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Wesley Clark

Wesley Clark

Wesley Kanne Clark (born December 23, 1944) is a retired four-star general in the U.S. Army. As the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO from 1997 to 2000, Clark commanded Operation Allied Force in the Kosovo conflict. Before this, he had a distinguished career in the Army and the Department of Defense. Clark received many military decorations over the course of his career. He was a candidate for the Democratic Party presidential nomination in 2004, but withdrew from the race on February 11 after a poor showing in the Democratic primaries and actively campaigned for eventual Democratic nominee John Kerry. Currently, Clark leads the WesPAC[http://www.securingamerica.com] political action committee. Clark is considered a potential candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in 2008.

Early life, education, and military career

Clark was born in Chicago, Illinois, on 23 December 1944. His father, Benjamin Kanne, was a Democratic politician, World War I veteran, and lawyer who died in 1948 when Wes was five years old (some sources say four years old). He was a Reform Jew and the son of Jacob Kanne and Ida Goldman, Jewish immigrants from Russia (Clark's middle name, Kanne, refers to his father's lineage as a Kohen, a descendant of the ancient Jewish priests).1 After the death, Veneta Updegraff Bogard Kanne, Clark's mother, returned to her home in Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1954, she married former banker Victor Clark. Wesley grew up as a Baptist and attended public schools. He graduated from Hall High School as valedictorian, having led the swim team to the state championship. valedictorian In July 1962, at the age of 17, Clark entered the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, beginning his 38 years in the U.S. military. Here Clark met Gertrude "Gert" Kingston of Brooklyn at a dance for the Navy. Clark graduated as the valedictorian in June 1966. As the first in his class, he earned the right to choose his branch of service first. Washington Post military-affairs reporter Rick Atkinson wrote: :"Now, an officer stood at the podium in South auditorium and began calling out names by class rank. ::"Clark, Wesley K. :"Wes Clark stood up, the first to choose his branch. Brilliant and intense, he had ranked at the top of his class for three of the four years and would spend his first years after graduation at Oxford as a Rhodes scholar. ::"Armor! Clark declared. :"His classmates responded with a series of cheers and catcalls, which continued through each section." Clark married Gert, and became a Roman Catholic (Clark now attends Presbyterian services). Two months later, in August, Clark was on the road again, this time to complete his studies as a Rhodes Scholar at Magdalen College at the University of Oxford. There he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), earning a second B.A. in August 1968. Once home, he attended the Armor Officer Basic Course in the Army Armor School at Fort Knox until October and the Army Ranger Course in the Army Infantry School at Fort Benning until December. The following year, Clark commanded A Company of the 4th Battalion, 68th Armor, 82d Airborne Division at Fort Riley, Kansas. In May, he was called to duty in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. For the rest of the year, Clark served in Vietnam as the Assistant Staff Officer (Assistant G-3) of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Infantry Division. In January, Clark was promoted to Captain, and was given command of a mechanized infantry unit — the A Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. mechanized infantry The next month, February 1970, then 25, Clark was wounded by a sniper in the jungle. Ambushed by the Viet Cong, Clark was shot four times (in the right shoulder, right hand, right hip and right leg) before he could find cover. He managed to shout commands to troops, who launched a counterattack and defeated the enemy force. Clark's wounds were treated, and he was flown back to the United States to recuperate at Valley Forge Hospital. There he saw his new four-month-old son, Wesley Jr., who had been born in his absence. He also was awarded the Bronze Star and Silver Star: :"As the friendly force maneuvered through the treacherous region, it was suddenly subjected to an intense small arms fire from a well-concealed insurgent element. Although painfully wounded in the initial volley, Captain Clark immediately directed his men on a counter-assault of the enemy positions. With complete disregard for his personal safety, Captain Clark remained with his unit until the reactionary force arrived and the situation was well in hand. His courageous initiative and exemplary professionalism significantly contributed to the successful outcome of the engagement. Captain Clark's unquestionable valor in close combat against a hostile force is in keeping with the finest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the 1st Infantry Division, and the United States Army." After recovering, Clark continued his military career. From May to September 1970, Clark commanded the C Company, 6th Battalion, 32d Armor, 194th Armored Brigade at Fort Knox; from October of that year to May 1971 he commanded the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson. After this, Clark spent the June and July in Washington, DC as a Staff Officer in the Modern Volunteer Army program, working as a Special Assistant for the Chief of Staff. Clark later returned to West Point for three years as an instructor and Assistant Professor of Social Science. After this, he graduated from the National War College and Command and General Staff College, as well as completing Armor Officer Advanced and Basic Courses and Army Ranger and Airborne schools. From 1975 to 1976, Clark was a White House Fellow and served as a Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Later, he was an instructor and Assistant Professor of Social Science at West Point. Clark commanded the 1st Battalion, 77th Armor, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado and later trained there and in Germany. He was later promoted to general. During the Persian Gulf War, Clark became Commander of the Army National Training Center, in charge of arranging the 1st Cavalry Division's three emergency deployments to Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm. In 1994, Clark was again promoted, and started working with the Joint Chiefs of Staff as Director for Strategic Plans and Policy. During this time, Clark ensured that the United Nations and Department of Defense worked together during the invasion of Haiti.

