For the first time in NATO’s military alliance's history, the 19 member states are considering sending support of any kind to the US in response to Tuesday's attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, said reports.
The draft proposal would look to invoke NATO's self-defense charter, diplomatic sources and State Department officials told CNN.
The proposal, put forward by NATO Secretary-General George Robertson, would call for support of Article Five of the alliance's charter, which is the basic reason for NATO's existence.
It spells out the requirement that if one of NATO's members is attacked, all its allies would defend it.
One official put it this way: "A hit for one is a hit for all."
It is the first time that an attack has taken place on the soil of a NATO member during its 50-plus years of existence.
Previous NATO activity has been carried out on non-member territories, such as in the Balkans.
NATO would require the US to give it details of who had been responsible for the attack before any retaliatory action was offered.
The US would have to go back to NATO to ask for specific kinds of support, but officials say invoking Article Five would provide on an "expedited basis" use of air space by the allies and make other kinds of assistance available.
European Union foreign ministers joined NATO's secretary-general in issuing a draft statement prepared for a unique session on Wednesday, which expressed "the most profound disgust at the terrorist attacks."
Robertson said: "We stand together. We are two organizations with one voice, one strong voice, that we will not stand for this terrorism."
EU Commission President Romano Prodi said: "In the darkest days of European history America stood close by us and today we stand close by America."
Security had been visibly tightened at both EU and NATO headquarters in Brussels – Albawaba.com
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