German-American Relations: Some Good News

Occasionally good things happen to German-American relations:

Myers Awards Legion of Merit to NATO Committee Chief

WASHINGTON, April 7, 2005 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff awarded a senior NATO officer the Legion of Merit today during a Pentagon ceremony. Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers said German Gen. Harald Kujat, the chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, has helped ensure NATO changed with the times. The Legion of Merit, Degree of Commander, is the highest decoration U.S. officials award to foreign military members, personnel officials said. Myers said that when Kujat took over as chairman of the Military Committee,

nNATO’s highest military authority, in July 2002, many pundits questioned whether NATO was relevant in the new threat environment many pundits questioned whether NATO was relevant in the new threat environment.

“If you think about where NATO was and where NATO is today, the change has been absolutely dramatic,” Myers said. “In many cases, it probably ensured that NATO survived as a military alliance. It was a big question. I think NATO answered that question, and a lot of the credit goes to Harald Kujat.”

Kujat pushed for a viable alliance and a robust transatlantic link, Myers said. He helped persuade member nations to update their capabilities and accept new missions.

“He pushes, and sometimes it’s pushing uphill,” Myers said. “It’s getting the reluctant and recalcitrant to go along with what’s good for the alliance and the transatlantic alliance. We could not have had a better leader. The leadership that Harald has brought to the job has been truly remarkable.”

During Kujat’s tenure, which ends in June, NATO took on a major role in Afghanistan and is working to grow that mission, Myers said. NATO personnel are involved with training Iraqi security forces both in Iraq and in other countries. The NATO Response Force took shape and achieved its operating capability. “Like all things in NATO, (taking on these new missions) requires a lot of energy, and Harald has been a dynamo,” Myers said.

The citation for the award praised Kujat’s leadership of the 26-member Military Committee. “General Kujat guided the Military Committee and the entire NATO military establishment along the path of transformation critical to success in addressing future challenges,” the citation read in part.

Kujat said he was surprised, “honored and moved” by the award. The German four-star entered the service in 1959. He said that during his career NATO was always important, but “not only the alliance but specifically the transatlantic link was always my No. 1 item on the agenda. I think this is very important ever more for the future than in the past.”

Kujat is in Washington for talks with U.S. military officials. (emphasis added)

According to Google News Germany, the German media did not take notice of the ceremony. I guess Kujat has to criticize NATO and the U.S. government to get media attention in Germany.

(Hat tip Chris C.)

Comments

[lemmy]

OT - the news ticker on www.welt.de probably has a mis-translation of the US Secret Service (which protects the President, et al.). Literally translated "Geheimdienst".

"Die Welt" says the "Geheimdienst" (which I interpret as 'intelligence service') is guarding a duck's nest and nine eggs the duck laid.

I realize the US intelligence services have been under some pressure lately, but I highly doubt they are busying themselves with a duck:

US-Geheimdienst schützt brütende Ente am Weißen Haus

Washington (dpa) - Der US-Geheimdienst schützt nicht nur Präsident George W. Bush, sondern jetzt auch eine brütende Ente neben dem Weißen Haus. Die Stockente hat ihr Nest ausgerechnet vor dem Haupteingang des benachbarten Finanzministeriums in Washington gebaut, wo sie neun Eier ausbrütet. Das Tier hat durch die tägliche Berichterstattung auf allen US-Fernsehkanälen nationale Bekanntheit erreicht. Der Geheimdienst hat inzwischen ein Metallgitter um das Nest gebaut, um die Ente und deren Eier vor Neugierigen zu schützen.

[konrad]

"According to Google News Germany, the German media did not take notice of the ceremony. I guess Kujat has to criticize NATO and the U.S. government to get media attention in Germany."

To put things in perspective, try
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=kujat+merit

Perhaps no one on the whole world thinks that the event has any news value at all.

Note from David: Hmm... what's your point, konrad? German media are excused for not reporting on the award if U.S. media don't report on it either? The event is definitely more important for Kujat's home country than for Myers' or for any other country in "the whole world".

[konrad]

David: My point is: even if the event were "definitely more important for Kujat's home country than for Myers' etc.", it may still not be interesting enough to report at all. Fortunately, having a former NATO general emphasize the importance of transatlantic relations has not become something exceptional yet (even Schroeder and Fischer do that). So why criticise the German media for not reporting?

[lemmy]

OT - Schroeder and Putin are breaking bread in Hannover this evening.

I'm "sure" that Gerd is expressing his concerns about Putin's actions in Chechnya and squashing what is left of freedom of the press in Russia.

[Hector]

Isn't it interesting that right now during the 60th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War, the US decides to highlight the present Germany rather than the past? If there was ever a more sure sign of friendship and an acknowledgement that today's Germany is not to be confused with the one of 1945, this is it. A classy move. Too bad the German media have decided to ignore this nice gesture.

[Huan]

i don't get it. the US has in general viewed Germany with greater positivity than the reverse. thus it is normal for the US to award a German general for a job well done, especially with NATO, which we still believe in. But i get the sense that NATO popularity in Germany is on the decline.

[Consul-At-Arms]

lemmy: let me hasten to clarify about our Geheimdienst. The U.S. Secret Service is part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, our finance ministry. It's not really an intelligence agency, although it almost certainly performs some intelligence functions in pursuit of its actual missions. In addition to detecting and arresting counterfeiters, it has the mission of protecting the President and Vice President of the U.S. and their families, as well as presidential candidates and former presidents. It's uniformed division is charged with protecting, I believe, the White House. And, of course, it protects the Treasury department buildings themselves.

The duck's nest is located within an area around the main Treasury Department headquarters and is being protected by the uniformed U.S. Secret Service to protect that facility.

[Mike H.]

Consul, let's not forget (unfortunately) the Capitol Bldg. They do that also.

[George M]

@ Mike

"let's not forget (unfortunately) the Capitol Bldg"

Are you sure? I thought the Capitol police fell under the Speaker of the House.

The reason being: Congress is constitutionally independent from the Executive branch.

[Victor]

Why do the German media cover up stories like this one but will print several pages of anything showing tensions between USA and the BRD? It is amazing to observe.

[Consul-At-Arms]

Mike & George: The Capitol is guarded by the Capital Police, who come under the authority of the sergeants-at-arms of the Senate and House of Representatives. I have several acquaintances on this force.
Cheers!