OPPOSITION GROWS IN POLAND AGAINST U.S. BASE

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk was in Washington today negotiating with George W. Bush about the deployment of U.S. "missile defense" interceptors in their country. Bush is itching to get the deal done before he leaves office so the plan can be set in concrete.

Poland has upped the ante, likely recognizing that Bush is so anxious. They are asking for "assistance" in upgrading their military in return for agreeing to allow the U.S. base. Looks like Bush will probably give them what they want. The weapons corporations won't mind a bit more military welfare for Poland.

The public in Poland, by at least 50% according to recent polls, is opposed to the deal. They realize that this "missile defense" is just part of the U.S. effort to encircle Russia. Russia has announced that once the interceptors are put under ground in Poland that they will target the base with their nuclear weapons. Poland, which fought hard to get out of the middle of the last Cold War, will be thrown right back into one.

Of course this new arms race in Europe, just like the one the U.S. is creating in the Asian-Pacific, is right on Bush/Cheney's schedule. The more countries build "missile defense" systems, then the more nuclear weapons will have to be built to overwhelm the "defenses." Then more defenses need to be built and on and on the story goes. Profits will be huge for the aerospace industry.

Poland and the Czech Republic (they are to get the Star Wars radar facility even though 70% of their public says NO) are being used by the Americans. Bush/Cheney know that Poland and the Czech Republic want to be part of the expanding European Union economy. So the U.S. is leveraging this desire on their part to force them into becoming outposts for U.S. corporate empire. It's a dirty trick and is now driving a reinvigoration of the peace movement throughout Europe.

In the end social spending will have to be cut in Poland and the Czech Republic as they get dragged into Star Wars. In the end their people will reject being drawn into this new arms race. Organizing is well underway now in both countries to oppose these plans.

At the Global Network's annual space organizing conference in Omaha on April 11-13 we will have key activists from Poland and the Czech Republic with us. We in the U.S. must do all we can to expand our relationships with peace activists from other nations. As the U.S. empire globalizes militarism, our response must be to globalize the non-violent movement to resist endless war.

In recent days an open letter to Donald Tusk has been widely distributed that was signed by many key leaders in the U.S. peace movement. To add your name or organization, go directly to the statement at: http://www.cpdweb.org/statements/1009/stmt.html