American intervention in Greece

[Punchy]

1967: Greece
A CIA-backed military coup overthrows the government two days before the elections. The favorite to win was George Papandreous, the liberal candidate. During the next six years, the "reign of the colonels" - backed by the CIA - will usher in the widespread use of torture and murder against political opponents. When a Greek ambassador objects to President Johnson about U.S. plans for Cyprus, Johnson tells him: "[wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth] your parliament and your constitution."
http://www.serendipity.li/cia/cia_time.htm


When the American government messes with the Orthodox world, perhaps it's time to get upset.

[BabyLutheran]

yea, let's get upset over stuff from 40 years ago

[Punchy]

Consider, then, American intervention in Yugoslavia.

[Khaleas]

Sounds like a 'totally' fair and balanced website too... Ehem... Situation in Greece at that time was rather different than what it is now too if you've read your history one bit.

Yea, the American intervention started after the French intervention in the area went awry. People seem to forget that. They also tend to forget the fact that first there is a outcry why the US can't step in and do something, then when they do, there is an outcry about why they did it. At the same time the 'outcriers' can keep their hands clean and go off supporting the next rouge government.

[Punchy]

How was the democracy of Greece a rogue government?

[Khaleas]

How was the democracy of Greece a rogue government?
I wasn't referring to Greece. I was to the situation in Yugoslavia, Iran, pick one...

[Punchy]

Johnson supported the coup because he wanted controll over the island of Cyprus. It's not like he had the best interest of Greek people at heart. As a Greek-American, I am offended. It's not like I support any radical leftist group.

[Greg the byzantine]

Johnson supported the coup because he wanted controll over the island of Cyprus. It's not like he had the best interest of Greek people at heart. As a Greek-American, I am offended. It's not like I support any radical leftist group.

It's funny my Father was actually speaking of these events in History not too long ago.

This military Junta which took over Greece, pushed hard for "Enosis" or union with Cyprus (Which was independant from Greece at the time, and still is). This effectively caused two factions to develop in Cyprus, those who supported the Junta (EOKA II), and those who were loyal to the President and Archbishop Makarios. They tried to assasinate Makarios, but he escaped. There was civil unrest in Cyprus, so Turkey decided that it needed to protect the Turkish Cypriot minority on the island (Oh brother :insert roll eye smilie here: )

Turkey comes in with its tanks, planes, and superior army, effectively taking over the northern part of the island. My Father who was a soldier is captured as a prisoner of war, and is flown to Ankara where he stays for four months. He is saved in a prisoner exchange between the two countries when a Turkish Cypriot who was there translating for the Turks, asks for my Father's village and his Father's name. Recognizing my grandfather's name he tells my father to join a specific line where he is then ushered back to Cyprus. Thousands of unlucky Greek Cypriots were sent on other lines never to be seen or heard from ever again. Thousands upon thousands of Greek Cypriots become refugees, loosing their homes, belongings, precious groves of olive, orange, lemon, Carob, their farms and their goats and sheep.

Meanwhile the Turkish occupied north brought settlers from Turkey to populate the North, removing all signs of Greek Culture. Renaming the towns, destroying and desecrating hundreds of churches which were undisturbed for centuries, removing and destroying the crosses and gravestones from the cemetaries, selling precious mosaics and icons on the black market, and continuing an illegal occupation which continues to this day.


Now before anybody thinks I am all anti-American, my Father places a lot of blame on the Cypriot government. He believes that if Cyprus had given America a military base on the Island, like the British had, they would have prevented anything from happening in Cyprus. Cyprus could have easily prevented these problems, if Archbishop Makarios had given them a military base.



.....edited in. Of course there is nothing we can do about it know. Things have happened. People move on. Heck, Look we live in the US. We have settled in and established ourselves. We have jobs, homes, friends, new lives. We don't forget the past, but we don't dwell on it either, instead we look to the future.

[EricTheRed]

Yugoslavia..yea we messed up and we should show this buy shutting down plans to give kosovo independence but this is just to far back for me to be shocked. Besides if it were up to me Greece would be under a Orthodox monarch.

[Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta]

yea, let's get upset over stuff from 40 years ago
I'd like to ditto this 1000 times. Of all the things to be upset over right now.....:sigh::doh:

Personally, during times of national tragedy (like right now, with the VA Tech massacre), I wish the anti-American political rhetoric would cease for a little bit. But that's just me....

[EricTheRed]

Nah...we Americans just get what we deserve. Our evil imperial government trying to boss the world around.

[Khaleas]

I have to add one more thing. I come from a country who was occupied by the Soviets (parts of fell in the hands of the USSR) and it would be really easy to be hateful against Russians (and some people are) but I try to think of it that it was not Orthodox people who attacked out country, but godless Soviets (although gravefinds and many, many other things point to that these soldiers were indeed still Orthodox although they were to be faithless). Our family farm is in an area that was rented to the Soviets for 50 years (they returned it early) and just a few weeks ago my brother found a beltbuckle with cyrillic alphabet on it. I took it with me and it says the Jesus prayer engraved on it on the backside of his military uniform belt buckle.
I realize parts of this part of the Greek history is still ongoing but there are parts that are already far back in history and situation doesn't get any better if both sides are offended and can't move forward. It's possible although we'll never get back the areas of Finland that is now on Russian soil, Monastery of Valaam, Konevets and many, many more along with many, many, many churches and so many lives.
*checking out of this thread*

[kamikat]

TAW is an Orthodox safe haven. Non-Orthodox members are not allowed to post topics just to stir up emotions or hard feelings.