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2004-05-13 Europe

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Posted by Steve White 2004-05-13 12:44:15 AM|| || Front Page|| [11126 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 If this is amateur hour, and the Greeks can't stop the amateurs, what does that say about when the Pro's (ie AQ) start showing up? The streets of Athens will run red with blood this summer...well, that's assuming they can actually finish their preparations for the Olympics.

Posted by AllahHateMe 2004-05-13 8:30:37 AM|| 2004-05-13 8:30:37 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Am I the only person who feels a bit nervous about the Games this summer?

Posted by Cyber Sarge (VRWC CA Chapter) 2004-05-13 10:43:27 AM|| 2004-05-13 10:43:27 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Am I the only person who feels a bit nervous about the Games this summer?

I'm not nervous at all. I have no doubt there will be a terrorist attack, so there's no suspense.

I also have no doubt that the US will be blamed for it. So no suspense there, either.

Posted by Robert Crawford 2004-05-13 10:46:24 AM|| [http://www.kloognome.com] 2004-05-13 10:46:24 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 RC: Don't forget, you must not only blame the Great Satan, but also the Jews! Me wonders if AQ now has a guy in charge of Olympic athletes, much like Saddam's offspring was.

Posted by BA 2004-05-13 10:52:22 AM|| 2004-05-13 10:52:22 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 I just hope one of the rop athletes don't exploded, slash or fire. I'd be keeping a damn close eye on the Egyptian modern pentathalon participants.

Posted by Shipman 2004-05-13 11:14:52 AM|| 2004-05-13 11:14:52 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 Sadly enough, I am afraid the Olympics will be like a ponderously moving, multi-line train wreck. It is going to get incredibly ugly, even without a terrorist incident. The demonstrations of anti-Americanism will be absolutely stunning, and I don't even wanna think about what the traffic jams and hotel-screwups are going to be like. Stay away, stay away, unless you're getting paid a LOT of money to go, and have a thick skin and a bullet-proof outer garment.

Posted by Sgt. Mom 2004-05-13 11:32:05 AM|| [www.sgtstryker.com] 2004-05-13 11:32:05 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 My take on it too.

We (spouse & I) turned down an opportunity to present at a technical conference in Turkey this summer for similar reasons.

Posted by rkb 2004-05-13 11:38:23 AM|| 2004-05-13 11:38:23 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 Sgt Mom -
Having read your very affectionate memories of Greece over on Sgt Strykers' page, your words here have more impact on me than all the threat assessments and color alerts ever could.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2004-05-13 12:29:43 PM|| 2004-05-13 12:29:43 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 I loved the place, had a wonderful time there, and many Greek and English friends.... but I was looking over my shoulder, all the time, and worked desperatly hard, every moment I was out in public, at not looking like an American. And from what I have read, it has only gotten worse since the 1980ies.

Posted by Sgt. Mom 2004-05-13 12:39:01 PM|| [www.sgtstryker.com] 2004-05-13 12:39:01 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 Sgt Mom, when & where were in greece? I was stationed at Iraklion AS 83-84. Loved the place! Wife and I still have fond memories of living there with NO KIDS! Great food, drink and friends.

Posted by Cyber Sarge (VRWC CA Chapter) 2004-05-13 1:03:25 PM|| 2004-05-13 1:03:25 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 I wonder what our old pal Aris has to say about it?

Posted by Ernest Brown 2004-05-13 1:07:27 PM|| [saturninretrograde.blogspot.com] 2004-05-13 1:07:27 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 Look like they don't want anyone to come:
A Greek radical group claimed responsibility Thursday for last week's triple bombings at a police station and warned that some visitors to the Olympic Games - from heads of state to wealthy Western tourists - would be "undesirable." The proclamation by the group Revolutionary Struggle did not threaten to carry out future attacks, but clearly expressed anger that the unprecedented Olympic security has transformed Greece into a "fortress."
"All members of international capital (multinational companies, business executives), global mercenary killers, the state officials and the wealthy Western tourists who plan on finding themselves at the games are undesirable," said the statement published in the weekly newspaper To Pontiki.

OK

Posted by Steve 2004-05-13 1:22:06 PM|| 2004-05-13 1:22:06 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 Let me get this straight: They clearly expressed anger that the unprecedented Olympic security has transformed Greece into a "fortress.", but at the same time they claimed responsibility Thursday for last week's triple bombings at a police station.

I guess it didn't occur to them that they ARE the reason that Athens has to be a fortress. Well, them and Hamas and Hizbollah and Al Qaeda and Ansar Al Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood and Jemiyahh Islam and Al Fatah and...

Posted by dreadnought 2004-05-13 1:40:14 PM|| 2004-05-13 1:40:14 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 OK, chaps, works for me. I'll be drinking iced chablis on my back porch and watching the sun go down, and thinking regretfully of the crowds, the smog and the terrorism. Have a nice summer, there, OK?
(Cyber Sarge, I was at EBS-Hellenikon from March of 83-September 85)

Posted by Sgt. Mom 2004-05-13 1:45:00 PM|| [www.sgtstryker.com] 2004-05-13 1:45:00 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 RC: I have no doubt there will be a terrorist attack

I don't think there will be. But there will be tons of protests, flag burnings, Bushitler signs, spitting, seething, and an occasional molotov cocktail thrown at Americans. And of course, like you said, all will be blamed on the US.

