In unprecedented move, NATO sends warships on migrant mission

NATO launched an unprecedented naval mission in the Aegean Sea Thursday to tackle people smugglers taking refugees and migrants from Turkey to Greece, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said. The alliance will deploy at least three warships after members Germany, Greece and Turkey called for help earlier this week to cope with the migrant crisis. European Union efforts to tackle the problem have only exposed deep divisions, and the move came despite a threat by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to send millions more refugees to Europe amid a row with the EU over responsibility for handling the crisis.

This is not about stopping and pushing back [refugees] … but about critical surveillance to help counter human trafficking and criminal networks.

Stoltenberg

In a separate move, NATO is also considering joining the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State jihadists in Syria and Iraq, U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter confirmed. The coalition already includes all 28 NATO member states individually but not the alliance in its own right. Some NATO member states have been wary of the alliance becoming directly involved in the ISIS campaign, but the threat the terrorist group poses, with some of its leadership moving to Libya and closer to Europe, has increased the pressure for change.

NATO as a new member would bring unique capabilities … including experience in building partner capacity, training ground forces and providing stabilization support.

Carter

NATO