NATO and Russia united Thursday in declaring that the perpetrators of Tuesday's terrorist attacks in New York and Washington shall not go unpunished.
"NATO and Russia are united in their resolve not to leave unpunished those responsible for such inhuman acts," said a joint statement issued after a special meeting of the NATO-Russia permanent council.
"NATO and Russia call upon the entire international community to unite in the struggle against terrorism," the French-language statement said, adding that NATO and Russia will "intensify their cooperation."
Thursday's meeting followed an unprecedented decision by NATO ambassadors to consider Tuesday's terrorists attacks in New York and Washington as attacks on the entire alliance, if it is determined that the attacks were planned outside the United States.
That puts America's allies in a position to automatically support -- but not necessarily participate directly in -- any US military action against the alleged perpetrators of the attacks.
In their joint statement, NATO and Russia expressed their "anger and indignation over the barbarious acts committed against the people of the United States of America."
"The deepest sympathy of the allies and Russia go to the victims and their families," it said.
"The allies and Russia have of course been subjected to terrorist attacks aimed at civilians, but the horrible scale of the attacks of September 11 are unprecedented in modern history."
NATO and Russia -- which had been adversaries throughout the Cold War -- have maintained a permanent council since 1997 as a forum for consultation and cooperation -- BRUSSELS (AFP)
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