[fse-esf] Two demo in Italy against war and military bases

[piero bernocchi]

For the immediate withdrawal  of Italians troops from Afghanistan and all
the war fronts

For the closure of USA and NATO military bases in Italy

For a strong reduction in military spending



Prodi's decision to allow the widening of Vicenza USA military base shows
the subordination of  our governament  to USA. At the same time, the further
militarization of  territories, the increase of military spending and the
collaboration of Italian industries with the neuralgic centers of global
war,  confirms the role that Italy is supposed to play inside the
“multipolar” setting  of economical and political scenery of permanent war.

 Prodi  deceived Italian people and Vicenza's citizens ,who were waiting for
an act of independence from USA, and, with a  shameless U- turn,  he
accepted USA's diktat.

 But his decision is not only the result of  subordination: it's also an
attempt to give weight to the Italian role of  “small- great power”, thus
facilitating the  growth of its military – economic and financial companies.

>From the glorification of the role of our Army ,“ the sixth in the world for
its committment abroad” according  to our Foreign Minister, Massimo D’Alema,
to the defence of “ the unifying national value” of our 2nd June military
parade; from the withdrawal of troops from Iraq in return of a major
committment in Afghanistan, to a relaunching  of  the italian “leading role”
with the intervention in Lebanon – promoted to enhance italian economic
interests in that area and in Middle East- ; from the extention of NATO/USA
bases in Italy to the increase of military spending decided in last finance
act and to the aye to war missions: the path followed by our government
moves in the logic of permanent war, and, at the same time, wishes to
increase advantages and profits for its own economic and strategic
interests.

The link between the widening of Vicenza and the reconfirm of  foundings for
military missions, Afghanistan  firstly, is building the possibility of
common initiatives,  endorsed from a big popular local unity, against global
war and its  local consequences.

This is a  crucial step for the anti- war movement and it needs to be
patiently built, both at national and local level. Developing  popular
partecipation against permanent war and its effects can produce a broader
replication of what happened in Scanzano and in Val di Susa; it could
prevent the widening of the military base and built favorable conditions for
our country  to exit from war and dominance policies, “unilateral” or “
multilateral” whichever they are.

In this context is for us of the outmost importance the success of the
national mobilization on February 17th  promoted  by Vicenza's Committees.

We will devote it our total commitment and we will partecipate  with the
belief that the widening of the base is anyway to be prevented  thanks to
the efforts of the anti war movement; at the same time  we have to defeat
Prodi's government foreign policy and fight for :

1) the immediate and not conditioned withdrawal of Italian troops from
Afghanistan and from other war fronts;

2) the closure of  all the other military bases Usa and Nato in our country
;

3) a very strong reduction of military spending.

 On the basis of this objectives we will organize a national demonstration
in Rome in the first half of March: a mobilization able to combine our
forces on a united path and to reunite the antiwar movement in a joint
process, able to face the  parliamentary stage that will vote the
refinancing the Italian  military missions.



Confederazione COBAS  - Italy