credit - defencenet |
So what is this party and what do they represent? According to defencenet this party is a pillar of the UCC and has very close relations with another terrorist group by the name of UCK as well as Albanian separatists in FYROM. And surprise, surprise, this political party also has excellent relations with the Socialist leader Edi Rama, or the leader of the Albanian main opposition. (As President of the Socialist International, George Papandreou would be proud.)
So who are the UCC?
According to Wikipedia, the correct name is the "Liberation Army of Chameria (LAC, Albanian: Ushtria Clirimtare e Camerise). In a few short (and shocking) words it is a paramilitary organization that operates in the northern Greek region of Epirus. The members of this group are suspected to be linked to the Kosovo Liberation Army and the National Liberation Army, both ethnic Albanian paramilitary organisations that operate in Serbia as well as in the FYROM, respectively. In 2001, a video was released showing members of the UCC who were concealed, and their leader "Mehmeti" claiming that the Liberation Army would form (itself) in southern Albania/Epirus, in the framework of defending ethnic Albanians who had "no rights":
When US President George Bush visited Tirana on June 10, 2007, a delegation of the UCC delivered a letter with nationalist requests to him. UCC delegations also delivered letters to the US embassies in Rome and Tirana.
A few months earlier, according to RIEAS this time, or specifically on April 2007, the paramilitary group released a video declaring their (future military actions) and objectives against the Greek State in the region of Epirus.
The Research Terrorism Center in Washington, UCC already characterizes them as terrorists.
They have already intimidated many Greek-Albanians who live in the area of Himara (Southern Albania), occupied by a very large Greek Diaspora. One such instance occurred in 2003, when they were reported to have killed a member of the Greek minority there. In the same period there was an explosion in an electric station which linked Italy and Greece (namely in the area of Igoumenitsa). It looks like they are also linked to the "plans" for a Greater Albania, as well as in the illegal arms trade (and paramilitary personnel). All this is currently being monitored by Greek officials since a potential crisis needs to be avoided at all costs. Read more on RIEAS about this by clicking here - http://www.rieas.gr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=289&catid=17&Itemid=74
Conclusion: The photo is intimidating indeed, but we have been trained well to receive such provocation with the FYROM issue.
Our advice here at HellasFrappe would be to simply document this image in the back of your minds, because we forecast that many more such provocations will occur in the weeks and months to come as we near the finalization of contracts for the exploration and exploitation of oil in the Western part of Greece.
The only thing we want to note, and at the same time underline, is that spreading awareness of Greek national issues such as the above is not a "nazi" thing to do as some progressive leftist parties in Greece state. It is a "patriotic" thing to do... and we all need to be well-informed on who are our friends, and who are not. Those who go against Greek national interests are obviously not our friends, and those (meaning Greeks) who aid them... are just plain traitors. We are obligated to respect the Blue and White... and once again spreading information on very important national issues should not be looked at as spreading far-right ideologies... but rather be viewed as using simple common sense!
Sources - defencent, RIEAS, Wikipedia