Crossfire War=Rapid Fire News-Southeast Europe Theatre: Demonstrations in Greece Against Secretary of State Pompeo

Athens: "Pompeo go home---No to Greece USA agreement." Xinhua reports those were some of the hateful statements by demonstrators in Athens Syntagma Square against the visit by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Secretary Pompeo was in Athens to sign the military agreement enabling the U.S. to use the base in the port city of Alexandroupoli near Turkey.

I am not surprised demonstrations broke out in a number of cities across the country. They remember the 78 day air offensive against Serbia in 1999 which Washington was eager to lead using the Aviano base in Italy. Greece and Serbia have long historical relations which is not surprising due to regional identity. 2006 Greece-Iran signed security agreements with Serbia and just two years ago the Turkish news service Hurriyet Daily News reported the meeting in Ankara between the military Chiefs of Staff of Turkey-Iran. More than a year ago the German paper Handelsblatt warned of another Balkan war coming.

1991 Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia and with its twisted-crooked boundary cut off Serbia's access to the Adriatic Sea. Berlin led the recognition of Croatia as the boundary forced Serbia into war.