In the Balkans

Haiti Under the overall leadership of Richard Holbrooke, Clark headed the U.S. military team during negotiations that led to the Bosnian Peace Accords, in Dayton, Ohio. From 1997, he was head of the U.S. European Command (CINCEUR), responsible for about 109,000 U.S. troops and all U.S. military activities in 89 countries and territories of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. As Supreme Allied Commander (SACEUR) he also had overall command of NATO military forces in Europe and led approximately 60,000 troops from 37 NATO and other nations in Bosnia-Herzegovina. As SACEUR, he confronted Yugoslavia over Kosovo. NATO's 78-day bombing campaign ended with the Kumanovo truce, a withdrawal of Yugoslav military and police force from Kosovo, and the entry of NATO and other Kosovo Force soldiers. In December 2003, Clark testified at Milosevic's trial in the International Criminal Tribunal. His appearance was not public and transcripts of his testimony were subject to U.S. review before being released, a precaution the U.S. didn't take when Madeleine Albright testified. Clark's testimony was sought because he had spoken with Milosevic for a total of more than 100 hours, in his role as the head of the U.S. military team during the Dayton Agreement negotiations and as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. However, in April 1999 Clark had stated in an interview with the BBC program Panorama, that the NATO bombing campaign “was not designed as a means of blocking Serb ethnic cleansing. It was not designed as a means of waging war against the Serb and MUP [paramilitary police] forces in Kosovo. Not in any way. There was never any intent to do that. That was not the idea.” Thus, the war's opponents claimed that NATO's armed intervention was both unlawful in nature and means. Another controversial part of Clark's command in Kosovo came after the end of the military campaign and involved the use of a Kosovo airfield by the Russian military. After a small Russian force left their peacekeeping station in Bosnia unannounced and took control of the Slatina airfield, near Pristina, on June 10, 1999, there was (according to a BBC report) a "battle of wills" between Clark and the British NATO commander, Lt. Gen. Mike Jackson. Clark ordered British forces to block the runways to the airfield, to prevent the Russian troops from being resupplied from their homeland. This maneuver would have been one step short of hostile, and Jackson did not comply, reportedly later saying: "I'm not going to start the Third World War for you." Clark, in an NPR interview, said that the incident was a surprising moment for him. Clark stated that his order to block the runways was refused by an emotional Jackson and that he took the matter up the British chain of command. In his book Waging Modern War, Clark says Jackson protested, "Sir, I'm a three-star general; you can't give me orders like this," and that he responded, "Mike, I'm a four-star general, and I can tell you these things." Clark stated that General Sir Charles Guthrie, British Chief of the Defence Staff, agreed with Jackson. Guthrie, according to Clark, also told him that Hugh Shelton, the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, also agreed with him. Clark said he found this very surprising, contending that the original suggestion to block the Russians came from Washington. Clark stated that he called the Pentagon, looking for support, and was told by Shelton: "We don't want a confrontation, but I do support you." Clark said that he told Shelton: "Then you've got a policy problem". Clark maintained in the NPR interview that the matter was a difference in the perception of the policy between the US administration and the British government. Clark said he believed he was carrying out the suggestions of the administration in Washington. The Clinton administration later persuaded Hungary and Romania to deny Russia flight over their airspace, preventing the Russians from landing transport planes carrying reinforcements to their troops at Pristina. In July 1999, the Russians agreed to integrate their forces into NATO's operations.

Presidential candidacy

1999 After retiring from the army, Clark worked as a military and international affairs analyst, including a stint as a commentator for CNN. He began preparations for a Democratic 2004 presidential candidacy in 2002, including visits to the all-important first primary state of New Hampshire. By August 2003, several organized groups began a nationwide campaign to "draft Clark" for the Democratic Party's nomination for the 2004 presidential election. CNN on 13 August showed a commercial by one of these groups, and interviewed Clark. He disavowed any connection with the "draft Clark" groups, but said he had been considering his position and that within a few weeks he would likely make public his decision on whether or not to run. He also fueled speculation with a television interview in which he first declared himself a Democrat. On September 17, 2003 in Little Rock, Arkansas, Clark announced his intention to run in the presidential primary election for the Democratic Party nomination, becoming the tenth and last Democrat to do so (coming many months after the others): "My name is Wes Clark. I am from Little Rock, Arkansas, and I am here to announce that I intend to seek the presidency of the United States of America." He said, "We're going to run a campaign that will move this country forward, not back." His campaign focused on themes of leadership and patriotism; early campaign ads relied heavily on biography. His late start left him with relatively few detailed policy proposals. This weakness was apparent in his first few debates, although he soon presented a range of position papers, including a major tax-relief plan. Many Democrats flocked to his campaign. They were drawn by his impressive military background, and saw such foreign policy credentials as a valuable asset in challenging George W. Bush post-11 September. Advisors and supporters portrayed him as more electable than Howard Dean, who was the frontrunner for the party's nomination up until the Iowa caucus. Criticism of Clark began almost the moment he entered the race. Originally heralded as an anti-war general, he stumbled in the first few days of his candidacy. He was perceived as changing his answer on how he would have voted on the Iraq war resolution. His supporters argued that his perceived indecision was due to lack of experience with the media and their insistence on short "sound bite" answers. A relatively recent convert to the Democratic Party, Clark stated that he voted for Republican candidates in the past, including Presidents Nixon and Reagan. He previously made positive comments about the Bush administration and its foreign policy team, including one at a GOP fundraiser in 2001. Questions were also raised about his involvement in lobbying the Pentagon. In answer, Clark supporters emphasized the progressive character of his policy positions. A frequent refrain, echoed in the campaign's official "Talking Points for Supporters," is that he is "pro-choice, pro-affirmative action, pro-environment, pro-health care, and pro-labor." Clark was supported by documentary filmmaker Michael Moore, as well as pop singer Madonna, who held a fundraiser for his campaign at her Los Angeles home. In a thirty-second campaign commercial aimed at young people released October 30, 2003, his presidential campaign made reference to the hip hop duo OutKast. In the ad, Clark is sitting in a coffee shop with a dozen middle-class young adults of various American ethnicities. The young adults do not speak, but sit and listen as Clark appears to be answering their questions. "Well, to answer your questions, no, I would not have voted for the Iraq war...I am pro-choice and I am a strong believer in Affirmative Action...And I don't care what the other candidates say, I don't think OutKast is really breaking up. Andre 3000 and Big Boi just cut solo records, that's all." The last comment prompts a blond-bearded young man to say approvingly "all right" and to tap fists with Clark. Clark's campaign also made an aggressive effort to develop a strong base of Meetup users, starting in November, 2003, and "Clark in 2004" was soon the second most popular Meetup topic, immediately following "Dean in 2004". His campaign developed a very strong Internet following which was brought together with an ambitious Web initiative: the [http://www.forclark.com/ Clark Community Network], an integrated system of blogs and Web tools. Its E-Blocks, and campaign train allowed Clark to raise more money during January 2004 than any other candidate. This innovative technology was cutting edge, but largely overlooked by media excitement over the Dean Internet strategy. In January of 2004, he decided to bypass campaigning in the Iowa caucus, instead focusing his campaign to win or place second in New Hampshire, and announced a plan that would raise taxes on upper-income individuals in order to cut income taxes for "all families of four earning below $50,000". His son later mused that the former was a fatal mistake. Clark focused on winning New Hampshire, or placing second to Dean, to position himself to defeat presumed frontrunner Dean, but when John Kerry and John Edwards each placed ahead of Dean in the Iowa caucuses, they drew the media focus in the days immediately before the New Hampshire primary. Clark took third place in New Hampshire, behind New Englanders Kerry and Dean. The younger Clark suggested that had Clark remained a candidate in Iowa he, instead of Kerry and Edwards, might have benefited from Dean's drop in support. Despite this setback, Clark decided to remain in the race, at least until February 3, when 8 primaries — many in the South, Clark's regional base — would be held. He won only the Oklahoma primary. Following 3 February, he moved on to campaign in Tennessee and Virginia, states he hoped would provide him the necessary momentum to remain in the race. After placing third in the primaries in both Tennessee and Virginia, he withdrew from the race on February 11, 2004. A day after his withdrawal, Clark announced he would endorse John Kerry, at a rally in Madison, Wisconsin.

