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Appeal of campaign "NATO out - out of NATO" to German Government and Bundestag
Debate on banishment of US war machine comes to German Parliament
By Anneliese Fikentscher and Andreas Neumann
In May 2019, the General Assembly of the IPPNW decided to demand that the Federal Government "terminate the troop deployment treaty on the part of Germany". And the international conference "No to military bases & wars" adopted a declaration in June 2019 calling on the Federal Government and the Bundestag "to terminate the Convention on the Presence of Foreign Forces in the Federal Republic of Germany" - the troop deployment treaty - in order to remove all US/NATO military bases and nuclear weapons from German territory" and "to call on the governments of NATO member states to withdraw from NATO". On September 26, 2019, the campaign "NATO raus - raus aus der NATO" (NATO out - out of NATO) has written an appeal and launched it with which the demands are brought to the German Federal Government and all deputies of the German Bundestag. Obviously, this did not go unnoticed. For the first time in the German Bundestag, the "Convention on the Presence of Foreign Forces in the Federal Republic of Germany" (troop deployment treaty) and its possibility of termination are introduced into the debate.
Here is the appeal of the campaign "NATO out - out of NATO" to the German Government and the German Bundestag from 26.09.2019 (as pdf):
The result
By 31 October 2019, 29 letters of ministries and parties have been received in response, including one from the "Ministry of Defence", one from the Ministry of Economics, three from the SPD, four from the FDP, four from CDU/CSU, seven from DIE LINKE (THE LEFT) and nine from the AfD. None of the GREENS! The answers range from absolute rejection to encouraging approval. CSU: "These demands are completely naïve and unrealistic in view of the world political situation and the resulting security reality. Therefore the appeal that the armed forces stationed in Germany should withdraw is just as absurd as the demand to withdraw from NATO". DIE LINKE: "The request of the campaign 'NATO out - out of NATO' after the withdrawal from NATO and the termination of the presence convention is fully supported by my group and myself... We will not stop working in this direction and can only encourage you to continue exerting pressure". DIE LINKE can possibly count on support. Also from the ranks of the AfD the demand is raised for notice of termination of the troop deployment treaty. "The AfD is committed to the withdrawal of all Allied troops stationed on German soil and in particular of their nuclear weapons," one of the letters says.
For the first time in the German Bundestag the "Convention on the Presence of Foreign Forces in the Federal Republic of Germany" (troop deployment treaty) and its possibility of termination will be introduced into the debate. This is done by the request "Withdrawal of US soldiers from Germany" of the parliamentary group DIE LINKE (LEFT) of the Bundestag dated 17 October 2019. It says: "The German Bundestag calls on the Federal Government to terminate the Convention on the Presence of Foreign Forces in the Federal Republic of Germany in accordance with Point 3 of the Agreement between the Contracting Parties of 25 September 1990 and the 'Agreement between the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty regarding the Status of their Forces' (NATO-Truppenstatut) in accordance with Article XIX and to ensure that all foreign troops leave the Federal Republic of Germany within the period of notice." (1) On 21.10.2019 the press service of the German Bundestag reports under the heading "Left Party demands US troop withdrawal": "The parliamentary group DIE LINKE is in favour of a withdrawal of the US army from Germany...". (2)
The following is a selection of excerpts from the 29 letters:
Ministry of Defence: "Our security is based on a strong and determined North Atlantic Alliance and a united and resilient European Union. Only by strengthening and developing these two pillars of our foreign, security and defence policy will we be able to meet the challenges of our time. German foreign and security policy is also always a peace policy and serves the people. These basic lines imply that we will continue to station friendly armed forces in the Federal Republic of Germany and that we will continue to be unconditional members of NATO on the basis of the arguments set out above".
SPD Foreign Policy Working Group: "The North Atlantic Pact has been one of the guarantors of peace in Europe for the past 70 years and is the cornerstone of our security and stability architecture. We are therefore sticking to the Transatlantic Partnership... Social democratic foreign policy is a sustainable and forward-looking peace, security and development policy - oriented towards a clear compass of values and based on the reconciliation of interests with our partners. However, the path you propose of a NATO withdrawal or a termination of the troop deployment treaties would be a national solo effort, which we reject for the fundamental reasons already set out".
Christoph Meyer (FDP): "At the beginning of April 2019, the parliamentary group of the Free Democrats in the German Bundestag tabled a request in the Bundestag entitled "A clear commitment to NATO - Strengthening and developing the transatlantic security alliance for the future" (Bundestag document 19/8954). In it, we acknowledge the Alliance's objectives from its preamble to preserve peace and security. I am convinced that the North Atlantic Treaty will continue to be the guarantor of our security and freedom in Europe in the future. A withdrawal of Germany from the Alliance, as called for in your appeal, is therefore out of the question for me".
Reinhard Houben (FDP, economic policy spokesman for the Bundestag faction): "Even though I highly appreciate your great personal commitment, it will come as no surprise to you that my faction colleagues and I hold a different position, so I have enclosed with you a request from the FDP Bundestag faction on the future of NATO. For us, NATO is a fundamental element in meeting the existing security challenges".
Thomas Hacker (FDP, member of the Committees for European Union Affairs, Culture and the Media): "In your letter, you ask the members of the German Bundestag to resign from the NATO alliance. However, this is part of the political culture of our country and represents a central part of the German military organization. Our foreign policy is shaped by cooperation with numerous alliance partners, such as the USA and France. Allow me to explain our position with a brief political science assessment of NATO. In the international system, states have the possibility of committing a breach of international law without directly binding consequences through international organizations or governments, for example by attacking other states. Therefore, states always strive for security, because uncertainty about the behaviour of others carries a high risk. In this uncertainty, NATO turns out to be an organization that breaks down these anarchic structures and sanctions and stops violations of international law. Leaving this alliance as a guarantee of peace and security would thus have serious consequences for German foreign policy. We Free Democrats are in favour of standing by our allied states as partners for a peace order in accordance with Article 5 of NATO."
