Kammenos backs Tsipras on handling of wildfires, shirks his own responsibility
Defence Minister Panos Kammenos attempted to justify the irresponsible stance of the government, and of PM Alexis Tsipras personally, during a news conference today
Defence Minister Panos Kammenos attempted to justify the irresponsible stance of the government, and of PM Alexis Tsipras personally, during a sudden news conference he held today.
Despite the charges of residents and people who were at the site when the inferno was approaching them, who said there were great delays in offering assistance, Kammenos insisted that there were forces in the area which could not approach people due to the conditions on the ground.
Regarding his verbal sparring with residents of the area, he said that he was “taken aback by the charges and ordered a full briefing” when he returned to the ministry.
“It is true that at Kokkino Limanaki, where residents charged that they did not see military forces, with the conditions prevailing at that moment, indeed Navy forces could not approach the area. Those forces, as the images confirm, were conducting operations and saving citizens, beyond the one mile zone where the Coast Guard was operating,” Kammenos said.
“Airborne fire protection forces were marshaled through the European assistance mechanism. There were two aircraft from Italy, one from Romania, and two from Spain. There were two bulldozers, machinery for digging trenches and eight fire trucks. A frigate was provided and remains in the area to coordinate search-and-rescue operations. There were also 70 people from the general staffs implementing the Defkalion operational plan, in Mati. In addition, 55 firefighters and two vehicles from Cyprus were used. Military hospitals in Attica were in a state of readiness,” Kammenos said in an effort at damage control, even as the country mourned dozens of dead and 25 missing persons.
Panos Kammenos hastened as a faithful junior ruling coalition partner to offer support for Alexis Tsipras, asserting that the PM’s stance was responsible.
“I do not remember in other crises seeing a prime minister assume the political responsibility. The easiest thing for one to do in such circumstances is to hide and not appear. The PM was there and his stance was responsible. The PM did not blame the winds. He was there and remains here. He visited fire-stricken areas, and I think that is a responsible stance,” Kammenoso said.
In an effort to shirk his own responsibilities, having recently blamed the residents for the fire, he called upon the opposition “to view this tragedy as Greeks, to attribute responsibilities where they exist, and then to stand by those who lost their people”.
“Regarding the issue of political responsibility, I can assure you that undoubtedly all of us, each from our position and the responsibility that each one bears from their involvement in this enormous tragedy, are seeking to find what could have been done better. There is no doubt that we could have done better,” Kammenos conceded.
Asked whether the information provided to the PM on Monday night was incorrect, Kammenos, in an effort to justify his absence over many hours, said that he did not know what happened at the televised conference, where the PM appeared with competent ministers and top brass, as he was at the national operational centre at the defence ministry.
In that framework, he offered barbs regarding the stance of competent authorities, as from the moment that it was known that there were many missing people, authorities should have had a full and clear picture before making announcements about deaths, and they also had to consider the relatives of the victims.
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