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The USA has asked Athens for a new base for unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones, on the island of Crete. According to the investigation of To Vima newspaper, the US has pressed the Greek government to decide whether to accept or reject the suggestion. They wanted the agreement to be signed in early June for a period of 6 to 12 months but this did not happen. Such requests are within the American strategic framework for counteracting Islamic terrorism and threats coming from the unstable south-east Mediterranean.

From a political point of view, the matter is tough to tackle for Athens. The government will have to get the approval of Parliament. Negotiations are in an advanced stage based on a bilateral agreement drafted by the US and submitted to the competent offices of the National Defence and Military Aviation Staff in January.

Well-informed sources add that this subject gave rise to intense correspondence between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defence. The final decision should be taken by PM Antonis Samaras and his deputy Evangelos Venizelos. The subject was also discussed at a meeting between the two and Minister of National Defence Dimitris Avramopoulos a few days ago.

The Pros and Cons

In this context, solutions are being sought to allow the government to overcome legal and political hindrances. On one hand, the US requires the country to affirm its geostrategic role at a time when Jihadists make the region unstable. At the same time, this is a tough political decision.

Recently, Venizelos got hold of a top secret document of a high-positioned member of the State Department, listing a series of problems, including:

First, a favourable decision taken by Greece shall be approved by the Parliament.

Second, targeting of Greece by extremist groups should not be dismissed, as well as the impact such an agreement would have on the relations of Greece with the Arab countries.

Third, it should be made clear what Greece would have in return.

From Kalamata to Kastelli

According to the same sources, the American request was initially to situate the drones at the air base in Kalamata. The Americans assessed the base they used during the airstrikes against Libya back in 2011. They noted its efficiency for the ‘roadmap’ of the defence and strategic cooperation during the last year visit of Avramopoulos to the Pentagon.

This is not possible though, as it will give the impression of increasing the American military presence on Greek territory. Hence focus is shifted towards Crete. Discussions now concentrate on utilising the military airbase in Kastelli where 133 Brigade is stationed. The idea of stationing the drones at the Souda naval base might have presented a temporary solution. There are problems with the area and the idea seems to have been abandoned.

The political leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented the idea of a NATO ‘cloak’ on a future Greek-American agreement in order to avoid the arduous Parliamentary approval. But this seems impossible at the moment. Diplomatic sources expressed the opinion that it is important to preserve the bilateral nature of the consultations with the United States.

What do the Americans Want Precisely?

According to the information in To Vima newspaper, the American request dates back to 2013. It was clarified in detail at the latest Greek-American High Level Consultative Committee - HLCC, which took place in Athens last autumn. The American envoy was the Assistant Secretary of Defence Derek Chollet.

Consultations actually began in January and were attended by Greek militaries from the General Staff and the air force, from the civil aviation and American officers from the air force divisions for Europe and Africa.

American drone technologies are quite advanced. According to military sources, knowledgeable in the negotiations, but who want to remain anonymous because of the sensitive subject, the Americans want to station several models in Crete. One of the major questions is whether these drones, which are to support military operations (i.e. collect information, tracking and recognition), will be armed. The present prevailing view is that the agreement should clearly stipulate that the drones be unarmed except upon the parties’ explicit consent.

In addition, Greece is interested in the flight plans when drones are flying over Greek territory and the applicable Greek law on investigation and rescue cases. According to the information provided by the Americans, there is mutual understanding regarding these requests. A solution is being sought in case of complications between Washington and a third party because of the use of drones flying from Crete. 

There is also the issue of compensations on which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working. It seems only logical for Greece to claim access to a direct picture in order to cope with illegal immigration. But this is no easy decision. Military sources said to To Vima newspaper that the drone technology might be acquired or Greece will have its drones, or keep some of those that will be stationed upon the termination of the agreement. There are some concerns whether the Americans will agree to station drones in Greece over such a short period or if they will aim at constant presence.

Washington’s Plans for the Mediterranean

The request of Washington about the drones is not a stand-alone initiative but part of a wider Mediterranean strategy. It corresponds with the words of Barak Obama at the West Point Military Academy on the future demonstration of American power. He emphasised avoiding land conflicts and the use of drones and the special forces of the Pentagon and CIA. The term used in the US to describe the new geostrategic situation is the “New Normal”.

The new American strategy is related to the conflicts in North Africa and the Middle East ignited by the new ‘decentralised form’ of Islamic terrorism in the post-Al Qaeda era and the conflict with Russia because of Ukraine. The latter prompts the US desire to curb the Russian presence in the Mediterranean Sea.

Besides the stationing of drones, the USA requested Greece as well as the rest of the countries in Southern Europe – Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Turkey, to present their opinions on coping with the new threats in the region in an attempt to establish long-term stability.

The American ideas on the mutual understanding in the countries of the South NATO wing were first expressed by the Pentagon in a non-paper circulated last December (To Vima newspaper has it). This was the reason for the meeting in Stuttgart on July 17 with participants from the defence ministries of these countries where ideas on various subjects were discussed: terrorism, immigration, foreign Muslim Jihadists. 

The results of the meeting will be presented at the NATO summit meeting in Wales this September. The USA will request support for their participation in the Middle East conflict for sharing expenses or the defence of diplomatic missions. Actually, according to what the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for European and NATO Policy, James Townsend said to the Ambassador of Greece in Washington, Christos Panagopoulos the US is contemplating the idea of establishing regular naval forces in the Mediterranean.

Great importance is also attributed to the strategic and stabilizing role of Cyprus in the American projects for enhancing defence cooperation.

The Importance of the Visit of Avramopoulos

On August 21, Dimitris Avramopoulos will visit the Pentagon. The Minister of National Defence will meet his American colleague Jack Hagel.

The subject of drone dislocation will not be the only one but it will be at the top of the agenda. According to Jame Townsend, the US expects to have from Avramopoulos the Greek assessment of the events in the south-eastern Mediterranean, the ratio of forces, as well as recommendations on the role and potential contribution of Greece.