-Caveat Lector-
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-----
New World Disorder
Clinton Is Afraid of Greece
The mad bomber of Yugoslavia discovers the Greeks don't like no freaks.
WASHINGTON - Security concerns and the prospect of violent protests led
President Bill Clinton on Wednesday to delay and shorten a scheduled trip to
Greece.
The White House said that at the recommendation of the Greek government, Mr.
Clinton, instead of traveling to Greece this weekend for a two-night stay,
would go there Nov. 19-20 for a visit of about 24 hours.
Mr. Clinton is highly unpopular in Greece, a NATO member whose public was
outraged at NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia. Many have also long resented
perceived U.S. support for the 1967-1974 military junta in Greece and for
doing nothing to stop Turkey from invading and dividing Cyprus in 1974.
A series of violent incidents and plans for mass protests have prompted an
increase in security in Athens, ahead of Mr. Clinton's visit. Earlier on
Wednesday, four makeshift gas canister bombs exploded outside a car
dealership in central Athens in what appeared to be another protest against
the Clinton visit.
Greek leftists had planned large demonstrations against Mr. Clinton, and
several guerrilla groups have set off bombs in Athens over the last week.
Joe Lockhart, the White House press secretary, said: ''We have agreed,
following the recommendation by the Greek government, that the president will
visit Greece Nov. 19 and 20. The Greek government made its recommendation in
the interest of U.S.-Greek relations. We will use the additional time to work
with the Greek government on the best possible schedule for the president's
visit and to complete substantive preparations.''
The State Department spokesman, James Rubin, said the step was taken after
''the security issue was fully discussed by the Secret Service and the Greek
government.'' Mr. Rubin said American officials were cooperating with the
Greek authorities in looking for ways to counter terrorism. But he added:
''Obviously, we are not satisfied. We think more needs to be done.''
The head of the State Department's counterterrorism office, Michael Sheehan,
traveled to Athens recently for discussions on security concerns.
Mr. Clinton had been scheduled to depart Friday for a Saturday-to-Monday
visit to Greece. Now, he will leave Sunday for Ankara and proceed with his
visit to Turkey. He will also visit Italy and Bulgaria before returning to
Washington Nov. 23.
In Athens, Greek leftists hailed the change in Mr. Clinton's trip to a
country where he is known colloquially in Greek as Planitarchis, or Lord of
the Planet.
''Imperialism is not invincible,'' the Greek Communist Party, which has
engineered protests against the visit, said in a statement. ''People can win
if they want to.''
Mr. Clinton's visit comes around the Nov. 17 anniversary of the Polytechnic
uprising against the junta, which culminates every year with a march at the
U.S. Embassy.
''Without going into detail on security,'' Mr. Lockhart said, ''we always
take security concerns into account. I think there's a full and rich
tradition of protests in Greece, particularly this time of year. I think the
Greek government believed that we would have a more productive visit if it
was later in the trip, and we agreed.''
Mr. Clinton, in an appearance at the White House, said that he was not
concerned about security and that it was fine with him if Greeks disagreed
with his Kosovo policy.
He said the Greek government felt that the U.S.-Greek meetings might be more
relevant if they occurred after next week's gathering in Turkey of leaders of
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
''They asked to do it,'' Mr. Clinton said. ''Whether the demonstrations had
anything to do with it, I don't know, but they might have. But I'm not
bothered about it. It's going to happen, and you all get to take pictures of
it.''
White House officials said the decision to change the trip was made only
because of the Greek government's inability to guarantee security this
weekend.
''They were concerned that if we came this weekend and they had all these prot
ests planned, they would be unable to contain the situation appropriately,''
one White House official said. ''They felt that if we waited, the heat of the
moment would have passed and they would be better prepared. And so we
scrambled and were able to accommodate the request.''
The official said that although Mr. Clinton had traveled to hot spots before,
''the difference here is we rely on the host government to provide
security.''
