[ALBSA-Info] Greek leftists protest over Milosevic extradition

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

Greek leftists protest over Milosevic extradition

  
ATHENS, June 29 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Greek leftist demonstrators marched 
through Athens on Friday shouting "Out with NATO and the Americans" in 
protest at Slobodan Milosevic's extradition to The Hague. 

The demonstrators, mainly supporters of the Greek Communist Party (KKE), 
marched to the U.S. and then the Yugoslav embassies, waving banners reading 
"Freedom to Milosevic." 

Milosevic was in a jail in The Hague on Friday after being flown to the 
Netherlands from Serbia. Indicted for crimes against humanity in the province 
of Kosovo, is the first head of state to be indicted for war crimes while in 
office. 

Greece, which has traditional ties with fellow Orthodox Serbia, protested at 
the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia at the time but stood by its alliance 
obligations. 

Communists party members and supporters led opposition protests against the 
West and the Greek government during the 1999 bombing and tried to block NATO 
troops travelling through Greece to Kosovo. 

On Thursday scores of Greek MPs from across the political spectrum signed a 
petition asking the Yugoslav government not to extradite Milosevic. 

The socialist government refrained from commenting on the extradition on 
Friday, saying it was Yugoslavia's internal matter. 

Communist MP Stratis Kokoras told reporters at the protest that he was one of 
the last people to see Milosevic on Thursday. He said Milosevic seemed calm. 

"He said to me he wouldn't change his position in jail for a position in a 
government that bowed to the foreign interests that were controlling the 
people and the country," Korakas said.