After the primaries

Following Clark's endorsement of John Kerry, he worked to fundraise and speak out against the Bush administration and their handling of Iraq. He wrote extensive editorial articles, made frequent appearances on televised political talk shows, and founded a new political action committee called [http://www.securingamerica.com WesPAC]. In addition, he has maintained a very strong following of dedicated supporters who discuss and spread his ideals presented during the primaries. They have called themselves "Clarkies", "Clarkistas," Wes Clark Democrats, or Wes Wingers. Following John Kerry's defeat in the 2004 election, Wesley Clark is viewed as a possible Democratic Party candidate for President or Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, one who can unite the various factions of the Democratic party, as well as bringing in independents and moderate Republican voters. In June 2005 Fox News Channel announced that they had signed General Clark as a military and foreign affairs analyst.

Life events


- 1966 June, Marries Gertrude Kingston.
- 1969-1970 Commander of a mechanized infantry company in combat in Vietnam wounded four times receiving Purple Heart and Silver Star
- 1975-6 White House Fellow, Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
- 1994-6 Director of the Pentagon's Strategic Plans and Policy operation, responsible to the Joint Chiefs of Staff for world-wide politico-military affairs and U.S. military strategic planning. Led the military negotiations for the Bosnian Peace Accords at Dayton.
- 1996-7 Commander in chief of the U.S. Southern Command, Panama, controlling all U.S. forces & most U.S. military activities in Latin America and the Caribbean.
- 1997-2000 Supreme Allied Commander of NATO (SACEUR), and Commander-in-Chief for the United States European Command (CINCEUR).
- June 2000 Retires from military service
- July 2000 Senior adviser at CSIS
- 2000-2, Corporate consultant for Little Rock-based Stephens Group Inc. helps develop emerging-technology companies.
- 2003 17 September, Announces candidacy to become the Democratic Party nominee for President
- 2004 11 February, Withdraws from race for Democratic Party Presidential nominee

Current offices

This list is not complete
- Chairman and CEO of Wesley K. Clark & Associates, a business services and development firm based in Little Rock
- Vice Chairman and Senior Advisor, James Lee Witt Associates, an emergency management and homeland security consulting firm based in Washington, D.C.
- Founder & Chairman of "Leadership for America", an independent non-partisan, non-profit organization "fostering the national dialogue about America's future"
- Senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
- Director of the Atlantic Council
- Board member of the International Crisis Group
- Senior military analyst for CNN, commenting on the US anti-terrorism activities, the 2003 invasion of Iraq and foreign policy
- (As of June 2005) Military and foreign affairs analyst, Fox News Channel

Military decorations

Other honors

  • Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire;
  • Commander of the Legion of Honor (France);
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany;
  • Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Orange-Nassau, with Swords (Netherlands);
  • Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy;
  • Grand Cross of the Medal of Military Merit (Portugal);
  • The Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of Republic of Poland;
  • Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg;
  • Grand Medal of Military Merit (White Band) (Spain);
  • The Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (Belgium);
  • Cross of Merit of the Minister of Defense First Class (Czech Republic);
  • Order of Merit of the Hungarian Republic;
  • Commander's Cross, The Silver Order of Freedom of the Republic of Slovenia;
  • Madarski Konnik Medal (Bulgaria);
  • Commemorative Medal of the Minister of Defence of the Slovak Republic First Class (Slovakia);
  • First Class Order of Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas (Lithuania);
  • Order of the Cross of the Eagle (Estonia);
  • The Skanderbeg Medal (Albania);
  • Order of Merit of Morocco;
  • Order of Merit of Argentina;
  • The Grade of Prince Butmir w/Ribbon and Star (Croatia)
  • The Military Service Cross of Canada

Notes

1 For more information on Clark's Jewish heritage and his religious views in general, see the following: :Kampeas, Ron. "[http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?intarticleid=13221&intcategoryid=3 Latest contender for president comes from long line of rabbis]." JTA News] 17 September 2003 :Kampeas, Ron. "[http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?strwebhead=Clark%B4s+name+shows+lineage&intcategoryid=3 What´s in a name? For Clark, clues to his Jewish heritage]." JTA News] 14 October 2003 :Kampeas, Ron. "[http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/1008/format/print/edition_id/8/displaystory.print Rabbinical past revised: Wesley Clark corrects Jewish heritage remarks]." JTA News] 17 October 2003 : Clark, Wesley. [http://www.belief.net/story/136/story_13636.html Interview with Steven Waldman]. Beliefnet. ¹The following references report the confrontation. Clark devotes an entire chapter to the incident in his book Waging Modern War (Chap. 15).
- [http://www.iht.com/IHT/DIPLO/99/jf061999.html International Herald Tribune]
- [http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/europe/9906/12/kosovo.07/#3 CNN, 12 June 1999]
- [http://www.nettime.org/Lists-Archives/nettime-l-9908/msg00007.html Sunday Times, 2 August 1999]
- [http://www.guardian.co.uk/Kosovo/Story/0,2763,219520,00.html The Guardian, 11 May 2000]

Sources


- Atkinson, Rick. The Long Gray Line: The American Journey of West Point's Class of 1966. 1999. ISBN 0805062912.
- Clark For President. [http://www.clark04.com]
- Clark, Wesley K. Waging Modern War: Bosnia, Kosovo, and the Future of Combat. 2002. ISBN 1586481398.
- Clark, Wesley K. Winning Modern Wars: Iraq, Terrorism, and the American Empire. 2003. ISBN 1586482181.
- Felix, Antonia. Wesley K. Clark: A Biography. 2004. ISBN 1557046255.
- Junod, Tom. "The General." Esquire. August 2003: Volume 140, Issue 2.[http://www.esquire.com/cgi-bin/printtool/print.cgi?pages=9&filename=%2Ffeatures%2Farticles%2F2003%2F030801_mfe_clark.html&x=62&y=15] Clark, Wesley Clark, Wesley Clark, Wesley Clark, Wesley Clark, Wesley Clark, Wesley Clark, Wesley Clark, Wesley Clark, Wesley Clark, Wesley Clark, Wesley Clark, Wesley

December 23

December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (358th in leap years). There are 8 days remaining.