Alexander Hoffmann (CSU, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Civic Engagement): "I come back to your letter and your appeal "NATO out / out of NATO". These demands are completely naïve and unrealistic in view of the world political situation and the resulting security reality. Therefore the appeal that the armed forces stationed in Germany should withdraw is just as absurd as the demand to withdraw from NATO."
Gisela Manderla (CDU): "The CDU/CSU faction is committed to the conclusion of new disarmament and arms control treaties, the reduction of global arsenals of weapons and a world without nuclear weapons... However, the security situation in the world has deteriorated considerably in recent years. These include the threat posed by North Korea's nuclear and missile programme, the unilateral breach of the INF Treaty by Russia and, last but not least, the annexation of the Crimea in violation of international law. The readiness and ability to act together militarily form the brand core of NATO... However, unilateral disarmament is out of the question because Russia's behaviour in Ukraine, for example, makes it clear how the country deals with non-nuclear powers or non-NATO members. Unfortunately, the logic of deterrence still applies here, which is precisely intended to prevent further escalations in Europe. With this in mind, Germany's withdrawal from the transatlantic defence alliance would be the wrong way to go."
Jürgen Hardt (CDU, foreign policy spokesman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group): "I have to tell you that we do not share your views on NATO and the presence of foreign friendly forces in Germany in any way. Rather, NATO is and remains not only the most important and most successful defence alliance in the world, but also the backbone of Euro-Atlantic security. Especially in times when we are witnessing major upheavals and instabilities in NATO's immediate neighbourhood, but when Russia too is breaking international law on a daily basis by occupying parts of Ukraine in contravention of international law, NATO has a crucial role to play. Germany in particular owes NATO more than other nations. Without the transatlantic security guarantee, Germany would hardly have been able to develop and consolidate as a democracy in the post-war period. Peaceful reunification would hardly have been possible either... We will continue to adhere to NATO and will also strive to further increase our defence spending in line with our economic performance and Alliance commitments."
Petra Sitte (LINKE, Vice-Chairwoman of the parliamentary group): "The request of the campaign "NATO out - out of NATO" after the withdrawal from NATO and the termination of the presence convention is fully supported by my parliamentary group and myself. Unfortunately, we are quite alone with this position in the Bundestag. We will not stop working in this direction and can only encourage you to continue exerting pressure".
Sabine Zimmermann (LINKE): "DIE LINKE. wants to dissolve NATO and replace it with a collective security system involving Russia that aims at disarmament. As long as this does not happen, we demand that the Bundeswehr be withdrawn from the NATO supreme command and that the Federal Republic leave the military structures of the alliance. We demand the withdrawal of all nuclear weapons stationed in Germany and an end to so-called nuclear sharing. So that drone missions from German soil are no longer possible, the corresponding US military sites are to be closed. Beyond that, all foreign military bases in Germany must be closed. The corresponding agreements, also with the USA within the framework of the presence convention and the Additional Agreement to the "Agreement between the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty regarding the Status of their Forces" (NATO-Truppenstatut) are to be terminated."
Bernd Riexinger (LINKE, party chairman): "I very much welcome your important initiative for peace and can assure you that you will find a reliable ally in the DIE LINKE party. Under the heading 'Peace in Solidarity Instead of War' our party's basic programme states: 'For DIE LINKE war is not a means of politics. We demand the dissolution of NATO and its replacement by a collective security system with the participation of Russia, which has disarmament as a central goal. Irrespective of a decision on Germany's retention in NATO, DIE LINKE will in every political constellation argue for Germany to leave the military structures of the military alliance and for the Bundeswehr to be withdrawn from NATO supreme command.' DIE LINKE is committed to this principle. I see your initiative as confirmation of this position and as an incentive for us to intensify our joint efforts to implement these important peace policy demands, that is my wish".
Dietmar Bartsch (LINKE, leader of the parliamentary group): "DIE LINKE shares your concern for peace. We agree with you that the German past gives the Federal Republic of Germany a special responsibility to maintain peace, good neighbourliness and peaceful coexistence in Europe. Our aim must be to demilitarise the European security architecture as far as possible. In the Bundestag, we are therefore committed to ensuring that Germany terminates the troop deployment treaty and that all foreign troops leave our country. We also call for Germany's immediate withdrawal from nuclear participation, its accession to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and, as a consequence, its withdrawal from Germany. We want to apply the 2+4 Treaty to the entire territory of the Federal Republic and thus ensure that no new foreign troops are stationed on German soil... We reject the role of the Federal Republic as a logistics hub for the further deployment of NATO troops in Eastern Europe. The fact that military equipment is being sent from Germany to Russia on a large scale for the first time since 1945, and that the Federal Government is now routinely agreeing to this, we regard as devastating for security in Europe".
Andreas Wagner (LINKE): "DIE LINKE. has long demanded that the 'Convention on the Presence of Foreign Forces in the Federal Republic of Germany' and the 'Agreement between the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty regarding the Status of their Forces' (NATO-Truppenstatut) be terminated and that all foreign troops leave the Federal Republic of Germany within the period of notice."
Simone Barrientos (LINKE, member of the Committee on Culture and the Media): "NATO is an anachronism for our group. DIE LINKE wants to dissolve NATO and replace it with a pan-European collective security system involving Russia in order to lay the foundations for common security and thus sustainable peace in Europe. A first step in this direction is the withdrawal of Germany from the military structures of NATO, because already now German law on the territory of the Federal Republic is being broken by NATO... These facts also correspond with your appeal for the termination of troop stationing treaties on the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany. Our parliamentary group in the Bundestag calls for a broad social and parliamentary discussion on the foreign, security and peace policy understanding of Germany. DIE LINKE is the only parliamentary group in the German Bundestag to call for a paradigm shift in peace policy. Foreign and security policy decisions must be based on the UN Charter and on an understanding of common security in Europe that peacekeeping, and not mutual interest, is the goal."
