Campaign Against U.S. Bases Develops in Europe

By Elsa Rassbach

Dear Friends in the US:

I am forwarding to you some correspondence about some exciting developments here in Europe regarding the campaign against US bases and the support for soldiers stationed here in Europe (on their way to Iraq, Afghanistan, or Africa).

You have all heard about the campaign in Vicenza, Italy, which is to become one of five "enduring US military communities" in the "Old Europe." In Vicenza, the US is trying to double the size of the base and has run into great opposition. The other four "enduring communities" are to remain in Germany, per US plans, and they are also being enlarged and will remain the biggest of all (Kaiserlautern/Landstuhl/Ramstein and Vilseck/Grafenwoehr and Ansbach). The US is also building "forward bases" in the "New Europe" and investing funds in these bases in Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, etc. The US is proposing a so-called "missile shield" in Poland and the Czech Republic, and opposition to this is building.

According to US plans, Germany is to remain the logistical/strategic/command center for all US military operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The command center for everything is EUCOM in Stuttgart. Intelligence is mainly in Wiesbaden and Kaiserlautern. The hospital facility is in Landstuhl, and the nuclear bombs are in Ramstein. So the struggle against the bases here ultimately must become a joint effort of the European and US peace movements.

Please take a look at the link in the email below: the declaration of the conference in Prague on May 5th about military bases in Europe. Out of this conference, a regional network of organizations against the military in Europe has come together. Many of the participants in Prague were at the world-wide conference on military bases in Equador this past March. The new European network is part of the emerging world-wide network.

You may want to consider posting the Prague declaration on your Website or sending it to the press. The US negotiations with the Czech Republic and Poland are to begin on May 10th.

American Voices Abroad Military Project was the US participant at the conference in Prague May 5th, and we focussed on our efforts to support soldier resistance in Europe such as in the recent case of Agustin Aguayo. In the upcoming campaign against enlargement of the base in Ansbach, Germany, and against the planned deployment of 2500 US soldiers from there to northern Iraq in June and July, we are linking for the first time the US and European peace movements in a joint campaign with IVAW members, who will be here in Germany May 11th to May 24th.

The stories of US soldiers and vets are so important to the European local and national peace movements fighting the against bases. They are so often charged with "anti-Americanism," and our participation totally undercuts this. And they are told that there are no US war crimes in Iraq; they need the vets as witnesses just as we do in the US. They need to know about Websites like IVAW and Courage to Resist.

And soldiers trying to organize over here need European protection, resources, and active help from the European peace movements. Remember when Sweden used to give asylum to deserting US soldiers?

Peace,

Elsa Rassbach

http://prague-declaration.org

PRAGUE DECLARATION

Made by participants in the International Conference against the Militarization of Europe

PEACE DOESN'T NEED NEW MISSILES -

We say no to the US missile defense system in Europe

Faced with new US military plans to begin official negotiations with the Czech and Polish governments on May 10th, the signatories of this paper declare:

We voice our protest against the plans of the Bush administration to install a "national missile defense system" for the US on the territory of the Czech Republic and Poland . Most people in the Czech Republic and Poland , as well as in the rest of Europe , reject plans to host this system. We reject the official reasons given for the NMD project as mere pretexts.

The realisation of the US plan will not lead to enhanced security. On the contrary - it will lead to new dangers and insecurities.

Although it is described as 'defensive', in reality it will allow the United States to attack other countries without fear of retaliation. It will also put 'host' countries on the front line in future US wars.

The governments of Poland and the Czech Republic recklessly risk unleashing a new arms race, jeopardising the present framework of international agreements on nuclear non-proliferation and conventional arms control throughout the world, but especially in Europe .

What we really need is disarmament as a precondition to peace and genuine human security.

To face the impending ecological crisis we need international cooperation and trust, not confrontation.

