The interview with the President of the Association SOLDIERS AGAINST WAR
Jiří B u r e š, retired Colonel, on the actual topic.
25.3.2016

HaNo: Mr. President, a few days ago you have attended the conference of World
Peace Council. Would you outline the atmosphere at the conference, its
contents, the place, etc...?

J.B.: Yes, of course. It was a regional conference, i.e. the Conference of WPC European
member organizations. Discussions lasted for two days and it was held in Almada
( a suburb of Lisbon). Delegations from Greece, Ireland, Belgium, Portugal, Czech
Republic, Germany, Turkey, Finland and France attended the Conference. The WPC President Mrs.
Maria do Socorro Gomez from Brasil and the WPC Executive Secretary Mr. Iraklis
Tsavdaridis were present, too. A few national peace and anti-war organiations,
including Switzerland, did not attend the meeting due to health or financial reasons
but they had sent apologetic greetings. The first day of the conference was dedicated
to the discussion of proposed and approved agenda, i.e. information about the
situation in Europe with respect to the possibility of individual organizations in relation
to the upcoming NATO Summit in Warsaw in July this year, further efforts to
eliminate military bases in Europe, the prohibition of the use of nuclear and other
weapons of mass destruction, expressing protest against the escalation of tension
in northern Europe and the Balkans with the aim to encircle the Russian Federation.
On the second day the discussion on the individual agenda had been concluded and
the assembly of the citizens with the presence of all delegates took place.

HaNo: Mr. President, I will interrupt you . It is obvious that the conference agenda was
extensive, now let us concentrate on the main issue. I think, it is the
upcoming NATO summit. Is the summit´s agenda known already? How could
the European WPC organizations prepare themselves to it ?

J.B.: Yes, you are right. It is the problem that has been most active and longest debated.
The participants informed about the current situation of the peace movement in the
particular countries of Europe, everyone was talking about the current problem of the
refugees, as it is still without a final solution, it is not only the problem of refugees from
Syria, but also from other countries, where there are ongoing conflicts, as there are
in Libya, Palestine, Ukraine and the others. All suffering is caused by globalization
of the imperialism and enforcement of US hegemony through NATO, etc.
The agenda of the summit is not known, but the preparatory meetings of the ministers
show, that NATO/USA will require further increase of military spending, (most
European countries give for armaments around 2% of their GDP, but Greece despite
its economic problems still gives on the armament 5% of its GDP, and Turkey rather
more). In Greece, despite of their economic problems, there NATO calls for building
a new military base on one of their islands.
There was the consensus in the discussion that the greatest obstacle for peace and
security, not only at the European continent, is the US military presence in various
parts of the world - in Europe already since the end of World War II. Their military
presence is suppported and secured by the military-political aliance - NATO.
We also agreed, that the security and peace in Europe, and globally as well, are
threatened by geostrategic interests of the USA, which demonstrably longs for the
world domination.
The discussion also showed that NATO is the US child intended to be the extended
arm - fist of the United States against the rest of the world. It is used to enforce the will
of the USA as well as to create the smokescreens over their agressive military
adventures. NATO has been frauduently set as "Regional Defence Alliance" in
accordance with the UN Charter with exactly territorially defined powers.
Its activities and the continuous expansion since the year 1949 up to now, caused
that NATO has lost the character of "the Regional Defence Alliance" and that means
that the UN Charter was crudely violated, as well as NATO´s own founding treaty.
( most member states evidently neither falls into North Atlantic region nor into
the Tropic of Cancer).
The "peacemaking initiative" of the USA was pointed up at the UN General
Assembly. Only during the monitored period from the year 1978 to 2008 United
States vetoed 33 different Chalenges, Solicitations, Prohibitions, etc. concerning
assistance to the underdeveloped countries, prevention of terorism, etc.
Furthermore 30 UNGA (United Nations General Assembly) resolutions on
apartheid, nuclear weapons, international law, 19 resolutions to ban the use,
manufacture and deployment of weaponbs of mass destruction, 3 resolutions
to ban the deployment of weapons of mass destruction in space.

The conclusion of the discussion to this problem can be summarized as follows:
- NATO in its present form - under US hegemony - as the product of the agressive
US policy, is, because of its activities, the compromised relic of the cold war,
and it does not belong at the European continent, as well as to the present time,
it harms the interests of the European states.
- Likewise, the US military presence on the European continent disrupts the
peaceful relations most of the European countries with the rest of Europe,
i.e. the Russian Federation, as well as with some other states. It is the
manifestation of the US efforts to expand and of the US approach to raw
material and energy resources in the East by using human military potential
of Europe.
HaNo: A large part of Czech citizens will probably agree with these arguments.
But this question still remains: What could be done that NATO should
not be ? What are the conclusions of the Conference with the view to
this direction?

J.B.: The only possible thing up to now is to organize the Campaign against NATO and it
must be global. Every region should contribute the arguments, from their point of view,
why NATO should be abolished. The Campaign should culminate in Poland in July
and in the meantime local events should take place in every country. The actual peace
movement in Poland, however, is weak and it is necessary to find a way how to help
them and whom to contact there. If it would be possible to held a peace conference
in Poland in the first half of the year, the peace movement there could be activated
more quickly. Logo, prepared already for the Campaign against NATO, should be
used for all actions as in the own countries so on the websites, and then also on
the collective action in Warsaw so that the maximum people should support this
common demand. These actions held in different countries, particularly the obtained
experience, will be evaluated by the WPC Executive Committee at their meeting.

It means to try to create a broad front of organizations willing and be able to undertake
the struggle to preserve and consolidate the peace. A good example was the gathering
of Almada and Lisbon citizens, that was carried out at the end of the Conference.
At the assembly besides delegates and leading representatives of the World Peace
Council paticipated the Mayor of Almata and The President of the Portuguese
committee for Peace and Cooperation - the member of Parliament of the Portuguese
Republic and the other representatives of social organizations.