Javier Solana
Javier Solana
Concomitant with these responsibilities, Solana plays a key role in a growing "global war on terror" which so far has been centered in an "Operation Black Dawn" featuring former key USA politicians (e.g. former Georgia Senator Sam Nunn), NATO, United States and EU military forces, etc. with mock tactical operations against terror these days more often than not defined by those involved as "religious extremism" or "religious fundamentalism."
Prior to these European based appointments, Solana served as Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) from the time of his selection on November 30, 1995 until fall of 1999. Then he left his NATO job approximately two months before its term expiration to take the EU posts of High Representative of the Common Foreign and Security Policy. The job was generally described by the European press as "tsar of European military and foreign policy."
During his NATO Secretary General tenure Solana was given unusual powers for its holder. The Secretary General usually has a ministerial role, passing on instructions from the member nations' consensus to its military components. Solana was given powerful military decision making power determinable by himself without a requirement that he check first with others. For example, on January 30, 1999, he was given sole power to make all further military decisions over NATO Balkan operations. This included the say so on whether or not bombings should occur. As has often subsequently been the case with his current EU posts, Madeline Albright, USA Secretary of State then said by way of explanation, "Solana has the power and has had it since January 30, 1999. We are speaking with one voice through Javier Solana."
USA General Wesley Clark who as head military man of the NATO coalition reported to and took orders from Solana reports in his book WAGING MODERN WAR that he once asked Solana the secret of his success. Solana reflected briefly and then answered, "first make no enemies. Then never ask a question to which you do not know or do not like the answer."
Illustrative of Solana's power delegation were the March 21, 1999 statements of USA's then President Bill Clinton. He appeared on CNN nationally broadcast television to tell the American public the Yugoslavian bombings were about to begin, he said, "I agree with Javier Solana's decision to do this", said Clinton. Despite this plain declaration, the American press for the most part gave scanty attention to Solana's important role at the top of the NATO decision making tree.
Solana also frequently refers to himself as a "European and an Atlanticist." This refers to a long standing alliance between Western European, United States, and Canadian related interests. During his NATO tenure, Solana also chaired the Atlantic Council.
Likewise these days the European Union and certainly the Western European Union very often speaks with one voice through Javier Solana. There have been some well publicized exceptions to this during the Iraq - USA war crises, but increasingly as of 2004, there is increased reliance on Javier Solana. His military and foreign powers over Europe have been noticeably strengthened. Whether he will retain these powers with the new pending European constitution is presently unknown. The Clinton White House once called a press conference to announce that Javier Solana was the fulfillment of Henry Kissinger's long stated wish that he had only one phone number to ring up for Europe. The Clinton White House press secretary said that it had finally been achieved through Solana.
Solana was born on July 14, 1942 in Madrid, Spain. On his maternal side, he is the grandson of famous Spanish diplomat/writer Salvador de Madariaga (1886-1978). Javier is the younger of the two sons of Salvador de Madariaga's daughter Nieves (1917-2003). Solana's mother, like her more famous father, was also a published scholar and writer. Her full name at the time of her death was Nieves Hayat de Madariaga Mathews. She was employed for upwards of 20 years by the FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization), a UN agency headquartered in Rome. Her Yale University published book on the life of Sir Francis Bacon was released in 1996. His maternal aunt is Isabel de Madariaga. She is a professor emeritus of Slavonic Studies at the College of London. She has also published historical works, most notably about Russian empress, Catherine the Great. Javier Solana's older brother Luis Solana is a retired Spanish telephone company chief executive officer. Luis Solana was the first known Socialist party member to join the Trilateral Commission. Javier Solana, likewise, is active with the Trilateral Commission as he is with the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) where although not a member, he is a frequent speaker and close friend of many of its principals. He is likewise active with the Foreign Policy Association (FPA).
On Solana's paternal side, his grandfather was Don Ezequiel Solana Ramirez. He was reportedly a revered educator who died in 1931.
Javier Solana's most personally listed affiliation apart from his Socialist political one is the Spanish chapter of the Club of Rome. On a personal level, he has been said to "eat little and sleep less." He reportedly eats what is described as "a monk's diet of fish and fruit." Some accounts state that although he is active in global disarmament efforts, his favorite personal hobby is "collecting guns."
Professionally, apart from his political careers, Solana holds a doctorate in physics, He is fond of saying that "in a previous incarnation I worked as a professor in solid-state physics." He received his doctorate while studying at the University of Virginia under a Fulbright Scholarship in the United States.
Solana left the USA in 1971 to return to Spain with one of his teaching mentors. There he became employed by Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. In 1975 his political nemesis, Generalissimo Francisco Franco died. Thereupon Solana, expelled in his youth for anti-Franco rebellion, once again involved himself in Spanish political life. As a representative of a teacher's union, he ran and won election as the Socialist candidate for the parliamentary seat he was to begin occupying in July, 1977.
