U.S. Embassy Warns Americans in Greece

[Khephra]

ATHENS, Greece -- The U.S. Embassy in Athens warned Americans in Greece on Saturday to exercise caution and heighten their level of security following Washington's formal recognition last week of Macedonia under that name.

Greek politicians and religious leaders have widely condemned the U.S. decision to recognize the tiny Balkan nation under the name Macedonia, fearing it could lead to a territorial dispute. The move is expected to stoke traditionally strong anti-American sentiment in Greece.

In an e-mail sent Saturday to U.S. citizens living in Greece, the embassy warned of possible protests and said "for the time being, all Americans in Greece should also heighten their individual and family sense of and attention to personal security."

Later Saturday, about 100 people gathered outside the U.S. consulate in the northern Greek port of Thessaloniki to protest the American decision.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-greece-us-macedonia,0,1664203.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines

[DELUSIONAL]

1. And so it begins -- Americans as targets -- world wide

We are now all considered to be just like the village IDIOT.

[TaleWgnDg]

2. Hey. In all honesty, that's a deep, wide sore for Greeks both in

Greece and Greek-Americans. I'd love to have been the proverbial fly on the wall during any negotiations regarding Macedonia. Why was it named as such?

More nutsiness u/ The Chimp?

[flygal]

3. My husband said we should only speak German in public..

I said we should just wear "no W" pins. Either way - I now know how Germans and Japanese felt in American during WII.

[Renew Deal]

4. My parents are Greek.

They live here. My mom is all pissed about this. There is a long history. Supposedly we acknowledged Macedonia after they helped in Iraq. Remember the coalition of the coerced and the bribed. That's them. Of course, it wasn't announced until after the election.

[aneerkoinos]

5. I think

the issue goes back to Tito's decition to name the southern province Makedonia, and much further, to the Balkan wars when Greece, Serbia an Bulgaria wrestled the area from Turkey and divided it between themselves.

Also, Makedonia and Alexander the Great are very central to Greek identity and Hellenism.

[Richardson08]

7. The saying in Greece is "Macedonia is GREECE"

[Richardson08]

8. they were playing the Alexander the Great songs last night

[Richardson08]

6. The leader of the Pasok party George Papandreau knew about this since

February of this year but he did not tell anyone.Pasok lost the elections to the New Democracy party after Pasok had ruled Greece for a decent amount of time.Papandreau's mother Margaret was born in America.Papandreau and Colin Powell are very close friends

[aneerkoinos]

10. Remember the days

before and early 80's, when papa Andreas promised to close US bases in Crete and elsewhere. I miss those days...

BTW I have lived in Greece for three years.

[Richardson08]

9. 75% of greek-americans voted for *,Dean Spanos gives * a ton of $$$$$$$$$$

and Spanos is heavily involved in Greek-American issues.How does he feel right now?

[Renew Deal]

11. How do you know that?

I can't imagine greeks voting for him.