Whereas the United States, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United Kingdom in 1949 signed the North Atlantic Treaty, which led to the foundation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); Whereas NATO was created to deter Soviet expansionism, promote international peace, stability, and security, and prevent the reemergence of nationalist militarism in Europe through a strong North American presence and a closer trans-Atlantic alliance; Whereas, since the formation of NATO, the alliance has expanded to 29 members, with others still aspiring to join; Whereas NATO is a vital component of the United States-led post-World War II international order that has made the world safer and more prosperous; Whereas the aid and security umbrella the United States provided through NATO after World War II helped restore political stability and enabled an economic resurgence in Western Europe; Whereas, during the Cold War, NATO helped unify the Western alliance and successfully deter Soviet threats; Whereas NATO conducted its first major crisis response operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, resulting in the Dayton Peace Accords and facilitating the country’s reconstruction in the wake of the 1992–1995 war; Whereas NATO contributed to the cessation of the 1998–1999 Kosovo conflict through security, stabilization, and humanitarian efforts; Whereas NATO has served as an essential element of United States national security and a deterrent against external threats for 69 years; Whereas Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty is an integral part of NATO and states that [t]he 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 ; Whereas the first and only time to date NATO invoked Article 5 was less than 24 hours after the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001