"By the loose standard you seem to be using, all those countries would still be dictatorships." ? Why would they? The regime changes in Greece, Portugal and Spain had nothing to do with NATO. NATO is indifferent to regime if it suits.

"but whatever you think of the respective parties involved the US interest here and throughout the Balkans was primarily to pacify the region (at least in the short-term)" That is your opinion and it might be true. But, put yourself in Russia's post Yeltsin leader, how will you see it? The only reel result is a US base.

As Georgia is concern, it was the same pattern than Croatian Storm Operation, attack on refugees camp and ethnic cleansing... What the Georgian President failed to see was NATO wouldn't back him up as it did for the Croats, and Russia was really at the door and had the power to intervene...