NATO Explains Invocation of Article 5 Against Terrorist Attacks
When checking the NATO Web Site earlier, we noticed this new document explaning the rationale for invoking Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. We haven't seen any articles pointing to this on any Weblog or other on-line news site, so we point to it from here.
Among the more interesting passages is this:
Article 5 has thus been invoked, but no determination has yet been made
whether the attack against the United States was directed from abroad. If
such a determination is made, each Ally will then consider what assistance it
should provide. In practice, there will be consultations among the Allies. Any
collective action by NATO will be decided by the North Atlantic Council. The
United States can also carry out independent actions, consistent with its
rights and obligations under the UN Charter.
{Emphasis added by CTDATA.}
This may be the reason why some foreign ministers in Europe have indicated that they are not necessarily committing troops to relatiatory military action.