Explosives found near home of Cyprus president

Πηγή: Business Recorder
By AFP
Dec 29 2012

NICOSIA: Three pounds (1.36 kilogrammes) of military grade TNT were found on Saturday close to the holiday home of Cyprus President Demetris Christofias, police said.

The "high yield explosives and a common detonator" were discovered at a distance of 500 metres (yards) from the president's retreat and ready to use, police spokesman Andreas Angelides told reporters.

He said the explosives were hidden and placed under a tree some 15 metres from the main road that leads to Christofias' Kellaki village home situated outside the southern coastal town of Limassol.

"The find was over 500 metres from the holiday home of the president. They were placed in open sight. A first examination shows they were in excellent condition," said Angelides. He said the TNT was found following a tip-off to the police.

According to state radio the detonator was not activated but could have been activated via remote control.

It said the president had been planning to visit his residence on Saturday afternoon but was told to stay away until police completed their investigation.

Politically motivated attacks on the island are rare but as the island suffers a deepening recession - worsened by exposure to Greek debt -- Christofias and his government have become increasingly unpopular.

But Christofias is the first Cyprus president not to run for re-election in February's ballot.

Turkish Report: Israel to Deploy '20,000 Commandos' to Cyprus

Cypriot President Demetris Christofias

Πηγή: Israel National News
By Rachel Hirshfeld
May 21 2012

Israel plans to deploy approximately 20,000 troops in Greek Cyprus to protect its energy projects in the region, Turkish news agency claims.

Israel plans to deploy no less than 20,000 'commandos' in Greek Cyprus in order to protect its energy projects in the region, the Anatolian News Agency reported Sunday.

The report, which appears somewhat doubtful to observers familiar with the size of Israel's military, adds that at least 30,000 Israeli workers and their families will move to Limassol to work on planned joint Israeli-Cypriot projects.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met with Cypriot Prime Minister Dimitris Christofias on February 16 to discuss the countries’ joint interests.

The Anatolian News Agency claims that although the content of the meeting remains confidential, it has learned new details about the meeting, quoting a senior Cypriot source who claims that Christofias president asked Netanyahu to persuade Israeli businessmen to suspend investment in the Turkish-controlled part of the island.

Only Turkey recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Netanyahu also reportedly offered to undertake all expenses needed to extract natural gas found in the Mediterranean. In exchange for his offer, the prime minister asked that all of the 10,000 personnel that would work at the plant be brought in from Israel with their families, increasing the number of Israeli citizens in the area to nearly 30,000.

To meet the security arrangements created by such a large number of Israelis, Netanyahu proposed that 20,000 soldiers would protect the civilians and energy facilities. "The Israelis are coming, and they are here to stay," the Anatolian News Agency quoted the official as saying.

Editor's note: Israel have denied this claims.

Cyprus parliament rebukes UN envoy for perceived bias in reunification talks

Alexander Downer was Foreign Minister of Australia from March 1996 to December 2007, the longest-serving in Australian history.

Πηγή: Washington Post
By AP
Feb 2 2012

NICOSIA, Cyprus — The Cyprus parliament on Thursday took the unusual step of rebuking a United Nations envoy over perceived bias that it says is hindering long-running talks to reunify the divided island.

Lawmakers unanimously approved a resolution decrying Alexander Downer’s “one-sided and detrimental statements and actions” that they say have eroded his credibility as an impartial facilitator in the talks between rival Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

Downer said last month that a peace accord needed to be reached before “Greek Cypriots” take on the “very heavy responsibility” of the European Union’s rotating presidency in July.

The use of the term “Greek Cypriots” instead of merely “Cyprus” stirred up a hornet’s nest because it was interpreted to be a deliberate attempt to diminish the internationally recognized government in the Greek Cypriot south of the island.

The remark was also interpreted as a bid to set a deadline to the three-year-old talks, which Greek Cypriots vehemently oppose.

The island was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded after a coup by supporters of union with Greece. An independent state that Turkish Cypriots declared in the island’s northern third 19 years ago is recognized only by Turkey, which keeps 35,000 troops there.

The resolution also said that Downer’s latest remark comes on top of “numerous non-impartial...and dangerously interfering statements and actions that depart from his mandate.” It added that U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon needs to “urgently restore” his envoy’s credibility.

Downer on Wednesday tried to play down the issue, telling reporters after meeting with Greek Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias that the U.N. recognizes the government of the Republic of Cyprus which will take over the EU presidency.

Some politicians have called for Downer to be replaced, but government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou indicated on Thursday that Christofias wouldn’t seek to do so.

Talks between Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu have been hobbled over disagreements on several key issues including power sharing and claims linked to private property lost during the invasion.

Ban met the leaders last month in a bid to overcome those differences, but said little progress was made. He said that he will schedule an international conference in April or May aimed at solidifying a peace deal if the sides make progress in the coming weeks.

US embassy cables | Malta’s near-miss in Cyprus munitions explosions

The journey of the Monchegorsk from Iran to Cyprus.

Πηγή: NATIONAL

July 13, 2011

Ammunitions that exploded this week in Cyprus could have arrived in Malta under US-Cyprus-UK proposal.

The high explosives that exploded at a naval base in Cyprus this week, killing 12 and injuring 62, were nearly destined for Malta under a proposal by the Cypriots to get rid of the explosives.

A Wikileaks cable reveals that the ammunition arrived in Nicosia in 2009 on the Monchegorsk, a ship that was caught breaking UN sanctions by illegally carrying arms from Iran to Syria. The cargo of high explosives was later offloaded in Limassol in February 2009 and stored in shipping containers – which exploded on Monday at the Evangelos Florakis base. The explosion caused another fire at Vassiliko electricity plant, one kilometre away from the base, collapsing its fuel tankers and cutting power supply to main parts of the island.

According to two US embassy cables, released just weeks ago by Wikileaks, US ambassador Frank Urbancic demanded that Cyprus – unhappy about having to detain the ship because of its proximity to Syria – does not allow the Monchegork to depart.

On its part, Cyprus wrote to the United Nations’ Iran Sanctions Committee to put the ship in the possession of the UN and asked the Russians to support its tack in New York.

“[Presidential diplomatic coordinator Leonidas] Pantelide called back at 1300hrs, a touch frazzled and with a completely different message. ‘We want to find a way through this mess,’ the Cypriot diplomat insisted… Now Cyprus wanted to explore a third-country transfer option.”