Peace initiatives, democratic and emancipatory political forces, women's and environmentalist movements, trade unions and faith activists must come together in their resistance to this attempt to play one European country off against the other. We see our protest as part of a global movement against all foreign military bases and other infrastructure used for wars of aggression. It is a contribution to building peace in Europe and the world, and to empowering local communities to act together and protect their rights and guarantee their public role.

European Union and Nato states must not participate in this new military adventure of the Bush administration. Peace remains our foremost task.

We demand of those responsible in the European Union, especially President Klaus and President Kaczynski, to listen to the will of the people of the European Union. We demand that they act democratically and hold binding referendums on the deployment of NMD components in their countries.

We emphatically reject the attempt to legitimise the US plans through the back-door of NATO and EU decision-making. Across a wide range of nationalities and walks of life, we call on you: Together let us do everything to prevent Europe from becoming the stage for a new arms race and a new politics of confrontation.

We call on all people to take part in demonstrations and to speak with and write to their elected representatives, members of government and heads of state, to tell them that they do not want a new politics of confrontation and that this will be remembered at the polls.

The participants of the International Conference against the Militarization of Europe

Prague , 5 May 2007

Helena Franke, Iniciativa Ne základnám, Czech Republic

Thomas Franke, Iniciativa Ne základnám, Czech Republic

Erazim Kohák, čestný člen Iniciativy Ne základnám, Czech Republic

Rudolf Převrátil, Iniciativa Ne základnám, Czech Republic

Ivona Novomestská, Iniciativa Ne základnám, Czech Republic

Jan Májíček, Iniciativa Ne základnám, Czech Republic

Karel Černík, Iniciativa Ne základnám, Czech Republic

Jaroslava Richterová, Iniciativa Ne základnám , Czech Republic

Oskar Krejčí, politologist, Czech Republic

Zdenka Řeháková, Czech Republic

Dagmar Wernerová, Czech Republic

Maciej Konieczny, Stop Bazom USA / Młodzi Socjalisci, Poland

Bolesław Saszczuk, Stowarzyszenie Stop Tarczy, Poland

Andrzej Żębrowski, Inicjatywa Stop Wojne, Poland

Grażyna Stawowska, Inicjatywa Stop Wojne, Poland
Cinzia Della Porta, Disarmiamoli!, Italy

Tobias Pflüger, MdEP

Torsten Schleip, AG Flughafen Natofrei, Germany

Margit Janiel, AG Flughafen Natofrei, Germany

Tanja Grobitzsch, AG Flughafen Natofrei, Germany

Susan Anger, AG Flughafen Natofrei, Germany

Hannelore Toelke, Deutscher Friedensrat , Germany

Marko Forberger, Lavka.info (network for left policy in C\E Europe)

Jule Nagel, Lavka.info, (network for left policy in C\E Europe)

Thomas Kachel, Lavka. info, (network for left policy in C\E Europe)

Stanislav Holubec, Lavka.info, (network for left policy in C\E Europe)

Petak Péter, Civilek a Mecsekért Mozgalom CMM, Hungary

Sólyom Alex, Civilek a Mecsekért Mozgalom CMM, Hungary

Lenard Kata, Civilek a Mecsekért Mozgalom CMM, Hungary

Nagy Erzsébet, Civilek a Mecsekért Mozgalom CMM, Hungary

Thiesz Angela, Civilek a Mecsekért Mozgalom CMM, Hungary

Pamuki Krisztián, Civilek a Mecsekért Mozgalom CMM, Hungary
Hans Lammerant, Bombspotting – Vredesactie, Belgium

Roland Nivet, Mouvement de la Paix , France

Yves-Jean Gallas, Mouvement de la Paix , France

Kate Hudson, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament , United Kingdom

Athanasios Pafilis, World Peace Council , Greece

Elsa Rassbach, American Voices Abroad (AVA) Military Project

Next signers:

Jill Gough, National Secretary of Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Cymru Wales/Cymru

http://prague-declaration.org