§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are aware of any request to the United States from the governments of (a) Costa Rica, (b) Honduras and (c) El Salvador for military 1097WA aid, under Article 51 of the UN Charter or under Article 18 of the Charter of the OAS, to repel armed attack from Nicaragua: and, if so, what are the dates of such requests.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Young)We are aware of no such request. However, following a large-scale Nicaraguan incursion into Honduras in April, the President of Honduras formally requested urgent military assistance from the United States on 24th April.
Honduras and the other states mentioned have the sovereign right to invite United States assistance. The United States has the right to respond to requests for assistance as it did in this case.