the incident. They were asking why rebel units were hit, when they could be seen clearly advancing in a westerly direction towards the front line.
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Rebel commander Gen Abdelfatah Yunis had earlier called on Nato to give a "rational and convincing explanation" about the incident.

He also said such mistakes must not be repeated and called for better co-operation in the future.
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