Wars of aggression begin to start again from
German soil
AFB, the Ansbach Peace Alliance, sees the
previous consensus of German-American politics disturbed, which was that no
more wars of aggression must start from German soil.
We demand a fair hearing and call on members of
the town council to take legal steps at once for consultations with the
government of the state of Bavaria. The aim would be to verify whether, in the
due course of law which forbids arbitrary rule, supra-local interests continue
to exist that are worthy of protection and justify infringements of Ansbach's
planning competence by U.S. military bases in the area. AFB calls for a
controlled and immediate freeze of current plans to extend Ansbach as a
military base on both the U.S. and German sides (planning moratorium).
Ansbach, a town 40 km southwest of Nuremberg,
is the administrative seat for central Franconia and Bavaria's largest rural
district. U.S. forces want to extend their military facility there into
Europe's largest helicopter base. Ever since these plans became public in
August 2006, there has been unrest among local people who felt they were facing
accomplished facts and met with helpless silence from a number of their elected
representatives.
We, the initiators of the Appeal, see the
proposed military extension as a precedent which contravenes a basic consensus
of German-American politics that goes back as far as 1945.
When U.S. troops entered Germany as part of an
Allied force (also embracing Britain, France and the Soviet Union) to end nazi
rule, they discovered an underground ammunitions factory in the Ansbach area,
one of the largest in the Third Reich. It was the fathers of the soldiers
stationed here today who said that never again must a war start from German
soil. For this we are forever grateful to the American people and the Allied
forces who helped secure Germany's democratic development until the end of the cold
war in 1990.
We are all the more alarmed to see that the
vows of the past seem to be called into question as Germany again supports wars
of aggression, a criminal offense under its Basic Law. Since 2003, helicopter
gunships with crews trained at Ansbach and Illesheim (in the neighboring
district of Neustadt/Aisch-Bad Windsheim) have been deployed in Iraq. Today
even official U.S. sources tell us that during this war limits were exceeded
which had better been left intact, both in terms of international law and from
an ethical viewpoint.
There must be no unlegislated areas in this
country. Knowingly or not, Germany and the towns of Ansbach and Illesheim bear
responsibility as bases for stationing U.S. combat troops which are deployed
worldwide. In addition, these forces for intervention are not controlled by
NATO, the joint defense alliance, but solely by the President of the United
States. This should be food for thought particularly for local politicians of
all party affiliations at Ansbach and
in the rural district who (still) think they may remain neutral in this matter
of conscience.
The question then arises of how sovereign
Germany can be if it feels bound by the consensus that war must never again
start from its soil. And, how sovereign can Ansbach be in dealing with
extension projects for its U.S. military base.
The Ansbach Peace Alliance believes that the
helplessness felt by parts of the town council need not necessarily lead to
actual impotence but could be overcome in talks with U.S. decision-makers on
whatever political level. Cowardice in the face of a friend is misplaced,
particularly because we are certain that acting on the issue of war or peace
also serves the interests of most Americans who are against wars of aggression
violating international law. Such talks would seek to close down U.S. military
bases in the area so that Ansbach could embark on a non-military future. This
is a realistic aim as will be shown in the following.
Needed
– European defense
policy based on a democratic European constitution
which embraces international law
Now that Germany has reunited while remaining
loyal to the U.S. and the NATO alliance, restoring its full territorial
sovereignty in recognition of its democratic progress is a move that has long
been overdue. It would also be a step toward a democratic European constitution
which would make a formal peace treaty that has been outstanding since 1945
unnecessary. U.S. military bases in European countries are leftovers from cold
war times. As an integral part of the European defense alliance, Germany
deserves being treated as a truly sovereign partner.
The people of Ansbach should be able to decide
whether their taxes go into extending military bases used for wars of
aggression in breach of international law, or into civilian projects that also
benefit our American friends who have settled here. Any closure of U.S.
military bases in the area should be socially compatible both for the families of
soldiers, and German civilian employees. For these purposes we would consider
our tax money well spent.
In this rethink, the Ansbach Appeal is neither
the end nor the answer to everything. One reason why we are still in the
process of forming an opinion is that we get new messages of encouragement from
all walks of life and political parties every day. This is something we did not
expect, and such diversity will prevent the Ansbach Peace Alliance from being
exploited by whoever. Anyone who speaks out on our behalf is aware that they
have to set aside their own party-political interests. This approach is quite
evident in our meetings which are open to the public and, of course, to U.S.
personnel stationed in the area and affected by the latest military and
political developments.
We will welcome American personnel as friends, not least because we hope to hear from them about the mission, and death, of members of German special forces (KSK) under U.S. command. These are answers German politicians are (still) unable, or unwilling, to give.
AFB, the Ansbach Peace Alliance, unites people
from the town and rural district of Ansbach, and a number of political parties
and groups. Independents from all walks of life (including medium-sized
businesses, churches, schools, colleges, the media)work side by side with
members of political parties (such as the CSU), and these organizations: BAP,
Bund Naturschutz (Ansbach district group), Bündnis 90/Grüne (Ansbach district
association), DFG/VK, DKP, Offene Linke and SDAJ.