(9/11/99)

ACTION ALERT - NATO DEFENSE MINISTERIAL MEETING

INVITATION : ----> ACTION ALERT
-> 2-3 DECEMBER AT NATO DEFENCE MINISTERIAL MEETING IN BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
-> 4th and/or 18th DECEMBER AT EUROPEAN NUCLEAR WEAPONS BASES
-> 2nd December STRATEGY PLANNING MEETING FOR EUROPEAN PEACE CAMPAIGNERS in European Parliament, Brussels
On the NATO-ministerial meetings in Brussels on 2-3 and 15-16 December NATO will possible announce the withdrawal of the US nuclear bombs out of Europe. The campaigners of Nuclear Weapons Abolition Days want to have a double message connected with the NATO announcement:
1. NATO is still a nuclear alliance and NATO is still far away from its legal obligation: total disarmament 2. this retreat is a victory of the peace movement
-> 2-3 DECEMBER action and strategy planning meeting in Brussels, Belgium:
The Nuclear Weapons Abolition Days -network calls representatives of the peace movement to gather in Brussels on Thursday December 2nd 1999 for the planned NATO Defense Ministerial meeting, as well as for a strategy planning meeting for European peace campaigners in the European Parliament (venue t.b.c.).
We decided to give a renewed version of notarized 'Citizens Summons' to the Defense Ministers of the NATO member states as they start their two-day Ministerial meeting at NATO headquarters on Thursday morning 2nd December. We are also planning to have a vigil and press-office in front of the NATO HQ during the entire meeting during which NATO might announce a withdrawal of the 150 US nuclear weapons from Europe as said in an AFP (press agency) news release. The peace movement has been pushing for such a decision for many years.
We also want the NATO Ministers to discuss last years proposal of the German Foreign Minister Fisher to have a 'no-first use'-declaration by the alliance. On the verge of the new millenium, and the danger of Y2K, we also call with urgency for the de-alerting of nuclear weapons as part of a step by step approach towards a global ban of nuclear weapons.
In the afternoon European peace campaigners are invited for a planning meeting in the European Parliament (t.b.c.) to discuss the new developments. We especially hope to welcome speakers from Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Russia. More details and agenda proposal will follow next week.
-> 4 and/or 18 DECEMBER celebration/citizens inspection at NATO nuclear bases:
The Abolition Days-network also calls for actions at NATO nuclear weapon bases on Saturday 4th and/or 18th December, possible to celebrate a new victory of the peace movement if NATO gives up its nuclear sharing with Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey and UK. Our victory could be celebrated at the different NATO-bases for example by sowing sunflower seeds (referring to the sunflower sowing by the American ambassador when Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons). If NATO however decides to stick to its illegal nuclear sharing policies, we propose to conduct new citizens inspections at these bases to raise the pressure for speedy nuclear disarmament. With these actions we also want to use the news of possible withdrawal of the US nuclear weapons to mobilizes for further anti-nuclear campaigning in Europe.

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