Events


- 619 - Boniface V becomes Pope
- 1493 - The Latin edition of the Nuremberg Chronicle is published
- 1620 - Construction of Plymouth Colony begins
- 1783 - George Washington resigns as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army at Annapolis, Maryland.
- 1823 - A Visit From St. Nicholas, attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, is first published
- 1888 - Vincent Van Gogh cut off his ear.
- 1909 - Albert I of Belgium becomes King.
- 1913 - The Federal Reserve Act becomes law.
- 1916 - World War I: In the Battle of Magdhaba, Allied forces capture a Turkish garrison on the Sinai peninsula.
- 1936 - Colombia becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.
- 1947 - The transistor is first demonstrated at Bell Laboratories
- 1954 - The first human organ transplant, of a kidney, was performed by Doctors Murray and Harrison at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston.
- 1964 - Beach Boys' bassist/keyboardist Brian Wilson suffers a nervous breakdown on a flight from Los Angeles to Houston, eventually precipitating his retirement.
- 1972 - The Nicaragua capital city, Managua was struck by a 6.5 magnitude earthquake.
- 1972 - Terry Bradshaw throws the Immaculate Reception pass "to" Franco Harris.
- 1972 - The survivors of the Andes flight disaster are rescued after 73 days.
- 1973 - A Sobelair Caravelle passenger jet crashes in Morocco, killing 106
- 1979 - Soviet invasion of Afghanistan: Soviet military units occupy Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan
- 1982 - The Environmental Protection Agency recommends the evacuation of Times Beach, Missouri due to dangerous levels of dioxin contamination
- 1986 - The Scaled Composites Voyager aircraft completes the first non-stop flight around the world without refueling.
- 1990 - Republic of Slovenia votes to secede from Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
- 2004 - An earthquake measured 8.1 on the Richter scale hits Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean, one day before the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake.

Births


- 1513 - Thomas Smith, English diplomat and scholar (d. 1577)
- 1537 - King John III of Sweden (d. 1592)
- 1582 - Severo Bonini, Italian composer (d. 1663)
- 1597 - Martin Opitz von Boberfeld, German poet (d. 1639)
- 1613 - Carl Gustaf Wrangel, Swedish soldier (d. 1676)
- 1621 - Edmund Berry Godfrey, English magistrate (d. 1678)
- 1621 - Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Nottingham, Lord Chancellor of England (d. 1682)
- 1689 - Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, French composer (d. 1755)
- 1732 - Richard Arkwright, English industrialist and inventor (d. 1792)
- 1750 - King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony (d. 1827)
- 1777 - Tsar Alexander I of Russia (d. 1825)
- 1790 - Jean François Champollion, French Egyptologist (d. 1832)
- 1804 - Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve, French literary critic (d. 1869)
- 1805 - Joseph Smith, Jr., American founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (d. 1844)
- 1819 - Jan Jakob Lodewijk ten Kate, Dutch poet and clergyman (d. 1889)
- 1822 - Wilhelm Bauer, German engineer (d. 1875)
- 1867 - Madame C. J. Walker, American millionaire (d. 1919)
- 1885 - Pierre Brissaud, French artist (d. 1964)
- 1891 - Alexandr Rodchenko, Russian painter and photographer (d. 1956)
- 1907 - Avraham Stern, Polish-born Zionist leader (d. 1942)
- 1908 - Yousuf Karsh, Turkish-born photographer (d. 2002)
- 1911 - Niels Kaj Jerne, English-born immunologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (d. 1994)
- 1918 - Helmut Schmidt, Chancellor of Germany
- 1918 - José Greco, Italian-born flamenco dancer (d. 2001)
- 1922 - Micheline Ostermeyer, French athlete and musician
- 1923 - Günther Schifter, Austrian music journalist
- 1923 - Claudio Scimone, Italian conductor
- 1923 - James Stockdale, U.S. Navy admiral
- 1926 - Robert Bly, American poet
- 1931 - Ronnie Schell, American actor
- 1933 - Akihito, Emperor of Japan
- 1935 - Paul Hornung, American football player
- 1936 - Frederic Forrest, American actor
- 1940 - Jorma Kaukonen, American musician
- 1941 - Tim Hardin, American musician (d. 1980)
- 1943 - Mikhail Gromov, Russian-born mathematician
- 1943 - Harry Shearer, American actor
- 1943 - Silvia Sommerlath, Queen of Sweden
- 1944 - Wesley Clark, U.S. general and NATO Supreme Allied Commander
- 1947 - Susan Lucci, American actress
- 1948 - Jack Ham, American football player
- 1949 - Adrian Belew, Guitarist, Singer, Songwriter, Producer
- 1950 - Michael C. Burgess, American politician
- 1952 - William Kristol, American political commentator
- 1956 - Dave Murray, English musician (Iron Maiden)
- 1958 - Victoria Williams, American singer
- 1961 - Carol Smillie, British television personality
- 1963 - Jim Harbaugh, American football player
- 1964 - Eddie Vedder, American musician (Pearl Jam)
- 1969 - Martha Byrne, American actress
- 1970 - Catriona LeMay Doan, Canadian speed skater
- 1971 - Corey Haim, Canadian actor
- 1971 - Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, British socialite
- 1975 - Sky Lopez, American actress
- 1977 - Alge Crumpler, American football player
- 1978 - Andra Davis, American football player
- 1978 - Esthero, Canadian musician and singer
- 1978 - Víctor Martínez, Venezuelan Major League Baseball player
- 1978 - Estella Warren, Canadian model and actress
- 1981 - Beth, Spanish singer

