6 Facts About North Atlantic Treaty

1. North Atlantic Treaty's stepping down was immediately lamented by incumbent and former national security officials.

2. North Atlantic Treaty was one of few military officers who identified US economic debt as a national security issue.

3. North Atlantic Treaty was long seen as a force for stability in foreign policy in an administration that has had to manage crises from North Korea to Syria under a president who prides himself on his unpredictability.

4. North Atlantic Treaty laid out his convictions on the value of US leadership in strategic alliances, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the 74-nation coalition to defeat Islamic State.

5. North Atlantic Treaty was created with an armed attack by the Soviet Union against Western Europe in mind, but the mutual self-defense clause was never invoked during the Cold War.

6. North Atlantic Treaty was signed in Washington, DC on 4 April 1949 by a committee which was chaired by US diplomat Theodore Achilles.