NATO breeds frustration, but is vital tool in IS fight

WASHINGTON (AP) — America's substantial support for NATO, both in money and military aid, has long been a source of frustration for U.S. leaders, and questioned by some as a throwback to the Cold War era.

[...] as attacks by extremists ripped through Brussels this week, NATO rose again as a rallying point and key player in the expanding fight against Islamic State militants.

"Given this attack, I think you will see more willingness from NATO nations to join in the coalition in real and practical ways," said James Stravidis, the retired Navy admiral who served as NATO's top military commander in Europe from 2009 to 2013.

Evelyn Farkas, former U.S. deputy assistant defense secretary, said that faced with threats from Russia and the Islamic State, NATO is improving and doing more.

Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates delivered a brutal assessment nearly five years ago, warning that NATO faced a "dim if not dismal" future and that the U.S. would no longer carry the alliance as a charity case.

[...] a number of European allies have moved to increase their spending on NATO, or pledged to do so in the coming years.