Greeks rush to withdraw cash as government admits it can’t make IMF payment

Greeks rush to withdraw cash as government admits it can’t make IMF payment

Special to WorldTribune.com An unprecedented frenzy of bank withdrawals followed the collapse of talks between Greece’s government and its eurozone lenders as officials confirmed the country can’t make a 1.6 billion Euro payment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) due by June 30 without a re-worked deal. Greece’s top negotiator, Euclid Tsakalotos, told Reuters the […]

Greece angers NATO with bid to buy Russian missiles it cannot afford

Greece angers NATO with bid to buy Russian missiles it cannot afford

Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com In a clear stab at the NATO and EU, the Socialist government in Athens is actively negotiating with Russia to purchase Moscow’s S-300 anti-missile system and its service package. Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos confirmed the news on April 15 in the wake of a visit to Moscow […]

As Europe faces mounting threats, Turkey questions NATO role

As Europe faces mounting threats, Turkey questions NATO role

Special to WorldTribune.com ANKARA — Turkey’s future role in NATO in increasingly uncertain. Officials said Turkey, with the second largest army, would not respond to a NATO decision to double its rapid-response force and form a new unit, Middle East Newsline reported. They said Ankara would seek clarifications over the use of the new NATO […]

Greece lurches left, but warming ties with Israel may not be affected

Greece lurches left, but warming ties with Israel may not be affected

Special to WorldTribune.com By Gregory R. Copley, Editor, GIS/Defense & Foreign Affairs The election in Greece on Jan. 25, of a radical-left Syriza (an acronym for the Coalition of the Radical Left: Synaspismós Rizospastikís Aristerás) government in Greece will have significant ramifications not only for European Union (EU) and eurozone stability, but will also figure […]

Greece replaces Turkey in annual naval exercises with Israel, U.S.

Greece replaces Turkey in annual naval exercises with Israel, U.S.

Special to WorldTribune.com ATHENS — Greece has hosted a regional naval exercise. On March 25, Greece has hosted Noble Dina 2014 in cooperation with Israel and the United States. The two-week naval exercise, headquartered in the Greek island of Crete, was taking place in the eastern Mediterranean. This marked the third edition of Noble Dina, […]

Greece intercepts ship with 20,000 assault rifles believed headed for Syrian rebels

Greece intercepts ship with 20,000 assault rifles believed headed for Syrian rebels

Special to WorldTribune.com ATHENS — Greece has intercepted a weapons ship believed destined to Sunni rebels in Syria. Officials said Hellenic Coast Guard captured a ship with more than 20,000 assault rifles as well as ammunition and explosives. They said the weapons shipment came from Ukraine and was heading for the Turkish port of Iskenderun. […]

Israel tests long-range air refueling in exercise tied to Iran strike

Israel tests long-range air refueling in exercise tied to Iran strike

Special to WorldTribune.com TEL AVIV — Israel has completed what officials termed a long-range air combat exercise that included air refueling, an element vital in any attack on Iran. The Israel Defense Forces said several squadrons of U.S.-origin fighter-jets participated in an exercise over Greece and its islands in the Mediterranean. In a statement, the […]

Turkey using its veto power to stop all NATO interaction with Israel

Turkey using its veto power to stop all NATO interaction with Israel

Special to WorldTribune.com JERUSALEM — Despite a U.S.-arranged reconciliation, Turkey continues to block NATO programs with Israel. Greece’s ambassador to Israel asserted that Ankara has not lifted its ban on military cooperation with Israel. Ambassador Spiros Lampridis said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan has used Ankara’s veto power to block NATO exercises and other activities […]

Greek military outgunned by Turkey amid deep budget cuts

Greek military outgunned by Turkey amid deep budget cuts

Special to WorldTribune.com ATHENS — Greece’s military, hampered by a budget crisis, has been struggling with its rival Turkey. Officials said the Greek military has struggled to maintain operations amid Turkish penetration of Greece’s air space and territorial waters. They said Greece was being outgunned by Turkey’s expanding military, the second largest in NATO. “The […]

Report: Iran used Russian Su-25s to intercept U.S. Predator drone

Report: Iran used Russian Su-25s to intercept U.S. Predator drone

Special to WorldTribune.com WASHINGTON — The Iranian Air Force has surprised the U.S. military with the interception of a Predator unmanned aerial vehicle, a report said. The Washington Institute for Near East Policy asserted that the interception of the U.S. Air Force MQ-1 Predator demonstrated the effectiveness of Iranian combat pilots. In a report, the […]