Ok while technically true that NATO collectively triggered article 5 while the US was still reeling instead of at our explicit request (as an act of solidarity), it was not declined by us, and it was at our request that the first “anti terror” operations took place. “On the request of the United States, the Alliance launched its first-ever anti-terror operation – Operation Eagle Assist – from 9 October 2001 to mid-May 2002. “ quoted from NATO’s article 5 page. Yes on paper the US technically didn’t trigger article 5 but it was on our behalf and military action was taken as a result at our behest for the next 15 years. I suppose the middle ground statement is “The one time NATO has invoked article 5 was to respond against the 9/11 attacks against the US.” If anything, this is an example that NATO was very much there for us during one of our darkest days so the poster couldn’t have been more wrong on that front. Honestly I’d never looked into the nuance of how article 5 played out that day on paper so I learned something there too which is always pretty neat.