07 December 2001
Text: NATO Takes Comprehensive Approach Against Terrorism
(Alliance pledges package of strategies by Prague Summit) (1320)
The 19-member NATO security alliance is responding to the September
11th terrorist attacks on the United States with a "multi-faceted and
comprehensive" approach to battling global terrorism, according to a
joint statement.
"We will develop for the Prague Summit [in 2002] a package of Alliance
measures to strengthen our capacities as well as the engagement with
our partners in meeting this challenge," the joint statement, released
at the NATO Ministerial meeting in Brussels December 6, said.
The alliance said that it must work to transform its military
capabilities because of the undermining effect of terrorism on
conventional military doctrine. But it stressed that military tools
alone "are not sufficient to combat terrorism effectively."
A major factor in the broader, comprehensive approach will be to meet
the threat posed by possible terrorist use of weapons of mass
destruction, the statement said. "Disarmament, arms control and
non-proliferation can make an essential contribution to the fight
against terrorism," it said.
And the NATO members will provide support, when sought, to fellow
members for the protection of civilian populations against the effects
of any terrorist attack, the statement said.
NATO, for the first time since the North Atlantic Alliance was formed,
invoked Article V of its charter, known informally as the Washington
Treaty, which indicated that an attack on one member country was an
attack on all members of the collective security alliance.
"Accordingly, we have decided to support, individually and
collectively, the ongoing U.S.-led military operations against the
terrorists who perpetrated the 11 September outrages and those who
provide them sanctuary," the statement said.
Following are terms and abbreviations used in the text:
-- EU: European Union.
-- OSCE: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
-- G-8: Group of Eight major industrialized nations.
Following is the text of the NATO joint statement on terrorism:
(begin text)
NATO Press Release M-NAC-2 (2001)159
Brussels
6 December 2001
NATO'S RESPONSE TO TERRORISM
STATEMENT ISSUED AT THE MINISTERIAL MEETING OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC
COUNCIL HELD AT NATO HEADQUARTERS, BRUSSELS, ON 6 DECEMBER 2001
1. The terrorist attacks of 11 September were an outrage against the
entire world. We are responding to bring to justice those responsible
for these crimes, and to prevent them from taking innocent lives in
future.
2. Terrorism threatens the lives of our citizens, and their human
rights and civil liberties. It also poses a threat to the development
and functioning of democratic institutions, the territorial integrity
of states, and peaceful relations between them, and to international
peace and security. There is no justification whatsoever for terrorist
actions. We categorically reject and resolutely condemn terrorism in
all its forms and manifestations. We, the 19 NATO Allies, are
determined to combat this scourge. Our security requires no less.
3. We consider the events of 11 September to be an armed attack not
just on one ally, but on us all, and have therefore invoked Article 5
of the Washington Treaty. Accordingly, we have decided to support,
individually and collectively, the ongoing U.S.-led military
operations against the terrorists who perpetrated the 11 September
outrages and those who provide them sanctuary. NATO surveillance
aircraft are patrolling U.S. airspace, for the first time ever.
Alliance naval forces have deployed to the eastern Mediterranean to
demonstrate NATO's solidarity and resolve. Our peacekeeping forces in
the Balkans, with the support of countries of the region, have been
acting to prevent terrorist groups from operating within and from the
Balkans. Individual Allies have offered forces and other assets to the
campaign against terrorism and for use in humanitarian relief. We will
continue our support to the United States for the U.S.-led operation
against these terrorists until it has reached its objectives. We will
provide this support in accordance with our decisions and in full
compliance with all our commitments under international law and
relevant provisions of the United Nations Charter.
4. Our fight is not against Islam or the innocent people of
Afghanistan. Our countries are helping to provide humanitarian
assistance to the Afghan people, who have suffered under the cruelty
of the Taliban regime. Our fight, the fight of the international
community, is against the terrorists, their networks and those who
harbour them, as stated in Resolution 1368 of the U.N. Security
Council.
5. We reiterate our determination to combat the threat of terrorism
for as long as necessary. In keeping with our obligations under the
Washington Treaty we will continue to strengthen our national and
collective capacities to protect our populations, territory and forces
from any armed attack, including terrorist attack, directed from
abroad. We recognised this challenge in the Strategic Concept adopted
at the Washington Summit, where we made clear that any armed attack on
the territory of the Allies, from whatever direction, would be covered
by Article 5 of the Washington Treaty and where we singled out
terrorism as a risk to the security interests of the Alliance. Meeting
this challenge is fundamental to our security.
6. To accomplish this crucial task of protecting our populations,
territory and forces, we will examine ways to adapt and enhance
Alliance military capabilities. We will deepen our relations with
other states and international organisations so that information is
shared, and appropriate cooperative action is taken more effectively.
Our countries are also working together closely to meet the threat
posed by possible terrorist use of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation can make an essential
contribution to the fight against terrorism. We will enhance our
ability to provide support, when requested, to national authorities
for the protection of civilian populations against the effects of any
terrorist attack. We will also enhance cooperation with our Partners
in this field taking into account the various proposals and
initiatives put forward.
7. The support of the member countries of the Euro-Atlantic
Partnership Council, the NATO-Russia Permanent Joint Council and the
NATO-Ukraine Commission, and their condemnation of the 11 September
attacks, have been crucial to building the international coalition. We
commend the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus for their
courageous support to the campaign. We applaud the unambiguous stand
taken by our Mediterranean Dialogue partners, which have unreservedly
condemned these attacks. We reaffirm our willingness to provide
assistance, individually or collectively, as appropriate and according
to our capabilities, to Allies and other states, which are or may be
subject to increased terrorist threats as a result of their support
for the campaign against terrorism.
8. Following the 11 September attacks, Russia has offered the Allies
substantial and significant cooperation in the campaign against
terrorism. This cooperation illustrates the new quality in NATO-Russia
relations. We look forward to building on this cooperation and
deepening NATO-Russia relations to meet the new challenges faced by
the entire Euro-Atlantic community.
9. We stress that military tools alone are not sufficient to combat
terrorism effectively. The response must be multi-faceted and
comprehensive. In that regard, we support the efforts of the United
Nations and its central role in this field, and undertake to fully
implement U.N. Security Council Resolution 1373. We also support the
efforts of the EU, the OSCE, the G-8 and international financial
institutions to combat terrorism. We believe it will be essential to
continue to develop cooperation between international organisations in
this multi-faceted campaign, taking into account their respective
responsibilities. In this context, NATO and the European Union are
exploring ways to enhance cooperation to combat terrorism. Today's
meeting of NATO and EU Foreign Ministers will underline the important
relationship between the two organisations.
10. We will develop for the Prague Summit a package of Alliance
measures to strengthen our capacities as well as the engagement with
our partners in meeting this challenge.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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