Global Warming

NATO is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which was established by the US and Western Europe following World War II. It originally consisted of twelve countries: the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Portugal, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, and Iceland. These countries agreed to come to the aid of any member who was attacked, and represented a common front against any territorial expansion by the USSR and the Warsaw Pact.

Through 2010, NATO has added members nations from the breakup of the Soviet Union's satellite bloc in Eastern Europe.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO, also called the "(North) Atlantic Alliance", is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949. The NATO headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium,[3] and the organization constitutes a system of collective defense whereby its member states agree to mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party.

NATO has added new members seven times since first forming in 1949 (the last two in 2009). NATO comprises 28 members: Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The members of NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organisation] are [28 members] Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The Treaty of Brussels signed 17th March 1948 by France, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and the UK is thought to be the start of NATO. This Treaty and the Russian Blockage of Berlin led to the forming of the Western European Union Defence Organisation in September 1948. In order to counter the military might of Russia, it was deemed necessary to involve the USA, and new talks started immediately.

These talks created the North Atlantic Treaty signed on 4th April 1949 by the original five plus USA, Canada, Norway, Italy,Portugal, Iceland and Denmark.

The Berlin blockade convinced many Americans that the Soviets were bent on conquest. The public began to support a military alliance with Western Europe.

By April 1949, an agreement had been reached to create the Nourth Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) a mutual defense alliance.

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NATO was formed in 1949. The point of NATO was to counter the threat of post-war communism extending it's influence into Europe using the method of collective defence. This means an attack on one member of NATO would be looked upon as an attack on all members, and all members of NATO would react against the common enemy.

In the 50's the Soviet Union made up their own counter-alliance known as the Warsaw Pact. These were the 2 sides of the cold war up to 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed and with it the Warsaw Pact.

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Advantages of a joining NATO are:

1. NATO helps create defensive programs for countries

(Helps a small country create an effective army.)

2. NATO helps countries with economical difficulties

(If the country is bankrupt NATO will give necessary supplies.)

3. Countries have a voice in European politics

(If Europe was to make a big decision , the members can have a vote/say

in the matter.)

4. Countries will receive help in case of military emergencies

(If there was an attack on the country, NATO would supply aid and equipment.)

These are just a few advantages of joining NATO.

• a political and military alliance between the U.S. and several European nations

The goals of the US in Afghanistan include destroying Al-Qaeda and to spearhead reconstruction of Afghanistan.

• strengthening its border with Pakistan