  VLBA high spatial resolution observations of the disk structure of the active
galactic nucleus NGC 1068 has recently revealed that the kinematics and
geometry of this AGN is well characterized by an outer disk of H2O maser
emission having a compact milliarcsecond (parsec) scale structure, which is
encircling a thin rotating inner disk surrounding a ~10^7 M$_\sun$ compact
mass, likely a black hole. A curious feature in this source is the occurrence
of a misalignment between the inner and outer parts of the disk, with the
galaxy's radio jet being orthogonal to the inner disk. We interpret this
peculiar configuration as due to the Bardeen-Petterson effect, a general
relativistic effect that warps an initially inclined (to the black hole
equator) viscous disk, and drives the angular momentum vector of its inner part
into alignment with the rotating black hole spin. We estimate the time-scale
for both angular momenta to get aligned as a function the spin parameter of the
Kerr black hole. We also reproduce the shape of the parsec and kiloparsec scale
jets, assuming a model in which the jet is precessing with a period and
aperture angle that decrease exponentially with time, as expected from the
Bardeen-Petterson effect.
