North Atlantic Treaty Organization

The permanent representatives of the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) met on March 27, 1956 in Paris, to consider the Algerian situation; the Council announced that it had been kept constantly informed of the with drawals by France of forces assigned by that country to NATO defense in Europe, and had examined the situation in Europe arising from these troop movements. After noting that France had found it necessary, in the interests of its own security, to reinforce the French forces in Algeria, which was part of the North Atlantic Treaty area, the Council stated that it recognized the importance to NATO of security in this area. After expressing hope for an early and lasting settlement, the Council noted the determination of the French government to restore, as soon as possible, its full contribution towards the common defense in Europe. According to a later news report, General Gruenther (Supreme Allied Commander Europe) declared that it might become necessary to seek other forces to replace those which France had transferred to Algeria; he felt that a re-evaluation of the allied position in Europe in the light of the Algerian situation might be started about the end of 1956 if the Algerian situation had not been stabilized by that time.