Mitch Landrieu: “when NATO formed in 1949, the world had been liberated from the grips of Hitler and the Japanese. But, the rise of…”

“when NATO formed in 1949, the world had been liberated from the grips of Hitler and the Japanese. But, the rise of communism and the Soviet Union brought new threats and the fear of nuclear war. NATO was created with vision and vigor to combat, through political and military means, the spread of communism. NATO has succeeded. Today, the Soviets are gone, and a partnership between Russia and NATO is growing. Still, freedom-loving societies have been threatened anew by state and non-state supported terrorists looking to achieve their destructive aims through the spread of WMD. The question looms whether NATO will address these new threats or be pushed to the side because it was unable to transform when the cold war ended. Some have said NATO's mission ended when the Berlin Wall fell. Some have even said NATO is dead. Well, I do not think NATO is dead. Now is the time to recommit ourselves to NATO to ensure that the world's greatest alliance for peace perseveres and is improved to remain strong for another 50 years. To do so, NATO must adapt its mission to deal with today's threats. NATO members must commit to a common defense with both policy and budgetary commitments that improve interoperability and reduce the capabilities gap between the U.S. and other members. As NATO's largest and most powerful member, the United States and her leaders in the Senate stand ready to strengthen NATO and repair recently strained relationships amongst NATO members.”