Javier Solana has been a member of the Spanish socialist party PSOE since 1964. Between 1982 and 1995 he held different positions in the Spanish government including that of the Minister for Culture, Minister of Science and Education and lastly as Minister for Foreign Affairs (1992-1995). For most of those years he was also the official spokesman for the Spanish government.
Prior to his present EU posts, Javier Solana had a prior appointment as NATO Secretary General. This occurred on November 30, 1995. His election was a surprise to many, including 52 USA congressmen who telegraphically protested his appointment because of his alleged Marxism and open Castro sympathies. He had once been on the USA's own subversive list. He was best known, per the Spanish newspapers observing the scene, as one of Spain's most vocal -- certainly the most prominent -- opponent of NATO. He had once written a pamphlet, "50 REASONS TO SAY NO TO NATO." Between 1995 and 1999, Solana was NATO Secretary General.
Solana's NATO term was to have expired in December, 1999; however, he left that job a bit early, in October 1999. He left to take the newly created position of Office of the High Representative of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (also more informally called "Senor PESC" - Post of European Security Commissioner). He was also given the title and responsibility of Secretary General of the European Union. This was for the purpose of giving continuity between the EU's 6 month rotating presidential administrations. On November 20, 1999, Javier Solana was made the new head of the Western European Union in addition to his EU responsibilities. This appointment came on the same day as major world leaders were gathering at Lord Acton's old Italian villa then and now owned by New York University's School of Law. The gathering was of the Third Way Movement. Solana was in attendance at that Italian villa as were President and Mrs. Clinton, Sydney Blumenfeld, Tony Blair, Romano Prodi and many other distinguished transatlantic leaders.
It was originally reported that the WEU was to merge into the EU, but it remains as of 2004, a separate legal entity. There are ten permanent member nations belonging to the Western European Union. There are also 18 associate members. More scholarly accounts (New York University's) state perhaps more accurately that what was occurring was the 'revival of WEU' rather than its closure. Javier Solana presides over Europe's Political Security Committee (PSC). All seated on that committee hold ambassador rank in the EU and serve at the pleasure of Javier Solana. All foreign ambassadors of the European Union entity (as opposed to its individual countries) as well as all EU military personnel are ultimately accountable to the Council of the European Union through Javier Solana. The EU's hope is that the pending new European constitution will strengthen and extend this European federal type set of structures.
Javier Solana did most or even all of the spearheading and coordination of the Barcelona Conference, the launching pad of the 27 nation Barcelona Process expected to lead to a Mediterranean free trade zone by 2010. This conference was opened by him on November 27, 1995. He opened by declaring that it was auspicious that it began on the 900th anniversary of the calling of the first crusade by Pope Urban II. "What a lot of intolerance and misunderstanding that led to," said Solana to the gathered delegates in his opening oratory. The conference concluded with the 27 nations signing the Barcelona Treaty. Only Libya abstained from that convention. Muammar Khaddafy had earlier scolded Arab countries, "what's the matter with you idiots, can't you see this is a blatant European attempt to gain hegemony over our region." However, by the year 2000, Khaddafy felt it important that Libya be included in this "European Club" and Libya also joined the Barcelona Process at this time -- December, 2000.
Solana has also negotiated numerous "Treaties of Association" between the European Union and various Mideast countries. He concluded a treaty between the European Union and Israel on November 20th, 1995, during Spain's coinciding dual turns at the rotating six month presidencies of the European Union and the Western European Union. In his tenure with the European Union, Javier Solana has been relatively busy on the world stage negotiating various integration treaties with South American countries such as Bolivia and Colombia. He has also been a vital part of the Quartet for Peace in the Middle East along with Kofi Annan of the United Nations, a Russian representative, and a USA representative.
During his 1995 to 1999 NATO tenure, Solana was given sole unusual powers to make military decisions over Yugoslavia. On March 21, 1999, USA President Bill Clinton told a national American television audience in regards to the forthcoming bombings: "I agree with Javier Solana's decision to do this." The order to commence bombing against Yugoslavian targets was subsequently given solely by Solana. Despite this and other manifestations of extraordinary political clout by Solana, most Americans are unfamiliar with his name, the Barcelona Process, and certainly the extent of his growing powers which are becoming increasingly global in scope and influence.
As the anti-Franco activist in his youth and the anti-NATO activist in his 40s combined with his leadership of NATO in his 50s, Javier Solana has sometimes been called a "squarer of circles" (i.e. reconciler of opposites). Past illustrations whether intentional by him or not of this were his marriage to the daughter (Conception Gimenez) of a top Franco general and by his heading NATO in his later years, his 50's. He has played an active role in the various Mideast peace processes at least between 1991 and the present time.
Javier Solana is the father of two grown children, a son Diego, and a daughter, Vega. Solana reportedly has never moved his immediate family - wife and children - to Brussels, his main residence since taking his NATO post in the late fall of 1995 and his European Union posts thereafter.