GREEK REBELLION: ALBANIA’S PART

Grey River Argus, 20 September 1948, Page 3

GREEK REBELLION: ALBANIA’S PART

LONDON, September 1.

It appears to be confirmed that several thousands of the Communist rebels of the “green democratic army” escaped into Albania* following th’eir defeat and eviction from the Gramos mountain range which was completed on .August 20. The Greek General Staff estimates that of some 16,000 rebels who were in the Mount Grammes area when the Greek National Army launched its • recent ' offensive, roughly 8500 were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner and that of the remaining 7,500. the bulk sought temporary refuge in Albania while the residue of about 1000 may have infiltrated southward into Thessaly. The rebel leader, General Markos, in an order-of-the-day issued on August 24, asserted “Our forces slipped away in an orderly manner with the whole of their units and their war material into other districts where they are continuing the struggle. The enemy succeeded only in occupying a few unoccupied positions and this only temporarily, because we shall soon be returning to Grammes.”

After discounting the bombast of the Markos communique, there are ample grounds for believing that a substantial body of the rebels has only returned into Albania in order to return to Greek territory and resume the fight against the constitutional Greek Government. Indeed, according to the latest press reports the rebels are already re-entering Greece from Albania.

The rebels’ retreat into Albania places a clear responsibility upon the shoulders of the Albanian Government, who, by international law are bound to intern them. The Albanian Government have in fact recognised this application. In a communique of August 24, the Albanian official telegraphic agency stated that in the course of the previous three days 178 members of the Greek Democratic Army had crossed into Albania, been disarmed, and sent to concentration camps. . But, having acknowledged thenresponsibility in international law the Albanian Government in the same breath admits its failure to discharge If under 2'oo rebels have been disarmed and interned, 1000 more have been allowed freedom to come and go, in violation of international law. A serious view is taken in London of this attitude on the part of the Albanian Government which confirms the conclusions reached by the United Nations Special Committee on the Balkans (U.N.5.C.0.8.) and published in its report on August 18. U.N.5.C.0.8.) therein, stated that the Greek rebels had received aid from Albania, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia in the form of war material, rest and hospital treatment. In U.N.5.C.0.8.’s considered opinion ■this aid had been on so great a scale that it must have been given with the knowledge of the Governments of the three countries. U.N. 5.C.0.8. is convinced that the continuance of this support constitutes a threat to the independence of Greece as well as to international security in the Balkans. In his radio propaganda, General Markos is attempting to make out that the main force of his Grammos army escaped intact through the lines of the Greek National Army into other Greek territory. In a broadcast of August 25 Markos claimed that “the units of the Democratic Army which were operating in northern Findus have by a clever manoeuvre which took place on the night of August 21, broken through the enemy forces and passed into the enemy’s rear with their arms and supplies and are now continuing their activity behind the enemy s This claim is considered by military critics in London to be totally unrealistic. It is pointed out that the escape referred to is stated to have taken place during one night and that a night’s march by a column encumbered with stores and wounded could hardly bring them through the Greek National Army’s gunlines and that they would be immediately spotted in the morning. Only small groups of stragglers could have infiltrated through the Greek National Army’s lines. The escape of the main rebel force could only have taken one direction—into Albania.