Background information about NATO security co
no-nato - 26.12.2003 14:40
After the unconditional capitulation of Nazi Wehrmacht in 1945, the Western Allies USA, Great Britain and France decided that Western Germany, as a state at the border of the “communist” Eastern block, should play a key role in „defence”. This role could only be fulfilled by the re-construction of a German army. So, in 1956, the new Western-German army, called “Bundeswehr”, was founded; already one year before, Western Germany had become member of the NATO. From now on, the Western German army should be well integrated into the western-capitalist coalition.
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In order to establish this integration in international perception, it was necessary to present the new unity between the former enemies to the public and to the media- the idea of a military conference was born. In 1962, the first so-called “conference on defence issues” was held. This conference was organised by an ideal figure of integration, the former Wehrmacht-officer Ewald von Kleist. On the one hand, he was an officer and member of conservative nobility, on the other hand, he was part of the resistance-group around General Staufenberg. So he could represent the Wehrmacht-tradition without being suspicious of fascist continuity.
The central issue of the first conference were “Challenges for foreign- and security policy in the European-American relations.” These issues were dicussed by representatives of governments, deputees, military leaders, scientists and media representatives.
With the end of “cold war”, the name of the “conference on defence issues“ was changed into „conference on security“; since 1999, representatives of the former opponents of the NATO states, as well as the arms industry also participate. Following the apply of German chancellor Helmut Kohl, the leadership of the conference was given to Kohl’s advisor on security policies, Horst Teltschik, in 1998. The change of German government in 1999 didn’t bring any change. The Schröder government also supports the conference on the organisational and on the financial level. Formally, the Herbert Quandt Foundation, owned by BMW, is the organiser of the “security” conference.
The „security“ conference became a place to discuss perspectives of military policy, as well as contradictions between the various coalitions. First of all, it is not a representative summit to present plans to the worldwide public which have already been worked out and decided in advance, but a place of real dispute and discussion. Here, new strategic aims are fixed and coordinated on a worldwide level. In 1991, the conference didn’t take place because of the Gulf war, but today, the “security” conference is of high interest especially because of the wars actually taking place.
Until the year of 2001, the “security” conference didn’t have to face any bigger protest. For years, there had been a little group of people demonstrating against this meeting of perpetrators of war, but the first big nationwide mobilisation took place in 2002. The consciousness about the fact that the Munich „security“ conference, like the „World Economic Forum“ in Davos, is a place to plan and to coordinate capitalist interests, made this conference an aim of protest for the growing anti-globalisation-movement. Although all demonstrations had been forbidden, 10000 people demonstrated through the city in 2002. One year later, even more than 25000 people were on the streets against the meeting of the world-war-elite. Annyhow, in 2004, the “big transatlantic family”, the “strategic community”, as they call themselves, will meet again in the hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich to plan their dirty business.
Let’s do something that this will be the last time!
 Website: http://no-nato.de
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