January 26, 2010

Afghanistan: War is not the Answer - More Troops Mean More War

Statement of INES on the occasion of the Afghanistan Conference in London on January 28th 2010

President Obama’s recent decision to send 30,000 additional US troops to Afghanistan is part of a larger trend of escalating violence in a country renowned for being a graveyard of empires.  Additional NATO troops are also being sent. The pressure on "not yet willing" NATO states has increased dramatically - especially on Germany which is supposed to increase its troops by 50 percent.

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October 2008

International Preparatory Conferences for the “No to War - No to NATO” activities related to the 60th anniversary of NATO in April 2009

First preparatory conferences October 4-5 2008 in Stuttgart, Germany 

Sixty years of NATO are enough. NATO is the main driving force behind global war. NATO stands for the missile defence system, military bases around the world, nuclear weapons and military interventions and expenditure. NATO is a rival to the UN and the system of international law. NATO is intertwined with the European security and defence system. But NATO is not all powerful; indeed it is under extreme pressure right now in Afghanistan.

Appeal No to War - No to NATO

On the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of the NATO military organisation, we appeal to all people to come to Strasbourg and Kehl in April 2009, to protest against NATO’s aggressive military and nuclear policies, and assert our vision of a just world free of war.

NATO is an increasing obstacle to achieving world peace. Since the end of the Cold War, NATO has reinvented itself as a tool for military action by the “international community”, including the promotion of the so-called “war on terror”. In reality it is a vehicle for US-led use of force with military bases on all continents, bypassing the United Nations and the system of international law, accelerating militarisation and escalating arms expenditure –NATO countries account for 75% of global military expenditure. Pursuing that expansionist agenda since 1991, designed to advance strategic and resource interests, NATO has waged war in the Balkans, under the guise of so-called “humanitarian war”, and has waged seven years of brutal war in Afghanistan, where the tragic situation is escalating and the war has expanded into Pakistan.

In Europe NATO is worsening tensions, feeding the arms race with so-called “missile defence”, a massive nuclear arsenal and a nuclear first strike policy. EU policy is increasingly tied to NATO. NATO’s ongoing and potential expansion into Eastern Europe and beyond, and its “out of area” operations are making the world a more dangerous place. The conflict in the Caucasus is a clear indication of the dangers. Each advance of the NATO border increases the possibility of war, including the use of nuclear weapons.
To achieve our vision of a peaceful world, we reject military responses to global and regional crises – these are part of the problem not part of the solution. We refuse to live under the terror of nuclear weapons, and reject a new arms race. We must decrease military expenditure – directing resources instead to meeting human needs. We must close down all foreign military bases. We oppose all military structures used for military intervention. We must democratise and demilitarise the relations between peoples and establish new forms of peaceful cooperation to build a more secure and just world.
We call on you to spread this message in your communities and movements, to come to Strasbourg and Kehl and to make this vision a reality. We believe that a world of peace is possible.

No to war.  No to NATO

The activities during the anti-NATO protest will include a demonstration on Saturday
April 4, an international conference from Thursday April 2 to Sunday April 5, direct action and civil disobedience, and an international resistance camp from Wednesday 1st April to Sunday 5th April.

This appeal was agreed on in Stuttgart October 5, 2008.
For the preparatory committee: Reiner Braun / INES and Arielle Denis/ Mouvement de la Paix.

Call for signatures and for large distribution of the appeal
No to War - No to NATO

Appeal

No to War - No to NATO

On the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of the NATO military organisation, we appeal to all people to come to Strasbourg and Kehl in April 2009, to protest against NATO's aggressive military and nuclear policies, and assert our vision of a just world free of war

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13.06.08

Behind Closed Doors

A Report on the Military Influence in UK Universities

New report by INES member Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) published June 12, 2008.

A report by UK scientists reveals the secrecy surrounding the growing influence of the military on the research agenda in British universities. Behind Closed Doors, published today by Scientists for Global Responsibility, is the result of an in-depth investigation into 16 of Britain's universities, including some of the most prestigious. Using new data gained under the Freedom of Information Act, the report's authors estimate that the average level of …

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National Peace Jirga of Afghanistan and the Cooperation for Peace (Germany)

Joint Declaration

Logos National Peace Jirga of Afghanistan and the Cooperation for Peace (Germany)

Peace is possible in Afghanistan, yet not by the continuation of the war and the repeated escalation of combat activities. Not only the USA plan reinforce their troops massively.
Since July 1st 2008 the first German combat group is on duty.

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