Former NATO Supreme Commander James Stavridis on Sunday criticized President Barack Obama for his recent decision to remove America's sole aircraft carrier patrolling the Middle East.
"We have 11 active nuclear aircraft carriers today in the United States Navy. It is hard for me to understand why we cannot manage a fleet of that size to maintain an aircraft carrier at all times in regions as dangerous as the Arabian Gulf," Stavridis told host John Catsimatidis on
"The Cats Roundtable" on AM 970 in New York.
Story continues below.
Stavridis also criticized Washington for making cuts to the military while American troops remain active in many regions of the world.
"We have already cut defense … about 30 percent over the last 10 years, and we’re still at war," he said. "We're actively involved on multiple continents in real combat operations. We should not be drastically reducing our troop levels.”
Stavridis also said that NATO must take a central role in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS.)
"It's important that NATO take on ISIS," he said.
Related Stories:
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.