Susan Rice: I Hope Any President Would Understand How Important NATO Is

RUSH EXCERPT: 
BLITZER: "President-Elect Trump once again called NATO in this weekend’s interview with a German publication, the British publication, obsolete. Do you think he understands the importance of this alliance?"
RICE: "Well, wolf, I think all Americans need to recall the critical importance of NATO to our security. It’s been the most durable and important alliance in the history of modern international relations. NATO forces have only invoked article 5, the mutual defense understanding, among NATO partners, once in its history. That was after 9/11 when NATO came to our side and aligned with us against the Al Qaeda threat. Nato has put thousands of troops into Afghanistan and maintained several thousand side by side with American forces to continue that counter-terrorism mission. Nato is playing a critical role in standing firm against Russian aggression in the east and helping to manage and contain the migrant flow as it affects nato countries from the south as well as from the Middle East. So nato is very relevant. It’s as relevant or more relevant today than it’s been even post Cold War. And it’s very important that our leadership and the American people understand the value and the importance of that alliance to our security."
BLITZER: "So you think president-elect Trump doesn’t care or doesn’t understand the importance of this alliance?
RICE: "Wolf, I can’t speak for President-Elect Trump. I can speak for President Obama, who has prioritized the NATO alliance and our partnership and our bonds with our European allies as being a primary component of our security and prosperity. I think the American people understand how important NATO is, and I would hope and expect that any president of the united States would come to that understanding as well."