Greece gains
Los Angeles Times columnist William Pfaff wrote enthusiastically in yesterday’s International Herald Tribune how European accession had broadened Greeks’ horizons and of the progress Greece had made, especially in defusing tension with Turkey. His article is no measure of the success of Greek policy. But, like Western praise for the progress of investigations into the November 17 terrorist organization, it is an indication that solving the murky crimes of domestic terrorism has dispelled the cloud of disapproval which often obscured Greek progress, or was an excuse for remaining silent about the latter. Pfaff was not referring to November 17, but to the Greek policy of friendship toward Turkey, yet his praise of Athens would not fall on such willing ears if successes against terrorism had not made such a good impression. In this sense, breaking up November 17 makes it easier to promote Greek views and to show that the almost total silence about them – whether well-intentioned or as a pretext – on the grounds of terrorism did Greece an injustice. Already, many unfounded comments about «Greek peculiarity» in Western reports are being forgotten, and commentators are beginning to see Greece as it is. One wonders how painful the consequences would have been for Greece and how it would have been treated by its partners if November 17 had managed to carry out an operation against KFOR which it had planned but which was aborted due to incalculable factors. Nobody is claiming that November 17 was the only unhealthy symptom in Greece, or that breaking it up will magically cure all ills. It is not even certain that success on this front will negate American policies of pressure on Greek-Turkish issues or the question of Cyprus since, if the political assessments that support those policies continue to apply, then another form of pressure will be found or invented. But it is still true that success in counterterrorism shows Greece responding to what its allies and partners describe as a major challenge, and makes many of their commentators and analysts look at Greece more clearly. This more positive outlook may help Athens promote just views and arguments which were smothered by accusations and sarcasm about its supposed tolerance of terrorists.
