Dear RN, While both sign-ons below are directed at Canadians, endorsements from elsewhere will not hurt. Also, if we can get new acronyms such as "WTO = World Tyranny Organization" & "NATO = Naked Aggression Taking Over" into common use, that would be great! all the best, Jan ********************************************************* Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2000 14:56:59 -0800 From: David Morgan <•••@••.•••> Subject: VANA asks for your endorsation David Morgan, National President, Veterans Against Nuclear Arms (VANA) Vancouver, BC. Topic: VANA Appeal to the Government of Canada to return its Foreign and Defence policies to a full respect for and full compliance with International Law and the UN Charter. 23 February 1999 Dear Fellow Peace Activist: VANA asks for your personal endorsation and also the endorsation of any group or organization to which you belong, for our Appeal to the Government of Canada, which appears below. The issues that it deals with are of the greatest importance to the future of Canada. If you or your organization can give this endorsation, please e-mail me at this address: •••@••.••• Please help circulate this appeal widely. Thanks and best wishes, David Morgan, National Presidnet Veteerans Against Nuclear Arms (VANA) ***** An Appeal by Veterans Against Nuclear Arms (VANA) to the Government of Canada to return its Foreign and Defence policies to a full respect for and full compliance with International Law and the UN Charter. 14 February 2000 1. Whereas the Government of Canada has uncritically offered support for US bombing of Afghanistan and Khartoum, as well as for the on-going bombing of Iraq; and furthermore caused our military forces to actively participate in the bombing of Yugoslavia, all in violation of International Law and the UN Charter; and 2.Whereas Defence Minister Eggleton stated that "Canada is ready to go to war again for humanitarian reasons even if the action defies International Law and the UN Charter."(G&M 2 Oct'99); and 3. Whereas Canada's Defence Department's "Defence Strategy 2020"of January 2000 which mentions the UN only once and "International Law" not at all, is in very strong contrast with the "1994 Defence White Paper," which mentions the UN thirty-three times, and also asserts: "Canadians believe that the rule of law must govern relations between states."( p.12): and 4. Whereas Foreign Affairs Minister Axworthy's has voiced defence of Kosovo-style "Humanitarian Interventions" outside International Law, most recently on 10 February 2000; and 5. Whereas it was this kind of contempt for International Law that led to international anarchy and the two terrible world wars of the 20th century; and 6. Whereas it was precisely to avoid international lawlessness and anarchy and its devastating effects that the United Nations was founded in 1945 at the end of World War II, the most terrible war in history. 7. Now therefore, the undersigned Canadian individuals and organizations insist that the Government of Canada return its foreign and defence policies to full respect for, and full compliance with International Law and the UN Charter. /// ******************************************* * David Morgan, National President, * * Veterans Against Nuclear Armes (VANA) * * 240 Holyrood Road, North Vancouver, BC * * V7N 2R5, Canada Tel:(604)985-7147 * * Fax: (604)985-1260 <dmorgan@web.,net> * ******************************************* *************************************************************** NATO = Naked Agression Taking Over A CALL TO STOP THE VIOLENCE We, the undersigned individuals and representatives of various groups, call upon all Canadians to work to get Canada to withdraw from NATO for the following reasons: 1) Canada needs to develop its capacity to promote peace and nonviolent conflict resolution. Our membership in NATO prevents us from developing an independent and truly constructive peace-building policy. 2) By virtue of our membership in NATO, we have been implicated in undermining international law and in war crimes. For example, the bombing of Kosovo violated Articles 39 and 2 (4) of the UN Charter. NATO even went back on an Act on Mutual Relations it had signed with Russia in May of 1990. It also violated terms of its own founding document (which states that NATO will follow UN declarations regarding the use of force). International lawyers have accused NATO leaders of war crimes such as "violations of international criminal law in causing civilian death, injury and destruction" and "employment of poisonous weapons" (eg. depleted uranium). (G&M June 10, '99) 3) We host NATO countries in using native territory as a low-level flight training ground, with terrible implications for the Innu who live in that territory (Nitassinan) and for the environment. 4) As a member of NATO, we are party to a nuclear weapons policy which includes a "first-strike" option. "In the summer of 1996...the World Court said nuclear weapons are so destructive...that their use would inevitably kill and injure many innocent civilians, thus violating humanitarian norms and international conventions for the conduct of war.... It said nations are obliged to negotiate and conclude negotiations 'leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects'." (G&M Jan. 31, '98) 5) NATO, in its "Partnership for Peace" expansion program, is increasing the waste of scarce resources on militarism and pushing the world closer to war. In an article published in the Guardian (Jan. 14, 2000) Ian Traynor informs us of "A new [Russian] national security strategy....[which] ushers in a policy of "expanded nuclear containment" while pledging to resist western attempts to dominate the globe. ...The Putin strategy takes a much more confrontational position towards the west, a policy overhaul sparked by Nato's expansion into former Warsaw Pact countries and by the US-led war against the former Yugoslavia last year." 6) Nonviolent or unarmed defence and security-building measures have been effective in many times and places throughout history. It is more important now than ever, that we develop our ability to build security directly, through nonviolent means. Investing in NATO and military solutions in general does not make sense in today's world. This year (2000) is the first in the UN Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence. In our homes, workplaces, everywhere, we wish to bring our energies and resources to the task of transforming a culture which is, in many ways, a culture of violence, into a culture of nonviolence. To add your name (or your group's name) to the list of supporters or for more information, please contact: Jan Slakov, Box 35, Weymouth, NS B0W 3T0 (902) 837-4980 <•••@••.•••>