Jason Cates 2012

NATONorth Atlantic Treaty Organization

By Jason Cates

Jason Cates 2012

1. What is NATO?2. Members3. Structure4. Who’s Who?5. History6. Current Issues

Contents Page

Jason Cates 2012

NATO is a military alliance consisting of 28 member states.

Members are located in North America and Europe.

NATO was established upon the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949.

Article 5 of the Treaty agrees “an armed attack against one or more of them… shall be considered an attack against them all”.

What is NATO?

(NATO, 2012a)

Jason Cates 2012

1. Albania2. Belgium3. Bulgaria4. Canada5. Croatia6. Czech Rep7. Denmark8. Estonia9. France10. Germany11. Greece12. Hungary13. Iceland14. Italy

Members15. Latvia16. Lithuania17. Luxembourg18. Netherlands19. Norway20. Poland21. Portugal22. Romania23. Slovakia24. Slovenia25. Spain26. Turkey27. United Kingdom28. United States

(NATO, 2012a)

Jason Cates 2012

Ultimately, NATO operations are governed by its 28 member states with each sending a delegation to NATO headquarters in Brussels

This includes each delegation having Permanent Representative on the North Atlantic Council which is chaired by the Secretary General and has decision making powers

Structure

(NATO, 2012d)

Jason Cates 2012

The Parliamentary Assembly sets NATO’s broad strategic goals

The Military Committee is responsible for recommending measures considered necessary for the common defence of the NATO area and is made up of military representatives

Structure

(NATO, 2012b) (NATO, 2012C)

Jason Cates 2012

NATO Secretary General:◦ Anders Fogh Rasmussen

NATO Deputy Secretary General:◦ Alexander Vershbow

Chairman of the Military Committee:◦ General Knud Bartels

Deputy Chairman of the Military Committee:◦ Lieutenant General Walter Gaskin

Who’s Who?

(NATO, 2012e)

Jason Cates 2012

NATO was established upon the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949.

NATO’s creation was based on three purposes: ◦ Deterring Soviet expansionism◦ Forbidding the revival of nationalist militarism in

Europe◦ Encouraging European political integration.

1947–1991: The Cold War and rivalry with the USSR and the Warsaw Pact

History

(NATO, 2012b) (NATO, 2012f)

Jason Cates 2012

In 1994, the Partnership for Peace programme was launched with members including former Soviet republics

The 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre is the only occasion that Article 5 of the North Atlantic treaty has been invoked◦ “an armed attack against one or more of them…

shall be considered an attack against them all”

History

(NATO, 2012f)

Jason Cates 2012

The intervention took place between 19th March & 31st October 2011 aiming to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1973

NATO took control of the no-fly zone on 31st March, while command of targeting ground units remained with coalition forces

Took place in response to Libyan civil war and ended shortly after the death of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi

Efforts initially led by the UK and France

Current IssuesNATO and Libya

(NATO, 2012g)

Jason Cates 2012

The war in Afghanistan began on October 7th 2001 following the terrorist attacks of 9/11

The aim of NATO operations is:◦ “to provide effective security across the country in

order to ensure Afghanistan can never again be a safe haven for terrorists”

NATO members plan to withdraw the majority, if not all, of their military forces from Afghanistan over the coming years

Current IssuesNATO and Afghanistan

(NATO, 2012h)

Jason Cates 2012

NATO (2012a) What is NATO? Available at: http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-A0A8221B-738B6E69/natolive/what_is_nato.htm [Accessed: 13th July 2012]

NATO (2012b) German MP Karl A. Lamers elected as new NATO Parliamentary Assembly President. Available at: http://www.nato-pa.int/default.asp?SHORTCUT=2294 [Accessed: 13th July 2012]

NATO (2012c) The Military Committee. Available at: http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_49633.htm [Accessed: 13th July 2012]

NATO (2012d) The North Atlantic Council. Available at: http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_49763.htm [Accessed: 13th July 2012]

NATO (2012e) Who is Who? Available at: http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-A0A8221B-738B6E69/natolive/who_is_who.htm [Accessed: 13th July 2012]

NATO (2012f) NATO History. Available at: http://www.nato.int/history/nato-history.html [Accessed: 13th July 2012]

NATO (2012g) NATO and Libya. Available at: http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_71652.htm [Accessed: 13th July 2012]

NATO (2012h) NATO in Afghanistan. Available at: http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_69349.htm [Accessed: 13th July 2012]

References