[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 31 (Monday, March 13, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S2042]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     SENATE RESOLUTION 399--DESIGNATING MARCH 25, 2006, AS ``GREEK 
 INDEPENDENCE DAY: A NATIONAL DAY OF CELEBRATION OF GREEK AND AMERICAN 
                              DEMOCRACY''

  Mr. SPECTER (for himself, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Allen, Mr. Bennett, Mr. 
Biden, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Carper, Mr. Chafee, Mr. Chambliss, Mrs. Clinton, 
Mr. Cochran, Mr. Craig, Mr. Dayton, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Dodd, Mrs. Dole, 
Mr. Domenici, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Feingold, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. 
Grassley, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Johnson, 
Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Kohl, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. 
Levin, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Lott, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Mikulski, Ms. 
Murkowski, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Mr. Obama, Mr. Reed, Mr. 
Reid, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Salazar, Mr. Santorum, Mr. Schumer, Mr. 
Smith, Ms. Snowe, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Sununu, Mr. Thomas, 
Mr. Voinovich, and Mr. Wyden) submitted the following resolution; which 
was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 399

       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 that ``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, which 
     provided 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 World War II;
       Whereas, throughout the 20th century, Greece was 1 of only 
     3 countries in the world, beyond the former British Empire, 
     that 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 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 is a strategic partner and ally of the 
     United States in bringing political stability and economic 
     development to the volatile Balkan region, having invested 
     over $10,000,000,000 in the region;
       Whereas Greece was extraordinarily responsive to requests 
     by the United States during the war in Iraq, as Greece 
     immediately granted unlimited access to its airspace and the 
     base in Souda Bay, and many ships of the United States that 
     delivered troops, cargo, and supplies to Iraq were refueled 
     in Greece;
       Whereas, in August 2004, the Olympic games came home 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 during the 2004 Olympics of over 
     14,000 athletes from 202 countries and over 2,000,000 
     spectators and journalists, which it did so efficiently, 
     securely, and with its famous Greek hospitality;
       Whereas the unprecedented security effort in Greece for the 
     first Olympics after the attacks on the United States on 
     September 11, 2001, 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 that included the United States;
       Whereas Greece, located in a region where Christianity 
     meets Islam and Judaism, maintains excellent relations with 
     Muslim nations and Israel;
       Whereas the Government of 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 these 2 nations and their peoples;
       Whereas March 25, 2006, marks the 185th 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 this 
     anniversary with the Greek people and to reaffirm the 
     democratic principles from which these 2 great nations were 
     born: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates March 25, 2006, 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.

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