JD: Remind us what is NATO? How was it formed and for what purpose?
BM: Well 70 years ago in 1949 three of our World War II allies came to the United States enlisting their support in forming a new alliance to counter what at the time was a threat rising from the former Soviet Union. The organization started with three, recruited us; today of course it’s twenty-nine members. It was formed essentially to counter the blind influence of the Soviets.
JD: But this week in Washington they had a celebration. The Secretary General of NATO speaking there at the joint Houses of Congress. He met with the President of the United States Donald Trump. This was a very important week as far as NATO is concerned both in purpose and in correction as to how they must be operating.
BM: Well it certainly has been Jimmy. What’s note worthy here is whether or not NATO continues to be a viable organization. Now we’ve gone through something similar of course in the past. After the end of the Cold War in 91 NATO was kind of looking around as to what it was going to do. It joined us in 2001 of course in the war on terror. And now I think it’s going through a new metamorphosis of sorts and of course Russia is sergeant and poking its nose in all sorts of affairs to include Venezuela and Syria and else where under and above the water around the world.
