In the Logic of War

IN THE LOGIC OF WAR


By Sabine Schiffer


[This article published on 1/1/2015 on the German-Turkish journal website is translated abridged from the German on the Internet, http://dtj-online.de/nato-gift-marschrichtung-vor-in-der-logik-des-krieges-67171.]


The so-called War on Terror after the attacks of September 2001 was a mistake. There are more terrorists than before. Europeans are now taking the same measures after November `13, 2015. Instead of determining and tackling the causes of terror, they use the terrorists that they partly trained as a pretext for an open war. However they do not only strengthen and accelerate the escalating spiral of violence; they create new militarist structures.


While France bombed in Syria for a long while, the shocking attacks in Paris were an occasion for declaring a kind of European alliance-case. The warnings of the peace movement are now becoming true: the militarization of the European Union and warfare to realize its own interests.


The confusing situation in Syria and the different interests of the actors could become a NATO- alliance case. The Turkish downing of a Russian fighter jet could have been this alliance case if not for Putin’s comparatively level-headed reaction – to the provocation of the NATO alliance partner Turkey…The admitted 17 seconds of flyover time over Turkish soil was the provocation…


“THE EU CONTROLS POLITICAL STRUCTURES NEEDED BY NATO”


… NATO in the truest sense of the world gives the marching orders… Peaceful means should be the dominant means when we do a bit of thinking. On the other side NATO emphasizes the military is its nature and represents a conflict with our legal foundations. The Balkan war, Yugoslavia’s shattering and the 1999 NATO doctrine of “humanitarian intervention,” “resource security” and “migration movements” as reasons for war activated this war logic beyond the UN. If international law were respected, only Russia could not fly missions over Syria – requested aid by Syria’s government. Why isn’t a weapons embargo imposed on Syria and the region? Why are the weapons business and the oil business silently accepted by the most different parties?


WAGES AND BREAD INSTEAD OF WEAPONS AND DEATH


Turkey now denies logistically supporting Daesh after investigations of public television (see ZDF and Deutsche Welle).


A much more fundamental question should be clarified. How many young persons could now have wages, bread, and a family and perhaps even be a little bit happy if we had spent the vast sums for the wars in the Middle East and elsewhere on sensible projects – for example protecting the atmosphere?


Whoever remains in the logic of war blocks these possibilities. The breakdown of our social form is speeded up when “murder” (Jean Ziegler) by hunger of innocent children is accepted to make private enterprise profits. We all bear the costs of the malformations – we are socialized up to the killing machine of this politics.


SOLDIERS! REFUSE THE SYRIA COMMAND!


Whoever faithfully serves his country says No


By U. Gellermann


[This article published on December 10, 2015 is translated from the German on the Internet, http://www.ratioonalgalerie.de/home/.soldaten-verweigert-den-syrien-befehl.html.]


“I swear to faithfully serve the Federal Republic of Germany and to bravely defend the rights and freedom of the German people, so help me God.” (Vow of German army)


Soldiers!


You swore to faithfully serve the Federal Republic. Now you will be sent into a war that contradicts this oath. This is true for combat units and for the subordinate services.


This command contradicts all reason, all military insight and all the laws related to your service.

Your deployment is justified by the government as “prevention of terrorist acts.” Deployment in Afghanistan had the same justification. You also know the terror has become more not less after 14 years of this foreign action.


The war in Iraq waged by the US was also justified as fighting terror and only had the result of more terror and terrorists.


Your oath admonishes you to defend our country. The basic law in Article 87a explicitly obligates you only to defense. There is no UN mandate for the deployment in Syria.


Did the Syria government declare war on the Federal Republic of Germany? No. And yet you should participate in a war in that country.


Article 26 of the German Basic Law says clearly: “Acts disturbing the peaceful life together of the peoples, especially the preparation and waging of an offensive war are unconstitutional and punishable offenses.” Attacking a sovereign state is participating in an offensive war which is punishable.


In addition you will also be participating in “intentional attacks on Syria’s civilian population.” As everyone knows, air strikes against terrorists are never exclusively limited to military targets. Civilian casualties must always be criticized. The International Criminal Court describes such actions as war crimes and punishable offenses.


The military law says explicitly in its #11 that a command may not be followed if a criminal act would be committed.


Soldiers!


Don’t make yourselves criminal. Defend the basic law of our country. Refuse this absurd criminal deployment in Syria. Serve your country and say NO.