On Saturday, 25 July, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) issued a following statement condemning the reported involvement of a Greek Patriot missile battery in military operations in the Middle East.
Among others, the Communist Party calls for the immediate withdrawal of all Greek military personnel and assets from overseas missions.
More specifically, the statement (here in Greek) reads:
"The announcement by the Hellenic National Defence General Staff that the Greek Patriot missile battery stationed in Saudi Arabia intercepted Houthi ballistic missiles in order to protect oil refineries in Yanbu once again confirms Greece’s direct involvement in the military operations taking place in the Gulf region. It also highlights the grave dangers arising from the country’s participation in the imperialist war, as well as the life-threatening risks faced by members of the Greek Armed Forces deployed abroad.
The New Democracy government, PASOK, and the entirety of SYRIZA bear responsibility before the Greek people, having all voted in favour of deploying the Patriot battery and its accompanying personnel to Saudi Arabia.
Once again, it is confirmed that the Greek people are being forced to pay an enormous price for massive military expenditures, undertaken not to serve the country’s defence, but to advance Euro-Atlantic strategic plans and strengthen the alliances of capital, including the alliance with the regime of Saudi Arabia.
We call upon the Greek people to intensify their struggle for the immediate withdrawal of the Patriot missile battery and its personnel from Saudi Arabia, and for the return of all personnel and military assets of the Greek Armed Forces currently participating in imperialist missions abroad. We demand Greece’s disengagement from imperialist war plans and its withdrawal from NATO.
The Souda military base, together with all U.S. and NATO bases in Greece, must be closed immediately. These bases serve as launching pads for war and turn the country into a target for retaliation.
The struggle against the dangerous policy of military involvement must be strengthened. This policy is an integral part of the so-called “anti-popular stability” that, in reality, brings instability, insecurity, war, and an ever-growing cost of living to the Greek people".
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