World Peace Council will request the dissolution of NATO

The secretariat of the World Peace Council, chaired by Brazilian activist Socorro Gomes, meets on Friday (8th) in Brussels, capital of Belgium, to assess the latest happenings in the world, the most recent challenges in the struggle for peace and also to assess the next summit of the North Atlantic Military Pact, NATO, which will be held in Lisbon in November.

Besides these topics, the meeting beginning on Friday also will address the question of U.S. bases around the world, and especially their installation on Colombian territory. According to Socorro Gomes, "we must examine the latest events in the world, the new targets of U.S. policy in Afghanistan, Pakistan and recently in Yemen."

"Peace today is threatened more than at the end of the Cold War, because imperialism is following its plans inaugurated on a new concept of NATO, in 1991, which contends that the military pact is essential to the defense of Europe. It militarized the European continent and now seeks to achieve greater unity between the United States and the European Union," said Socorro.

According to the Brazilian activist, NATO is an instrument of U.S. imperialism, as the United States holds the key command and several important positions within the hierarchy of the military pact.

NATO was created in 1949 as a military instrument to respond to the threat of the Soviet Union and Eastern European states recently liberated from capitalism, who sought the path of socialism. In response, the Socialists created the Warsaw Treaty Organization, treated dismissively as the Warsaw Pact in the Western media.

With the dissolution of the Soviet Union and its allies in Europe, NATO no longer has an excuse to stay in existence. "NATO is a weapon of war used to harm people and nations. Its policy is to remain as an armed wing in favor of looting the natural wealth of the countries attacked, to ensure American hegemony," says Socorro.

"The summit of the organization, to be held in November in Portugal, should further discuss the organization's role as "world policeman," adds Socorro.

"The World Peace Council, besides discussing broad issues for world peace, also will propose the dismantling of the North Atlantic military pact, something that is essential for peace," concludes Socorro.

Read below the "Appeal against NATO and the realization of their summit in Portugal," made by the World Peace Council (WPC) and its counterpart organization in Portugal:

The World Peace Council (WPC) and the Portuguese Council for Peace and Cooperation (CPPC) welcome the peace-loving people around the world and the peace movements that fight and continue to denounce imperialist wars, illegal occupations and social injustice and urge them to continue and to strengthen their efforts and common struggles against imperialism and its apparatus, especially NATO, the greatest war machine in the world.

The WPC denounces before the people of the world the crimes committed by NATO, and continues to commit against humanity under the guise of protecting "human rights" and fighting "terrorism," according to their own interpretation.

Since its founding in 1949, NATO has been an offensive organization. After 1991, with its new military doctrine, it became the "sheriff" of imperialist interests in the world. It was often linked to bloody and dictatorial regimes, reactionary forces and military juntas. It actively participated in the dismemberment of Yugoslavia in the barbaric bombing of Serbia for 78 days, in the overthrow of governments by "orange revolutions" and in the occupation of Afghanistan.

NATO is continuing its plans for a "Greater Middle East," broadening its scope of action through the "Partnership for Peace" and "special cooperation" in Asia and Latin America, the Middle East, North Africa and the "European Army."

All governments of the member countries share responsibilities in NATO, regardless of the leading role of the U.S. administration. Any different approaches on some issues hardly reflect points of view and rivalries of their own, but they always lead to a joint aggressive confrontation set against the people.

We condemn the policy of the European Union, which coincides with NATO and the Lisbon Treaty, which goes hand in hand in political and military aspects. The military spending of EU missions abroad between 2002 and 2009 increased from 30 million to 300 million euros.

The people and the peace loving forces around the world will not accept NATO and its role of "sheriff" of the world. They reject any attempt to incorporate NATO into the UN system. They demand the dissolution of this offensive war machine. Even the false pretext of the Warsaw Treaty no longer exists today.

The World Peace Council and its members and friends will host dozens of countries in various national and international initiatives against NATO and its new strategic concept, which if approved will be announced at the next summit in Portugal. We will organize, jointly with the Portuguese Council for Peace and Cooperation (CPPC), initiatives and conferences in Portugal and mass action before and during the days of the NATO summit in Lisbon (November 2010).

Under the motto: DISSOLVE NATO, Enemy of the People, Peace! WPC calls on all organizations in member countries of NATO and around the world to support this appeal, stressing the following aspects:

NATO has been an aggressive and reactionary force since its founding in 1949. The Warsaw Treaty was created and then dissolved earlier.

NATO has its hands stained with the blood of many people from over 60 years and cannot constitute "a force for peace" in the UN framework.

Despite U.S. dominance, aggression is carried out in conjunction with other imperialist powers, which does not change the character of NATO.

NATO is directly linked to the EU and vice versa, since a large number of EU countries are also NATO members, as well as through the militaristic tendencies and obligations contained in the "Lisbon Treaty."

All governments of NATO member states are responsible for their actions, they support NATO imperialist plans.

The NATO war against Yugoslavia in 1999 was a milestone for a new dogma during the summit in Washington in 1999. It then became clear that the EU has never been a "democratic counterweight" to America.

NATO acts as a global policeman with employees on all continents, executing its plan for a "Greater Middle East" and it actively intervened in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and elsewhere.

We fully support and endorse the campaign in Portugal "Peace yes, NATO no" which brings together dozens of social movements and organizations. We call upon all peace-loving organizations to join their voices and forces in this appeal and to meet in November 2010 in Lisbon.

from WPC

Translated from the Portuguese verstion by:

Lisa Karpova

Pravda.Ru