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, August 15, 2012

Violence disrupts France..[ 2896 ]

Violence disrupts France’s summer doldrums

(Georges Charrieres/ AP ) - The shell of a burnt out car is seen Tuesday in a ighborhood of Amiens, France. Dozens of young men rioted in a troubled district in no


PARIS — As a rash of violence intrudes on France’s summer holiday torpor, President Francois Hollande paid tribute to French police Tuesday and vowed to increase funding to put more officers in troubled suburban neighborhoods.

Hollande’s promise, coming on the 100th day of his presidency, recalled a list of similar pledges from his predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy, a conservative who had made a crackdown on crime a hallmark of his time in office, first as interior minister and later as president.

Months of tension between police and young people in a troubled district of northern France exploded on Tuesday, with dozens of youths facing off against riot officers in a night of violence.
Months of tension between police and young people in a troubled district of northern France exploded on Tuesday, with dozens of youths facing off against riot officers in a night of violence.

Both leaders’ promises reflected a particular determination to halt violent crime on the suburban edges of large French cities, where unemployment and poverty among immigrants and their children contribute to drug dealing, thefts and murders that police often seem unable to control. A flare-up of rioting, armed robberies and attacks on police have captured headlines this summer, a season when many French families are at the beach for what is supposed to be a tranquil respite.
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Hollande, a Socialist who frequently criticized Sarkozy’s crime-fighting zeal when he was in the opposition, adopted a no-tolerance tone Tuesday reminiscent of Sarkozy’s. But he suggested that his government would do a better job of carrying out its pledges.
“There is violence, there is delinquency, there is criminality, and it must be prevented and dissuaded,” he declared, denouncing gaps in the justice system that allow repeat offenders to strike again. “We have an obligation to take steps that, beyond the words and beyond the laws, create a follow-up system that works to prevent such crimes.”
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Hollande spoke at a police headquarters in Pierrefeu-du-Var, a town in southern France near the government-owned seaside fortress where he is vacationing. He visited the facility briefly to honor the memory of two policewomen who were killed in June by a repeat offender, seizing the opportunity to denounce, as well, a recent attack on two policemen in Aix-en-Provence.
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As he spoke, officials were estimating the damage from an overnight riot in Amiens, about 72 miles north of Paris, during which dozens of youths, some of them hooded and carrying shotguns, battled police and set fire to public buildings and parked cars. Local officials said 16 riot police officers were injured, some by buckshot and others by gasoline bombs.
The violence began Sunday evening after a resident of a northern Amiens neighborhood was stopped for a traffic violation. Bystanders said he was manhandled by police and that a crowd quickly gathered. Monday night’s violence exploded when a squad of police entered the area to reimpose order, according to Mayor Gilles Demailly.
“It’s a neighborhood where a lot of people are in trouble,” Demailly told television interviewers.
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Sarkozy’s coalition, the Union for a Popular Movement, quickly seized on the violence in Amiens as proof of what it suggested was Hollande’s lax attitude toward crime.
“If it is confirmed that civil servants assigned to enforce the law were fired on with buckshot by thugs, that is totally unacceptable,” said Thierry Mariani, a security specialist with the party. “It is obvious that I expect a firm response from the government.”
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The far-right National Front party also issued a statement calling on Hollande to guarantee that “France makes itself respected” in the suburbs.
The Amiens riot, although the largest, was not the only such uprising in recent days. Similar violence broke out over the weekend in a poor neighborhood of Toulouse, in southwestern France. Marseille, to the east, has been the scene of a months-long gang war between rival drug distribution networks, leading to a number of unsolved murders.
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In addition, the Alpine city of Grenoble was shaken last week by a violent holdup in which a jewelry store owner was wounded and a young woman was taken hostage. Hollande visited the victims and, as he did Tuesday, pledged more resources for police.
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