President Traian Basescu appointed yesterday Gen. Sergiu Medar as his defense and security adviser. The move puts Medar at the helm of the National Community for Intelligence and took many by surprise: previously Basescu had stated that a politician will take over the position.
Still, for those familiar with Basescuâs actions, this was no surprise. The first decree the president signed in December 2004, upon taking office, was to promote Medar to the position of a three-star general.
Medar took accolades during the Romanian hostage crisis in Iraq, when the intelligence gathered by means of the Romanian military dispatched to Iraq, was instrumental to the hostagesâ release.
Medar spent seven years in Washington, as a military attaché, and six years at the helm of the Directorate for Military Intelligence sJ2t. One month ago he was promoted higher up in the structure, as head of the General Directorate for Defense Intelligence, replacing Gen. Gheorghe Rotaru, who became a reserve officer.
Medarâs appointment ends speculations regarding the political control of the NCI. It also makes Medar the boss of his former boss, Gen. Constantin Degeratu, who was the Joint Chief of Staff when Medar was head of J2, and is now another one of the presidential advisers.
Medar was born on January 1, 1948, in Targu-Jiu. He graduated the Polytechnic Institute, and in 1986 he became a researcher with the Scientific Institute for the Defense Ministry.
He worked with the military intelligence since 1990, and like any military spy worthy of his name, he has a distinctive recognition sign: on his watch stays the picture of his nephew.
Translated by ANCA PADURARU President Traian Basescu appointed yesterday Gen. Sergiu Medar as his defense and security adviser. The move puts Medar at the helm of the National Community for Intelligence and took m
