NATO: Guardian of peace or bellicose bully? | Head to Head

In this episode of Head to Head, Mehdi Hasan challenges Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former Danish prime minister and former NATO chief, on the West's military alliance's role in Eastern Europe and the so-called War on Terror.

We examine his record since assuming office in 2001, his role in the European support for the Iraq War and ask whether his NATO policies since 2009 have backfired.

Is it the West, or Putin who calls the shots in Ukraine? Has NATO reignited the Cold War? Did it create a bigger problem in Libya? And did it botch its mission in Afghanistan?

More from Head to Head on:

[markwolodkowicz]

I am so proud of this young people asking smart questions.

[kaustavadhikary]

Holy shit!! Did anybody else Notice the RED guy?? Why is he so RED?? is from Marse??

[adaukken]

My goodness. This interviewer IS pure gold...

[martinam]

Mehdi Hasan is a brave genius and Head to Head is the masterpiece of AJE

[stigandrmyrardalur]

As an european l've to say that NATO definately should've been disolved at the same time as the Warszaw pact and been replaced with an european militaryalliance without USA

[milans]

I think that when Rasmussen says "NATO is the most successful peace movement the world has ever known, " and is met with the entire audience in the Oxford Union laughing, we can come to understand just how decrepit their moral standards have been and how his denials of evidence and diverting of questions signifies a completely corrupted alliance whose mandates and objectives are simply covers for the worst kind of international intervention which perpetuates war crimes.
I say the worst because they are able to sustain their practices because they have so excellently worked the line between fulfilling their interests through whatever means necessary (i.e. bombing of civilians, overthrowing governments, torture, training of groups that work with heinous organisations etc.) and doing just enough to make their presented evidence sound like a success. And it sounds like a success to many because they are bombarded by western news media, who are indebted to national funding and rely on information received by government officials, and who spew the utter propaganda and bullshit NATO's public relations experts devise to spin their horrendous interventions into success stories, into victories simply because a greater evil was prevented.
Unfortunately, they and the news media have created a paradigm in which the evil consists simply of the 'enemy' itself and not on its actions; what makes the enemy evil is not the overall tally of their actions but their image which is based on a stereotype of their actions, for if we were tallying the evil actions themselves, no one would be able to deny that NATO is the actual devil and its enemies simply minor demons; the entire thing is about brand management since evidence will always be provided for and against both sides, meaning that most people will rely on their perception of each side, the image they have of NATO vs. terrorists, to back one decision (NATO intervention) over the other (allowing the terrorists to run amok).

[rahatibnemushfique]

Watching this at 2022 is amusing knowing that Talibans are back to the power. So bragging about defeating Taliban looks so hilarious now.

[jordanmarkis]

This interviewer is excellent, goes right for the throat and the core issues here. I almost feel bad for Rasmussen for being so alone is his school of thought but that's just what it is, a school of thought with double standards and ignorance to the truth and no guts to own up to his own statements. Nice debate.

[solomansaeed]

I am fed up of all these lies about the improvements in Afghanistan.

[JuanCarlosHernandezPhotographe]

Is Rasmussen a kind of robot ? He looks so inhumane .

[coreycox]

Excellent interview. Many sides are presented. I came to my own conclusion. It makes the host look extremely credible.

[Monkeyninjaghost]

Deny everything, that was always his tactic.

[Shubham-glct]

15:40 I've never seen someone more red.

[orlabenlarsen]

In Denmark the media dont even talk about this debat with our famous killer

[Isexwayiso]

The same thing NATO and its allies did in Ukraine. That is deposing legitimate president they did not like. Putting in its place put someone they "prefer current president" is the same line they took in Libya.

[deeXaeed]

"Afghans appreciate what we did." Yeah, right. Afghans appreciated the invasion of their homeland.

[donyaxworld]

47:33 "afghans appreciate what we did"

As an Afghan no we don't appreciate anything because we are at the position because of you people. Over 100 years ago, u British tried taking over Afghanistan and failed with loss of thousands of British soldiers and u guys r failing now. So stop ur bullshit and leave our nation alone. U couldn't beat Afghan in battle but now ur supporting the extremists to take ur revenge bak.

[willybne]

"put this into perspective please" - but only my perspective which is that of NATO...


"we do not cooperate with Nazi's" - we just train them...


"we are moved by principals" - yes so was Bin Laden.


"again, lets be very open about it" - except the parts that would get me put in prison.

[cesarepelaschier]

if think the red bloke is ready to explode.lol

[T.image]

Hassan is an astute mediator who knows enough about the issues to stop people getting away easily with spouting propaganda.