Cyprus-Forum.com

[nick dimitri]

DT. If my Country is been attacked again off course I'll go to defend it, but what I was trying to say is that we don't have the luxury of been strong. Therefor its not point of screaming and shouting and barking like dogs that soonest you throw them a stone they run away. The best fight for us is to forget the past and sit down to talk with our fellow neighbors whether we like it or not, to find solution and ways how we can peacefully leave together.

[Bananiot]

The Cyprus issue can be solved in a satisfactory way only through talks and never through the use of arms. If we make the same mistake as before and take up arms, our country will be lost for ever. It is amazing that we should talk about something all sane persons know.

Even if we could win a war with Turkey, I would say stay away from arms, because any war will only prepare the ground for the next one. We need peace which in time will create normal people who will only laugh at the stupidity of their ancestors who wasted their short time on this planet scheming at removing the most valuable asset nature gave us. Life.

[MrH]

"GC National Guard purpose"

According to the way the so called National Guard have failed to stand up to Turkiye in the past, I would say their sole purpose was to Hold hands and exchange flowers - don't you think?

What a bunch of fools they are. I spent two days on the Green Line as a foriegn journalist and was shocked to see how ineffective the Greek Cypriot National Guard are - try scared, stupied and sleepy! A few hidden trips to Ayia Napa's night clubs were a priority instead of keeping watch we found. Continue buying missiles and large weapons as the Greek Cypriot soldiers are worthless on the ground.

Get rid of them they are a waste of tax payers money my Greek Cypriot Journalist friends from "The Cyprus Mail" always say. And they are old school!!

[B25]

DT. If my Country is been attacked again off course I'll go to defend it, but what I was trying to say is that we don't have the luxury of been strong. Therefor its not point of screaming and shouting and barking like dogs that soonest you throw them a stone they run away. The best fight for us is to forget the past and sit down to talk with our fellow neighbors whether we like it or not, to find solution and ways how we can peacefully leave together.

Nick, may I ask you, have you been to the Bananiot school of indoctrination, because I swear I can hear Bananiots voice through your posts.

You posts are admirable, but you give in too easy. Sorry file.

[CBBB]

"GC National Guard purpose"

According to the way the so called National Guard have failed to stand up to Turkiye in the past, I would say their sole purpose was to Hold hands and exchange flowers - don't you think?

What a bunch of fools they are. I spent two days on the Green Line as a foriegn journalist and was shocked to see how ineffective the Greek Cypriot National Guard are - try scared, stupied and sleepy! A few hidden trips to Ayia Napa's night clubs were a priority instead of keeping watch we found. Continue buying missiles and large weapons as the Greek Cypriot soldiers are worthless on the ground.

Get rid of them they are a waste of tax payers money my Greek Cypriot Journalist friends from "The Cyprus Mail" always say. And they are old school!!

Abit like the "TRNC" then, for Turkey.

[Paphitis]

Here is a suggestion for the RoC, implement a tax on property of all those living overseas to further fund our military.

Since those people are not here to contribute and are out of any harms way, then the least they could do is make higher contributions.

What do you reckon, a brain wave or what!!!

The RoC needs to arm itself to the teeth, we need a defence thats to be reckoned with. We have no need to attack anyone, but others may wish to cause us harm.

Georgios, if you cannot see that, my respect for you was wasted.

Irrespective of Israel or any other alliances, we need to look after ourselves first and foremost, without depending upon others. If we get outside help, great, but we need to be prepared.

B25

Why are you getting upset? If you read carefully what I posted you might reconsider your position.

No he wouldn't!

No one in their right mind would undermine the nation's defence!

I am suggesting a better trained & professional force in lieu of what the CNG is now. I am not suggesting to abolish the CNG, God no! Merely to take another look at it and make it even better with less bodies & more punch. Make it professional.

I suggest you go back to sleep, because on the one hand you advocate cutting the defence budget, and on the other hand you advocate to fully professionalize the CNG which would in actual fact quadruple defence spending.

Australia has a fully professional army of 60,000 men and women and has a defence budget of $30 Billion AUD which is about the size of the RoC's total GDP output! Each serving member is paid very well, receives free health, very cheap credit, and eventually a pension for life! Then, some very expensive hardware needs to be purchased. Is the RoC economically able to do this for 15,000 Guardsmen?