Ingrid Remmers (LINKE, Spokesperson for Transport Policy): "Thank you very much for your committed letter, which I read with pleasure. As you know, my group stands behind the peace movement and supports its cause. Only a few days ago DIE LINKE put a request to the Bundestag for a vote which takes up your demands. Among other things, my group calls for the denunciation of the Treaty on Foreign Armed Forces in Germany, the withdrawal of the Federal Republic of Germany from NATO's nuclear participation and thus the withdrawal of US nuclear bombs, the application of the provisions of the 2+4 Treaty to the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany, thereby also preventing the re-stationing of foreign troops and weapons of mass destruction, and a halt to the alimentation of foreign military forces in the Federal Republic of Germany."
Jörg Schneider (AfD): "We currently reject Germany's withdrawal from NATO for several reasons. You would have to turn to the German government if you were to terminate the troop deployment treaty."
Stefan Keuter (AfD): "We are committed to significantly strengthening the European part of the Atlantic Alliance. In order to achieve this goal, it is essential to restore the military capabilities of the German armed forces in order to meet the strategic and operational requirements. This restoration, demanded by the AfD, should not only ensure national defence as a central task of the Bundeswehr, but should also enable the German armed forces to defend the alliance and prevent crises to the extent necessary... NATO deployments outside the Alliance area, in which German armed forces participate, should in principle take place under a UN mandate and only if German security interests are taken into account... With this in mind, 70 years after the end of the Second World War and 25 years after the end of the division of Europe, the renegotiation of the status of allied troops in Germany is on the agenda. This must be adapted to the regained German sovereignty. The AfD is committed to the withdrawal of all Allied troops stationed on German soil and in particular of their nuclear weapons."
Tino Chrupalla (AfD): "Of course there should start no more war from German soil. I also take a critical view of the stay of foreign armed forces in Germany. In my opinion, however, the Aachen Treaty between Germany and France is much more critical than the NATO alliance. It goes territorially further than the NATO Treaty and is rejected by the AfD as a peace party. As you know, however, the AfD is not in government and currently has no way of terminating such agreements."
Beatrix von Storch (AfD, deputy faction leader): "The AfD is certainly critical of NATO and is committed to returning NATO to a pure defence alliance. Contrary to verbal promises, NATO has expanded to the Russian border and has increasingly become an instrument of American geopolitics. But we reject the withdrawal from NATO."
Hansjörg Müller (AfD): "It should be noted that both the Basic Law and the 2+4 Treaty emphasise that wars of aggression may never again be waged from German soil; the manufacture and possession of nuclear weapons is contractually prohibited in Germany. Nevertheless, nuclear warheads are stationed in Germany. Also the membership in NATO, which was meant as pure defense alliance, should mean only peace and protection for its members. A Germany embedded in the NATO alliance would never again start war, that was the motto. All that has remained of it for decades are empty phrases. The Kosovo war in 1999 within the framework of NATO took place without a UN mandate, the then Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer had carried out bad war propaganda against Serbia, although many prudent politicians of all parties had spoken out against this war of aggression (e.g. Gregor Gysi-PDS, Helmut Schmidt-SPD, Willy Wimmer-CDU). Nothing else was the NATO intervention in Syria, which took place without a UN mandate and whose aims and means are highly controversial, especially since the IS had previously been fed from NATO weapons and ammunition arsenals. And as far as current Bundeswehr missions are concerned, be it in Afghanistan, Mali, Iraq or anywhere else in the world, none of these are defence missions in the original NATO alliance. Personally, I am clearly in favour of a NATO withdrawal, as well as of a termination of the troop deployment treaty. Like you, I hope that the mad warlords in this Bundestag, from purple to green, red and black, will finally be punished and voted out of office by the citizens, otherwise the sensible have no chance."
Dr. Anton Friesen (AfD, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, member of the Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid Committee): "I support the withdrawal of all US nuclear weapons from Germany. I also share your call to end the confrontation with Russia. In order to achieve this, I and the AfD parliamentary group have tabled a request in the Bundestag entitled 'For a new Russia policy - cooperation instead of confrontation'... Unfortunately the request was rejected by the other groups. The demand that Germany should leave NATO, however, is wrong in my view. We depend on our NATO partners when it comes to the external security of our country. One of the reasons for this is the catastrophic state of our own armed forces. For these two reasons, I am also consistently committed to NATO's two-percent goal."
Résumé
The positions regarding CDU/CSU, SPD and FDP are clear. There are no voices in them that would support the withdrawal from the imperial war machine. They do not want to see the war crimes for which they are responsible. In their view, both the withdrawal from NATO and the termination of the troop deployment treaty are incompatible with the transatlantic intentions of power. The same is likely to apply to the Greens, even though no statement has yet been received from them.
DIE LINKE seems to be closest to the demands of the "NATO out - out of NATO out" campaign. Following its rather dubious request "To replace NATO with a collective system for peace and security in Europe, including Russia" of June 2, 2016 (3), which merely demands the termination of the subordinate "Agreement between the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty regarding the Status of their Forces" (NATO-Truppenstatut), DIE LINKE has currently submitted the above-mentioned request "Withdrawal of US soldiers from Germany" to the Bundestag on October 17, 2019. Thus, it fully supports the demand for termination of the troop deployment treaty. With regard to the withdrawal from NATO, contradictions can be found in the various letters. The assertion of Petra Sitte, the deputy leader of the parliamentary group, that the party demands the withdrawal, is countered by statements that are limited to an exit from NATO's military structures - whatever that means exactly.
In the AfD, the range of positions presented is astonishing. A member of the Bundestag personally represents the withdrawal from NATO. Otherwise, the predominant position is that Germany must remain a member of NATO. Even compliance with NATO's two-percent target is demanded, but also limitation to pure defence and subordination to the UN mandate. With regard to the termination of the troop deployment treaty, DIE LINKE could find an ally in the AfD. In particular the remarks of the AfD delegate Hansjörg Müller could hardly be formulated more clearly by anyone from the ranks of the DIE LINKE or the peace movement. How seriously the statements of the AfD are to be taken, must prove itself. After all, in the current year 2019 the AfD has submitted two proposals that are close to the demands of the campaign "NATO out - out of NATO" and other parts of the peace movement: "Ending German engagement in Afghanistan" of 20 February 2019 (4) and "For a new Russia policy - cooperation instead of confrontation" of 30 January 2019 (5).
