The EU, NATO and Transnational Terrorism
Publisher: Stichting Atlantische Commissie
Volume: 8 pages, pdf
Description:
The terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 caught the West collectively unprepared. On 12 September 2001, in an unprecedented move, the North Atlantic Council (NAC) invoked Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. Most notably this invocation was the first act of this kind in NATO's entire history. However, contrary to its original purpose, the invocation called for the defence of the continental United States of America and not of the European allies. It was unusual also because the invocation of Article 5 was not prompted by a massive military invasion across state borders from outside the North Atlantic Treaty area.