I don't think so!

It is true that professional personnel are more capable than young conscripts, but a poorly equipped army does not have the same capability as very well equipped conscripts do.

A professional soldier can replace 5 of the young guys enlisted every 6 months. These young guys enlist because it's mandatory. I did 28 months, I know all about it. These guys see their service in the CNG is an "aggaria" rather than duty for their country and can't wait to be discharged so they can go about their lives... If this is the defending force required for Cyprus, well, for you it might be OK but for me it is inadequate.

Absolutely nonsense!

A professional CNG can cost less and do a better job. Most importantly, it can defend this country. Now, if you can evaluate along these lines, we can talk.

A professional soldier is better trained, and better disciplined. But a professional army will cost the RoC far more, the soldiers will be of a better standard as long as they benefit from better training, but the army would not be as capable since the CNG will literally be downsized to such a level which will make it affordable to the RoC!

Sorry mate, but a professional army of 2,000 men would be ineffective against 50,000+ Turkish Conscripts!

So go back to sleep!

PS. I probably pay more for defense in Cyprus than you do & still live in Canada, that's a fact my friend.

Do you own Cypriot shares?

[Paphitis]

Can someone please explain to me how they think 2,000 professional soldiers will even have the capability of patrolling the Green Line, let alone anything else?

You could have 2,000 of the world's best SAS and Gurkha on the Green Line, and even they would be fucked against Turkey's 50,000+ Turkish and TC conscripts.

And what about the EEZ, Oil and Gas, illegal immigration, anti terrorism and Search and Rescue duties etc!

Last time I checked, Cyprus was still a nation within one of the most volatile regions in the world. Having a well equipped CNG is not about having the ability to launch and all out attack on Turkey. It is about our defence against a nation that continues to occupy 37% of our country. It is also about Border Protection, the EEZ, Oil and Gas, terrorism, SAR and illegal immigration.

If we don't take all of this seriously, then we don't deserve a country!

Undermine it at your own peril!

[shahmaran]

GR maybe you GCs need to ask hourselves where you went wrong and what you are doing wrong today.

Where we went wrong in the last 10,000 years of Cyprus' history is too much for anyone to contemplate, but what we are doing wrong today is quite obvious and can be rectified…

…it’s our tolerance to Turkish stupidities!

You were not responsible of 10K years of history, just the last 50 or so.

We wrote your history for the last 500 years and others wrote it before that.

[Nikitas]

The CNG system is antiquated. Having permanent army camps in a nation the size of Cyprus proves the bullshit system that is blindly copied from some place else. In addition to being expensive targets, camps do nothing but crash the morale of young men locked up in them for two years. Soldiers could easily live at home and report for duty (as do their officers).

But we have no real defence or army poilicy, we are happy to hand over the matter to others and they apply (in a small island) what they learned in training colleges run by continental sized armed forces. So we get a big patata system complete with all the shortcomings listed above.

[EricSeans]

"GC National Guard purpose"

According to the way the so called National Guard have failed to stand up to Turkiye in the past, I would say their sole purpose was to Hold hands and exchange flowers - don't you think?

What a bunch of fools they are. I spent two days on the Green Line as a foriegn journalist and was shocked to see how ineffective the Greek Cypriot National Guard are - try scared, stupied and sleepy! A few hidden trips to Ayia Napa's night clubs were a priority instead of keeping watch we found. Continue buying missiles and large weapons as the Greek Cypriot soldiers are worthless on the ground.

Get rid of them they are a waste of tax payers money my Greek Cypriot Journalist friends from "The Cyprus Mail" always say. And they are old school!!

I take it the report you filed on your return to Blighty was as impartial, accurate and balanced as your post. http://www.pcc.org.uk/cop/practice.html Otherwise how can anyone take us seriously?

Also, the best field trips you can make in Cyprus are covert and unauthorised ones. Green Line tours only allow you to see what the UN want you to see, and that does not usually involve getting anywhere near enough to manned TF or NG positions to comment with any authority on military skills.