EDITORIAL

Tassos Symeonides
(RIEAS Academic Advisor based in Seattle, USA)

Copyright: Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas) Publication date on 14 March 2015

As these lines are drawn, the "negotiation" war between Greece and Europe's "central powers" led by Germany escalates by the minute. It is now obvious to all but the most unjustifiably optimistic that Greece is, most likely, en route to breaking her "eternal bonds" with the European club one way or another. Whether it will be by "Grexit" or some other "accident" remains to be seen....Read more

Copyright: Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 6 March 2015

The Security Jam Report was officially launched on March 4, 2015 at a debate with General Philip Breedlove, NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe and Ambassador Alain Le Roy, incoming Secretary General of the European External Action Service. RIEAS has been coalition partner and Antonia Dimou's, Senior RIEAS Adviser, recommendations were included in the final report.

The report comes at a time of heightened tension including Russia's confrontation with the West over Ukraine and the new threat posed by the so-called Islamic State. European Union and NATO leaders must act urgently to set up a security organisation in the Middle East, create an EU consensus on immigration, asylum and human trafficking, and open up jobs for women in intelligence operations, according to the 2,300-strong Jam community. The experts also urged the creation of an international 'Cyberpol' agency... Read more

Dimitris Mouchlidis
(Director of Communication, Regnum Communication & Strategy based in Athens, Greece)

Copyright: Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) – Publication date on 26 February 2015

The necessary compromise so that Greece remains in the euro area was completed with the agreement on reforms submitted by the Greek Government a few days ago. Auspiciously the country closes five years in a program. All these years, society, public opinion, political parties and the political system in general have not been able to put up with the idea of the Memorandum. In other words, all this time the country is in a state of denial...Read more

Copyright: Congress of the United States – Publication date on RIEAS web site (www.rieas.gr) on 17 February 2015

As Members of the Congressional Hellenic Caucus, we were encouraged to hear your comments in relation to assisting our ally Greece and helping their recently elected government craft and implement a new, pro-growth strategy... Read more

Tassos Symeonides
(RIEAS Academic Advisor based in Seattle, USA)

Copyright: Research Institute for European and American Studies – Publication date on 6 February 2015

The facts of the situation are clear. The Greek debt cannot be repaid. When the bottom dropped out of the global economy, Greece, plagued by a corrupt and indebted government, was the most vulnerable of the European Union nations. The so-called "troika" — the EU, the European Central Bank and the IMF — stepped in to bail out reckless banks, assume most of the debt, and inflict harsh terms on the Greeks to repay it. The Greeks have sold off their assets, crushed workers, trampled labor laws and slashed vital public services to ensure that the private bankers be paid.

Katrina vanden Heuvel, Washington Post, February 3, 2015

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The electoral victory of the SYRIZA radical left party in the Greek general election of January 25, 2015 came as no surprise after five years of resoundingly inept and catastrophic "bailout policy choices" by the European Union and its current driving force, Germany. The Greek calamity was compounded by the eye-popping servility of consecutive Greek governments, beginning with the George Papandreou administration, which threw the Greek gates wide open to "salvation" by the IMF and the revanchist whims of the lenders.

Yannick Veilleux-Lepage

(PhD candidate at the Handa Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, located at the University of St. Andrews. His doctoral research focuses on the historical antecedents, and the evolution of, modern terrorism. He holds a Masters of Arts in International Affairs (Conflict Analysis) and a Bachelors of Arts in Directed Interdisciplinary Studies (Security Studies) from Carleton University, Canada).

Copyright: Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date on 31 January 2015.

In recent months, western intelligence officials and policy makers have been continuing to grow increasingly concerned that a new wave of terrorism will soon sweep over Europe, driven by the civil war in Syria and the continuing instability in Iraq. Many of these concerns stem from upwards of 3,000 foreign fighters travelling from Western countries to swell the ranks of the Islamic State (IS) and the fear of 'blowback' ("Islamic State crisis," 2014). Ultimately, the concern is that westerners who have joined the Islamic State will return further radicalized, battle-hardened, and influenced by extensive radical networks and that they might be more likely to commit terrorist attack on their home soil. The recent attacks on the Jewish Museum in Brussels, allegedly committed by a French national returning from fighting in Syria, seems to confirm that these fears may indeed be founding in reality.... Read more