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.........

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Mexico, Deadly car bomb...[ 1482 ]

Mexico blames drug cartel for deadly car bomb


Federal policemen and explosive experts work at the site of a car bomb attack in Ciudad Juarez July 16, 2010. A Mexican drug cartel was responsible for a cell phone-detonated car bomb that killed four people in a city on the U.S. border, state security forces said on Friday. In the first attack of its kind during Mexico's drug war, the explosion tore through a major intersection in Ciudad Juarez across the border from El Paso, Texas, late on Thursday.Credit: Reuters/Alejandro Bringas-
 
CIUDAD JUAREZ | Sat Jul 17, 2010 12:27am EDT
CIUDAD JUAREZ Mexico (Reuters) - A Mexican drug cartel is responsible for a cell phone-detonated car bomb that killed four people in a city on the U.S. border, state security forces said on Friday.
In the first attack of its kind in Mexico's drug war, the explosion tore through a major intersection in Ciudad Juarez across the border from El Paso, Texas, late on Thursday, damaging nearby buildings and sending flames into the air.

Federal police blamed La Linea, the armed wing of the powerful Juarez cartel, for the attack and Mexico's Security Ministry said it was retaliation for the arrest this week of a Juarez cartel member.

"There were 10 kilos (22 pounds) of explosives, activated from a distance by a cell phone," said Enrique Torres, an army spokesman in Ciudad Juarez, a manufacturing center that has become one of the world's deadliest cities over the past 2 1/2 years.

TV images showed the wreck of a car with just one front wheel intact and two federal police vehicles charred and on fire after the blast in the city's downtown area.
The army said C4 plastic explosive was used in the attack, which killed a policeman, a doctor, a rescue worker and an unidentified man.

Ciudad Juarez Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz said drug gangs set up an elaborate trap in which a wounded man dressed as a city police officer was dumped on the street as bait. The assailants then called emergency services to lure federal police to the scene and detonated the bomb as they arrived, the mayor told a news conference.

President Felipe Calderon is battling surging violence across Mexico after launching his military-backed crackdown on drug gangs in December 2006. More than 26,000 people have been killed.
The violence is worrying Washington and some investors in the oil-producing country with an emerging economy once known for its political stability next door to the United States.

Twelve people, including two civilians, died in shootouts between the army and drug gangs in Nuevo Laredo across from Texas on Friday, underscoring the challenges facing Mexico's new interior minister, Jose Francisco Blake, appointed by Calderon this week.

No comments: