NationStates Jolt Archive

http://www.nato.int/ims/news/2007/n071114e.html

The US backed the polish candidate gen. Gagor, but the italian candidate, ammiraglio Di Paola, won.

Is it a sort of revenge of "Old" Europe's? Or an attempt at lessening the tension with Russia (SDI issue and NATO eastward expansion)? Or a general message about bringing NATO back to its original "defensive" meaning?

Discuss, buddies.

side remark: as you can read in Di Paola's biography, he's been awarded an UN Medal for UN Peacekeeping Mission in Kosovo.

sorry for the blunder, it's "chairman" of course!

I don't think it's anything so macchiavellian. Di Paola was simply the better candidate; more experienced, more prestigious, and with much more NATO operational experience.

Besides which, Poland still isn't quite up to NATO standard in it's military, last I'd heard. They probably shouldn't get the chairmanship until they are.