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The Kathimerini is a left leaning paper. Keep in mind Greece has honored all agreements with the us military regarding use of bases and use of air space. Greece also has an interest is the support of the United States over the Cyprus issue. Given the impotence of the UN and the success of the USA, the Greeks on the street see a potential opening to resolve Cyprus in the Greek Cypriots favor. They view turkey as having made a real political blunder in refusing the US.

The effort to control the peace is normal and to be expected. The Greeks are making no special offers. They have no desire to damage their image and become the next french pariah. They have the olympics in 2004 and have already gone over budget and are behind schedule. Greece used to be a big suppliers of construction men and materials in the preGulf War I time frame, they just want a piece of the action.

The current Greek president, who is currently sitting on the EU's rotaiting presidency, is a member of the Pasok socialist party. He does not have control of the parlament which is controled by the New Democracy party, a conservative party.

If Germany and France, the big EU/Euro currency members, really took the other members seriously they would not be having their own seperate NON-EU meeting. The other EU members are out in the cold and they know it. They also know to blame France.

I had the pleasure of serving in Cyprus twice. The first time was the Turkish invasion, in fact I had evening out in Famagusta vitually the night before it became a ghost town.The second time much later.I saw the hotels from Akrotiri to Limassol.

Many people do not comprehend the difference between the two sides of the Green LIne, on one side people are laughing,high rise stores and apartments flourish, young men and women drive BMW's and Mercedes.

On the other side donkey drawn carts.

However, having George Michael as a hero and the statements from the Greek leadership of the EU causes some doubt.