Deaths


- 910 - Naum of Preslav, Bulgarian scholar
- 913 - Conrad of Franconia
- 1230 - Berengaria of Navarre, queen of Richard I of England
- 1556 - Nicholas Udall, English playwright (b. 1504)
- 1568 - Roger Ascham, tutor of Elizabeth I of England
- 1575 - Akiyama Nobutomo, Japanese warrior (b. 1531)
- 1588 - Henry I, Duke of Guise, French Catholic leader (b. 1550)
- 1631 - Michael Drayton, English poet (b. 1563)
- 1646 - François Maynard, French poet (b. 1582)
- 1652 - John Cotton, founder of Boston, Massachusetts (b. 1585)
- 1675 - Caesar, duc de Choiseul, French marshal and diplomat (b. 1602)
- 1722 - Pierre Varignon, French mathematician (b. 1654)
- 1771 - Marie-Marguerite d'Youville, Canadian saint (b. 1701)
- 1761 - Alestair Ruadh MacDonnell, Scottish Jacobite spy
- 1779 - Augustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol, British admiral and politician (b. 1724)
- 1789 - Charles-Michel de l'Épée, French philanthropist and developer of signed French (b. 1712)
- 1793 - Johann Adolph Hasse, German composer (b. 1699)
- 1795 - Henry Clinton, British general (b. 1730)
- 1805 - Pehr Osbeck, Swedish explorer and naturalist (b. 1723)
- 1834 - Thomas Malthus, English demographer and economist (b. 1766)
- 1846 - Jean Baptiste Bory de Saint-Vincent, French naturalist (b. 1780)
- 1872 - Theophile Gautier, French writer (b. 1811)
- 1912 - Otto Schoetensack, German anthropologist (b. 1850)
- 1939 - Anthony Fokker, Dutch aircraft manufacturer (b. 1890)
- 1948 - Hideki Tojo, Prime Minister of Japan (hanged) (b. 1884)
- 1953 - Lavrenty Beria, Soviet Communist leader (b. 1899)
- 1970 - Charles Ruggles, American actor (b. 1886)
- 1973 - Charles Atlas, Italian-born bodybuilder (b. 1892)
- 1973 - Irna Phillips, American television writer, director, and producer (b. 1901)
- 1979 - Peggy Guggenheim, American art collector (b. 1898)
- 1982 - Jack Webb, American actor, producer, and director (b. 1920)
- 1992 - Eddie Hazel, American guitarist (Funkadelic) (b. 1950)
- 1994 - Sebastian Shaw, English actor (b. 1905)
- 2000 - Billy Barty, American actor (b. 1924)
- 2000 - Victor Borge, Danish-born comedian and pianist (b. 1909)
- 2004 - P. V. Narasimha Rao, ninth Prime Minister of India (b. 1921)

Holidays and observances


- Japan - The Emperor's Birthday - Birthday of Akihito, the current Emperor of Japan
- Sweden - Birthday of Queen Silvia, an official flag day
- Oaxaca - Night of the Radishes
- Roman Empire - Larentalia, a festival in honor of Larenta
- Ancient Latvia - Ziemassvetki held
- Fans of Seinfeld - Festivus held
- Secular humanism (American) - HumanLight observed

External links


- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/23 BBC: On This Day]
- [http://www.tnl.net/when/12/23 Today in History: December 23] ---- December 22 - December 24 - November 23 - January 23 -- listing of all days ko:12월 23일 ms:23 Disember ja:12月23日 simple:December 23 th:23 ธันวาคม

General

General is a high military rank, used by nearly every country in the world. General may be a rank on its own, or can be used as a generic term for "general officers". In most nations, the various grades of General are at the top of the rank structure; but some countries have even higher ranks such as Field Marshal or Marshal. General Officer, often referred to less formally and imprecisely as "General", refers to a military officer who holds any rank grade of General. The exact rank of a general may be determined by combining a prefix (e.g. Major General) or suffix (e.g. General of the Army) with the word general. A General, without prefix or suffix (and sometimes referred to informally as a "full general"), is usually the most senior general officer rank, above Lieutenant General. In some armies, however, the rank of Captain General, General of the Army, Army General or Colonel General occupied or occupies this position. These ranks may be considered to be equivalent to a full General or to a Field Marshal, depending on the army in question. While historically an army rank, General is also used in most air forces, although those based on the British Royal Air Force use Air Marshal instead, with Air Officer being the generic title. In most navies of the world, the equivalent rank is Admiral and the generic term is Flag Officer; however a noteworthy historical exception was the Cromwellian naval rank General at sea. The rank of General began appearing around the time of the organization of professional armies in the 17th century. At first, it was added as an adjective to existing names of ranks, yielding Colonel General, Captain General, Lieutenant General and Sergeant Major General. These titles were used to distinguish the ruler's most important officers and usually involved a certain amount of negotiation over precedence.

General ranks by seniority

The following are the commoner modern grades of General, listed by seniority. Not all countries use all these ranks, although the lowest four are common to many. The highest rank is only used in the US. Grades of general are also not necessarily equal in all countries (for instance, in some countries Major General is the lowest general officer rank and may well be closer to Brigadier General in countries that have them). In some European and Commonwealth nations, the equivalent to Brigadier General is Brigadier, which is not considered to be a general officer rank, although it is generally considered to be equivalent to the rank of Brigadier General. During World War I and World War II, the German Navy maintained a rank known as General Admiral, but this was a naval position unconnected to the regular land forces rank of General. The rank of General may also be found commonly in fiction sources especially war dramas or science fiction settings.

General ranks by country

The following articles deal with the rank of General as it is employed in the militaries of various countries.
- Aluf (Israel)
- Général (France)
- General (Germany)
- General (Switzerland)
- General (United Kingdom)
- General (United States)
- Daejang (North Korea)
- Taejang (South Korea)

See also


- Generalissimo
- Shogun
- Comparative military ranks
- U.S. Army officer rank insignia
- British Army officer rank insignia
- Polish Armed Forces rank insignia

External links


- [http://www.generals.dk/ Generals of World War II]
- [http://schema-root.org/region/americas/north_america/usa/government/executive/departments/defense/personnel/generals/ Schema-root.org: US Generals] News feeds for US Generals in the news Category:Military ranks
- ja:将軍

Supreme Allied Commander

Supreme Allied Commander is the title given to the most senior commander of some multinational organisations. It originated as a term used by the western allies during World War II and is currently used by NATO.

World War Two

During WWII there were three areas which had supreme commanders in name and two others which effectively had supreme commanders. The three in name were the Supreme Allied Commander Mediterranean (SACMED), Supreme Allied Command South East Asia (SACSEA) and Supreme Commander Allied Expeditionary Force (SCAEF) in north west Europe. The American Commander-in-Chief South West Pacific and Commander-in-Chief Pacific Ocean Areas also functioned as de facto supreme commanders. These commanders reported to the Combined Chiefs of Staff, although in the case of the American commanders in the Pacific and SACSEA, the relevant national command authorities of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or the Chiefs of Staff Committee had responsibility of the main conduct of the war in the theatre of operations. General of the Army Dwight Eisenhower was probably the most high profile of the supreme commanders. He served successively as SACMED and SCAEF. Eisenhower was succeeded as SACMED by Field Marshal Henry Maitland Wilson who was in turn succeeded by Field Marshal Harold Alexander. The post of SACSEA was occupied throughout its existence by Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten. Following the end of the war, the term came into use again with the formation of NATO. At which point Eisenhower again found himself a Supreme Allied Commander.

NATO

The NATO structure is divided into two commands, one for operations and one for transformation. Each has a Supreme Allied Commander as highest ranking military officer.
- Allied Command Operations (ACO) is located at SHAPE, Mons, Belgium. It is headed by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), a U.S. four star general with the dual-hatted role of heading U.S. European Command. (SACEUR has retained the traditional title including Europe although the responsibilities were extended to all allied operations in 2003.)
- Allied Command Transformation (ACT) is located in Norfolk, Virginia. It is headed by the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT), a U.S. flag (four star) admiral with the dual-hatted role as commander U.S. Joint Forces Command (COMUSJFCOM).

