The "military-only" alliance gives out non-military science awards?! YEP!

According to the papers of the global media, if NATO were to give out a
"science award," it should be in something military, right?

NOPE!  Here, the NATO's science prize goes NOT to something military - but
to two scientists involved in medical imaging...

NATO's involvement in the non-military science field has some of its roots
in the Harmel Report of the late 1960's.

So much for the notion of NATO as a "military only" alliance..!

People - the global media are WRONG about "NATO the military-only, Cold War
alliance!" Before reading falsehoods and misinformed newspaper stories about
"NATO's idenity crisis" in the "alliance formed only to meet the Soviet
threat," I CHALLANGE you to become informed about the non-military activites
and contribution of NATO and its treaty that have nothing to do with
military defense..!

See the background essays:

NOT JUST MILITARY! The other purpose of the North Atlantic Treaty   -
http://www.pronato.com/NATreaty/article2(1).htm
The Atlantic Community and the North Atlantic Treaty -
http://www.pronato.com/NATreaty/atl.comm(1).htm

The Future Tasks of the Alliance (aka - the Harmel Report)
http://www.nato.int/docu/comm/49-95/c671213b.htm

Become educated, not mislead by the media, about what NATO really is and
what it really is supposed to be.

---
http://www.nato.int/science/news/2003/prize/index.htm

Secretary General's Speech to

2003 NATO Science Partnership Prize Award Ceremony

Wednesday, 22 October 2003

NATO Headquarters Main Conference Hall

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The NATO Science Partnership Prize has been established to recognise
excellence in scientific collaboration between NATO and Partner country
scientists. I have agreed to present the Prize personally because I want to
show my own belief in the value of science partnership.  Also because we are
here today to award this special Prize to two very deserving scientists, Dr.
Larichev and Dr. Otten.

You all know that one of the real miracles of our modern age is medical
imaging.  Today, doctors and surgeons have been given a marvellous tool
which allows them literally to see within our bodies.  Surgeons are no
longer blind.  They can now know exactly where to go during an operation,
and exactly what they will find when they get there.

Dr. Larichev from Russia and Dr. Otten from the United States are important
contributors to this imaging revolution.  They have succeeded in converting
a field of Russian military science, called 'adaptive optics', to greatly
improve the imaging of the retina in the living human eye.  Using this new
system, medical experts have been able for the first time to see critical
effects in living patients.  Practitioners are saying that this constitutes
a true breakthrough.

But besides being both technically successful and important, this project
also has several other interesting aspects, including a potential
application of this system for biometrics, which will allow highly-reliable
personnel identification for security and counter-terrorism purposes.

I am pleased to congratulate Dr. Larichev and Dr. Otten for their
accomplishment, and to formally present to them the 2003 NATO Science
Partnership Prize.  The Prize consists of a certificate, which I have
signed, a crystal award, and a ten thousand Euro grant for each of them to
be applied to their continuing research activities.