Bush and the Greeks
Friday, Bush will be participating in a Greek Independence Day celebration in DC.
Which is great and all, except that on every foreign policy issue of concern, Bush is fucking over the Greeks because he wants to make nice with Turkey so he can have help with Rummie's Project for a New American Century plot to create Syriana.
Check this analysis of Bush's record on issues affecting Greece, from Gene Rossides, President of the American Hellenic Institute:
In the White House proclamation about Greek Independence Day, Bush declared, "Greece is the birthplace of democratic principles."
So here, again, Bush's talk about "democratic principles" doesn't match his walk, or his "swagger" or his "incompetent bumbling" or whatever we want to call it.
Here's Amnesty International on Cyprus:
So thanks, George, for recognizing Greek Independence Day. Now can we trade that proclamation in for some human rights?
Which is great and all, except that on every foreign policy issue of concern, Bush is fucking over the Greeks because he wants to make nice with Turkey so he can have help with Rummie's Project for a New American Century plot to create Syriana.
Check this analysis of Bush's record on issues affecting Greece, from Gene Rossides, President of the American Hellenic Institute:
[Q]uestions are being raised as to what his legacy will be as the 43rd President. Bush has three years remaining in his second term to turn things around in Iraq and to strengthen his democracy initiative in order to build a record for his legacy.
The thesis of this article is that unless President Bush alters his administration’s policy on Turkey and Cyprus, his democracy initiative will fail. The administration’s undemocratic position on the Cyprus problem and its double standard on the application of the rule of law to Turkey, the appeasement of Turkey and its failure to press for democratic reforms, make a mockery of Bush’s democracy initiative.
Historians and serious students of history will not overlook the glaring inconsistency in
Bush’s rhetoric and his policy and actions regarding Turkey and Cyprus regardless of what happens in Iraq.
[...]
Bush should also call on Turkey as part of his democracy initiative to remove promptly (1) the 35,000-40,000 illegal Turkish invasion and occupation troops from Cyprus, (2) the 120,000 illegal Turkish settlers and colonists brought from Turkey to Cyprus in violation of the Geneva Convention of 1949 and (3) to tear down the infamousTurkish barbed wire Green Line fence across the face of Cyprus.
Bush should also hold Turkey responsible for its invasion of Cyprus and its murders, rapes, the forcing 180,000 Greek Cypriots from their homes and property, destruction of churches and property and widespread looting.
To put meaning into his democracy initiative Bush also needs to address Turkey’s lack of full democracy. Freedom House in its annual survey calls Turkey only a partial democracy.
When is Bush going to publicly call for full human and political rights for Turkey’s 20% Kurdish minority?
When is Bush going to condemn the Turkish military’s brutal attacks on its Kurdish citizens?
[...]
Ataturk led the genocide against the Pontian Greeks in which 350,000 were killed and the burning of Smyrna. In 1955, the Turkish government under Prime Minister Menderes organized the infamous pogrom against the 100,000 Greeks of Istanbul and the Greek Orthodox Churches detailed by Professor Speros Vryonis, Jr. in his monumental book The Mechanism of Catastrophe: The Turkish Pogrom of September 6-7, 1955, and the Destruction of the Greek Community of Istanbul, published this year.
Turkey continues to this day its actions, some subtle, must overt, against the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Ecumenical Patriarch, the first among equals of the Eastern Orthodox Christian religion. In 1971, Turkey illegally closed the Halki Patriarchal School of Theology. For the past several years, Turkey has been illegally taking church property.
The Bush administration has been all talk and no action regarding religious freedom in Turkey. If Bush wants to put meaning into his democracy initiative he should act vigorously regarding Turkey’s violations of religious freedom which U.S. law requires him to do. Specifically, the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) was enacted into law in 1998 following a unanimous vote by Congress. IRFA provides for up to 15 actions which the President could take against Turkey.
In the White House proclamation about Greek Independence Day, Bush declared, "Greece is the birthplace of democratic principles."
So here, again, Bush's talk about "democratic principles" doesn't match his walk, or his "swagger" or his "incompetent bumbling" or whatever we want to call it.
Here's Amnesty International on Cyprus:
A Greek Cypriot civilian was beaten to death while a Turkish Cypriot police officer failed to intervene. Two unarmed Greek Cypriot civilians were shot dead by Turkish Cypriot soldiers. A journalist was shot dead in an alleged politically motivated killing in the Turkish Cypriot-administered part of the island.
So thanks, George, for recognizing Greek Independence Day. Now can we trade that proclamation in for some human rights?
posted by bda at 3:20 PM
3 Comments:
Gota love those dog and pony shows at the white house.
The major Greek American organizations are dead as Elvis. I am on the hill and and through the 90's I used to get a couple of fact sheets from AHEPA every month. They had conferences down here and were tough. They have dissappeared completly since Bush took office. One gets some incredibly sycophantist release once a year from them. Other ethnic lobbies have balls.
Rossides is with another group -- AHIPAC. He is a republican and is a bit of a scrapper but ultimately pulls his punches when it counts.
The idea that what the Greek American lobby gets -- and is happy with -- is a photo-op once a year sickens me.
Of course they never appreciated Clinton. Clinton gave Greece a fair amount of time with the US on its side on the Macedonia issue, which the government of Greece squandered, when it could have used the leverage to get a compromise. Clinton also worried the bejezus out of the Ankara.
The Bush's main interaction with Atehns is actually less well known and not mentioned by Rossidis -- the White house put the screws to Athens big time over the Olympics and had every government official they controled spinning chicken little over the Olympics. Forced Athens to spend like drunken sailors on security - which went to US firms with heavy GOP connections. The Greek lobby was silent as Athens was strong armed.
Went to the big AHEPA event in DC two weeks ago. I've seen bigger Greek weddings. there were three members of congess there in total -- and only because they were being honored. And they were Greek members so they had to go. Sarbanes was there only because his kid is running.
The first AHEPA Washington gig I went to in 96 had over 2,000 people. this one had 600 tops.
the Greek juice in Washington is dead.
Cool blog, interesting information... Keep it UP order tenuate with check pornstars How to safely stop taking paxil official oldsmobile website Longterm side effects from lexapro Ritalin lib Cum on big tits laser eye surgery hotel mayaguez hilton vitamin wholesale distributor new neurontin list of yamaha golf carts Iu of vitamin a pregnant women Ferrari 500 f2 pullup slick warmup jogging pants
Looking for information and found it at this great site... » » »
Post a Comment
<< Home