In any case, it can be stated that the appeal made by the campaign "NATO out - out of NATO" to the Federal Government and the Bundestag has not remained without effect. It is obvious that similar initiatives are also to be taken or intensified in other countries, especially in those that are members of NATO.
Footnotes:
1 Request 19/14152 of the LEFT Party "Withdrawal of US Soldiers from Germany" of 17.10.2019
http://dip21.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/19/141/1914152.pdf
2 Bundestag press release "Left Party demands US troop withdrawal" of 21.10.2019
https://www.bundestag.de/presse/hib/663988-663988
3 LEFT Party Request 18/8656 "Replace NATO with a Collective System for Peace and Security in Europe, Including Russia" of 02.06.2016
http://dip21.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/18/086/1808656.pdf
See the analysis in the NRhZ of 15.06.2016.
http://www.nrhz.de/flyer/beitrag.php?id=22868
4 Request 19/7937 of the AfD "Ending German engagement in Afghanistan" of 20.02.2019
http://dip21.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/19/079/1907937.pdf
5 Request 19/7427 of the AfD "For a new Russia policy - cooperation instead of confrontation" of 30.01.2019
https://dipbt.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/19/074/1907427.pdf
See also (in german language)
Appeal to the Federal Government and the Bundestag, September 2019
Only peace may emanate from German soil
By campaign "NATO out - out of NATO"
NRhZ. 720 from 25.09.2019
http://www.nrhz.de/flyer/beitrag.php?id=26222
Conference "No to military bases and wars", Ramstein, 28.6.2019:
Terminate troop deployment treaty and withdraw from NATO!
By Anneliese Fikentscher and Andreas Neumann
NRhZ 712 from 03.07.2019
http://www.nrhz.de/flyer/beitrag.php?id=26037
3rd International Conference "No to Military Bases & Wars", Ramstein, 28.6.2019
Free the world from militarism
By campaign "NATO out - out of NATO"
NRhZ 709 from 12.06.2019
http://www.nrhz.de/flyer/beitrag.php?id=25977
Resolution of the IPPNW General Assembly, Stuttgart, 3 to 5 May 2019
IPPNW demands termination of troop deployment treaty
By Anneliese Fikentscher and Andreas Neumann
NRhZ 704 from 08.05.2019
http://www.nrhz.de/flyer/beitrag.php?id=25888
Questions on the request of the DIE LINKE Group to the Bundestag
NATO-Truppenstatut or deployment treaty - that is the question
By Anneliese Fikentscher and Andreas Neumann
NRhZ 566 from 15.06.2016
http://www.nrhz.de/flyer/beitrag.php?id=22868
NATO out - out of NATO out
Initial spark for a campaign of the peace movement
NRhZ 551 from 02.03.2016
http://www.nrhz.de/flyer/beitrag.php?id=22582
Banner of the initiative "NATO out - out of NATO" propagated by freethinkers and worker photography
Online-Flyer Nr. 724 vom 02.11.2019
Appeal of campaign "NATO out - out of NATO" to German Government and Bundestag
Debate on banishment of US war machine comes to German Parliament
By Anneliese Fikentscher and Andreas Neumann
In May 2019, the General Assembly of the IPPNW decided to demand that the Federal Government "terminate the troop deployment treaty on the part of Germany". And the international conference "No to military bases & wars" adopted a declaration in June 2019 calling on the Federal Government and the Bundestag "to terminate the Convention on the Presence of Foreign Forces in the Federal Republic of Germany" - the troop deployment treaty - in order to remove all US/NATO military bases and nuclear weapons from German territory" and "to call on the governments of NATO member states to withdraw from NATO". On September 26, 2019, the campaign "NATO raus - raus aus der NATO" (NATO out - out of NATO) has written an appeal and launched it with which the demands are brought to the German Federal Government and all deputies of the German Bundestag. Obviously, this did not go unnoticed. For the first time in the German Bundestag, the "Convention on the Presence of Foreign Forces in the Federal Republic of Germany" (troop deployment treaty) and its possibility of termination are introduced into the debate.Here is the appeal of the campaign "NATO out - out of NATO" to the German Government and the German Bundestag from 26.09.2019 (as pdf):
- Dear Members of the German Bundestag,
Dear Chancellor and Members of the Federal Government,
80 years after the beginning of the Second World War, we address you with an urgent appeal containing the main demands of the international conference "No to military bases & wars", which took place on 28 June 2019 at the initiative of the campaign "Stop Airbase Ramstein" and other organisations in Steinwenden near the US Airbase Ramstein. The consensually adopted final declaration of the conference states:
"We call on the Federal Government and the German Bundestag to terminate the 'Convention on the Presence of Foreign Forces in the Federal Republic of Germany' - the Troop Stationing Treaty - in order to remove all US/NATO military bases and nuclear weapons from German territory."
"We... call on the governments of the NATO member states to withdraw from NATO."
We also refer to the decision of the General Assembly of the Medical Peace Organization IPPNW (International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War / Physicians in Social Responsibility) on 3-5 May 2019 in Stuttgart:
"The IPPNW calls on the German government to terminate the troop deployment treaty on the part of Germany."
We expect you to take action in line with these demands.
As you know, the troop deployment agreement can be terminated with a two-year period in accordance with the Exchange of Notes of 25 September 1990, and the withdrawal from NATO can be carried out with a one-year period in accordance with the NATO treaty.
