People's Democracy

40 YEARS AGO

 US Imperialist-Greek Reactionary Plot Against People

IT is a momentous struggle that is Greece facing today. All democratic principles have been thrown to the winds and the royal court, Greek neo-fascists and the US imperialists are desperately trying to suppress democracy and stifle the hopes and aspirations of the Greek people.

The struggle has become acute since the royalist coup of July 15 when the popularly elected Prime Minister, George Papandreou, was dismissed by King Constantine. Papandreou had wanted to purge the defence forces of fascist officers, holding key positions, whose intrigues, encouraged by the US imperialists, presented a threat to the government.

When opposed by his Defence Minister Garoufalias, Papandreou insisted on the Defence Minister’s resignation, but the King, in utter disregard of all democratic principles, dismissed Papandreou and swore in George Athanasiadis Novas as the new Premier.

The people of Greece took up the challenge and rose heroically to frustrate the reactionary plot. Novas had to resign after his ignominious defeat in Parliament.

Trampling upon all democratic conventions once again and refusing to yield to the demand of Papandreou and the people either to entrust Papandreou with the task of forming the government or to hold general elections in which reactionaries, according to all reports, are sure to be routed, the King has appointed Elias Tsirimokos new Prime Minister of Greece.

As soon as the news broke, demonstrations swept Athens and other places. “In the days that followed,” reports Newsweek, “the demonstrations grew into riots, and by the weekend Athens, littered with tear-gas canisters and torn-up pavement, looked like a battle-filed.” It is not likely that Tsirimokos will be able to survive the trial of strength in Parliament.  

Meanwhile, on August 5 a Photostat copy of a letter written by the US military attache in Athens, Colonel Marshall, to the Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence Department, US Army in Washington, appeared in an evening paper, Ethnos, published from the Greek capital. It shed lurid light on the close links between the US imperialists and their friends in the Greek Army and Navy including the former Defence Minister Garoufalias, King Constantine’s confidant, and the depth of vileness to which they can descend in the fight against the people.

On November 29, 1964, thousands of people from all parts of Greece assembled under the Gorgopotamos Bridge to celebrate the anniversary of the heroic exploit of the Greek Resistance fighters who blew up the bridge in November 1942, to harass the Nazi army. During the celebration a shocking outrage was committed: a bomb exploded killing 13 and wounding more than 50 persons. It is now revealed that the villainy was perpetrated by the US Intelligence Service in Athens.

The following is the text of the above letter, dated June 18, 1965.

M-217-65

Subject: Operation

ARROW-1

To: Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, Department of the Army, Washington 25, D.C.20315

1.  After joint analysis and consultation with our CIA colleagues we have arrived at the conclusion that the trial of communists in Lamia which just ended, should not seriously affect out activity in Greece. At any rate, it should not affect adversely Operation ARROW-1 which you authorised, or prejudice the status of our friends in the Army and Navy. We had definite assurance of this by the Minister of Defence, Mr Garoufalias, who is of the opinion that the Lamia trial was just a usual court proceeding, justified by law, against those who had resisted and obstructed the authorities in the execution of their duty.

2. Regarding the last November affair in G., I can assure you that no leakage of information could have taken place in Greece. Those involved were thoroughly briefed and operated under the strict control of CIA officers. They had no contact with the local population or with their relatives, and were immediately transferred to a base in Germany. Besides the Ambassador, Messrs Anschuetz, Brewster and perhaps Parker know the details of the operation.

3. I am quite confident that Mr Papandreou does not know the real facts about the situation, and I am positive that the Greek authorities cannot produce substantial evidence against the United States. Without a doubt the operation would have been much more effective if our friends had exploited properly the situation that had been brought about in the country. However, this does not lessen the credit due to those who acted according to the plan and who deserve to be rewarded as they request.

4. Our conclusions concerning the investigation and purge in the Greek Army will be forwarded as soon as we receive the reports from JUSMAG.

O K Marshall

Colonel, G S,

US Army Attache

The royalist coup is only a part of Operation ARROW-1 aimed at the people of Greece by the US imperialists acting in collusion with the Greek King, fascist military officers and monopolists. But it is sure to act as a boomerang on the foreign and native reactionaries as the people of Greece are now awake.     

--- People’s Democracy, September 5, 1965