Article by Rui Paz, collaborator of the International Department
As the NATO Lisbon Summit approaches, the great capital circles try hard to prepare the public opinion in order to be accepted as the world’s police force role of that military alliance. Along with the pretext of fighting against "sea piracy", Jung, the Christian- Democrat, German Minister of Defence, has just demanded for the ending of the separation of the constitutional principle of the police and armed forces functions. But, even within the police union and the Government itself, a strong opposition has risen against a resolution, which, on taking shape, would approach the German parliamentarism to military regimes. But, one must be aware, that the hubbub round the constitutional revision, in several European countries, is not innocent. Mainly, following the so-called "European Constitution" fiasco.
It is convenient to recall that President Clinton together with the socialist and social-democrat European governments tore apart the United Nations Charter and several NATO member states constitutions, in Rambouillet, with the purpose of attacking Yugoslavia and approve the so-called aggressive "new strategic concept". These were the forces which opened the doors unto the following military aggression against Iraq, set off by Bush, Blair and Aznar together with Durão Barroso unrolling the carpet in the Azores. Since the last Strasbourg Summit and with the pretext of the "combat against terrorism", NATO, instigated by Obama, the current North-American President, and the military offensive in Afghanistan, has been preparing the ground to slash once again, the UN Charter. The taking shape of the isolation and emptying of the United Nations role, together with the concentration of the military and decision power, at a planetary scale, within NATO’s hands, would confront us with a real coup against the UN. The already existent consensus between the USA and the European Union powers, that "NATO must be a provider of world security" ("from Kosovo to Kabul ", in Público, 09.08.02) points out in that direction. But if the UN Charter article nº1 says, the United Nations prime purpose is "to keep international peace and security" why does NATO aim to seize such functions, accepted and ratified by UN 192 member states?
The reason is simple. The security, of which NATO talks about, is the international great monopolies’ security. The governments which push their countries’ military forces towards wars and aggressions abroad, with the pretext that such operations confer international prestige, are conducting the army forces unto a kind of mercenary contingent, which will guarantee the oil and raw materials’ pillage, and the great powers’ geostrategic interests. They are discrediting their countries close to the peoples who respect their sovereignty.
In Portugal, the Army Forces are at the service of the people and the Country and must not be subverted in their constitutional function, nor used as a test of wills of a more and more unjust and oppressive world order or as a capitalist system, in deep economic, social, political and moral crisis’ instrument. PS’s passion towards NATO is an outrage to our constitutional principles and to the Portuguese Army Forces’ self dignity. But, for the parties, that at home level assumes the priority of the great capital interests, obviously, militarism and subservience facing the powers’ interests, which aim to dominate the world, are also the result of their class option and their total absence of patriotism.
