Posted on 03/22/2009 12:11:40 PM PDT by lizol
Sikorski snubbed over NATO top job
Ed Wight (March 20, 2009)
Germany, France and the UK have, apparently, fallen in behind the United States in backing the Dane Anders Fogh Rasmussen over Radek Sikorski, who has also served twice as Polish defence minister.
While Mr Rasmussen could undoubtedly bring a wealth of experience to the job what may have set him apart from Mr Sikorski is that he exudes an air of neutrality. Mr Sikorski, at a time when the United States has placed great priority on currying favour with Moscow, could well be regarded as having too much latent Polish antipathy to the Russian bear.
This was alluded to by the US ambassador to NATO, Kurt Volker. In an interview with the Bloomberg news-service the ambassador, while stressing the best candidate should get the job, said “What we need to do is get someone who can bring a balanced view that unites NATO.”
For many Poles this implies that anybody from Poland, which has always pursued a line both tougher and at odds with its Western NATO colleagues when it comes to Russia, could prove unpalatable to most in the military bloc.
This has added to a general feeling of unease in Warsaw that the West has started to sideline Poland in its quest to bring Russia on side when it comes to troublesome issues such as Iran and Afghanistan.
The controversial US anti-missile shield, which was strongly opposed by the Kremlin, could well have succumbed to this process. Despite bilateral agreements signed in the summer between Poland and the US, Warsaw has become irritated that Washington might shelve the plan to appease Moscow.
“A deal was signed, and I think regardless of which administration is in power in the US, agreements have to be implemented,” said President Lech Kaczynski on an early morning talk show last week, adding that a failure to do so would be an “un-friendly gesture”.
Seen in some circles as being equally unfriendly is the news that US President Obama won’t be visiting Poland during his European tour in April, which will take in Britain, France, Germany and the Czech Republic.
So, did we query Hitler as to whether Eisenhower was acceptable?
What EUnix.
TOTUS Impotus foreign policy at work.
I side with the Poles myself.
My grandfather came here from Poland one-hundred years ago this year. My other three grandparents also came from Poland (we are still researching the year).
I don’t know what to say. I think NATO has become a lost cause, anyway. The only comfort is that although Putin would love to reconquer the Soviet Empire, he will be having an increasingly hard time doing it. Russia continues to suffer demographic meltdown, and now suffers major economic problems as well. Plus a Muslim problem that is not about to be wished away or deflected by arming Muslim fanatics.
Again, Poland gives til it bleeds and the major allies are ready to betray her again. History does indeed repeats itself.
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