Who Needs Article V Allies?

As the war in Iran enters its fourth week, many of America's so called alles have indicated less than enthusiastic support. Our putative allies are particularly concerned about the price and availibility of middle eastern oil. Iran for decades held regular rallies calling for death to the United States and death to Israel, the great and little satans respectively. Iran's currency has collapsed , the Iranian populace has suffered widespread deprivations but its reactionary theocratic regime always had enough money to become the world's leading sponsor of terrorism. The execution of this terrorism was performed brilliantly through various middle eastern proxies, Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houtis, allowing Iran to deny any complicity. The trail of terror inevitably led to Tehran. The mullacracy was so brazen that they even hired murderers to kill American citizens of Iranian descent living in the United States who opposed their tyrannical regime. Finally, after years of this abnormal murderous behavior by a so-called civilized nation, the straw broke the camel's back and there was retribution. Liberals worldwide sprung to the defense of Iran, accusing the US of warring on fine people with only the need for a different government. Popular demonstrations against the mullahs led to the deaths of over ten thousand Iranians at the bloody hands of state security agencies -gestapo equivalents- yet not a word from the idealistic American college students who worry about genocide. Progrssive Americans rallied in New York City mourning the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the dictator of Iran. What kind of insanity is afflicting the so-called civilized world?

More importanty, Iran reacted to the American and Israeli attacks by launching drone and missile attacks on the Sunni Muslim states on the Persian (or Arabian) Gulf, attacking oil and gas facilities as well as attacking civilians throughout the middle east. The Battle of Karbala (Oct. 10, 680) in the minds of the ayatollahs must be refought, against Sunni Islam and the infidels of the world. But Iran holds a vital card in its deck allowing it to control much of Europe and Asia's oil supply. They have blockaded the narrow opening of the above mentioned Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, firing on ships seeking innocent passage . The oil dependent nations are in a state of panic and ready to surrender as their thirst for oil is not beig quenched. They supinely accept the Iranian blockading of the strait and call for negotitions to bail out the tyrants. They sang a different song when Hitler dominated Europe; now they prefer to sit at sidewalk cafes and let others bleed for them and their safety and security. These countries are our so called allies. What does all this mean?

Without reviewing all the history of the world since the end of World War II, it is sufficient to remember that the Cold War ensued, with the division of Europe. George Kennan proposed containment of the Soviet Union (USSR) and communism in a famous article published in Foreign Affairs. NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed to provide western Europe with an American shield to contain the westward movement of Soviet social imperialism. Our European "allies" benefitted from the stationing of American troops and American defense expenditures while they never fulfilled their financial or manpower obligations under the NATO Treaty. President Trump's insistence that they fulfill their obligatory defense expenditures under the NATO treaty has been met with widespread discontent by these NATO nations. Meanwhile, eighty-one years after the end of World War II, and thirty-four plus years after the downfall and dissolution of the USSR, American troops remain stationed in Europe. One wonders what their mission is. Significntly, even before the USSR ended, the nations of the former Warsaw Pact began to agitate for NATO membership, particularly the Visegrad group, consnsiting of Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia (later the Czech Republic and Slovakia). Today NATO encompasses most of Europe up to the border of the rump USSR, now going by the name of Russia in many places.

Why were so many countries interested in NATO membership? Many continue to fear Russian social imperialism, now manifested by its leader Vladimir Putin who is a worthy successor to that extreme Russian nationalist Josef Stalin. (True, Stalin, ne' Dzugashvili was ethncally a non-Slav, a Georgian, yet nevertheless he was an extreme Russian nationalist). The Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, in particular fear Russia's expansionist tendencies. Bordering on Russia, with small populations and significant Russian minorities, they live in the Bear's shadow. The key to their foreign policy, and that of all of NATO's membership is the NATO Treaty, in particular Article V. Article IV is also very important. Their texts follow.

Article IV: The parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them,

the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of them is

threatened.

Article V: The parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe

or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently

they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the

right of individual or collective self-defense recognized by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the party or parties so attacked by taking

forthwith, individually and in concert with the other parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.

Any such armed attack and all measures taken as a result therof shall immediately

be reported to the Security Council. Such measures shall be terminated when the

Security Council has taken the measures necessary to restore and maintan

internatonal peace and security.

There we have it all in a nutshell. This American "blank check" can involve the United States in who knows what, where and when as we have assumed defense obligations to twenty-nine nations, many of which are no longer North or Atlantic. Is it any wonder that Ukraine wants to join NATO? NATO is just an American one-way defense guarantee. America for the world, the world for its own interests.

Readers of this blog have read previous posts indicating that NATO is obsolete and no longer serves American national interests. It has additionally called for the (re)establishment of the stillborn European Defense Community (EDC). Today, the European Union is rich and powerful. It's time for them to take responsibiity for their own defense and stop burdening the United States. The EU is quite capable of opening and patrolling the Strait of Hormuz. They must assume and live up to their responsibilities and capabilities. No free ride for Article V allies!

As far as Iran, the Iranian people are not without their own responsibility, namely a government as good as its people. It's their job to get the monkey off their back and establish a goverment truly representative of the Iranian people.

Garry S. Sklar

Las Vegas, NV

March 22, 2026