No, Montenegro Is Not Essential To U.S. National Security Interests Critics suggest it is ridiculous to question the idea that defending Montenegro via the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is necessary to keep America safe. They’re wrong.
By John Allen Gay
July 19, 2018 “Why should my son go to Montenegro to defend it from attack?†asked Fox News host Tucker Carlson Tuesday night. President Trump’s response, “I understand what you’re saying. I’ve asked the same question,†has provoked a furor. So has his suggestion that the tiny Balkan state could “get aggressive, and congratulations, you’re in World War III.â€
Critics suggest it is ridiculous to question the idea that defending Montenegro via the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is necessary to keep America safe. They’re wrong. Tiny states like Montenegro have little relevance to basic U.S. national security. Worse, the lack of debate around military commitments to these states is a symptom of a broader collapse in the national security conversation.
Let’s start with some basics. Montenegro is among the world’s smallest countries. It has about the population of Oklahoma City in a land area around the size of Connecticut. Its economy, at around $4.7 billion, is slightly smaller than the Valdosta, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area — America’s 327th-largest.
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http://thefederalist.com/2018/07/19/no-montenegro-not-essential-u-s-national-security-interests/