The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is one of the most powerful and successful military alliances in history. However, the organization hasn't been without its controversies. At the center of many of these debates is the amount of money member countries have allocated to defense spending. Because NATO is a collective defense pact, it is essential that all member countries make adequate investments in their military and are ready and able to respond in the event of an attack against any one member country. This past week, debates over NATO spending came to a head when President Trump urged member countries to raise their target for annual defense spending from 2 percent to 4 percent of their GDP. Here are five facts you need to know about NATO history and defense spending:
1. NATO was established on April 4, 1949 as a political and military alliance among 29 North American and European countries. The organization was created as a response to increased Soviet aggression in the wake of World War II. Since the end of the Cold War in the late 20th century, NATO has taken action around the world to ensure the security of its members. One of the core tenets of NATO is Article 5, which states that an attack against one member of NATO is an attack against all members. The only time Article 5 has been invoked was following the 9/11 attack on the United States when NATO allies joined the U.S. in the “war on terror.”
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