Brussels / Washington, 13/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - Following the suicide attacks of 11 September in the United States, the NATO Council decided on 12 September that these acts could be considered as acts of war covered by Article 5 of the Washington Treaty (collective defence in case of aggression). After several meetings of the Permanent council (Ambassadors) and consultations with the different capitals, Lord Robertson, who had previously met Javier Solana, announced that the North Atlantic Council had decided that, "it has been established that this attack was led from abroad against the united States, it will be assimilated to an action under Article 5 of the Washington treaty, which stipulates that an armed attack against one or several of the allied countries, in Europe or North America, will be considered as an attack directed against all the Allies". You may, moreover, recall that the NATO Strategic Concept adopted in April 1999 at the Washington Summit, provides in paragraph 24 for the broadening of the notion of "threat", so as to take account of the changing nature of this threat, including international terrorism.
President Bush promised consultation with the Allies before acting, and Secretary of State Colin Powell said that Washington was preparing the setting up of a genuine international coalition to combat terrorism, involving NATO, as well as Muslim countries.
On Thursday, a NATO spokesperson denied an article in the Guardian by which the Alliance was establishing plans for a "massive attack on Afghanistan". The speculations contained in this article a "totally void of foundation", and NATO "is not preparing an invasion of Afghanistan, nor any other country, whichever it may be", said the spokesperson.