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More
than ten years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, NATO forces,
as always led by the Americans, are dancing more than the "Texas
Two-Step" in their role of self definition and sought after justification,
on the world stage. NATO's image is that of a crippled man with
his rear aflame; in great fear that his head will follow suit.
Why
is my aforementioned reference to the fall of the Berlin Wall
a salient opening line of this article? Some of us may actually
be old enough, or studious enough, to comprehend and reflect,
retrospectively, why NATO was formed. It was to halt the spread
of Communism throughout the world, and particularly in Europe,
following World War II. Berlin, of course, has always been considered
"ground-zero" as to where the illusive freedom in the West, and
the gray oppression of the East, buttressed each other for so
many years.
Recently,
I had the rather sadly laughable opportunity to observe an American
television show. The gentlemen who presented the show was the
respected celebrity, Jay Leno. One of the features of his show
is to canvas the sidewalks of Los Angeles and ask, seemingly intelligent
people, questions about history and world issues. In so doing,
Mr. Leno asked seven Americans, ranging in age from sixteen to
twenty-eight -- one, in fact, being a school teacher -- where
the Berlin Wall was. Not one of the polled intellectuals had a
clue, even when he enunciated ..."Berlin Wall"! Answers ranged
from, "somewhere in China," to "the wall they build around
some city in Missouri so that river would not flood them out in
the Spring," to "that fence they put on the border with Canada."
Being
bombarded with a plethora of idiotic answers tweaked the fertile
waves of suspicion in my mind. I was compelled to ponder the terminally
anemic intellectual prowess of the average example of, "America's
Future." Could this rapidly spreading lack of illumination
be one of the factors that seems to have affected NATO, and its
apparent illogical understanding of its role and mission? Is NATO
suffering from stupidity that creeps like an incipient computer
virus? It appears that it may well be. The Cold War is over, NATO,
it is time to go away, and take your host of "strap-hanger" countries
with you!
Ah,
alas, even the Russians know the Cold War is over. After years
of planning and execution, they have extricated scores of thousands
of Russian soldiers from Eastern European enclaves. This, speaks
nothing of all the equipment they took home, sold to the highest
bidder, or just left behind. Now, if the Russians know the Cold
War is over, and took their toys and returned home, why are the
Americans, and their lackadaisical buddies, still clinging to
the Ground, mostly in Germany, and constantly searching for another
reason to remain and believe in their worth to the world?
Even
the less powerful Russian satellite states, Poland, Czechoslovakia,
Rumania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and others, know that the Cold War
is over. Country names have changed and freedom springs eternal.
The lustration of Eastern Europe has been long and costly, however
now nearly complete. Pillars of old resistance; such as Lech Walesa
in Poland, and Vaclav Havel in Czechoslovakia, no longer wallow
in dank jails for being independent thinkers. Nevermore will these
men wonder how much their next interview will hurt. So, again,
why hasn't NATO gotten the message? It is time for the United
States Military, and the NATO shield, steadfastly allied against
the yoke of oppressive Communist expansion, to get a life.
So,
this brings us to the present day and NATO's adventures, and misadventures,
within the European Community. We, like NATO, shall not focus
on such places so impalpable, for example, as Rwanda and such.
NATO has not expressed particular interest in intervention in
that venue.
NATO
prefers to bully its way around continental Europe. As in the
past eight years, it has sought to redefine itself and has determined
that it has a key role as a humanitarian protector. This is a
catchy, and believable justification, if I do say so myself. However,
NATO speaks with a forked tongue, humanitarian actions and material
actions are not one-and-the same, but material actions make NATO's
heart flutter like an adolescent in Spring.
It
is curious that NATO has become such a close monitor of all European
countries, just as the risky Euro currency implementation is about
to take place across Europe. Of particular interest to NATO are
those countries that are on the fringe of the European Community,
or those who have not yet acquiesced or become NATO members.
Yet,
at the same time why are five year old children in Ulster being
harassed, pelted with garbage, and receiving threats of bodily
injury and death. All this, whilst they make their ways to kindergarten
classes. Does the "stuffy nosed" Lord-God of pulchritude George
Robertson, not know about the civil unrest in Ireland? Perhaps,
Javier Solana could take his American friend, James Pardew, Chief
Threatener to the Macedonian government, and they could both descend
on Londonderry or Belfast and show them "what's for"!
If
one cannot read between the lines, as to how NATO and cronies,
et. al., are dealing with rogue, or basically non-compliant states
and nations, then I strongly suggest that the observer study the
Macedonian capitulation, and its incestuous marriage under NATO's
grip, for the past eight months. This wedded bliss that Macedonia
has with NATO, will soon find itself bifurcated and in conflict.
The necessary inertia is well ensconced, now, for the overthrow
of the sitting Macedonian government.
This
writer does not require assisted vision to realize what nature
of underhanded, greedy inspirations, have gripped NATO. The wherefore
and the why, as to NATO's dalliances in Europe, a full decade
after the end of the Cold War, as the "Big Goon Standing Under
The Corner Streetlight," are, and ought be, quite obvious. It
is not freedom that is ringing the bell this time, rather, it
is the ring of the new Euro Currency and its success, at all costs.
These
costs to be borne even include the deaths of NATO soldiers, who
in their youthful exuberance do not make light of NATO's failed
pursuits. As in the traditions of Vietnam and the actions of John
F. Kennedy, Robert F. McNamara, and Lyndon B. Johnson, the old
men march the youth of today to their death.
I
am heartsick because as a society we have learned nothing, we
are led about like a horse to water, only to die and die again.
Fifty-seven years ago, when he was twenty-two years of age, my
father was riddled with German machine gun bullets, in order to
bring democracy to Europe. My father survived. As well, thirty-one
years after I, and many others, fought valiantly in Vietnam, we
have learned nothing. On September 17, 1969, I held my best friend
in my arms and watched him die. He bore three holes in his chest,
all large enough to put my fist through. Just before he lapsed
into a coma, death shortly thereafter, Bobby asked me, "why are
we here"? Bobby's question to me remains unanswerable, to this
day. I was lucky, I survived.
Now,
here comes the young British Paratrooper, Ian Collins, murdered
by those whom he was sent to Macedonia to protect. Shame on you
NATO leaders, you continue to march young soldiers to their death,
completely without justification. Shame on you NATO!
This
article is dedicated to the memory of soldier, Ian Collins. May
you be the last, young Ian, may the grief of your family be assuaged
by your innocent dedication and faith in your fellow troopers.
~ JDG
J. David Galland is Founder and President of
Bound & Overwatch
– The Military Observer, a 100% nonprofit organization
which serves as the advocate for soldiers and their families,
as well as for veterans. He is a veteran of The United States
Army, with over thirty-two years military service. Since 1969,
Mr. Galland has been in Military Intelligence and is a distinguished
graduate of the U. S. Army Intelligence Center & School, Fort
Holabird, Maryland. He is a combat veteran of Vietnam, Grenada,
and Panama and of hazardous duty positions in Ulster, Northern
Ireland, Zagreb, Sarajevo, in the Former Yugoslavia, as well as
various missions in Croatia and Bosnia. Mr. Galland has spent
most of his military career outside the normal command channels
in classified assignments as an Area Intelligence Technician,
Case Officer, and Desk Action Officer. He is a internationally
respected Defense Analyst, Author & Columnist, and Subject
Matter Expert on Intelligence Tradecraft in the HUMINT discipline.
As well, he is an authority on the former East German Staatssicherheitsdienst
(Stasi). He has been published by numerous news periodicals and
newspapers, both in The United States and Europe.
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