[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12215]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 552--COMMEMORATING THE FIFTEENTH ANNIVERSARY OF 
 NATO'S INVOCATION OF ARTICLE V TO DEFEND THE UNITED STATES FOLLOWING 
              THE TERRORIST ATTACKS OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

  Mr. COONS (for himself, Mr. Cardin, Mrs. Shaheen, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. 
Murphy, Mr. Kaine, and Mr. Menendez) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 552

       Whereas the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the 
     world's most effective, strongest international political-
     military alliance, was established in 1949 by the North 
     Atlantic Treaty;
       Whereas the principle of collective defense, whereby NATO 
     member states agree to mutual defense in response to an 
     attack by an external party, is at the very heart of NATO's 
     founding treaty;
       Whereas NATO's commitment to collective defense is 
     enshrined in Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty, which 
     states that ``an armed attack against one'' NATO member 
     ``shall be considered an attack against them all'';
       Whereas, on September 11, 2001, the United States was 
     attacked by the al Qaeda terrorist network, headed by Osama 
     bin Laden and protected by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan;
       Whereas, on September 12, 2001, less than 24 hours after 
     the attacks, NATO invoked Article V for the first time in 
     history;
       Whereas, in October 2001, NATO launched its first ever 
     counterterrorism operation, Operation Active Endeavor, to 
     support the United States and safeguard all allies;
       Whereas, from October 2001 to May 2002, as part of 
     Operation Active Endeavor, NATO deployed seven NATO Airborne 
     Warning And Control System (AWACS) Surveillance aircraft to 
     help patrol the skies over the United States;
       Whereas 830 crew members from 13 NATO countries flew more 
     than 360 sorties to support Operation Eagle Assist to protect 
     the United States from further attack;
       Whereas NATO activities under Operation Active Endeavor 
     also included NATO ships patrolling the Mediterranean and 
     monitoring shipping to help deter, defend, disrupt, and 
     protect against terrorist activity;
       Whereas, from 2003 until 2014, NATO commanded the 
     International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in 
     Afghanistan, tasked with conducting security operations 
     throughout the country and helping to build the Afghan 
     National Defense and Security Forces;
       Whereas ISAF was the longest, largest, and most challenging 
     combat mission in NATO's history and at its height comprised 
     more than 130,000 troops from 51 NATO and partner countries, 
     including at least 40,000 from countries other than the 
     United States;
       Whereas at least 3,519 NATO troops, including 2,383 United 
     States troops and more than 1,000 from NATO allies and 
     partners, have died fighting in Afghanistan;
       Whereas, in January 2015, in a sign of continued 
     solidarity, NATO launched a new mission in Afghanistan, 
     Operation Resolute Support, to advise and assist Afghan 
     security forces;
       Whereas, as of June 2016, approximately 12,000 NATO 
     personnel were contributing to the Resolute Support Mission, 
     7,000 of whom are from the United States;
       Whereas, on July 8 and 9, 2016, Heads of State and 
     Government of the 28 NATO allies met in Warsaw, Poland to 
     ``ensure that the Alliance remains an unparalleled community 
     of freedom, peace, security, and shared values, including 
     individual liberty, human rights, democracy, and the rule of 
     law'';
       Whereas leaders at the Warsaw Summit decided to--
       (1) strengthen the Alliance's military presence in Eastern 
     Europe with four battalions in Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and 
     Lithuania on a rotational basis starting in 2017;
       (2) develop a tailored forward presence in southeastern 
     Europe;
       (3) strengthen cyber defenses;
       (4) train and build capacity inside Iraq in support of the 
     global coalition to defeat the so-called Islamic State, 
     including by providing a NATO AWACS Surveillance plane and to 
     expand maritime presence in the Mediterranean Sea;
       (5) continue contributions to NATO's Resolute Support 
     Mission in Afghanistan beyond 2016 and confirm funding 
     commitments to 2020;
       (6) welcome Ukraine's plans for reform and endorse a 
     Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine;
       (7) welcome the vital progress made in implementing the 
     Substantial NATO-Georgia Package and activating the Joint 
     Training and Evaluation Center to strengthen Georgia's self-
     defense and resilience capabilities; and
       (8) reiterate support for the territorial integrity and 
     sovereignty of both Ukraine and Georgia within their 
     internationally recognized borders;
       Whereas the NATO alliance has served the interests of the 
     United States and its transatlantic allies for more than 
     seven decades;
       Whereas, on April 6, 2016, NATO Secretary General Jens 
     Stoltenberg stated, ``NATO is a powerful tool in which all 
     our nations have made great investments. For almost seventy 
     years, NATO has brought Europe and North America together. 
     Providing security for both sides of the Atlantic. I know 
     that I can count on the continued leadership of the United 
     States. I also know that the mutual interests of Europe and 
     the United States are best served by a strong North Atlantic 
     Alliance. Because the security of Europe and North America is 
     indivisible. And only by standing together will we remain 
     safe and secure.''; and
       Whereas, on July 9, 2016, following the Warsaw Summit, 
     President Barack Obama stated, ``NATO is as strong, as 
     nimble, and as ready as ever. . . Nobody should ever doubt 
     the resolve of this Alliance to stay united and focused on 
     the future. And just as our nations have stood together over 
     the past hundred years, I know that we'll stay united and 
     grow even stronger for another hundred more.'': Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) commemorates the fifteenth anniversary of NATO's 
     invocation of Article V to defend the United States after the 
     terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001;
       (2) commends the contributions of our NATO allies and 
     partners in our common fight against terrorism and in pursuit 
     of international security;
       (3) honors those men and women who have died for the cause 
     of common defense of the North Atlantic Treaty allies;
       (4) recommits the United States to the North Atlantic 
     Treaty, especially to common defense of Treaty allies, and 
     affirms that the United States remains fully prepared, 
     capable, and willing to honor its commitments under Article 
     V;
       (5) encourages all NATO allies to continue their valuable 
     contributions to the Alliance, including by investing at 
     least two percent of gross domestic product in national 
     defense spending;
       (6) commends the NATO Alliance for decisions taken at the 
     July 2016 Warsaw Summit and the President for investing in 
     the European Reassurance Initiative to enhance deterrence and 
     project international stability beyond NATO; and
       (7) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to 
     deterring those who seek to destabilize the Euro-Atlantic 
     area, and to maintaining an ``Open Door'' policy on welcoming 
     new members, and welcomes the Alliance's invitation to 
     Montenegro.

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