NATO summit in Cracow

international | anti-war / imperialism | other press Monday January 05, 2009 09:14 by Cracow’s Anarchist Federation fakrakow at buziaczek dot pl http://fakrakow.wordpress.com/

The next NATO defence ministers meeting in Krakow is on 19-20 February 2009.

One of the subjects will surely be missile defense. This is a subject which the defense ministers deal with, before it goes to the meeting of the government leaders (Strasbourg 4 April 2009).
It will be the first NATO meeting after the official inauguration of Obama. His government will have to make clear the latest this meeting what his position on the US missile defense system is.
Aside of the US system, the NATO defence ministers have been discussing the options for adding a separate NATO missile defense system to the US one in order to protect areas not under the US umbrella. There is a lot of hesitance to this by the European governments for financial reasons but also a push from the European defence industry, which does not want to miss this opportunity for making money. The hesitance has been translated in ordering studies. But the subject will surely have to dealt with at the government leaders summit in Strasbourg, so this summit in Krakow is the last opportunity for preparing that discussion on a ministerial level.

Other subjects will of course be Afghanistan. Probably also some issues which are important for Poland (placement of certain NATO installations or offices in Poland), but this is an estimated guess. Further will this also be a lobby opportunity for making the next NATO secretary-general a Polish one. Both Kwaśniewski and Sikorski are candidates. Another candidate is Solomon Passi, a former Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Lets use this summit well to get the anti-NATO protests going!

19-20 February 2009 NATO anti-summit in Cracow.

Cracow’s Anarchist Federation declaration for this event:

What is NATO?

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization - a political and military organization aroused when signing the North Atlantic Treaty by 10 European countries. Now the amount is 26. The Main aim of this organization is to guarantee – in political and military meanings – freedom and safety to all membership countries.

Is that true?

Initially NATO was supposed to, thanks to the Washington Treaty, by military meanings protect it’s members from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic’s attacks. The Socialistic Block doesn’t exist already for a long time, but NATO still does. Furthermore - it extends its position and enlarges the partition between NATO and the rest of the world. The Main condition to join NATO is the development of the country’s armament sector, while protection and respect for humans rights and values, which are essential for democratic systems, doesn’t really matter.

Why are we against?

NATO tolerates countries which don’t have interest in human rights which are also among it’s member’s – such as Turkey and its brutal Kurd policy. NATO supports the economic and military hegemony of the USA, for example when being an assistant during the Afghanistan mission. NATO is also striving for no more counterbalance in Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, but is only trying to take over the worlds energy resources. What is also not true is that as long we are a part of NATO we are safe. Article 5 of the Washington Treaty doesn’t guarantee any help from other countries but only obligates them to decide what they think is necessary. There are no collective headquarters, everything is being ruled by the USA. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said: “Without USA no protection system will be effective”. NATO is only a tool and USA’s right hand, which helps them to keep their position and only causes a bigger escalation of violence, anger and disrespect human rights.
This will be the first official NATO summit in Poland for the 10th anniversary of it’s presence. What does being a member of NATO and organizing the summit mean for Poland?
The necessity of assignings means welcoming all the generals and ministers out of our taxes. NATO is not a charity organization. Each member must give 2% of its budget with it’s relation to it’s GDP. Deterioration of contacts with countries from our east boarder, with CIS countries. Threat of terrorist attacks, which concern all countries which participate in military actions. Strangulation of the of NATO`s countries sovereignty. And last but not least - dependence on NATO`s decisions, but really USA`s.
Don’t let them manipulate us! Politicians are telling us that NATO is the essential guarantee of our protection, whereas being a dangerous tool in the hands of politicians of “big business”, a serious threat for world peace and a needless commitment for the budget of the NATO countries, as well for the people themselves. Each person has got the right to influence internationals politics, which is so important for our safety. Lets express our opposition and show to government, that they need to respect us, as citizens.

see you in Cracow