As you know, with the "Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany", the so-called 2+4 Treaty, Germany undertook "that only peace will emanate from German soil" and bound itself under international law as follows:
"According to the constitution of the united Germany, acts tending to and undertaken with the intent to disturb the peaceful relations between nations, especially to prepare for aggressive war, are unconstitutional and a punishable offence. The Governments of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic declare that the united Germany will never employ any of its weapons except in accordance with its constitution and the Charter of the United Nations."
You know that Germany has committed itself under the 2+4 Treaty to "their renunciation of the manufacture and possession of and control over nuclear, biological and chemical weapons". You know that the use of nuclear weapons is a crime against humanity that threatens to extinguish life on our earth.
You know that the military facilities of the foreign armed forces on German soil, in particular those of NATO and the USA (including the US airbase Ramstein, EUCOM and AFRICOM), are used to conduct wars of aggression contrary to international law, and in this way the 2+4 Treaty is violated. You know that according to the International Criminal Code (VStGB § 13 Crime of Aggression) it is punishable who allows this or even promotes it.
By terminating the troop deployment treaty and leaving NATO, ensure that Germany makes its contribution to demilitarisation, that the military facilities, in particular those of the USA and NATO, together with the nuclear weapons are banned from Germany, that NATO's irresponsible so-called two-percent armament target is abandoned in favour of civilian tasks, and that in future "only peace" is assumed from German soil. End the course of confrontation with Russia. The 2+4 treaty gives you the mandate and the authority to do this, because it states: "The United Germany shall have... full sovereignty over its internal and external affairs." And, to repeat it once again: "from German soil only peace" may "emanate".
Please inform us immediately what you intend to do to make the steps described a reality.
With excellent esteem
for the campaign "NATO out - out of NATO": Sebastian Bahlo (stellv. Bundesvorsitzender des Deutschen Freidenker-Verbands), Tanja Banavas (Deutscher Freidenker-Verband), Anita Beyer (Deutscher Freidenker-Verband), Peter Betscher (Bundesverband Arbeiterfotografie, Vorstand), Toni Brinkmann (Juristin, Mitarbeit im Bremer Friedensforum), Anneliese Fikentscher (Vorsitzende des Bundesverbands Arbeiterfotografie), Annette van Gessel (Lektorin), Senne Glanschneider (Bundesverband Arbeiterfotografie, Vorstand), Klaus Hartmann (Bundesvorsitzender Deutscher Freidenker-Verband), Samira Jouini (Deutscher Freidenker-Verband, Landesvorstand NRW), Wolfgang Jung (LUFTPOST – Friedenspolitische Mitteilungen aus der US-Militärregion Kaiserslautern/ Ramstein), Jürgen Kelle, Düsseldorf (Rentner), Dr. Ansgar Klein (Sprecher der Aachener Aktionsgemeinschaft "Frieden jetzt!"), Helene Klein (Sprecherin der Würselener Initiative für den Frieden), Dr. Klaus-Peter Kurch (Blogger, opablog.net), Ullrich Mies (Publizist/Autor), Andreas Neumann (Bundesverband Arbeiterfotografie, Vorstand), Klaus v. Raussendorff (Mitglied im Vorstand des Deutschen Freidenker-Verbands), Wilhelm Schulze-Barantin (Deutscher Freidenker-Verband, Landesvorsitzender Hessen), Ernesto Schwarz (Deutscher Freidenker-Verband), Fee Strieffler (LUFTPOST – Friedenspolitische Mitteilungen aus der US-Militärregion Kaiserslautern/Ramstein), Jürgen Suttner (Mitglied im Siegener Friedensbündnis ABFS und im Freidenkerverband), Georg Maria Vormschlag (Bundesverband Arbeiterfotografie, Vorstand), Elke Zwinge-Makamizile (Gewerkschafterin, Freidenkerin, Friedensaktivistin)
PS: To show you the breadth of the national and especially international support for the demands, the draft resolution is attached, with which the campaign "NATO out - out of NATO" brought the demands to the conference on 28.6.2019.
The result
By 31 October 2019, 29 letters of ministries and parties have been received in response, including one from the "Ministry of Defence", one from the Ministry of Economics, three from the SPD, four from the FDP, four from CDU/CSU, seven from DIE LINKE (THE LEFT) and nine from the AfD. None of the GREENS! The answers range from absolute rejection to encouraging approval. CSU: "These demands are completely naïve and unrealistic in view of the world political situation and the resulting security reality. Therefore the appeal that the armed forces stationed in Germany should withdraw is just as absurd as the demand to withdraw from NATO". DIE LINKE: "The request of the campaign 'NATO out - out of NATO' after the withdrawal from NATO and the termination of the presence convention is fully supported by my group and myself... We will not stop working in this direction and can only encourage you to continue exerting pressure". DIE LINKE can possibly count on support. Also from the ranks of the AfD the demand is raised for notice of termination of the troop deployment treaty. "The AfD is committed to the withdrawal of all Allied troops stationed on German soil and in particular of their nuclear weapons," one of the letters says.
