New NATO Boss: Colombia Prepared Me for Afghanistan (Corrected)

Navy Adm. James Stavridis, arguably the sea service's intellectual leader, is making the leap from Latin America's U.S. Southern Command, to the top job at European Command. That means he'll also be NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, which puts him at the head of in the chain of command for the faltering NATO war effort in Afghanistan. (See here for an explanation of NATO's complex command structure.)

So how has his experience in Latin America prepared him for waging war on a deeply entrenched insurgency, half a world away from his previous command? "The operations I've been most focused on in South America has been the insurgency in Colombia," Stavridis told the Florida Times-Union, in a wide-ranging interview.

My experience there will translate well to my role as the NATO commander in Afghanistan, which is, let's face it, an insurgency, drug-fueled, obviously 100 percent different in many ways. But, my experiences in understanding and learning counter-insurgency I think are up to the task.

This is one of the first times a senior U.S. commander has drawn a parallel between Colombia and Afghanistan. Stavridis explained the seemingly tenuous connection.

Both are insurgencies seeking to topple the government, both are drug-fueled. In Colombia it's a political insurgency. In Afghanistan, it is a deeper, more cultural, religious-based insurgency.

Based on his experience in Colombia, Stavridis praised the elevation of commando Gen. Stan McChrystal, to lead U.S. and NATO forces, at the operational level, in Afghanistan. "I think he's a perfect choice. He has deep, deep tactical experience in insurgency."

Stavridis, the author of several widely read books, is no stranger to controversial claims. In March, he told Senators that Lebanese extremist group Hezbollah was involved in the Colombian drug trade. A retired Lebanese general fired back, saying there was no evidence of such involvement. *
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[PHOTO: Colombian drug-smuggling submersible, via Daylife]