Whereas the ancient Greeks developed the concept of
democracy, in which the supreme power to govern was vested in the
people;
Whereas the Founding Fathers of the United States drew
heavily on the political experience and philosophy of ancient Greece in forming
our representative democracy;
Whereas Greek Commander in Chief Petros Mavromichalis, a
founder of the modern Greek state, said to the citizens of the United States in
1821, it is in your land that liberty has fixed her abode and . . . in
imitating you, we shall imitate our ancestors and be thought worthy of them if
we succeed in resembling you
;
Whereas Greece played a major role in the World War II
struggle to protect freedom and democracy through such bravery as was shown in
the historic Battle of Crete that presented the Axis land war with its first
major setback, setting off a chain of events that significantly affected the
outcome of World War II;
Whereas the price for Greece in holding our common values
in their region was high, as hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed in
Greece during the World War II period;
Whereas, throughout the 20th century, Greece was 1 of only
3 nations in the world, beyond the former British Empire, that was allied with
the United States in every major international conflict;
Whereas President George W. Bush, in recognizing Greek
Independence Day, said, Greece and America have been firm allies in the
great struggles for liberty. Americans will always remember Greek heroism and
Greek sacrifice for the sake of freedom . . . [and] as the 21st Century dawns,
Greece and America once again stand united; this time in the fight against
terrorism. The United States deeply appreciates the role Greece is playing in
the war against terror. . . . America and Greece are strong allies, and we’re
strategic partners.
;
Whereas Greece is a stabilizing force by virtue of its
political and economic power in the volatile Balkan region and is one of the
fastest growing economies in Europe;
Whereas Greece, through excellent work and cooperation
with United States and international law enforcement agencies, arrested and
convicted key members of the November 17 terrorist organization;
Whereas President Bush stated that Greece’s successful
law enforcement operations against a terrorist organization [November
17] responsible for three decades of terrorist attacks underscore the important
contributions Greece is making to the global war on terrorism
;
Whereas Greece was extraordinarily responsive to United
States requests during the war with Iraq, as Greece immediately granted
unlimited access to its airspace and the base in Souda Bay, and many United
States ships delivering troops, cargo, and supplies to Iraq were refueled in
Greece;
Whereas the Olympic Games came home in August 2004 to
Athens, Greece, the land of their ancient birthplace 2,500 years ago and the
city of their modern revival in 1896;
Whereas Greece received world-wide praise for its
extraordinary handling of over 14,000 athletes from 202 countries and over
2,000,000 spectators and journalists and did so efficiently, securely, and with
its famous Greek hospitality;
Whereas the unprecedented Olympic security effort in
Greece for the first post-9/11 Olympics included a record-setting expenditure
of over $1,390,000,000 and assignment of over 70,000 security personnel, as
well as the utilization of an 8-country Olympic Security Advisory Group which
included the United States;
Whereas Greece, geographically located in a region where
Christianity meets Islam and Judaism, maintains excellent relations with Muslim
nations and Israel;
Whereas Greece has had extraordinary success in recent
years in furthering cross-cultural understanding and reducing tensions between
Greece and Turkey;
Whereas Greece and the United States are at the forefront
of the effort for freedom, democracy, peace, stability, and human
rights;
Whereas those and other ideals have forged a close bond
between our 2 nations and their peoples;
Whereas March 25, 2005, marks the 184th anniversary of the
beginning of the revolution that freed the Greek people from the Ottoman
Empire; and
Whereas it is proper and desirable to celebrate with the
Greek people and to reaffirm the democratic principles from which our 2 great
nations were born: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
(1)designates March
25, 2005, as Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of
Greek and American Democracy
; and
(2)encourages the
people of the United States to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and
activities.