On American destroyers, avoid a self-inflicted wound in Spain

Sometimes friends behave badly. When that happens, it is not smart to hurt yourself in retaliation for the friend’s bad behavior. That is true in one’s personal life — and also when it comes to defense strategy. Consider the case of the Trump administration’s ongoing review of U.S. force posture in Europe and whether Washington will maintain a handful of American naval destroyers forward-stationed in Rota, Spain. Stationing destroyers at Rota helps secure vital American interests in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East and allows the ships to spend more time conducting missions than…