Greek police banned the meeting of Greek Army Special Forces Reservists scheduled for tomorrow Saturday, September 28th 2013 outside the Parliament.
The union of Greek army reservists of Special Forces (KEED) issued a statement on Wednesday calling citizens to join the army against the Greek government.
KEED was urging the Greek administration to step down and make way for a national unity government. The statement, posted on the union’s website on Wednesday, triggered an emergency meeting at the Supreme Court on Wednesday evening and a prosecutor’s investigation on Thursday morning.
The KEED statement said that the coalition government must resign after failing to live up with a constitutional pledge to provide work, health, education, justice and security for all citizens.
The statement included 15 demands like the resignation of Greek President Karolos Papoulias, and it urged people to join hands with the army in a open gathering to take place upcoming Saturday, September 28th 2013 at Syntagma Square outside the Greek Parliament.
KEED is one of the Greek Army Reservists unions, and consists mainly of members of Mountain Command Battalion on the Land Forces.
Reservists and Fyssas’ Murderer
In the statement issued later to respond to criticism “it was calling for a coup d’ etat” KEED said it was merely submitting proposals.
KEED also dismissed it had links to extreme-right Golden Dawn.
Daily TA NEA claimed on Friday that Giorgos Roupakias, a Golden Dawn member, had received a phone call by a reservist of the Greek Armed Forces before he set out to stab to death leftist rapper Pavlos Fyssas on September 17th.
However it is not confirmed whether the caller was a retired or active reservists or not reservist at all.
KEED declared it had taken part in quite a number of anti-austerity protests.
Golden Dawn and Greek Armed Forces
Other unions of active reservists distanced themselves from KEED. Also members of the Greek Armed Forces downplayed “the call to coup d’ etat” as “ridiculous”.
However, the infiltration of Golden Dawn not only to Greek Police but also to Greek Armed forces seems to be a fact.
Speaking to daily Kathimerini, an anonymous source from the high ranks of the Greek Air Force emphasized the impact of the Golden Dawn is big at all levels of the Armed Forces. “There has always been a trend, that it has been de-criminalized today as the same ideas are being heard in the Parliament. Therefore, slogan like “We’ll take the Polis*” [Konstantinople/Istanbul] are been heard openly. Increased is also the anti-left trend.”
Golden Dawn MPs do not miss a chance inside the Parliament to downgrade the institution and the democratic procedures, to swear at colleagues MPs from other parties, whether from the right or the left front.
Investigation in the Greek Armed Forces
Meanwhile, the internal investigation in the Special Forces of the Greek Armed Forces to identify whether active members of the Special Forces had links to illegal activities of Golden Dawn were turned negative.
However if one takes a close look in the wording, the investigation was examining whether active members of the Special Forces were involved in illegal activities of Golden Dawn, that is, whether the SF were giving military training to GD members.
Defense-issues website Onalert.gr reported citing the investigation findings as they were submitted to the Greek Chief of Stab:
“There is no strong evidence, proving with certainty the involvement of active members of the Special Forces in illegal activities of the Golden Dawn.
“Education of citizens in military exercises or using military weapons, constitutes an illegal act.
However, the participation of any individual member has not completely ruled out. Therefore, some investigations – very few cases – are continuing. In case, there is incriminating evidence, the case will be dealt rigorously by the military leadership.
It is to be clarified that the investigations of the military authorities do not refer to former retired, former officers of the Special Forces because with such case it is the Justice that is dealing with.” (onalert.gr)
The investigation was ordered last Sunday by Defense Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos.
Note: earlier KTG reported on the findings a little superficial citing a private television channel that had said there was ‘no evidence of involment’. apologies…
* the dream of every Greek ultra-nationalist: to claim back Konstantinoupoli (Istanbul) from the Turkish state. In fact not just claim the city of 15 million population but to annex it to Greece.