History

Until June 2003 the operational structure of NATO was divided into "Europe" and "Atlantic". Correspondingly the commanders were known as Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) and Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). The first SACEUR (1951-1952) was General Dwight Eisenhower. The current (since 2003) Commander is General James L. Jones (USMC), who succeeded General Joseph Ralston (USAF). The Supreme Commander is always an American. In June 2003 the SACLANT organisation was decomissioned and Allied Command Transformation was established. This is a transitory command, intended to reshape the NATO command structure to respond to rapidly changing world situations and technology. The commander of the new organisation is Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani, Jr., U.S. Navy. The headquarters of ACT is at the old SACLANT headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, USA.

See also


- Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT)
- Generalissimo
- Headquarters Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps

External link


- [http://www.act.nato.int ACT homepage] Category:NATO Category:World War II

NATO

:NATO is also an acronym for the National Association of Theatre Owners. National Association of Theatre Owners National Association of Theatre Owners The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C., on April 4, 1949. Its headquarters are located in Brussels, Belgium. Its other official name is the French equivalent, l'Organisation du Traité de l'Atlantique du Nord (OTAN).

Purpose

The core of NATO is Article V of the NATO Treaty, which states: :The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all. Consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area. This provision was intended so that if the USSR and its allies launched an attack against any of the NATO members, it would be treated as if it was an attack on all member states. This marked a significant change for the United States, which had traditionally favoured isolationist policies. However, the feared invasion of Western Europe never came. Instead, the provision was invoked for the first time in the treaty's history on September 12, 2001, in response to the September 11 attacks on the United States the day before. NATO Summit 2006 will take place in Latvia.

History

Chronology of events

Latvia
- March 17, 1948: The Benelux countries, France, and the United Kingdom sign the Treaty of Brussels, a precursor to the NATO Agreement.
- April 4, 1949: North Atlantic Treaty is signed in Washington, DC.
- May 14, 1955: Warsaw Pact treaty is signed in Warsaw by the Soviet Union and its satellite states as a formal response to NATO. Both organisations are opposing sides in the Cold War. After the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, the Warsaw Pact disintegrates.
- 1966: Charles de Gaulle removes French armed forces from NATO's integrated military command to pursue its own nuclear defence programme. All non-French NATO troops are forced to leave France. This precipitates the relocation of the NATO Headquarters from Paris, France to Brussels, Belgium by October 16, 1967. While the political headquarters are located in Brussels the military headquarters, the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), are located just south of Brussels, in the town of Mons.
- July 1, 1968: The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty opened for signature. NATO argued its nuclear weapons sharing arrangements did not breach the treaty as U.S. forces controlled the weapons until a decision is made to go to war, at which point the treaty would no longer be controlling. Few states knew of the NATO nuclear sharing arrangements at that time, and they were not challenged.
- May 30, 1978 NATO countries define two complementary aims of the Alliance, to maintain security and pursue détente. This is supposed to mean matching defences at the level rendered necessary by the Warsaw Pact's offensive capabilities without spurring a further arms race.
- December 12, 1979 In light of a build-up of Warsaw Pact nuclear capabilities in Europe, ministers approved the deployment of US Cruise and Pershing II theatre nuclear weapons in Europe. The new warheads are also meant to strengthen the western negotiating position in regard to nuclear disarmament.
- May 30, 1982: Spain joins the alliance.
- 1983-84: Responding to the stationing of Warsaw Pact SS-20 medium-range missiles in Europe, NATO deploys modern Pershing II missiles able to reach Moscow within minutes. This action leads to bitter peace movement protests throughout Western Europe.
- May 1984: A NATO manoeuvre codenamed Able Archer, which simulates a NATO response to a Soviet nuclear attack, causes panic in the Kremlin. Soviet leader Yuri Andropov becomes concerned that U.S. President Ronald Reagan intends to launch a real first strike, and places Soviet nuclear forces at full readiness. Only after the collapse of the Soviet Union does it become clear that US intelligence had mistaken real Soviet nervousness for propaganda efforts.
- October 3, 1990: With the reunification of Germany, the former East Germany becomes part of the Federal Republic of Germany and the alliance. This had been agreed in the Two Plus Four Treaty earlier in the year. To secure Soviet approval of united Germany remaining in NATO, it is agreed that there will be no new foreign military bases in the east, and that nuclear weapons will not be permanently stationed there.
- March 31, 1991: The Warsaw Pact comes to an end. It is officially dissolved on July 1, 1991. The Soviet Union collapses in December of the same year.
- February 8, 1994: NATO takes its first military action, shooting down two Bosnian Serb aircraft violating a UN no-fly zone over central Bosnia and Herzegovina. NATO airstrikes the following year help bring the war in Bosnia to an end, resulting in the Dayton Agreement.
- July 8, 1997: Three former communist countries, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland, are invited to join NATO. They join in 1999.
- March 24, 1999: NATO sees its first broad-scale military engagement in the Kosovo War, where it wages an 11-week bombing campaign against what was then the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, aimed at preventing the alleged ethnic cleansing of Albanians. It ends on June 11, 1999, when Yugoslavian leader Slobodan Milošević agrees to NATO's demands.
- April 1999: At the Washington summit, Germany proposes that NATO adopt a no-first-use nuclear strategy; the proposal is rejected.
- September 12, 2001: NATO provisionally invokes, for the first time in its history, the collective security clause of its charter. Article 5 states that any attack on a member state is considered an attack against the entire alliance. This comes in response to the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack against the United States.
- October 5, 2001: NATO confirms the invocation of Article 5, having determined that the attacks of 11 September were eligible under the terms of the North Atlantic Treaty. [http://www.nato.int/docu/update/2001/1001/e1002a.htm]
- November 21, 2002: During the Prague summit, seven countries are invited to start talks in order to join the Alliance: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania. The invited countries join NATO on March 29, 2004. Further countries express the wish to join the alliance, including Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, and Croatia. The summit also launches the NATO Response Force (NRF).
- February 10, 2003: NATO faces a crisis when France and Belgium veto the procedure of silent approval concerning the timing of protective measures for Turkey in case of a possible war with Iraq. Germany does not use its right to break the procedure but says it supports the veto. Germany
- April 16, 2003: NATO agrees to take command in August of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. The decision comes at the request of Germany and the Netherlands, the two nations leading ISAF at the time of the agreement. All 19 NATO ambassadors approve it unanimously. The handover of control to NATO takes place on August 11, and marked the first time in NATO's history that it takes charge of a mission outside the north Atlantic area. Canada had originally been slated to take over ISAF by itself on that date.
- June 19, 2003: A major restructuring of the NATO military commands begins as the Headquarters of the Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic was abolished and a new command, Allied Command Transformation (ACT), was established in Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. and the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) became Allied Command Operations (ACO). ACT is responsible for driving transformation (future capabilities) in NATO, whilst ACO is responsible for current operations.
- March 29, 2004: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia join NATO.

