[E-rundbrief] Info 1952 - Bjoerk - Cancel military exercises in Europe.

Do Mär 12 20:37:18 CET 2020

E-Rundbrief Info 1952 - Tord Björk (S)/ Activists for Peace: Cancel 
all military exercises in Europe.

Bad Ischl, 12.3.2020

Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit

www.begegnungszentrum.at

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Cancel all military exercises in Europe!

Dear all!

The military exercise Cold Response in Norway with 14000 soldiers from
several NATO countries, Finland and Sweden has been cancelled. Those
in charge of the exercise were late to respond to a case of
coronavirus infection while Finland decided quickly to take back their
military. This exercise is part of the many NATO connected excercises
taking place this spring and summer. While civil society close down in
country after country exercises as Defender 20 will be carried out
according to the latest information. Bigger demonstrations, meetings
and much else are forbidden in many places while the military want to
carry on their training for war.

The situation shows clearly how Europe by starting an arms race and
militarisation of society is incapable of addressing the vulnerability
of todays society. We say:

Stop Defender 20, Aurora 20 and other large scale military excersizes 
in Europe
End rearmament and invest in peace, welfare, health and the environment

You will find this call with links to references at:
https://activistsforpeace.wordpress.com/2020/03/12/cancel-all-military-exercises-in-europe-2

Cancel all military exercises in Europe

12 MARCH, 2020 / AKTIVISTERFORFED

We call for cancellation of all large scale military exercises in
Europe. To continue carrying out the biggest combination of training
of military in a war situation in 25 years is damaging our capacity of
addressing the Corona crisis. From the Arctic Sea along the border of
Russia all the way to Georgia this combination of simultaneous
exercises under names as Defender 20 in Central and Eastern Europe and
Aurora 20 in Sweden must be stopped.

The exercise Cold Response 2020 in Norway with 14000 soldiers from
Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden UK and USA
was cancelled March 11. It was announced by Lieutenant General Rune
Jakobsen, Chief of the operational staff at the Joint Operative
Headquarters at a press conference were he stated: “What is new since
yesterday is that the corona virus is out of control in society. We
want to preserve the armed forces’ ability to fight so that we are
able to support society in the complex period that will follow”. This
response came late. When the exercise already had started a soldier
was tested positive for Coronavirus on March 5. Finland withdraw their
soldiers already March 8.

Countries like China, Singapore and South Korea shows that it is
possible to stop the growth of number of people infected by the corona
virus by acting fast and decisive. Unfortunately, Italy and some other
countries did not. Today, not the European Union but China helps Italy
by sending medical experts and offering 10,000 pulmonary ventilators,
2 million face masks, and 20,000 protective suits. The Italian foreign
minister Luigi di Maio stated after a conversation with his Chinese
colleague Wang Yi expressed that ”our country will remember who has
been at our side in a time of crisis”. Chinese doctors were the first
(to treat the virus) and they can bring their experience”. Wang said
that “Although currently China itself still has great demand for
medical materials, we will overcome the difficulties and offer
material aid, including face masks, to Italy, and increase exports of
materials and equipment to meet Italy’s urgent need”.

We call upon a change in the way Europe address vulnerability. Rather
than starting an arms race and foment enemy images we see the need of
cooperation across borders. What we need is peace and welfare to
address the common threats to our health, social security and and
global environment. Not as Western State leaders at the Munich
security conferences making China and Russia their adversary.

The large scale exercises bringing together tens of thousands of
soldiers from different countries as part of a drastic increase in
military expenditure shows how out of touch with todays realities the
present policies are. These exercises not only pose and immediate
threat in terms of risk for disseminating the corona virus, they are
also a misuse of our common resources for addressing the problems in
the world today. What we need is not further escalation and
polarization between West and East but addressing social, health and
environmental concerns of importance to all of humanity.

This is why we say:

Stop Defender 20, Aurora 20 and other large scale military excersizes 
in Europe
End rearmament and invest in peace, welfare, health and the environment

If you want to join in on our call to cancel all military exercises in
Europe, please contact us.

Activists for Peace

________________________________

References and links

Activists for peace

Blog in English: https://activistsforpeace.wordpress.com

Blog in Swedish: https://aktivisterforfred.wordpress.com

Facebook-page: https://www.facebook.com/aktivisterforfred

Our international cooperation partner Prague Spring 2 on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/praguespring2

Defender Europe 20

Official Defender20 information

Natos official information about Defender Europe 2020:
https://shape.nato.int/defender-europe

Criticism

Hudson, Kate: “US to practice invasion in Europe”. Campain for Nuclear
Disarmament, 10 February 2020.
https://cnduk.org/us-to-practice-invasion-of-europe

Wagner, Jürgen: “Großmanöver Defender 2020” (In German). IMI, 10
January 2020. 
https://www.imi-online.de/2020/01/10/grossmanoever-defender-2020

Aurora20

Official information about Aurora20 from Swedish Armed forces:
https://www.forsvarsmakten.se/en/activities/exercises/aurora-20

Criticism

Görgü, Kemal, Nordlund, Harald and Sevéus Harald: “Krigsförberedelser
eller fredspolitik?”. (IN Swedish). Uppsala Nya Tidning, debatt, 23
February 2020 
https://www.unt.se/asikt/debatt/krigsforberedelser-eller-fredspolitik-5519770.aspx

Cancelled Cold Response 2020

Finland pulls out of Cold Response

Woody, Christopher “Finland pulled troops from an Artic military
exercise with the US and 8 other countries over coronavirus concerns”.
Business Insider, 8 March 2020.
https://www.businessinsider.com/finland-pulls-out-of-cold-response-arctic-exercise-over-coronavirus-2020-3

Cold Response 20 cancelled

Bakkemo Danilov, Peder: “Cold Response 2020 cancelled”. High North
News, 11 March 2020.
https://www.highnorthnews.com/en/cold-response-2020-cancelled

Nielsen, Thomas: “Norway cancels Cold Response due to coronavirus
outbreak”. The Barents Observer, 11 March 2020.
https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/security/2020/03/norway-cancels-cold-response-due-coronavirus-outbreak

China helps Italy

Boffey, Daniel: “Italy criticises EU for being slow to help over
coronavirus epidemic”. The Guardian, 11 March 2020.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/11/italy-criticises-eu-being-slow-help-coronavirus-epidemic

CGTN “Italy Criticizes EU for not responding its call for help, ´only
China responded bilaterally´. CGTN, 12 March 2020.
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-03-12/Italy-calls-for-extra-help-for-COVID-19-only-China-responded–ONp6w2rmvu/index.html

Hume, Tim: “China Is Now Sending Doctors, Masks and Hazmat Suits to
Help Italy With Its Coronavirus Outbreak”, Vice News, 11 march 2020.
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/akwage/china-is-now-sending-doctors-masks-and-hazmat-suits-to-help-italy-with-its-coronavirus-outbreak

Wu, Wendy: “China sends team of medical experts, gear to help Italy
fight coronavirus”. South China Morning Post, 11 March 2020.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3074682/china-sends-team-medical-experts-gear-help-italy-fight

Tord Björk