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.........

Monday, January 14, 2013

French planes bombed the capital in Mali ...[ 3035 ]


French planes strike targets in northern Mali

Several African countries also sending troops to battle jihadist rebel force

The Associated Press

Posted: Jan 13, 2013 12:49 PM ET // Last Updated: Jan 13, 2013 2:12 PM ET

French soldiers of the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment board a plane to Bamako, the capital from Mali, at the N'Djamena's airport, in Chad on Jan. 11 French soldiers of the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment board a plane to Bamako, the capital from Mali, at the N'Djamena's airport, in Chad on Jan. 11
French planes bombed the provincial capital of Gao in northern Mali on Sunday, hitting the airport, a building which served as the headquarters of the Islamic police and a militant base, residents say.
Abderahmane Dicko, a teacher, said that he heard the planes in the sky on Sunday at midday. He says the bombs were dropped on specific locations in the city known to be occupied by the al-Qaeda-linked rebels controlling the town.
The bombardment was confirmed by two other residents.
French President Francois Hollande authorized airstrikes over Mali on Friday, after the Islamists controlling the north pushed even farther south, taking the town of Konna last Thursday.
Niger, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Nigeria agreed on Saturday to send soldiers. State television announced that the African troops, including as many as 500 each from Burkina Faso and Niger, were expected to begin arriving on Sunday.

Contingent arrives in capital

The African soldiers will work alongside French special forces, including a contingent that arrived Saturday in the capital Bamako in order to secure the capital against retaliatory attacks by the al-Qaeda-linked rebel groups occupying Mali's northern half.
Hundreds of Malians on Sunday also left the town of Lere for neighboring Mauritania, about 70 kilometers away, to escape the violence.
French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Sunday that France now has more than 400 troops in Bamako, mainly to ensure the safety of French citizens and also to send a signal to the extremists.
"We will strengthen our operation depending on the situation," he said on a political talk show. Le Drian said that Rafale fighter jets will be part of the operation and that technical support will be arriving in the hours ahead. A senior British official suggested Sunday that UK personnel could also play a role in training the Malian army.
Africa minister Mark Simmonds told Sky News television that "we may well, through a European Union mechanism, provide training and support for the Malian army to give them strength to bring back the integrity of the Malian country in totality.

'Absolutely essential' to help, British official says

"It's absolutely essential, as part of our obligations as a permanent member of the Security Council that we provide assistance when we are requested," he said.
The French military operation began Friday, after the fall of the town of Konna on Thursday to the al-Qaida-linked groups. Konna is only 50 kilometers north of the government's line of control, which begins at the town of Mopti, home to the largest concentration of Malian troops in the country.
'People were trying to flee to find refuge. Some drowned.'—Sory Diakite, mayor of Konna, Mali
The human toll has not yet been calculated, but a communique read on state television late Saturday said that at least 11 Malians were killed in Konna.
Sory Diakite, the mayor of Konna, says the dead included children who drowned after they threw themselves into a river in an effort to escape the bombardments.
"Others were killed inside their courtyards, or outside their homes. People were trying to flee to find refuge. Some drowned in the river," said the mayor, who fled the town with his family and is now in Bamako.
As Mali and the international community took time to prepare for intervention in the north, the rebels affiliated with al-Qaida were able to dig into the terrain, and prepare for war.
The rebels occupied Mali's northern half, an area larger than Afghanistan, in the chaos following a coup in Mali's capital last March
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