Page 2 - ARUBA TODAY

A2 UP FRONT
Friday 26 May 2017
Trump scolds fellow NATO leaders: Spend more for military

By JULIE PACE Trump, who has often lationship with an alliance during the president’s lec- NATO officials had expect-
JONATHAN LEMIRE complained back home he has previously panned ture, which occurred at an ed Trump to raise the pay-
Associated Press about other nations’ NATO as “obsolete.” Notably, he event commemorating the ments issue during Thurs-
BRUSSELS (AP) — Surround- support, lectured the oth- also did not offer an explic- fall of the Berlin Wall and day’s meeting, even pre-
paring Secretary-General
Jens Stoltenberg for the
prospect that the president
could try to pull off a stunt
like handing out invoices.
But one European official
said NATO members were
still taken aback by the ag-
gressive tone of his speech.
As a presidential candi-
date, Trump railed against
NATO’s financial burden-
sharing, suggesting the U.S.
might only come to the
defense of countries that
meet the alliance’s guide-
lines — for committing 2
percent of their gross do-
mestic product to military
spending. A White House
official said the president
wanted to deliver the same
direct message in front of
NATO allies.
Trump’s public scolding
was all the more remark-
able given the fact that he
has actually backed away
President Donald Trump poses with NATO leaders for a group photo at the new NATO headquarters, Thursday, May 25, 2017, in Brus- from some of his most pro-
sels. vocative comments on for-
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) eign policy issues since tak-
ing office. He’s retracted
ed by stone-faced allies, er leaders in person this it public endorsement of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist his vow to label China a
President Donald Trump re- time, declaring, “Many of NATO’s “all for one, one for attacks. When Trump tried currency manipulator and
buked fellow NATO mem- these nations owe massive all” collective defense prin- to lighten the mood with a has lavished praise on Chi-
bers Thursday for failing to amounts of money from ciple, though White House joke about NATO’s gleam- nese President Xi Jinping.
meet the military alliance’s past years.” officials said his mere pres- ing new home base — “I During a visit to Saudi Ara-
financial benchmarks, as- The president’s assertion ence at the meeting sig- never asked once what bia this week, he called
serting that leaves it weak- immediately put NATO naled his commitment. the new NATO Headquar- Islam one of the world’s
er and shortchanges “the under new strain and did Fellow NATO leaders occa- ters cost” — there was no great religions after declar-
people and taxpayers of nothing to quiet questions sionally exchanged awk- laughter from his counter- ing during the campaign
the United States.” about his complicated re- ward looks with each other parts. that “Islam hates usq
Obama gets rock-star welcome in Berlin, praises Merkel

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER searched, police helicop- around the world,” Obama programs are essential as- loss of life ... and that it’s a
FRANK JORDANS ters patrolled the skies and said. pects of national security reminder that there is great
Associated Press snipers with balaclavas After lauding Merkel, he policy. danger and terrorism and
BERLIN (AP) — Barack watched the scene from launched a defense of his “We can’t isolate ourselves. people who want to do
Obama received a rock- nearby rooftops. own presidency and the We can’t hide behind a great harm to others just
star welcome in Berlin as At the beginning of their values of liberal democ- wall,” he said, to cheers because they’re different.”
he appeared at a pub- discussion, Obama praised racy championed by both from the audience. Despite describing the
lic debate Thursday with Merkel to the excited leaders. The former president and world as “a very compli-
Chancellor Angela Merkel, cheers of a crowd of young Citing the rise of nation- the chancellor, who grew cated place,” Obama and
whom he praised as one of Protestants, who had trav- alism and xenophobia in up in a pastor’s household Merkel still found time to
his “favorite partners” dur- eled from all over Germany parts of the world, Obama in East Germany, chatted joke with each other and
ing his presidency. and beyond to attend the told the crowd that “we about their faith and called made the crowd laugh
Security was tight in front religious gathering. have to push back against on the youth to commit to several times. The harmony
of the German capital’s “Not only do I love this city, those trends that would vi- helping make the world a and ease between the two
Brandenburg Gate, where but one of my favorite part- olate human rights or sup- better place — while keep- leaders was a stark con-
the former U.S. president ners throughout my presi- press democracy or restrict ing in mind that changes trast to Merkel’s meeting
and Merkel appeared on dency is sitting next to me,” individual freedoms.” don’t come quickly from with Trump in Washington in
a podium before tens of Obama said with a big In a veiled reference to his one day to the next. March, when the U.S. presi-
thousands of people at- smile. Merkel smiled right successor Donald Trump, Referring to the terror at- dent appeared to refuse to
tending a gathering mark- back at him. who has proposed to cut tack in England just days shake Merkel’s hand in front
ing the 500th anniversary of “Chancellor Merkel has support for diplomacy and ago, Obama said that he of reporters. Trump has said
the Protestant Reformation. done outstanding work, not international aid by nearly and the chancellor were he didn’t hear a reporter
All visitors had their bags just here in Germany, but a third, Obama said those “heartbroken about the calling for a handshake.q