President Donald Trump's call for an Arab version of The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a "great" idea, former Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., told Newsmax TV.
"I think it'd be great. A workable Arab NATO in the Middle East combatting ISIS and straining Iran. Maintaining security and stability in the region," Hoekstra told host Bill Tucker on Monday's "America Talks Live."
"It's a whole lot better than a European NATO trying to exercise its will in northern Africa or in the Middle East. I think it has some promise, and it has some potential.
"Clearly what we've done over the last 12, 14 years in the Middle East has not worked. We need a different approach. This is an idea worth seriously investigating."
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White House officials say Trump is laying out his vision for an "Arab NATO," during his visit to the Middle East – an organization that would assist in the fight against terrorism and keep the pressure on Iran.
Ret. Gen. Jack Keane told Fox News on Sunday that Trump is building a "framework" for the group during the trip.
"Now we have a president with the Sunni Arabs, with Saudi Arabia, which is Iran's strategic opponent in the Middle East, and we're going to stand up against them," Keane said.
Hoekstra, former chair of the House Intel Committee who is now a senior fellow at the Investigative Project on Terrorism, is the author of "Architects of Disaster: The Destruction of Libya," written with Teri Blumenfeld and published by The Calamo Press.
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