Talk:Wesley Kanne Clark

Temporary parking space for Wesley Kanne Clark; relocated from "Wesley Clark" duplicate page. Please note that the article below has not been SW wikified and contains NO resource citations whatsoever. :-) Artificial Intelligence 19:15, 25 Sep 2005 (EDT)

General (US Army retired) Wesley K. Clark was the Supreme Allied Commander Europe from 10 July 1997 through 3 May 2000. He was also the Commander in Chief of the United States European Command.

As Supreme Allied Commander, General Clark was in overall command of NATO's military forces in Europe. He was responsible for safeguarding an area extending from the northern tip of Norway to the eastern border of Turkey, he assured the peace, security and territorial integrity of the NATO member nations. In his position as SACEUR, General Clark was also the overall commander of the approximately 75,000 troops from 37 NATO and other nations participating in ongoing operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo. In 1999, General Clark commanded Operation Allied Force, the Alliance's successful military action in response to the Kosovo crisis. This was NATO's first major, combat action, and largest air operation in Europe since the Second World War.

General Clark is a 1966 graduate of the United States Military Academy of West Point, New York, where he graduated first in his class. He holds a Master's Degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar (August 1966-August 1968). He is a graduate of the National War College, Command and General Staff College, Armour Officer Advanced and Basic Courses, and Ranger and Airborne schools. General Clark was a White House Fellow in 1975-1976 and served as a Special Assistant to the Director of Management and Budget. He has also served as an Assistant Professor of Social Science at the United States Military Academy.

He was the Commander in Chief of the United States Southern Command in Panama, from June 1996 to July 1997, where he commanded all U.S. forces and was responsible for the direction of most U.S. military activities and interest in Latin America and the Caribbean. He served as the Director, Strategic Plans and Policy, J5, the Joint Staff (April 1994-June 1996) where he was responsible for worldwide politico-military affairs and U.S. military strategic planning. He also led the military negotiations for the Bosnian Peace Accords at Dayton.

General Wesley Clark is a highly decorated officer including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal (five awards), Distinguished Service Medal (two awards), Silver Star, Legion of Merit (four awards), Bronze Star Medal (two awards), Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal (two awards) and the Army Commendation Medal (two awards), NATO Medal for Service with NATO on Operations in Relation to Kosovo, NATO Medal for Service with NATO on Operations in Relation to the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. His Foreign awards include the Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (United Kingdom); 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 Skandeberg Medal (Albania);  Order of Merit of Morocco;  Order of Merit of Argentina; The Grade of Prince Butmir w/Ribbon and Star (Croatia) and the Military Service Cross of Canada. On August 9, 2000, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Nation's highest civilian honour.

General Clark serves pro bono as a distinguished senior advisor for the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), a Director of the Atlantic Council and a member of the board of the International Crisis Group.. General Clark and his wife Gert have returned to live in Little Rock where he grew up and graduated from high school *General Clark is member of the Carlyle Group, a major arms financign priavte cptal group.
 * Links
 * Allegations of inconsistencies in Clark's position on the Invasion of Iraq