I'm really surprised by NATO, and mind you I had no great expectations of them in the first place. In what world do they believe this war doesn't concern them or they're not involved ?
@SilverStacker My reply isn't an attack on you or a rebuke of your post. I'm just posting a few facts about NATO as I understand them.
Grok:
Exact Text of Article 5Here is the full, official wording:
"The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defense recognized by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area. Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result thereof shall immediately be reported to the Security Council. Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintain international peace and security."
nato.int
What It Means in Plain Language
- "An attack on one is an attack on all": If a NATO member faces an armed attack in the covered area (Europe or North America, with specifics in Article 6 of the treaty), all other members treat it as if they themselves were attacked.
- Obligation to assist: Each member must help the attacked party. This can include military force, but it is not fully automatic—each country decides what action it "deems necessary."
- Basis in international law: It explicitly references the UN Charter's right to self-defense.
- Limits: Actions must be reported to the UN Security Council and end once the UN takes over to restore peace. The commitment applies geographically as defined in the treaty (primarily member territories in Europe/North America, plus some extensions like islands or forces in the North Atlantic area).
Article 5 has been invoked only once in NATO's history: after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001, leading to collective support for operations in Afghanistan. Where to Read the Full Treaty You can read the complete official text of the North Atlantic Treaty (including all articles and context) directly on NATO's website:
These are the most authoritative sources. The treaty is a public document, short and readable (about 14 articles total), and available in multiple languages on the site. If you'd like more details on how Article 5 works in practice, its history, related articles (like Article 4 for consultations or Article 3 on building defense capabilities), or NATO's current structure, just let me know!
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Grok
Yes, NATO invoked Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty—the collective defense clause—for the first and only time in its history after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.
nato.int
Article 5 states that an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all, and each member will assist the attacked party with “such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force.” The 9/11 attacks (carried out by al-Qaeda from abroad) triggered this for the first time. Timeline of NATO’s Response
- September 12, 2001 (the day after the attacks): The North Atlantic Council (NATO’s top political decision-making body) met in emergency session. It unanimously agreed that if the attacks were determined to have been directed from abroad against the US, they would be regarded as covered by Article 5. All 19 allies at the time stood in solidarity.
nato.int
- October 2, 2001: After briefings confirming al-Qaeda’s responsibility and that the attacks originated abroad, NATO formally determined that Article 5 applied.
nato.int
- October 4, 2001: At the US’s request, NATO agreed on a specific package of eight practical measures to support the United States in its campaign against terrorism. These were not symbolic—they were concrete actions taken individually and collectively by the allies.
nato.int
The Eight Measures NATO Agreed To Here’s the exact list of what NATO committed to on October 4, 2001 (directly from NATO records):
- Enhance intelligence-sharing and cooperation on terrorism threats and responses.
- Provide assistance (as appropriate and according to capabilities) to allies or other countries facing increased terrorist threats because of their support for the anti-terrorism campaign.
- Take necessary measures to increase security for US and other allies’ facilities on their territory.
- Backfill selected allied assets in NATO’s area of responsibility needed to directly support operations against terrorism.
- Provide blanket overflight clearances for US and other allies’ military aircraft related to anti-terrorism operations (following national procedures).
- Provide access to ports and airfields on NATO member territory for operations against terrorism, including refueling.
- Deploy elements of NATO’s Standing Naval Forces to the Eastern Mediterranean to show presence and resolve.
- Deploy elements of NATO’s Airborne Early Warning Force (AWACS) to support operations against terrorism.
nato.int
These measures allowed the US to redirect its own resources (e.g., aircraft and personnel) toward the war in Afghanistan while NATO filled key support roles. How NATO “Actually Did It”: The Concrete Operations NATO turned the Article 5 commitment into real military operations—two of which were the most visible and direct forms of aid:
- Operation Eagle Assist (October 9, 2001 – mid-May 2002):
This was NATO’s first-ever anti-terrorism operation and the first time NATO military assets were deployed in direct support of an Article 5 operation. Seven NATO AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) radar aircraft—manned by 830 crew members from 13 NATO countries—flew more than 360 sorties over the United States. They patrolled US skies to monitor airspace and detect threats. This freed up US fighter jets and crews that would otherwise have been tied down with homeland air defense.
nato.int
- Operation Active Endeavour (launched October 26, 2001; ran until 2016):
NATO deployed elements of its Standing Naval Forces to patrol the Mediterranean Sea. The mission was to deter, detect, and disrupt terrorist activity (including illegal trafficking that could support terrorism). It started as a direct Article 5 response in the Eastern Mediterranean and later expanded.
nato.int
In addition to these, the broader support measures (intelligence sharing, overflight rights, port access, base security, etc.) were implemented immediately and helped enable the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom Longer-Term Support While the initial Article 5 aid focused on these defensive and enabling measures (rather than NATO collectively invading Afghanistan), many individual NATO allies contributed troops to the US-led campaign right away. In 2003, NATO as an organization took command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, turning it into a NATO-led mission that lasted until 2014 (later transitioning to Resolute Support until 2021). Over the years, thousands of troops from NATO countries served and sacrificed alongside US forces there.
bushcenter.org
In short, NATO’s aid after 9/11 was swift, unanimous, and practical: a historic invocation of collective defense followed by immediate intelligence, logistical, air, and naval support that directly helped protect the US homeland and enabled its response. It remains the clearest real-world demonstration of “an attack on one is an attack on all.”
www.cnbc.com
Iran just launched only 3 missile barrages at Israel since the last update, their lowest rate of the entire war.
NewsNation’s Leland Vittert just said the quiet part out loud: 