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A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 1 april 2017
US gives NATO allies 2 months for defense spending plans

compared with its 27 part- During election campaign-
ners, and that he expects ing, Trump suggested that
action by the time Presi- he might not come to the
dent Donald Trump meets defense of those allies who
with other alliance leaders do not do their fair share,
on May 25. rocking allies near an in-
NATO leaders pledged in creasingly aggressive Rus-
2014 to halt defense spend- sia, such as Estonia, Latvia,
ing cuts and move toward Lithuania and Poland.
a guideline target of 2 However, Tillerson sought
percent of gross domestic to calm any fears, saying
product within a decade. Friday that “we understand
Only four other nations cur- that a threat against one of
rently meet the target: Brit- us is a threat against all of
ain, Estonia, Greece and us, and we will respond ac-
Poland. cordingly. We will uphold
“Our goal should be to the agreements we have
agree at the May leaders made to defend our allies.
meeting that by the end of The United States is by far
the year all allies will have NATO’s most powerful ally.
either met the pledge It spends more on defense
guidelines or will have de- than all the others com-
veloped plans that clearly bined; 3.61 percent of GDP
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, left, speaks with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during
a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Friday, March articulate how, with annual in 2016, according to NATO
31, 2017. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson meets with his NATO counterparts in Brussels for the milestone progress commit- estimates, although U.S.
first time looking to persuade reluctant allies to increase defense spending and do more to com- ments, the pledge will be spending, too, has tapered
bat terrorism. fulfilled,” Tillerson told the off in recent years.
(AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) ministers. Tillerson also urged NATO to
LORNE COOK to boost defense spending Tillerson, in his first talks with Tillerson did not specifi- do more to fight the Islamic
Associated Press or come up with plans to NATO counterparts in Brus- cally say what would hap- State group and other ex-
BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S. Sec- reach the alliance’s bud- sels, said that Washington pen if European allies and tremists, notably by coun-
retary of State Rex Tillerson get guidelines within two is spending a “dispropor- Canada fail to respect their tering IS online messaging
warned NATO allies Friday months. tionate share” on defense pledges. and propaganda.q
US defense chief says North Korea has ‘got to be stopped’

with Iran as secretary of de- “That’s got to be stopped,”
fense, Mattis called Tehran he concluded.
a problem but quickly piv- Mattis made clear he still
oted to condemning North worries about Iran’s involve-
Korea and described the ment in what the U.S. sees
isolated, communist coun- as destabilizing activities
try as the more immediate across the Middle East. But
threat. he suggested that he now
“This is a threat of both rhet- sees the world through a
oric and growing capabil- wider lens and that makes
ity,” Mattis said, alluding to North Korea the more ur-
the North’s recent progress gent problem.
in building nuclear bombs He also aimed strong criti-
and developing an inter- cism at Russia, saying its
continental ballistic missile “violations of international
to deliver such weapons to law are now a matter of re-
U.S. soil. Experts believe cord.” He was referring to
North Korea will develop its annexation of Ukraine’s
such capability in the next Crimea region in 2014 and
years, despite an array “mucking around insider
of international sanctions other people’s elections
on the country. The Trump and that sort of thing.” He
U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, center, leaves after visiting British Prime Minister Theresa May administration has been also cited Russian outreach
at 10 Downing Street in London, Friday, March 31, 2017. conducting a broad policy to Afghanistan’s Taliban as
(AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool) review of North Korea that a concern.

ROBERT BURNS cern at the moment. He President Bashar Assad. includes military options, Mattis hinted the Trump
AP National Security Writer emphasized diplomatic At a joint news conference but Mattis stressed other administration was close to
LONDON (AP) — North Ko- means of changing Pyong- with his British counterpart, approaches. deciding how to respond
rea must be stopped on its yang’s “reckless” agenda. Michael Fallon, Mattis was “We are working diplomati- to Russia’s recent deploy-
path toward being able to On his first visit to Britain reminded by a reporter cally, including with those ment of a ground-based
threaten the United States as Pentagon chief, Mattis that as commander of U.S. that we might be able to medium-range cruise mis-
with nuclear attack, U.S. also took rhetorical jabs at forces in the Middle East enlist in this effort to get sile — an action the Pen-
Defense Secretary Jim Russia and said America’s several years ago, he con- North Korea under con- tagon recently declared
Mattis said Friday in a stark priority in Syria is defeat- sidered Iran to be the big- trol,” he said. “But right now a violation of the 1987 In-
expression of America’s ing the Islamic State group gest threat to U.S. interests. it appears to be going in a termediate-range Nuclear
top national security con- rather than bringing down Asked how he would deal very reckless manner.” Forces treaty.q