Trump threatens to withdraw from NATO

IN HIS latest tantrum, US President Donald Trump has threatened to pull out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). The news came in an interview he did with the Telegraph newspaper.

Trump is clearly motivated by frustration rather than rational thought.

●He is frustrated that Iran has not surrendered to the US, on terms favourable to the US, after the USA spent so much on missiles and bombs to throw at it. Two weeks ago, Trump had to ask Congress for $200 billion to replenish munitions thrown at Iran to date – which must have been humiliating for him.

●He is not rational because he is treating NATO as something it is not. The North Atlantic Treaty set NATO up in 1949, just after World War II. It was a defensive grouping: Article 5 of the Treaty states that a military attack on any one member state shall be considered to be an attack against all member states. As such, it came to the assistance of the USA after “9/11” – by supporting the US invasion of Afghanistan. Trump has derided NATO for not supporting the bilateral attack on Iran by the USA and Israel, which it would not do. Trump might as well rant at Sainsbury’s for not stocking moon rock.

Trump is also ill informed about the process of leaving NATO – which is consistent with his history of not worrying about the small print. To withdraw from NATO, a member country has to give a year’s notice. In the case of the USA, it is not down to Trump to give such notice. A US President has to win the backing of two thirds of the Senate or an Act of Congress to give notice in the first place. There is an argument that this law is unconstitutional, because the US President is in charge of foreign policy. Which way the Courts would go is immaterial to Trump, who prefers to ignore them.  Whatever happens, withdrawing from NATO is not an easy option for Trump.

Trump also told the Telegraph, “I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way.” Why has Trump been discussing NATO with Putin? Trump promised to end Putin’s aggression against Ukraine within days of taking office. A year later, it continues, with Putin unaffected by Trump’s superficial attempts to laud him or negotiate with him or to join NATO member states in helping Ukraine fight back.

Trump threatening to leave NATO is no loss. He is useless to NATO, or its member states, whether he leave the USA in it or takes it out.

●Read more about it:
Trump: reloaded and trigger happy?
PSC call rally against Trump Middle East “Deal”