George Polk Awards
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S O C V ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ Bringing the news W ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ to generations of E ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915 The National Herald Greek- Americans N c v A wEEKly GREEK-AmERIcAN PUblIcAtION www.thenationalherald.com VOL. 17, ISSUE 854 February 22-28, 2014 $1.50 George Polk Awards: a Guards Retaliate for Kiriakou’s TNH Interview Legacy of the Reporter Jail Cell Trashing is Payback for ex-CIA Murdered in Greece Operative’s Remarks TNH Staff Civil War there, which started By Constantine S. Sirigos in 1946 between the conserva - TNH Staff Writer BROOKLYN – Three of the most tive Greek government’s army, distinguished journalists in which was backed by the United NEW YORK – Just hours after American history – Walter States, and the communist being interviewed by The Na - Cronkite, Edward R. Murrow, rebels. Concluded in 1949 with tional Herald at the Federal Cor - and Howard K. Smith – as well the government’s forces thwart - rectional Institution in Loretto, as New York Times columnist ing the rebellion, the Greek Civil PA, fellow inmates informed and prolific book author War is widely considered the John Kiriakou that “the cops are Thomas Friedman, and the duo first significant post-WWII battle tearing up your room.” that broke the Watergate scan - that was a portend to the The harassment was re - dal for the Washington Post, Bob decades-long Cold War that en - peated the following day, and Woodward and Carl Bernstein, sued. Polk was found dead – Kiriakou wrote about it in one are among an eclectic few who shot at point blank range – on of his periodic “Letters from over the past 65 years have won May 16, 1948, and to this day Loretto,” which was published the Polk Award. there is great controversy about on the website, firedoglake.com. Dan Gillmor of PBS famously who killed him. Congressman James Moran, wrote in 2010, in his rebuke of A few months following who has taken an interest in the fluff media awards that are Polk’s death, the Polk Award case, sent a letter Charles based on cronyism and other was established in his honor, Samuels, Director, Federal Bu - questionable criteria, that the and 65 years later continues to reau of Prisons (BOP), about the Polk is “one of only a couple of be presented by the Polk Awards incidents, stating: “Mr. Samuels, journalism prizes that means Center of Long Island University. I am shocked and outraged to anything.” Ironically, the Polk Two of the leading authors learn of the brutal and thuggish winners mentioned herein are about Polk’s murder shared their treatment of Mr. Kiriakou by the far more familiar to the public thoughts with TNH. Elias Vlan - staff at Loretto Prison for exer - than the man for whom the ton, who wrote Who Killed AP PhOtO/thANASSIS StAvRAKIS cising his constitutionally guar - award was created in 1948: George Polk? (Temple Univ. Crisis Turns Meat Distribution into More than Holiday Fare anteed right of free speech, George Polk. Press, 2005) described the en - something he did not lose when Polk was an American jour - tire situation as “not only a Cold Hundreds of Athenians queue for free grilled meat at the Athens central meat market on Feb. 20 he became a political prisoner.” nalist who worked for CBS War tragedy,” but also “a cau - for “Tsikno Pempti-Barbecue Thursday.” Organized by meat market traders, recession and un - Kiriakou was sentenced to 30 News – at one point, for Murrow tionary tale about what happens employment have caused the pre-Lenten celebration to attract ever-larger crowds. months in federal prison for vi - and for Smith – who was in when journalists abandon their olating the Intelligence Identi - Greece in 1948 covering the principles in the name of politi - ties Protection Act. During the cal expediency.” Polk’s death interview, he told TNH “I am was “an early example of what 100 percent positive” all of it is has become a frequent event: Rondos Mentioned in NGO Scandal payback for his public state - trying to silence the message by ments about waterboarding to silencing the messenger,” specif - ABC News in 2007. ically referring to Gregory Stak - By Andy Dabilis and former and three current diplo - Fiscal and Investigative Service After the interview, Kiriakou topoulos as having been framed Constantine S. Sirigos mats were tied to the Interna - of the Foreign Ministry of urged Greek-Americans to con - for the murder “and his life de - TNH Staff Writers tional Mine Initiative, including Greece. tact their Congressmen and re - stroyed, while Polk’s murderers Alex Rondos, who told the The demining center’s head, quest their support. Information went free.” ATHENS – A one-time advisor newspaper Ethnos he was sur - journalist Costas Tzevelekos, and sample