On the eve of the two-day Summit to mark the 60th Anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan condemned the arrest of scores of anti-NATO protesters by French and German police in Strasbourg, France and Baden-Baden and Kehl, in Germany. The protesters were demonstrating against the two-day summit to mark the 60th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) on April 3-4. Twenty-eight leaders who compose NATO have arrived in Strasbourg , including US President Barack Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
According to reports, an estimated 300 protesters were detained in the city jails of Strasbourg, and are being held up to 48 hours without formal charges being filed against them.
“The US is hoping to use multilaterlism in furthering its politico-miliary and economic objectives in Europe and beyond. The Obama regime now wants more ‘shared responsibility’ in carrying out these objectives as opposed to the ‘go-it-alone’ policy of George W. Bush. But whatever their approach may be, the imperialist objectives are still the same, “ said Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes, Jr.
“We have yet to see any of the changes promised by US president Barak Obama. The US policies of intervention are still in play in NATO. Just look at the continuing occupation of Afghanistan, and the US airstrikes being carried out in Pakistan. Where is the change there, Mr. Obama?” Reyes said.
The Bayan leader pointed out that the NATO has since taken over the command of the ISAF ( the UN-mandated International Security Force ) in Afghanistan where a total of 50, 000 troops from 41 countries and 26 NATO countries are now deployed. The sole mission of the ISAF is to ensure ‘effective governance’ by installing a puppet government
The Bayan leader also criticized “the heavy deployment of French and German police to try to crush the people’s legitimate outrage against an organization that has been an instrument of war and intervention in Europe.”
“Bayan condemns the US-NATO Alliance that aims to impose its military might, arsenal of weapons of mass destruction and high tech war machines, and terrorism against the peoples all over the world. The US and its major partners in NATO are hoping to expand their hegemony especially in this time of severe economic crisis. They’re scrambling to strengthen their military hand as a way of strengthening their economic position in the world, “ Reyes said.
