NATO’s consultative machinery proved valuable even in a Gulf conflict outside its traditional area.

Evidence

NATO provided a framework for coordinating efforts in the Persian Gulf shipping crisis and the subsequent war, and in the words of the U.S. ambassador to NATO, it “proved to be an invaluable forum for consultation and agreement for its members states” throughout the war, deploying its Allied Command Europe (ACE) Mobile Force to Turkey in addition to providing logistical support to coalition forces on their way to the Persian Gulf. — Robert B. McCalla, NATO’s persistence after the cold war, 131

Categorization

• XREF: Supports the reader’s interest in NATO’s persistence: the Gulf War (1990-91) gave NATO a new raison d’être as a coordinating venue even before the USSR formally dissolved, showing how the alliance found post-threat purposes mid-transition. — connects to: Great powers can be drawn into regional conflict even without deliberate intent. — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans: Interpreting…, 1680; NATO positioned itself among rival security organizations to prove its continued relevance — Robert B. McCalla, NATO’s persistence after the cold war, 128; High institutionalization distinguishes NATO from traditional alliances. — Robert B. McCalla, NATO’s persistence after the cold war, 107

Broader Connections

• NATO positioned itself among rival security organizations to prove its continued relevance #exemplifies (0.78) — Robert B. McCalla, NATO’s persistence after the cold war, 128
• High institutionalization distinguishes NATO from traditional alliances. #expands (0.75) — Robert B. McCalla, NATO’s persistence after the cold war, 107
• Great powers can be drawn into regional conflict even without deliberate intent. #expands (0.72) — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans, 1680