Top NATO general echoes Trump’s ‘obsolete’ criticism

BRUSSELS – A top NATO general is conceding that parts of the military alliance need to be brought up to date following U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s claim that NATO is “obsolete.”

Reacting to Trump’s criticism in an interview this week, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Transformation General Denis Mercier said Tuesday, “We see that there is a need for adaptation.”

Mercier acknowledged that NATO has “some structures that are obsolete.”

He says the military alliance probably has focused too much on deploying troops abroad, so-called expeditionary warfare, particularly its operation in Afghanistan.

Mercier says the alliance wants to revamp its approach to counter-terrorism, in part by helping countries under threat to develop long-term plans to fight extremists.

Germany was one of a number of European nations stunned by Trump’s remarks.