Posted by Rafael 2004-05-13 3:12:26 PM|| 2004-05-13 3:12:26 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 Ernest> I wonder what our old pal Aris has to say about it?

Only that traffic jams have pretty much become irrelevant since the subway system was built. And the smog has much lessened also.

Posted by Aris Katsaris 2004-05-13 4:01:28 PM|| 2004-05-13 4:01:28 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 I'm assuming from lack of traffic Aris? Is
the subway going to be useful after the fact
or is it too olypic centered?

Posted by Shipman 2004-05-13 4:07:56 PM|| 2004-05-13 4:07:56 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 The subway's not olympics-centered, so yeah, it's obviously been useful and will still be useful after the olympics -- it's linked to the Peireas haven, the central squares of the city (Syntagma and Omonoia), a station near Acropolis, it's slowly being expanded to cover many suburbs.... Recently news mentioned that the airport station has been completed, though it's not been given to circulation yet.

It's my own main means of transport.

Posted by Aris Katsaris 2004-05-13 4:56:27 PM|| 2004-05-13 4:56:27 PM|| Front Page Top

#19 What have they done with the old airport? Is that land being used for the olympics?

Posted by Rafael 2004-05-13 5:18:10 PM|| 2004-05-13 5:18:10 PM|| Front Page Top

#20 Rafael> I don't believe they use it for anything Olympics-related but I don't rightly know what they've done with the space. Sorry.

Posted by Aris Katsaris 2004-05-13 6:22:01 PM|| 2004-05-13 6:22:01 PM|| Front Page Top

#21 Live and learn, I didn't realize the underground
was finished. How much do they charge?

Posted by Shipman 2004-05-13 6:27:42 PM|| 2004-05-13 6:27:42 PM|| Front Page Top

#22 The basic ticket's 0.70 Euro, and there's also the reduced 0.40 for students, but most frequent users would probably choose to get a monthly card.

More info here, in three languages: http://www.ametro.gr

And for the tickets question in particular so that you don't have to wade through menus: http://www.ametro.gr/main/publicinfo/top2.htm

Posted by Aris Katsaris 2004-05-13 6:34:32 PM|| 2004-05-13 6:34:32 PM|| Front Page Top

#23 If I was a tourist there for the Olympics, I'd probably stay away from public transportation. Especially the underground.

Posted by Rafael 2004-05-13 6:44:11 PM|| 2004-05-13 6:44:11 PM|| Front Page Top

#24 Aris, are you going to meet up with Murat if he does pop over the Aegean to attend the Games? I'd like to think Rantburg has done something to help foster international relations...

Posted by Bulldog 2004-05-13 6:47:39 PM|| 2004-05-13 6:47:39 PM|| Front Page Top

#25 *shrug* I could show him around, as a courtesy, if he wants someone to. But there are probably people here whose company I'd enjoy more -- I don't know anything about his personal side, but on the politics front his brand of conspiracism tends to annoy me.

Posted by Aris Katsaris 2004-05-13 7:19:30 PM|| 2004-05-13 7:19:30 PM|| Front Page Top

#26 Aris - beautiful country, awesome history and archaeology which really makes me want to visit, but seriously, even if there weren't Olympic crowds, I'd hesitate...wonder how many other touristas waiting to spend $ are saying the same thing? I'll visit...someday

Posted by Frank G 2004-05-13 7:30:34 PM|| 2004-05-13 7:30:34 PM|| Front Page Top

#27 No problem at all. Your money's welcome, even if a bit delayed. ;-)

Posted by Aris Katsaris 2004-05-13 7:56:32 PM|| 2004-05-13 7:56:32 PM|| Front Page Top

#28 A terrorist attack on the Athens Olympics is IMHO is a cast iron certainty. AQ, AQ wannabes, paleos and various loony lefties are going to be tripping over themselves to get the 'Gold' in synchronized booming.

Posted by Phil_B 2004-05-13 8:03:35 PM|| 2004-05-13 8:03:35 PM|| Front Page Top

#29 Aris,

That's great news for traffic saftey AND the buildings of the Acropolis. (less pollution helps, g) I still think your local lunatic anarchists are going to try something, if not the Islamic terror groups. I hope that Phil_B, myself, and the rest of the gang are wrong, but I doubt it.

Posted by Ernest Brown 2004-05-13 10:05:38 PM|| [saturninretrograde.blogspot.com] 2004-05-13 10:05:38 PM|| Front Page Top

10:50 Ernest Brown
10:49 Ernest Brown
10:08 Ernest Brown
05:36 Dripping Sarcasm
04:12 Howard UK
00:09 Old Grouch
23:19 Pappy
22:40 Anonymous4602
21:31 Anonymous4825
21:28 Frank G
21:18 Mr. Davis
21:06 Scooter McGruder
20:54 The Dude
20:46 Wuzzalib
20:44 Fred
20:37 Phil_B
20:32 Barbara Skolaut
20:29 Sludj
20:28 Phil_B
20:21 Fred
20:12 Jen
20:00 Shipman
19:39 Sludj
19:36 rkb