Question

From The Salt Lake Tribune, September 13, 2001: "Washington's NATO allies declared Wednesday that the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., can be considered an attack on the whole alliance if they were directed from abroad. 'An attack on one is an attack on all,' NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson said after the alliance's ambassadors decided to invoke Article 5 of the NATO charter for the first time in the alliance's history.” (Base your answers strictly on formal logic.)

a. Trace the formal logic of the text.

b. In your opinion, is an attack on the US an attack against all NATO allies?

c. In light of Robertson's claim that "an attack against one is an attack against all,” what is the logical inference of the statement that, "the alliance's ambassadors decided to invoke Article 5 of the NATO charter for the first time in the alliance's history”?

add reference please

Answer 1

a) After the unexpected & surprise attack of 9/11, there were consultations among the NATO allies & collective action was decided by the council. On september 13, 2001, the allies invoked the principle of Article 5 which states that if a Nato ally is the victim of an armed attack, each and every other member of the alliance will consider this act of violence as an armed attack against all members and will take the actions​ seems to be necessary against the attackers. Nato's main decision -making body agreed that if it is determined that the attack was directed from abroad against the United States, it would be regarded as an action covered by article 5. b) If we consider the core principle based on which NATO formed i.e. the principle of collective defence that remains a unique a principle that binds its all other members together, committing them to protect each other. In this respect we can assume that collective defence means an attack against one Ally is considered as an attack against all Allies, NATO invoked Article 5 for the first time in its history after the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the United States​. So it is against terror attack & against the terrorist group as well, so taking such decision in such a crisis is appropriate.    c) In order to take necessary measures to provide increased security facilities to the United States & to provide access to ports & airfields on the territory of NATO member countries for operation against terrorism it is essential to take collective responsibility to take such a huge task.