Pro-Najaf, Palestine protests cancel Powell Greece visit

By: Anjum Kermani

ATHENS, Greece: US Secretary of State Colin Powell on Saturday canceled a weekend visit to Greece to attend the closing ceremony of the Olympics amid protests here against US policies and for solidarity with the holy city of Najaf and Palestine.

Powell couldn't attend because of “urgent responsibilities,” the foreign ministry said.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Kurtis Cooper said the anti-American protests in Athens played no role in Powell's decision.

Friday, riot police used tear gas to disperse hundreds of demonstrators who took part in a protest against the Powell visit. They were prevented from reaching the US Embassy to protest Powell's trip.

Just hours before Powell was to arrive, Greece's Communist Party displayed a large banner at the site of the ancient Acropolis Hill to protest his trip. The banner reads in Greek “Don't forget, in Najaf they're slaughtering innocents, in Palestine they're building a wall… Powell killer go home.”

Organizers of the demonstrations termed cancellation of Powell visit as an enormous victory of the anti-war movement.

END