Bananiot wrote:It is really frustrating to hear people talk about the form of the solution as if we are the only player in this issue. Some people seriously believe that we can get anything we ask, as long as we remain steadfast. This shows gross ignorance on how this world is run.
It is very frustrating to hear how people like yourself incinuate that President X has agreed to a BBF arising from a virgin birth of 2 politically equal states. There is no evdence whatsoever that X will be accepting the virgin birth idea. Perhaps your comments are wishful thinking on your part but it is definately not something Cypriots will accept in majority.
A disriminatory solution towards the GCs will ineviatably lead to another tragedy down the track and perhaps permanent partition. I am amazed that you support a virgin birth BBF as the consequences can and will be severe, as history will inevitably repeat itselt since a GC vote will equal 0.2 of a TC vote.
You also avoided my question concerning the SBAs. President X made comments recently that if a virgin birth materialises, then the 1959 Zurich Agreement which provided the UK with 2 SBAs, will also be null and void. I can tell you that the British will not be too happy with this scenario. Do you think that the British will oppose the virgin birth idea and promote the RoC evolution model?
Here is some background to help you answer this complex question:
The British territories on Cyprus
Another fascinating revelation, only hinted at until now, was that Britain wished to give up its territories on Cyprus (the "Sovereign Base Areas") and the retained sites dotted throughout the island. As early as 1964, a secret FO paper stated that the bases and retained sites depended in large measure on Greek Cypriot co-operation, and that a "Guantanamo position" was out of the question. The paper added: "Our sovereign rights in the SBAs and treaty rights in Republic territory will be considered increasingly irksome by the Greek Cypriots and will be regarded as increasingly anachronistic by world public opinion". In 1970, the FCO was admitting that the bases were hostages to Cypriot good will, while in 1974 it was stating that the bases were an embarrassment. More significantly, in 1975, a secret paper stated that a solution would be difficult as long as Britain retained a physical presence in the bases, and that British strategic interests in Cyprus were now minimal. Extraordinarily, the paper admitted: "A
Although our own preferred policy is for a complete British military withdrawal from Cyprus, we recognise that we cannot do so at present, given the global importance of working with the Americans." In this connexion, a senior US official even assured the British that the US would be able to finance the bases, secretly if necessary.
Dr William Mallinson, a former British diplomat, teaches British history, culture and literature at the Ionian University, Corfu and is the author of Cyprus, A Modern History, I. B. Tauris, London and New York
Perhaps President X is being quite clever in stirring the interests of the superpowers in order to destroy the virgin birth model.