Member states

2004 Greece and Turkey joined the initial 12 members of the organisation in February 1952. Germany joined as West Germany in 1955 and German reunification on October 3, 1990 extended the membership to the areas of the former German Democratic Republic which became part of the Federal Republic of Germany. Spain was admitted on May 301982, and the former Warsaw Pact countries of Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic made history by becoming members on March 121999. France is a member of NATO, but it withdrew from the integrated military command in 1966. Following this decision, the NATO headquarters was moved from Paris to Brussels. Iceland, the sole member of NATO which does not have its own military force (the Icelandic Defense Force being the United States Military contingent permanently stationed in Iceland), joined on the condition that they would not be expected to establish one. Greece withdrew its forces from NATO’s military command structure from 1974 to 1980 as a result of Greco-Turkish tensions following the 1974 Cyprus dispute. The former Warsaw Pact countries of Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania officially acceded to NATO on March 292004. They attended their first NATO meeting in April 2004. Albania, Croatia, and the F.Y.R. of Macedonia are the three countries currently in the NATO MAP (Membership Action Programme); they are likely to join NATO in the future.

Founding members (April 4, 1949)

2004
-
-
-
- , withdraws in 1966 from the integrated command and all foreign NATO forces leave France
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

States that joined during the Cold War


- (February 18, 1952)
- (February 18, 1952)
- (May 9, 1955 as West Germany)
- (May 30,1982)

Former Eastern Bloc states that joined after the Cold War

1999:
- (May 27, 1999)
- (May 27, 1999)
- (May 27, 1999) 2004:
- (March 29, 2004)
- (March 29, 2004)
- (March 29, 2004)
- (March 29, 2004)
- (March 29, 2004)
- (March 29, 2004)
- (March 29, 2004)

Non-member states

Partner countries

Main article: Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council consists of 46 member countries: the 26 NATO members and 20 partner countries:
- 4 non-NATO EU members: :
- :
- :
- :
-
- 12 CIS members: :
- :
- :
- :
- :
- :
- :
- :
- :
- :
- :
- :
-
- 2 non-NATO ex-Yugoslavia members: :
- :
-
- 2 other: :
- :
-

NATO-Russia Council

Main article: NATO-Russia Council NATO and Russia made a reciprocal commitment in 1997 "to work together to build a stable, secure and undivided continent on the basis of partnership and common interest." In May 2002, this commitment was strengthened with the establishment of the NATO-Russia Council, which brings together the NATO members and Russia. The purpose of this council is to identify and pursue opportunities for joint action with the 27 (26+1) participants as equal partners.

Structures

Political structure

Organisational structure

Like any alliance, NATO is ultimately governed by its 26 member states. However, the North Atlantic Treaty, and other agreements, outline how decisions are to be made within NATO. Each of the 26 members sends a delegation or mission to NATO's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. The senior permanent member of each delegation is known as the Permanent Representative and is generally a senior civil servant or an experienced ambassador (and holding that diplomatic rank). Together the Permanent Members form the North Atlantic Council (NAC), a body which meets together at least once a week and has effective political authority and powers of decision in NATO. From time to time the Council also meets at higher levels involving Foreign Ministers, Defence Ministers or Heads of Government and it is at these meetings that major decisions regarding NATO's policies are generally taken. However, it is worth noting that the Council has the same authority and powers of decision-making, and its decisions have the same status and validity, at whatever level it meets. The meetings of the North Atlantic Council are chaired by the Secretary General of NATO and, when decisions have to be made, action is agreed upon on the basis of unanimity and common accord. There is no voting or decision by majority. Each nation represented at the Council table or on any of its subordinate committees retains complete sovereignty and responsibility for its own decisions.
- The second pivotal member of each country's delegation is the Military Representative, a senior officer from each country's armed forces. Together the Military Representatives form the Military Committee, a body responsible for recommending to NATO's political authorities those measures considered necessary for the common defence of the NATO area. Its principal role is to provide direction and advice on military policy and strategy. It provides guidance on military matters to the NATO Strategic Commanders, whose representatives attend its meetings, and is responsible for the overall conduct of the military affairs of the Alliance under the authority of the Council. Like the council, from time to time the Military Committee also meets at a higher level, namely at the level of Chiefs of Defence, the most senior military officer in each nations armed forces.
- In addition to this strictly internal structure, there is a number of institutionalised cooperations and consultations in a spirit of partnership.
  - Since 1994, the Mediterranean Dialogue is a forum with pro-western Arab countries (Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia) and Israel.
  - Partnership for Peace The NATO Parliamentary Assembly is made up of legislators from the member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance as well as 13 associate members[http://www.nato-pa.int/Default.asp?SHORTCUT=1].

Secretaries General

# Lord Ismay (United Kingdom): April 4, 1952, to May 16, 1957 # Paul-Henri Spaak (Belgium): May 16, 1957, to April 21, 1961 # Dirk Stikker (Netherlands): April 21, 1961, to August 1, 1964 # Manlio Brosio (Italy): August 1, 1964, to October 1, 1971 # Joseph Luns (Netherlands): October 1, 1971, to June 25, 1984 # Lord Carrington (United Kingdom): June 25, 1984, to July 1, 1988 # Manfred Wörner (Germany): July 1, 1988, to August 13, 1994 # Sergio Balanzino (Italy, acting): August 13, 1994, to October 17, 1994 # Willy Claes (Belgium): October 17, 1994, to October 20, 1995 # Sergio Balanzino (Italy, acting): October 20, 1995, to December 5, 1995 # Javier Solana (Spain): December 5, 1995, to October 6, 1999 # Lord Robertson of Port Ellen (United Kingdom): October 14, 1999, to January 1, 2004 # Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (Netherlands): January 1, 2004, to present

Military structure

NATO's military operations are directed by two Strategic Commanders, both senior American Officers assisted by a staff drawn from across NATO. The Strategic Commanders are responsible to the Military Committee for the overall direction and conduct of all Alliance military matters within their areas of command. Before 2003 the Strategic Commanders were the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) but the current arrangement is to separate command responsibility between Allied Command Transformation (ACT), responsible for transformation and training of NATO forces, and Allied Command Operations, responsible for NATO operations world wide. The commander of Allied Command Operations retained the title "Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR)", and is based in the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons. This is about 80 km (50 miles) south of NATO's political headquarters in Brussels. Allied Command Transformation (ACT) is based in the former Allied Command Atlantic headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, USA. NATO operates a fleet of E-3 Sentry AWACS airborne radar aircraft based out of Geilenkirchen Air Base in Germany.

