What Happened to NATO?!

I thought NATO was all about mutual aid and defense. Just now I saw headlines on TV saying that Spain is closing its air space, and Italy is closing its bases, to American involvement in Iran. 

I never thought I'd see the day when we would get more cooperation from the Gulf States than from our NATO allies.  

Are they infected with sudden Trump Derangement Syndrome, are they afraid of offending Islam, or is it something else?

We sure could use Winston Churchill just about now.

-------------------------------------- 

NATO Nations Defy Trump, Refuse To Help With Iran War

Newsweek 3-31-26

"Several of the United States' closest allies in Europe have curbed U.S. military access to their airspace or bases on their territory, a sign of further rupture that European officials have sought to play down despite obvious anger from the White House.

"The limits on access for U.S. jets and weapons heading for the Middle East to strike Iran come after European nations were caught off guard by the start of U.S.-Israeli operations on February 28, then quickly distanced themselves from the aerial bombardment now well into its fifth week with no visible end in sight.

"Thousands of specialized U.S. Army paratroopers started to arrive in the region in recent days, further fueling concerns that the U.S. could escalate the conflict by invading Iranian soil even as President Donald Trump insists the U.S. is in talks with Tehran.

"Trump on Tuesday accused France of closing its airspace to aircraft carrying weapons for the war to Israel, just hours after it emerged that Italy's government had refused permission for U.S. bombers bound for the Middle East to land at one of its bases.

"Thousands of specialized U.S. Army paratroopers started to arrive in the region in recent days, further fueling concerns that the U.S. could escalate the conflict by invading Iranian soil even as President Donald Trump insists the U.S. is in talks with Tehran.

"Trump on Tuesday accused France of closing its airspace to aircraft carrying weapons for the war to Israel, just hours after it emerged that Italy's government had refused permission for U.S. bombers bound for the Middle East to land at one of its bases.

"Spain has publicly said it has shuttered its airspace to any U.S. military flights linked to the war and blocked U.S. access to two major bases in the south of the country. 

"The U.K., which has long touted a special relationship with the U.S., was forced to greenlight American forces using British bases for operations targeting Iran earlier this month after insisting U.S. personnel could use the facilities only for defense. The British government announced on Tuesday that it would send extra troops and air defense systems to the Middle East.

"All four countries are significant powers in NATO, an alliance Trump has blasted as "cowards" for refusing to be drawn into the more than four weeks of aerial assaults on Iran or operations in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.

"Spain's left-wing government has denounced the Iran war as illegal and immoral, while Italian leader Giorgia Meloni—a right-wing Trump ally—has criticized the conflict as "outside the scope of international law."

"Trump's ire is clear. Nations that have resisted becoming embroiled in the war should "build up some delayed courage" and deploy forces to the Strait of Hormuz, he said on Tuesday."