The official added: ''If the host government advises us that they are not
fully confident that they can deal with the problem, we have to heed their
advice.''
The State Department has advised Americans to ''exercise appropriate
caution'' in Greece and keep clear of demonstrations during the president's
visit.
''The two governments believe that the extra time before the trip will be
used productively to secure as much as possible better planning for Mr.
Clinton's visit,'' the Greek government said.
Mr. Clinton plans to spend five days in Turkey for political talks and the OSC
E meeting.
International Herald Tribune, November 11, 1999
New World Disorder
French Seek to Dismantle NATO
Another legacy of Clinton's Yugoslavian bombing.
THE shadow defence secretary has told a Congressional committee that the
European Union, and France in particular, is progressively breaking up Nato
with the acquiescence of Tony Blair's Government.
Iain Duncan Smith said yesterday that Britain's "U-turn" on the European
Strategic Defence Initiative had been a decisive moment and would undermine
the security of America and Europe in the face of growing threats from
terrorism and nuclear-armed rogue states. Mr Duncan Smith was speaking at the
invitation of the House of Representatives' committee on international
relations.
A spokesman for the committee said it was "highly unusual" for a member of an
opposition party to be invited to speak.
Washington is becoming increasingly alarmed at the prospect of ESDI, which
would see a military alliance under EU control. There have also been a number
of public statements by senior administration and military figures
criticising French attitudes to defence and foreign policy.
Mr Duncan Smith told the committee: "At a time when Nato should reinvigorate
and reaffirm its role as the world's premier defensive alliance, European
nations have embarked on a course which we consider will damage critically
and even potentially destroy it. The EU's plans for a common defence are
placing an artificial divide in the alliance and will result in one part of
Nato's membership moving beyond the alliance."
He placed the blame for the initiative on Paris, saying: "I believe France
has never felt comfortable with the Nato alliance and has for a long time
wished for the construction of a common European defence as a top priority."
Mr Duncan Smith said: "For political rather than military reasons we are
seeing the EU in the process of dividing the most effective defensive
military alliance the world has ever seen."
Both Democratic and Republican members of the committee were clearly
concerned by his testimony, asking questions that extended his appearance to a
lmost double the expected hour-long session.
Mr Duncan Smith pinpointed as a turning point the signing by Mr Blair of the
St Malo defence agreement between Britain and France last December and the
following June's EU meeting in Cologne. It was there that London formally
revoked what Mr Duncan Smith called its "traditional hostility to creating an
independent and autonomous European defence structure".
He said: "The USA and the UK need to reassert Nato's role and pre-eminence
now or it may be too late when it is needed next. Unless the nations of
Europe are prepared to spend more and spend wisely, then all talk about Nato
and European defence collapses into meaningless gestures which pander to
anti-Americanism."
A White House source said that the National Security Council, which advises
the President on foreign affairs, was "deeply concerned" by the increasing
trend for a separate military alliance within Nato because it could end up
duplicating and then replacing Nato.
Senior figures at the Pentagon, including Gen Hugh Shelton, chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, have expressed concern at the way in which the Kosovo
conflict showed up a huge gap in capability between American and European
forces.
Mr Duncan Smith told the committee that this gap was reflected in statistics
on defence spending which showed a "pitiful" investment by Germany in
particular in research and development. He said: "The German attitude seems
to be not to spend more money on defence unless someone else does it for
them."
"It is possible that European nations see European defence integration as a
vehicle for masking further cuts in defence spending."
Last month USAF Lt Gen Michael Short, commander of allied air forces in the
Kosovo campaign, said France had consistently obstructed the process of
choosing targets for his bombers.
The London Telegraph, November 11, 1999
-----
Aloha, He'Ping,
Om, Shalom, Salaam.
Em Hotep, Peace Be,
Omnia Bona Bonis,
All My Relations.
Adieu, Adios, Aloha.
Amen.
Roads End
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