An internal Pentagon email outlines options for punishing NATO allies that the U.S. believes have not supported American operations in the war with Iran, including suspending Spain from the alliance and reviewing the U.S. position on Britain's claims to the Falkland Islands, a U.S. official told Reuters, UNN reports.
Details
The policy options are detailed in a memo that expresses frustration over the perceived unwillingness or refusal of some allies to provide the United States with access, basing, and overflight rights (known as ABO) in connection with the war with Iran, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the email.
The email states that ABO is "just an absolute baseline for NATO," according to the official, who added that these options are circulating at a high level within the Pentagon.
One option mentioned in the email involves removing "problematic" countries from important or prestigious positions within NATO, the official said.
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U.S. President Donald Trump has sharply criticized NATO allies for not sending their naval forces to help open the Strait of Hormuz, which was blocked to global shipping after the air war began on February 28.
He also stated that he is considering withdrawing from the alliance.
"And wouldn't you do the same if you were me?" Trump asked Reuters in an April 1 interview, in response to a question about the possibility of the U.S. leaving NATO.
However, the email does not suggest that the United States should do so, the official said. It also does not propose closing bases in Europe.
However, the official declined to say whether these options include the widely anticipated withdrawal of some U.S. forces from Europe.
In response to a request for comment on the email, Pentagon spokesman Kingsley Wilson said: "As President Trump has said, despite everything the United States has done for our NATO allies, they have not been there for us."
"The Department of War will provide the President with compelling options for action so that our allies stop being paper tigers and instead do their part. We have no further comment on any internal discussions on this matter," Wilson said.
The policy options proposed in the email are intended to send a strong signal to NATO allies with the aim of "reducing the Europeans' sense of superiority," the official said, summarizing the email.
The option of suspending Spain from the alliance would affect U.S. military operations but would have a significant symbolic effect, the email states.
The official did not disclose how exactly the U.S. could demand Spain's suspension from the alliance, and Reuters was unable to immediately determine whether a mechanism for this exists within NATO.
"We don't work by emails. We work on the basis of official documents and government positions, in this case, the United States," Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez said, responding to a question about the report ahead of a meeting of EU leaders in Cyprus to discuss topics such as NATO's mutual assistance clause.
The memo also envisions the possibility of reviewing U.S. diplomatic support for long-standing European "imperial possessions," such as the Falkland Islands near Argentina.