For the first time in the German Bundestag the "Convention on the Presence of Foreign Forces in the Federal Republic of Germany" (troop deployment treaty) and its possibility of termination will be introduced into the debate. This is done by the request "Withdrawal of US soldiers from Germany" of the parliamentary group DIE LINKE (LEFT) of the Bundestag dated 17 October 2019. It says: "The German Bundestag calls on the Federal Government to terminate the Convention on the Presence of Foreign Forces in the Federal Republic of Germany in accordance with Point 3 of the Agreement between the Contracting Parties of 25 September 1990 and the 'Agreement between the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty regarding the Status of their Forces' (NATO-Truppenstatut) in accordance with Article XIX and to ensure that all foreign troops leave the Federal Republic of Germany within the period of notice." (1) On 21.10.2019 the press service of the German Bundestag reports under the heading "Left Party demands US troop withdrawal": "The parliamentary group DIE LINKE is in favour of a withdrawal of the US army from Germany...". (2)
The following is a selection of excerpts from the 29 letters:
Ministry of Defence: "Our security is based on a strong and determined North Atlantic Alliance and a united and resilient European Union. Only by strengthening and developing these two pillars of our foreign, security and defence policy will we be able to meet the challenges of our time. German foreign and security policy is also always a peace policy and serves the people. These basic lines imply that we will continue to station friendly armed forces in the Federal Republic of Germany and that we will continue to be unconditional members of NATO on the basis of the arguments set out above". SPD Foreign Policy Working Group: "The North Atlantic Pact has been one of the guarantors of peace in Europe for the past 70 years and is the cornerstone of our security and stability architecture. We are therefore sticking to the Transatlantic Partnership... Social democratic foreign policy is a sustainable and forward-looking peace, security and development policy - oriented towards a clear compass of values and based on the reconciliation of interests with our partners. However, the path you propose of a NATO withdrawal or a termination of the troop deployment treaties would be a national solo effort, which we reject for the fundamental reasons already set out".Christoph Meyer (FDP): "At the beginning of April 2019, the parliamentary group of the Free Democrats in the German Bundestag tabled a request in the Bundestag entitled "A clear commitment to NATO - Strengthening and developing the transatlantic security alliance for the future" (Bundestag document 19/8954). In it, we acknowledge the Alliance's objectives from its preamble to preserve peace and security. I am convinced that the North Atlantic Treaty will continue to be the guarantor of our security and freedom in Europe in the future. A withdrawal of Germany from the Alliance, as called for in your appeal, is therefore out of the question for me".Reinhard Houben (FDP, economic policy spokesman for the Bundestag faction): "Even though I highly appreciate your great personal commitment, it will come as no surprise to you that my faction colleagues and I hold a different position, so I have enclosed with you a request from the FDP Bundestag faction on the future of NATO. For us, NATO is a fundamental element in meeting the existing security challenges".Thomas Hacker (FDP, member of the Committees for European Union Affairs, Culture and the Media): "In your letter, you ask the members of the German Bundestag to resign from the NATO alliance. However, this is part of the political culture of our country and represents a central part of the German military organization. Our foreign policy is shaped by cooperation with numerous alliance partners, such as the USA and France. Allow me to explain our position with a brief political science assessment of NATO. In the international system, states have the possibility of committing a breach of international law without directly binding consequences through international organizations or governments, for example by attacking other states. Therefore, states always strive for security, because uncertainty about the behaviour of others carries a high risk. In this uncertainty, NATO turns out to be an organization that breaks down these anarchic structures and sanctions and stops violations of international law. Leaving this alliance as a guarantee of peace and security would thus have serious consequences for German foreign policy. We Free Democrats are in favour of standing by our allied states as partners for a peace order in accordance with Article 5 of NATO."Alexander Hoffmann (CSU, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Civic Engagement): "I come back to your letter and your appeal "NATO out / out of NATO". These demands are completely naïve and unrealistic in view of the world political situation and the resulting security reality. Therefore the appeal that the armed forces stationed in Germany should withdraw is just as absurd as the demand to withdraw from NATO."Gisela Manderla (CDU): "The CDU/CSU faction is committed to the conclusion of new disarmament and arms control treaties, the reduction of global arsenals of weapons and a world without nuclear weapons... However, the security situation in the world has deteriorated considerably in recent years. These include the threat posed by North Korea's nuclear and missile programme, the unilateral breach of the INF Treaty by Russia and, last but not least, the annexation of the Crimea in violation of international law. The readiness and ability to act together militarily form the brand core of NATO... However, unilateral disarmament is out of the question because Russia's behaviour in Ukraine, for example, makes it clear how the country deals with non-nuclear powers or non-NATO members. Unfortunately, the logic of deterrence still applies here, which is precisely intended to prevent further escalations in Europe. With this in mind, Germany's withdrawal from the transatlantic defence alliance would be the wrong way to go."Jürgen Hardt (CDU, foreign policy spokesman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group): "I have to tell you that we do not share your views on NATO and the presence of foreign friendly forces in Germany in any way. Rather, NATO is and remains not only the most important and most successful defence alliance in the world, but also the backbone of Euro-Atlantic security. Especially in times when we are witnessing major upheavals and instabilities in NATO's immediate neighbourhood, but when Russia too is breaking international law on a daily basis by occupying parts of Ukraine in contravention of international law, NATO has a crucial role to play. Germany in particular owes NATO more than other nations. Without the transatlantic security guarantee, Germany would hardly have been able to develop and consolidate as a democracy in the post-war period. Peaceful reunification would hardly have been possible either... We will continue to adhere to NATO and will also strive to further increase our defence spending in line with our economic performance and Alliance commitments."Petra Sitte (LINKE, Vice-Chairwoman of the parliamentary group): "The request of the campaign "NATO out - out of NATO" after the withdrawal from NATO and the termination of the presence convention is fully supported by my parliamentary group and myself. Unfortunately, we are quite alone with this position in the Bundestag. We will not stop working in this direction and can only encourage you to continue exerting pressure".Sabine Zimmermann (LINKE): "DIE LINKE. wants to dissolve NATO and replace it with a collective security system involving Russia that aims at disarmament. As long as this does not happen, we demand that the Bundeswehr be withdrawn from the NATO supreme command and that the Federal Republic leave the military structures of the alliance. We demand the withdrawal of all nuclear weapons stationed in Germany and an end to so-called nuclear sharing. So that drone missions from German soil are no longer possible, the corresponding US military sites are to be closed. Beyond that, all foreign military bases in Germany must be closed. The corresponding agreements, also with the USA within the framework of the presence convention and the Additional Agreement to the "Agreement between the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty regarding the Status of their Forces" (NATO-Truppenstatut) are to be terminated."Bernd Riexinger (LINKE, party chairman): "I very much welcome your important initiative for peace and can assure you that you will find a reliable ally in the DIE LINKE party. Under the heading 'Peace in Solidarity Instead of War' our party's basic programme states: 'For DIE LINKE war is not a means of politics. We demand the dissolution of NATO and its replacement by a collective security system with the participation of Russia, which has disarmament as a central