re: #48 Charles Johnson
Under Article 4, any member state can convene a meeting of NATO members to “consult” when it feels its independence or security are threatened. In practice, it has rarely been used and sends a strong political symbol to the greater world that NATO is concerned about a particular situation.
Article 5 is known as the “one-for-all and all-for-one” article, the keystone of NATO as an organization. It states that an “armed attack” against one member is an attack against all and sets in motion the possibility of collective self-defense.