From: Rick Rozoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Greece Urges Balkans Troops Cut HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------- "Among the 19 North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies, Greece was the only one to object vigorously to the US-led bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999...." Greece Urges Less Troops in Balkans By BARRY SCHWEID AP Diplomatic Writer January 11, 2002, 12:40 PM EST WASHINGTON -- Prime Minister Coastas Simitis of Greece said Friday he had suggested to President Bush that the U.S. peacekeeping force in the Balkans be reduced to a token level. Simitis, winding up a friendly visit, said he advised Bush not to pull out completely but to leave a few U.S. soldiers there as a political message of American commitment. "Use the Europeans," was the advice he offered Bush at the White House Thursday, Simitis said. There are about 8,800 U.S. troops on peacekeeping duty in Kosovo, Bosnia and Macedonia. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld proposed at a NATO meeting last month in Brussels, Belgium, that the alliance cut its force of 10,000 in Bosnia-Herzegovina by up to one-third. Over breakfast at Blair House, the presidential guest house across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House, Simitis said, "The Europeans now should be able to police the situation." Among the 19 North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies, Greece was the only one to object vigorously to the U.S.-led bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 that forced withdrawal of Serbian troops from Kosovo. Greece did not try to veto the use of force, though, and has supported peacekeeping operations in the Balkans as well as the U.S.-led fight against the Taliban militia and the al-Qaida terrorism network in Afghanistan. Simitis said Greece would offer $1 million at a donors' conference later in the month in Tokyo toward the reconstruction of Afghanistan. Brightened U.S.-Greek relations were on full display at the White House Thursday as Bush thanked Simitis for being a friend in the fight against terrorism. Before news cameras in the Oval Office, Bush also credited Simitis for easing longtime tensions with rival Turkey. And the two leaders shared a laugh when Simitis presented Bush with a sweat shirt for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. "You can come and run in it," Simitis offered. On Friday, Simitis told reporters Greece was spending $600 million in security and other preparations. "We are working hard; there will be no problem," he said. Terrorism was at the top of the agenda in his meetings with Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Secretary of State Colin Powell, the prime minister said. At home, Simitis said, investigators were following new leads in the unsolved murder of British Defense Attache Stephen Saunders in Athens in June 2000. The revolutionary organization 17 November is suspected in the slaying and in other terrorist attacks. Simitis said the group has no more than 20 to 30 members, is concentrated in an area of Athens and has no links elsewhere in Greece. While there is some anti-American sentiment in the country, "we don't think they will attack the Olympic games," he said. "But we will have to take care," Simitis said. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send FREE video emails in Yahoo! Mail! http://promo.yahoo.com/videomail/ _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
