Anti-military activists plan to hold a mass protest for the duration of the 55th annual NATO assembly, being held in Edinburgh, in an attempt to shut down the proceedings.
All 28 member states of NATO will participate in the summit, beginning today, as well as non-member states Russia, Korea, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Key topics to be discussed include:
- Military Operations in Afghanistan.
- Reinforcing Nuclear Non-proliferation.
- “Moving Beyond” the Economic Crisis.
- Piracy off the Coast of Somalia.
Founded in 1949, NATO was designed as a safety measure for the member states during the cold war.
The key function of NATO was to defend the freedoms and security of the countries involved through political and military means.
Despite the end of the cold war NATO remains, and the focus of operations has switched to terrorism, failed states and weapons of mass destruction.
However the NATO Welcoming Committee, an anarchistic group behind the planning for the protests, believes that NATO is force for military aggression, not an alliance for defence.
The group asserts: “NATO is not a benign force for peace, security and democratic values; it is an engine of war working to expand the domination of Western interests through military means. It is an obstacle to global nuclear disarmament and world peace.”
