Atlantic Council

MURDOCH CRITICIZES EUROPE FOR INACTION AND CALLS FOR GLOBAL NATO

Washington, D.C. (April 21, 2008) — News Corporation Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch questioned Europe’s political will to defend itself and called upon NATO to expand beyond current candidates to global members such as Australia, Japan, and Israel.

“We must face up to a painful truth,” Murdoch said on Monday night, April 21st, in a speech upon receiving the 2008 Distinguished Business Award from the Atlantic Council of the United States. “Europe no longer has either the political will or social culture to support military engagements in defense of itself and is allies.”

Speaking to Washington’s most important annual gathering of Atlanticists, he said though strong on paper “this makes NATO weak in practice.”  He called for reform from outside, transforming the alliance with new members chosen according to shared principles “rather than the accident of geography.”

Murdoch, who acquired the Wall Street Journal last year, also urged Congress to pass the Colombian Free Trade Agreement in an effort to demonstrate support for allies in the Western hemisphere.  “Even the New York Times says the Democratic Congress should ratify this trade deal.”  Describing Colombia as “a nation that is fighting poverty, battling the drug lords, and taking on terrorists backed by foreign governments,” the media magnate maintained that a “defeat for the trade deal would be confirmation that the United States is not an ally you could count on.”

Other honorees at last night’s awards dinner were former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen, and Russian pianist Evgeny Kissin.

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