2008-03-28
In 2009 NATO is 60 years and it wants to celebrate that at a summit in Germany or in France [in France; Gipfelsoli]. NATO is a cornerstone of the military globalisation. Thanks to NATO European troops are in Afghanistan and Iraq and the US is given a forward post for its military adventures. Reason enough to make NATO a target of a broad international movement, just like the G8 is.
Economic globalisation also has its military correlary. New York Times' columnist Thomas Friedman said: "The hidden hand of the market will never work without a hidden fist. McDonald's cannot flourish without McDonnell Douglas, the builder of the F-15. And the hidden fist that keeps the world safe for Silicon Valley 's technologies is called the United States Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps." And this fist is not solely a US phenomenon as Europe builds its own intervention capacity through the EU or forms a partner with the US in NATO.
NATO is one of the most important institutions in this military globalisation, just like the G8 is for the economic globalisation. And just like we said no to the G8, we have to say no to NATO. NATO membership implies participation by your country in military interventions all over the world, directly with national forces or indirectly from military bases or as logistical support for foreign troops. NATO membership can also mean nuclear weapons or missile defense installations on your soil.
We invite you for a first international preparatory meeting for a campaign against NATO with focus point its 2009 summit. This meeting will take place in Brussels on Monday 24 March, on the conference following the NATO Game Over-action. Already a lot of activists from Germany and France will be present, so this is a good occasion to give it a start.
The NATO Game Over-action on 22 March is a mass trespassing-action into NATO HQ in Brussels. We use the 5th anniversary of the Iraq war to make the international resistance against military globalisation visible. After the action a conference is organised in order to strengthen the networking between anti-militarist activists around Europe. And to plan upcoming actions, like around the 2009 NATO summit.
For more information, you can contact international@bombspotting.be
For more information on:
- the NATO Game Over-action
- how to participate
- the conference
Please register if you want to come!
You can also read the Peace News supplement !