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, June 18, 2014

Mortal blow to Baghdad ..[ 4111 ]


Iraq crisis: Battle grips vital Baiji oil refinery

BBC., 18 June 2014 Last updated at 12:47 GMT

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The Iraqi army says it has driven off Islamist-led militants attacking the country's biggest oil refinery amid reports it was overrun.
An official told Reuters the militants had occupied 75% of the Baiji refinery, 210km (130 miles) north of Baghdad.
The army said 40 attackers had been killed, a claim which could not be verified independently.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has gone on television to urge Iraqis to unite against the militants.
Government forces are battling to push back ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) and its Sunni Muslim allies in Diyala and Salahuddin provinces, after the militants overran the second city, Mosul, last week.

In other developments:
  • UK Prime Minister David Cameron told Parliament in London that ISIS was also plotting terror attacks on Britain
  • India confirmed that 40 of its citizens had been kidnapped in the violence-hit Iraqi city of Mosul
  • Saudi Foreign Minister Saud bin Faisal warned that Iraq faced the risk of civil war
  • Turkey is investigating reports that 15 Turkish builders were abducted by ISIS on Tuesday; 80 Turks were kidnapped in Mosul last week
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You can watch a BBC News special on the situation in Iraq on the BBC News Channel in the UK and BBC World internationally at 16:00 BST (15:00 GMT) today and follow our online live coverage.
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Militants 'in control' The attack on the refinery started at 04:00 (01:00 GMT) from outside two of the three main entrances to the refinery, according to Reuters.
Baiji refinery (archive image)  
A view of the refinery in 2009
Baiji refinery (archive image) 
 A watchtower at the refinery (archive image)
Alleged ISIS militants in the town of Baiji (taken from a video posted on 17 June) Alleged ISIS militants in the town of Baiji in recent days
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Smoke rose from a spare-parts warehouse and some stores of oil were reportedly destroyed.
"The militants have managed to break into the refinery," the unnamed official told Reuters from inside the refinery. "Now they are in control of the production units, administration building and four watch towers. This is 75% of the refinery."
Army spokesman Qasim Ata said in news conference broadcast live on TV: "The security forces thwarted an attempt by [ISIS] to attack the Baiji refinery and 40 terrorists were killed."

Stories from inside Iraq refugee camp
The nearby town of Baiji was overrun by ISIS-led militants last week. Foreign personnel, including a small number of British nationals, were evacuated from the refinery earlier but local staff reportedly remained in place.
Baiji accounts for a little more than a quarter of the country's entire refining capacity, all of which goes toward domestic consumption for things like petrol, cooking oil and fuel for power stations, an official told AP news agency.
Hundreds of people have been killed since the start of the militant offensive last week, many of them believed to be captured soldiers publicly shot by ISIS-led firing squads.
During fighting in the city of Baquba this week, 44 prisoners were killed inside a police station in unclear circumstances.
'A setback' Government forces have renewed air strikes on militants while militants in the western province of Anbar say they have made advances, with a number of police stations near the town of Hit going over to dissident tribes.
Further north, the Iraqi government said it had recaptured the citadel in the strategic town of Tal Afar, where militants were said to have taken control on Monday..
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Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki: "We will deal with those who think that they can defeat the political process"
"I would like to say once again that what has happened in Iraq is a setback but not every setback is a defeat," Mr Maliki said on Wednesday.
"This setback has allowed Iraq to recover its national unity and Iraqis have managed to recover their feeling that they are in danger and that not a single Iraqi will benefit from this crisis."
He has long been accused of favouring the country's Shia Muslim majority.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said Tehran will not "spare any effort" to defend Shia holy shrines in Iraq against "mercenaries, murderers and terrorists".
He was speaking amid reports that the head of the elite Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Qasem Soleimani, was in Baghdad to help co-ordinate the fight against the militants.
A Kurdish fighter monitors a road in Diyala province, Iraq, 14 June Kurdish fighters are resisting the militants in the north
Iraqi women pass a car destroyed in a bombing in Baghdad, 18 June Baghdad has been hit by new car bomb attacks since the Sunni offensive started
Iraqis at a food distribution at Khazir refugee camp outside of Irbil, 217 miles (350km) north of Baghdad  
The government has insisted that food supplies are not in danger and that ISIS will not be able to take Baghdad
Young Iraqis board a lorry at a recruiting centre in Baghdad, 14 June Young Iraqis have been volunteering to serve in the battle with the militants
Volunteers train at military base in the Shia holy city of Najaf, 100 miles (160km) south of Baghdad, 17 June 2014 Correspondents have warned that Iraq could be on the brink of outright sectarian war between Sunnis and Shias (seen marching here)

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ISIS in Iraq
ISIS supporters demonstrate in front of the provincial government headquarters in Mosul, 360km (225 miles) north-west of Baghdad 
 The rebels now control the northern cities of Mosul and Tikrit
ISIS grew out of an al-Qaeda-linked organisation in Iraq
  • Estimated 10,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria
  • Joined in its offensives by other Sunni militant groups, including Saddam-era officers and soldiers, and disaffected Sunni tribal fighters
  • Exploits standoff between Iraqi government and the minority Sunni Arab community, which complains that Shia Prime Minister Nouri Maliki is monopolising power
  • ISIS led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, obscure figure regarded as a battlefield commander and tactician
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