THINKING DEFENSE, THINKING SECURITY

By Special Correspondent
Copyright: http://www.rieas.gr/

In times of dire economic straits, thinking and talking defense and security is an unpopular subject given the economic outlays and the implied sense of risk involved. Greece is in such straits and voters are in foul mood. Hit by the world economic slump, and paying the price of years of mismanagement and corruption, Greece is on the receiving end of a huge double whammy: the cash box is empty, save the last usurious-interest foreign loan, and prospects of a genuine rebound, in the middle of an unprecedented global crunch, are extremely slim.

Nevertheless, Greece needs to, and must, think defense and security urgently. Here’s why.
On the outside:

Turkey grows more menacing by the day. Turkish warplanes fly as if Aegean skies are theirs to enjoy and keep. Turkish sea-air exercises bracket Greek islands, large and small, and simulate various pre-invasion tactics. Turkish warships make “honest” navigation “mistakes” and appear near the shores of Athens --unmolested. Turkish ground forces along the eastern frontier remain at battle strength.

The rest of the Balkans is in slow boil. Kosovar Albanians, emboldened by Kosovo’s “independence” by Caesarian section courtesy of the US, haven’t given up the dream of a “greater Albania.” FYR Macedonia, for all of Skopje’s macho-man antics in connection to the lingering name dispute with Athens, has little to celebrate over its “multicultural” synthesis comprising a strong Albanian minority permanently unhappy with the posture of the Slav majority. A splendid, little war is not entirely impossible right at Greece’s northern doorstep as it nearly happened in 2001, when irregular “Macedonian” Albanians nearly tore the Slav-dominated Skopje government to pieces.

more see: http://rieas.gr/images/RIEASEDIT.pdf