Debate about its future

The future of NATO is currently under debate. The main issues are:
- The necessity. The crumbling of the main "enemy of the west" in Eastern Europe removed for many observers the necessity of a collective defence organisation. The debate about the necessity of NATO has increased due to dissension between members about the American led invasion of Iraq, makes some wonder (largely in North America) whether NATO has not become obsolete. The presumed threat of terrorism could give the institution a new life, but some think also that fighting terrorists needs a completely different political and military organisation, as well as completely different weapon systems to those on which NATO was built.
- The benefits for the US. In the US, some voices emphasis the discrepancy in military spending between the USA and European members. While the USA has the highest military spending in the world, European nations have decreased their budgets significantly after the end of the Cold War. The gap in military capabilities is thus increasing, which raises questions about what the USA gains from membership. The lack of European capabilities was highlighted during the Kosovo crisis. Former NATO-secretary Lord Robertson criticized the European members in 1999, pointing out European nations must commit substantially more funds to defence just to meet their existing commitments to NATO. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/546307.stm] However, this commitment has not been fulfilled in the following years, and it is expected that this will remain to be the case for the forseeable future. That the US wants to continue to benefit from military ties with Europe (though not necessarily through NATO) can be seen by the fact that the US has had talks with Poland and other European countries over the possibility of setting up a European base to intercept long-range missiles, as part of the American NMD program. This program is designed to shoot down long-range missiles fired at North America. A European base would also protect some European nations (as well as the US). [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4445284.stm]
- An obstacle to European integration. Many argue that NATO is in conflict with the prospects of deeper European integration in the fields of foreign policy and security within the framework of the EU institutions. Some advocates for a strong EU Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) would like to see NATO dismantled and a common defence and foreign policy created within the existing EU institutions. In November 2004, after the re-election of United States President George W. Bush, the Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik publicly discussed whether Norway would benefit from strengthening her defence relations with the EU. Many Norwegian political analysts consider NATO to be a "politically dead organisation". So do several pundits and political leaders in other member nations. These attitudes will of necessity be reflected in future discussions of NATO expansion.

See also

Notes

NATO uses British English spelling as its standard. This convention is discussed in its [http://www.nato.int/issues/faq/index.html#C4 online frequently asked questions]: "Q: Why do you spell 'organisation' with an 's' and not a 'z'? A: By tradition, NATO uses European English spellings in all public information documents...". NATO has two official languages, English and French, defined in Article 14 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

See also


- Atlantic Council
- Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council
- Headquarters Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps
- NATO Medal
- NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency
- Non-Aligned Movement
- OSCE
- Partnership for Peace
- Peacekeeping
- Silence procedure
- UN
- Warsaw pact
- WEU
- Ranks and insignia of NATO
- Ranks and insignia of NATO Armies Officers
- Ranks and insignia of NATO Armies Enlisted
- Ranks and insignia of NATO Air Forces Officers
- Ranks and insignia of NATO Air Forces Enlisted
- Ranks and insignia of NATO Navies Officers
- Ranks and insignia of NATO Navies Enlisted
- List of NATO country codes

External links


- [http://www.nato.int/docu/basics.htm Basic NATO Documents]
- [http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1211214,00.html 'NATO force 'feeds Kosovo sex trade' - The Guardian]
- [http://www.namsa.nato.int/ NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA) Official Website]
- [http://www.nc3a.nato.int/ NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency (NC3A) Official Website]
- [http://www.nato.int/ NATO Official Website]
- [http://www.army-technology.com/contractors/missiles/nato.html NATO Response Force Article]
- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4232381.stm NATO searches for defining role]
- [http://www.nato.int/issues/nrf/index.html Official Article on NATO Response Force]
- [http://www.mapsofworld.com/nato-members-map.htm World Map of NATO Member Countries]
- [http://www.stopnato.org.uk Stop NATO! UK]
- [http://www.geocities.com/b_antinato/ Balkan Anti NATO Center, Greece]
- [http://www.ndc.nato.int/ NATO Defense College] Category:International organizations
- Category:Anti-communism ko:북대서양 조약 기구 ja:北大西洋条約機構 th:องค์การสนธิสัญญาป้องกันแอตแลนติกเหนือ

1997

1997 (MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.

Designations

International organizations, including the United Nations, designated 1997 as the International Year of the Reef.

Events

January


- January 5 - NBC's Today Show Bryant Gumbel signs off for the last time
- January 8 - Mister Rogers receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
- January 9 - Yachtsman Tony Bullimore found alive five days after his boat capsized in the Southern Ocean
- January 16 - Ennis Cosby, the only son of actor Bill Cosby, is killed by a gunman while changing a flat tire in Los Angeles, California
- January 18 - In north west Rwanda, Hutu militia members kill 3 Spanish aid workers, 3 soldiers and seriously wound one other.
- January 19 - Yasser Arafat returns to Hebron after more than 30 years and joins celebrations over the handover of the last Israeli-controlled West Bank city
- January 20 - Bill Clinton starts his second term as President of the United States
- January 21 - Newt Gingrich becomes the first leader of the United States House of Representatives to be internally disciplined for ethical misconduct
- January 22 - Madeleine Albright becomes the first female secretary of state after confirmation by the United States Senate.
- January 23 - Mir Aimal Kasi receives the death sentence for a 1993 assault rifle attack outside CIA headquarters that killed two and wounded three others.
- January 27 - It is revealed that French museums had nearly 2,000 pieces of art that were stolen by Nazis.
- January 28 - Clive Davis receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

February


- February 4
  - O. J. Simpson is found in civil court to be liable for the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Simpson is ordered to pay $35,000,000 in damages to the families of the two victims
  - On their way to Lebanon two Israeli troop-transport helicopters collide killing 73
  - After at first contesting the results, Serbian President Slobodan Milošević recognizes opposition victories in the November 1996 elections
- February 5
  - The so-called "Big Three" banks in Switzerland announce the creation of a $71 million fund to aid Holocaust survivors and their families
  - Morgan Stanley and Dean Witter investment banks announce a $10 billion merger.
- February 6 - British Diane Blood wins the right to use the sperm of her dead husband to have a child
- February 9 - The Simpsons surpasses The Flintstones as the lon