After 9/11 - on 12 September 2001 - NATO invoked 'Article 5', the mutual self defence clause. This was on a provisional basis subject to evidence being provided

After 9/11 - on 12 September 2001 - NATO invoked 'Article 5', the mutual self defence clause. This was on a provisional basis subject to evidence being provided that the bloke in a cave on a dialysis machine (or whatever) was guilty. However, the use of 'Article 5' meant that every member of the NATO alliance had the go-ahead for war without a single member of congress or member of the UK parliament having to vote on matters. Congress and the British parliament were asked to vote for the war, this was not because their support was needed for the war to go ahead, had they all voted 'no' then that would not have trumped the 'let's kill' NATO card. The Secretary General of NATO had a role in starting The War Against Terror, at the time the person in this role was one of Tony Blair's mates (his former Defence Secretary) and he was not American or voted into office by 'the peoples of NATO'.