goal. Irrespective of a decision on Germany's retention in NATO, DIE LINKE will in every political constellation argue for Germany to leave the military structures of the military alliance and for the Bundeswehr to be withdrawn from NATO supreme command.' DIE LINKE is committed to this principle. I see your initiative as confirmation of this position and as an incentive for us to intensify our joint efforts to implement these important peace policy demands, that is my wish".Dietmar Bartsch (LINKE, leader of the parliamentary group): "DIE LINKE shares your concern for peace. We agree with you that the German past gives the Federal Republic of Germany a special responsibility to maintain peace, good neighbourliness and peaceful coexistence in Europe. Our aim must be to demilitarise the European security architecture as far as possible. In the Bundestag, we are therefore committed to ensuring that Germany terminates the troop deployment treaty and that all foreign troops leave our country. We also call for Germany's immediate withdrawal from nuclear participation, its accession to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and, as a consequence, its withdrawal from Germany. We want to apply the 2+4 Treaty to the entire territory of the Federal Republic and thus ensure that no new foreign troops are stationed on German soil... We reject the role of the Federal Republic as a logistics hub for the further deployment of NATO troops in Eastern Europe. The fact that military equipment is being sent from Germany to Russia on a large scale for the first time since 1945, and that the Federal Government is now routinely agreeing to this, we regard as devastating for security in Europe".Andreas Wagner (LINKE): "DIE LINKE. has long demanded that the 'Convention on the Presence of Foreign Forces in the Federal Republic of Germany' and the 'Agreement between the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty regarding the Status of their Forces' (NATO-Truppenstatut) be terminated and that all foreign troops leave the Federal Republic of Germany within the period of notice."Simone Barrientos (LINKE, member of the Committee on Culture and the Media): "NATO is an anachronism for our group. DIE LINKE wants to dissolve NATO and replace it with a pan-European collective security system involving Russia in order to lay the foundations for common security and thus sustainable peace in Europe. A first step in this direction is the withdrawal of Germany from the military structures of NATO, because already now German law on the territory of the Federal Republic is being broken by NATO... These facts also correspond with your appeal for the termination of troop stationing treaties on the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany. Our parliamentary group in the Bundestag calls for a broad social and parliamentary discussion on the foreign, security and peace policy understanding of Germany. DIE LINKE is the only parliamentary group in the German Bundestag to call for a paradigm shift in peace policy. Foreign and security policy decisions must be based on the UN Charter and on an understanding of common security in Europe that peacekeeping, and not mutual interest, is the goal."Ingrid Remmers (LINKE, Spokesperson for Transport Policy): "Thank you very much for your committed letter, which I read with pleasure. As you know, my group stands behind the peace movement and supports its cause. Only a few days ago DIE LINKE put a request to the Bundestag for a vote which takes up your demands. Among other things, my group calls for the denunciation of the Treaty on Foreign Armed Forces in Germany, the withdrawal of the Federal Republic of Germany from NATO's nuclear participation and thus the withdrawal of US nuclear bombs, the application of the provisions of the 2+4 Treaty to the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany, thereby also preventing the re-stationing of foreign troops and weapons of mass destruction, and a halt to the alimentation of foreign military forces in the Federal Republic of Germany."Jörg Schneider (AfD): "We currently reject Germany's withdrawal from NATO for several reasons. You would have to turn to the German government if you were to terminate the troop deployment treaty."Stefan Keuter (AfD): "We are committed to significantly strengthening the European part of the Atlantic Alliance. In order to achieve this goal, it is essential to restore the military capabilities of the German armed forces in order to meet the strategic and operational requirements. This restoration, demanded by the AfD, should not only ensure national defence as a central task of the Bundeswehr, but should also enable the German armed forces to defend the alliance and prevent crises to the extent necessary... NATO deployments outside the Alliance area, in which German armed forces participate, should in principle take place under a UN mandate and only if German security interests are taken into account... With this in mind, 70 years after the end of the Second World War and 25 years after the end of the division of Europe, the renegotiation of the status of allied troops in Germany is on the agenda. This must be adapted to the regained German sovereignty. The AfD is committed to the withdrawal of all Allied troops stationed on German soil and in particular of their nuclear weapons."Tino Chrupalla (AfD): "Of course there should start no more war from German soil. I also take a critical view of the stay of foreign armed forces in Germany. In my opinion, however, the Aachen Treaty between Germany and France is much more critical than the NATO alliance. It goes territorially further than the NATO Treaty and is rejected by the AfD as a peace party. As you know, however, the AfD is not in government and currently has no way of terminating such agreements."Beatrix von Storch (AfD, deputy faction leader): "The AfD is certainly critical of NATO and is committed to returning NATO to a pure defence alliance. Contrary to verbal promises, NATO has expanded to the Russian border and has increasingly become an instrument of American geopolitics. But we reject the withdrawal from NATO."Hansjörg Müller (AfD): "It should be noted that both the Basic Law and the 2+4 Treaty emphasise that wars of aggression may never again be waged from German soil; the manufacture and possession of nuclear weapons is contractually prohibited in Germany. Nevertheless, nuclear warheads are stationed in Germany. Also the membership in NATO, which was meant as pure defense alliance, should mean only peace and protection for its members. A Germany embedded in the NATO alliance would never again start war, that was the motto. All that has remained of it for decades are empty phrases. The Kosovo war in 1999 within the framework of NATO took place without a UN mandate, the then Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer had carried out bad war propaganda against Serbia, although many prudent politicians of all parties had spoken out against this war of aggression (e.g. Gregor Gysi-PDS, Helmut Schmidt-SPD, Willy Wimmer-CDU). Nothing else was the NATO intervention in Syria, which took place without a UN mandate and whose aims and means are highly controversial, especially since the IS had previously been fed from NATO weapons and ammunition arsenals. And as far as current Bundeswehr missions are concerned, be it in Afghanistan, Mali, Iraq or anywhere else in the world, none of these are defence missions in the original NATO alliance. Personally, I am clearly in favour of a NATO withdrawal, as well as of a termination of the troop deployment treaty. Like you, I hope that the mad warlords in this Bundestag, from purple to green, red and black, will finally be punished and voted out of office by the citizens, otherwise the sensible have no chance."Dr. Anton Friesen (AfD, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, member of the Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid Committee): "I support the withdrawal of all US nuclear weapons from Germany. I also share your call to end the confrontation with Russia. In order to achieve this, I and the AfD parliamentary group have tabled a request in the Bundestag entitled 'For a new Russia policy - cooperation instead of confrontation'... Unfortunately the request was rejected by the other groups. The demand that Germany should leave NATO, however, is wrong in my view. We depend on our NATO partners when it comes to the external security of our country. One of the reasons for this is the catastrophic state of our own armed forces. For these two reasons, I am also consistently committed to NATO's two-percent goal."Résumé
The positions regarding CDU/CSU, SPD and FDP are clear. There are no voices in them that would support the withdrawal from the imperial war machine. They do not want to see the war crimes for which they are responsible. In their view, both the withdrawal from NATO and the termination of the troop deployment treaty are incompatible with the transatlantic intentions of power. The same is likely to apply to the Greens, even though no statement has yet been received from them.