letters can be found Dr. Edmund Keeley, Emeritus to former Greek premier George prised to find his name among has been detained on charges of on firedoglake.com. Professor of English and Cre - Papandreou has been tied to a them, saying he had followed fraud on the basis of 20,000 The full text of Kiriakou’ let - ative Writing and Emeritus Di - scheme to defraud the Greek procedures while at the Foreign pages of evidence gathered in a ter, along with that of Congress - rector of the Hellenic Studies government by using a formerly Ministry, though he said they 20-month inquiry by the finan - man James Moran, follows. Program at Princeton University Athens-based Non-Governmen - were “problematical and inade - cial police. Investigators believe KIRIAKOU’S LETTER wrote The Salonika Bay Murder: tal Organization (NGO) as a quate.” those involved used the govern - On February 7, I gave my Cold War Politics and the Polk front for international demining Rondos has no formal affili - ment money for personal ex - first press interview since the Affair (Princeton Univ. Press, operations and led the state to ation with the NGO, but he re - penses and lavish spending. prison administration reneged 1990). His colleague, Dr. John now look into the operations of portedly authorized funding for Tzevelekos reportedly used on our halfway house deal: O. Iatrides, is Emeritus Professor some 6,000 other private agen - it when he worked at YDAS, the his share of the money to buy They would put me in for nine cies getting public funding. Agency for International Devel - Journalist George Polk Continued on page 9 Greek media said that three opment and Cooperation, in the Continued on page 10 Continued on page 9 Spyropoulos Says That the The Deindustrialization of Greece Presses On SAE Died a Long Time Ago ATHENS – Prime Minister An - tonis Samaras’ self-proclaimed “success story” for Greece’s eco - By Theodore Kalmoukos accountability was ever given.” nomic recovery has bypassed Even he cannot say for sure the steel industry with the im - BOSTON – In an exclusive in - how much money was spent minent shutdown of the coun - terview with TNH, Theodore since SAE’s inception in 1995. try’s steel industry. Spyropoulos, who served as SAE The estimated expenses are be - Steel factories of the Manesis USA Regional Coordinator, pro - tween 200 and 250 million group’s Hellenic Halyvourgia claimed that the Council of Hel - euro, but no one seems to be and Halyvourgiki, owned by the lenes Abroad (SAE) is dead. He quite sure. Constantinos Angelopoulos said that “it died long time ago” Spyropoulos believes that group, in Aspropyrgos, Western and revealed that it cost Greeks The Hellenic-American Council Attica, will begin closing. huge amounts of money and “no of Greeks Abroad, which was es - Officials of Hellenic Ha - tablished in 1953 but withered lyvourgia told the plant’s 120 when SAE emerged, could be workers they will all be laid off revised and play a pivotal role and hopes to give them sever - in the broad organizational ance pay but can’t guarantee it, China, Runs structure of Hellenes in America although it’s required by Greek and abroad. law. Anxious workers are report - Spyropoulos told TNH that edly going to try a counter-offer Piraeus Port, “the initial reaction of the to keep the operation working. Greek-American community for Duing a meeting at the Labor the creation of SAE was nega - Ministry, the management of ri - Eyes Airport tive” and they rejected the pro - val Halyvourgiki was moving to - posal, which was later intro - ward stopping production in As - duced by Gregory Niotis, propyrgos after March 31. ATHENS- Already essentially in Chairman of the Interparty The company said it would control of the port of Piraeus Committee of the Parliament for suspend 192 of its 255 workers, through one of is major compa - Greeks Abroad. and said if no alternative solu - nies, Cosco, China now said it Spyropoulos believes the SAE tion is found within the next six EUROKINISSI wants to take over the 55 per - failed because of the “sketchi - Workers are protesting but the gates of facilities like those above may never reopen. The Steel cent government stake in ness of its creation” and essen - Continued on page 11 factories Hellenic Halyvourgia and Halyvourgiki near Athens are slated to close. Athens International Airport to tially, “it was a huge mistake be - make it a hub for European cause SAE was established with travel and the key entry point a roof but without foundations. for a growing number of Chi - He said that “it was a lost op - nese tourists and businessmen. portunity in 1995, and also NJ Pol Chatzidakis Thinks Christie Didn’t Know Prime Minister Antonis huge amounts of funds were Samaras was informed of the in - spent from the taxpayers for an tention, ahead of the privatiza - organization without substantial By Constantinos E.