President Obama Brilliantly Take Down a Heckler Who THINKS He’s Going to BLOW UP RUSSIA

[freshwest]

96. What matters now is NATO. Ukraine isn't in it:

The combined military spending of all NATO members constitutes over 70% of the world's defence spending...

Article 5 of the North Atlantic treaty, requiring member states to come to the aid of any member state subject to an armed attack, was invoked for the first and only time after the 11 September 2001 attacks,[5] after which troops were deployed to Afghanistan under the NATO-led ISAF. The organization has operated a range of additional roles since then, including sending trainers to Iraq, assisting in counter-piracy operations[6] and in 2011 enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya in accordance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973.

The less potent Article 4, which merely invokes consultation among NATO members, has been invoked four times: by Turkey in 2003 over the Iraq War, twice in 2012 by Turkey over the Syrian Civil War after the downing of an unarmed Turkish F-4 reconnaissance jet and after a mortar was fired at Turkey from Syria[7] and by Poland in 2014 following the Russian intervention in Crimea...[8][4]

The members agreed that an armed attack against any one of them in Europe or North America would be considered an attack against them all. Consequently they agreed that, if an armed attack occurred, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence, would assist the member being attacked, taking such action as it deemed necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area. The treaty does not require members to respond with military action against an aggressor. Although obliged to respond, they maintain the freedom to choose the method by which they do so.

This differs from Article IV of the Treaty of Brussels, which clearly states that the response will be military in nature. It is nonetheless assumed that NATO members will aid the attacked member militarily. The treaty was later clarified to include both the member's territory and their "vessels, forces or aircraft" above the Tropic of Cancer, including some Overseas departments of France.[13]

In other words, the strong will protect the weak, like Estonia, who is a member of NATO.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO

An link to an interesting piece on NATO's current role in the world is below, and it explains a great many questions we see on DU. Such as why are Navy SEALS doing this or that overseas. It explains everything Obama has done abroad. It's worth the read for those who ask those things and don't know why Obama does what he does, which is his duty under the Constitution:

http://www.un-arm.org/PoAISS/GlobalOrganization.aspx?GlobalOrganizationId=2

That's from this thread:

Moscow signals concern for Russians in Estonia

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014759557

NATO's already on the case from the above, where it notes Poland has already called in its marker in NATO, and other nations no doubt will. Ukraine did not want to, or was not allowed to join NATO. I think the scenario would be much different if it had been

Additional note, the lease on Russia's Crimean port facilities is good through 2047. Thought that was the reason for this action, but a poster says that means it's not an issue.

Unless one believes that they are looking past that date. But there is no discounting the ethnic issues, IMO. Russian nationals I know take it very seriously, as they do anything that would cost them territory.

You might want to share the NATO influence and the part in the other link about how Obama is acting within the framework of treaties to any feral Dittoheads you happen to come across. Although the chance you will get through to a well-indoctrinated Dittohead or resident of Glennbeckistan, isn't that high.

I hope you don't have to deal with any fundies who are looking for Jesus to return after a war between Gog and Magog. That has been a tenet of some of them mixing Israel, Russia and China. They seek the Apocalypse in all the news.

Thanks for your information, but NATO is privy to all those agreements and its charter supercedes them as its role in the world has evolved.