DIE LINKE seems to be closest to the demands of the "NATO out - out of NATO out" campaign. Following its rather dubious request "To replace NATO with a collective system for peace and security in Europe, including Russia" of June 2, 2016 (3), which merely demands the termination of the subordinate "Agreement between the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty regarding the Status of their Forces" (NATO-Truppenstatut), DIE LINKE has currently submitted the above-mentioned request "Withdrawal of US soldiers from Germany" to the Bundestag on October 17, 2019. Thus, it fully supports the demand for termination of the troop deployment treaty. With regard to the withdrawal from NATO, contradictions can be found in the various letters. The assertion of Petra Sitte, the deputy leader of the parliamentary group, that the party demands the withdrawal, is countered by statements that are limited to an exit from NATO's military structures - whatever that means exactly.
In the AfD, the range of positions presented is astonishing. A member of the Bundestag personally represents the withdrawal from NATO. Otherwise, the predominant position is that Germany must remain a member of NATO. Even compliance with NATO's two-percent target is demanded, but also limitation to pure defence and subordination to the UN mandate. With regard to the termination of the troop deployment treaty, DIE LINKE could find an ally in the AfD. In particular the remarks of the AfD delegate Hansjörg Müller could hardly be formulated more clearly by anyone from the ranks of the DIE LINKE or the peace movement. How seriously the statements of the AfD are to be taken, must prove itself. After all, in the current year 2019 the AfD has submitted two proposals that are close to the demands of the campaign "NATO out - out of NATO" and other parts of the peace movement: "Ending German engagement in Afghanistan" of 20 February 2019 (4) and "For a new Russia policy - cooperation instead of confrontation" of 30 January 2019 (5).
In any case, it can be stated that the appeal made by the campaign "NATO out - out of NATO" to the Federal Government and the Bundestag has not remained without effect. It is obvious that similar initiatives are also to be taken or intensified in other countries, especially in those that are members of NATO.
Footnotes:
1 Request 19/14152 of the LEFT Party "Withdrawal of US Soldiers from Germany" of 17.10.2019
http://dip21.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/19/141/1914152.pdf
2 Bundestag press release "Left Party demands US troop withdrawal" of 21.10.2019
https://www.bundestag.de/presse/hib/663988-663988
3 LEFT Party Request 18/8656 "Replace NATO with a Collective System for Peace and Security in Europe, Including Russia" of 02.06.2016
http://dip21.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/18/086/1808656.pdf
See the analysis in the NRhZ of 15.06.2016.
http://www.nrhz.de/flyer/beitrag.php?id=22868
4 Request 19/7937 of the AfD "Ending German engagement in Afghanistan" of 20.02.2019
http://dip21.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/19/079/1907937.pdf
5 Request 19/7427 of the AfD "For a new Russia policy - cooperation instead of confrontation" of 30.01.2019
https://dipbt.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/19/074/1907427.pdf
See also (in german language)
Appeal to the Federal Government and the Bundestag, September 2019
Only peace may emanate from German soil
By campaign "NATO out - out of NATO"
NRhZ. 720 from 25.09.2019
http://www.nrhz.de/flyer/beitrag.php?id=26222
Conference "No to military bases and wars", Ramstein, 28.6.2019:
Terminate troop deployment treaty and withdraw from NATO!
By Anneliese Fikentscher and Andreas Neumann
NRhZ 712 from 03.07.2019
http://www.nrhz.de/flyer/beitrag.php?id=26037
3rd International Conference "No to Military Bases & Wars", Ramstein, 28.6.2019
Free the world from militarism
By campaign "NATO out - out of NATO"
NRhZ 709 from 12.06.2019
http://www.nrhz.de/flyer/beitrag.php?id=25977
Resolution of the IPPNW General Assembly, Stuttgart, 3 to 5 May 2019
IPPNW demands termination of troop deployment treaty
By Anneliese Fikentscher and Andreas Neumann
NRhZ 704 from 08.05.2019
http://www.nrhz.de/flyer/beitrag.php?id=25888
Questions on the request of the DIE LINKE Group to the Bundestag
NATO-Truppenstatut or deployment treaty - that is the question
By Anneliese Fikentscher and Andreas Neumann
NRhZ 566 from 15.06.2016
http://www.nrhz.de/flyer/beitrag.php?id=22868
NATO out - out of NATO out
Initial spark for a campaign of the peace movement
NRhZ 551 from 02.03.2016
http://www.nrhz.de/flyer/beitrag.php?id=22582
Banner of the initiative "NATO out - out of NATO" propagated by freethinkers and worker photography
Online-Flyer Nr. 724 vom 02.11.2019
