arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

FAX ALARM: STOP THE WAR (En & Fr)
by For Mother Earth Wednesday October 17, 2001 at 08:34 PM
belgium@motherearth.org

Please send this fax to Guy Verhofstadt, to urge him to withdraw support for the war in Afghanistan. French and English versions of the text are included below.

Dear Friends,

Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt (in his capacity as EU Chairman) has announced his intention to review the US and British military intervention in Afghanistan. This review will take place this Friday, 19th October, when Belgium hosts an informal meeting of the EU heads of government.

We ask you to fax the following letter to Guy Verhofstadt, who will be chairing the meeting, asking him to withdraw Belgian support for the US and UK military intervention. The fax also asks him to put pressure on the other EU member states to withdraw their support for the military action. This is a crucial time to send this message to Verhofstadt, not only because of the European summit, but also because a number of his coalition partners are withdrawing their support for the military intervention.

We are asking NGOs to fax this message to the Belgian Prime Minister.

Fax number: +32 2 512 69 53

Individuals can fax the letter, or send it by email to:
guy.verhofstadt@premier.fed.be

NGOs based in EU member states might also like to send a fax to their Head of State or Head of Government.

Please send us a message (belgium@motherearth.org) to let us know that you have sent the fax.
In peace,

David Heller
For Mother Earth
Maria Hendrikaplein 5
9000 Gent
Belgium
http://www.motherearth.org
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To EU Chairman
and Prime Minister of Belgium
Guy Verhofstadt
Wetstraat 16
1000 Brussel

Fax: 02 512 69 53

Dear Mr Guy Verhofstadt,
Our Non-Governmental Organisation urges you to use your position of EU Chairman to propose to your colleagues at the EU Summit in Gent an immediate halt to the military intervention in Afghanistan.

The dreadful events of 11th September in New York and Washington shocked the world. We write in solidarity with the victims of violence around the world.

However, war is not the correct answer to terrorism. The current military actions being undertaken by the United States and United Kingdom will only cause more hardship for the people of Afghanistan, who have already had to endure many years of war. There are already reliable reports of many civilian deaths as a result of the bombardment, and more deaths are inevitable if the bombing continues.

Rather than weakening the position of Bin Laden and the Taliban, the bombing is provoking anger and renewed threats of terrorism. Last century, Ghandi warned us that "An eye for an eye makes everyone blind". We must take a stand and break this spiral of violence.

The current military intervention is motivated by revenge. It will not bring justice. For a real, lasting, solution to the problem of terrorism, we must invest in strategies of conflict prevention, and address the underlying problems that create a breeding ground for terrorism: poverty and the global inequality between North and South. We need investment in development programmes, not in armaments.

We urge you to follow your green and social democrat coalition colleagues, and to withdraw Belgian and EU support for the US and UK military intervention.

Yours Sincerely,

-------

A l'attention du Président de l'UE
Et du Premier Ministre de la Belgique
Monsieur Guy Verhofstadt
Rue de la Loi 16
1000 Bruxelles

Fax: 02 512 69 53

Monsieur le Premier Ministre,
C'est avec insistance que je vous demande aujourd'hui d'user de votre position de Président de l'Union Européenne et de proposer lors du sommet de Gand à vos homologues européens un arrêt immédiat des interventions militaires en Afghanistan.

Les évènements tragiques du 11 septembre à New York et Washington ont mis le monde en état de choc. Et c'est en solidarité avec toutes les victimes de la violence de part le monde que je vous écris.

Néanmoins, je suis convaincu que la guerre n'est pas une réponse appropriée au terrorisme. Les opérations militaires menées par les USA et le Royaume Uni ne font qu'alourdir encore la souffrance du peuple afghan, en état de guerre depuis bien trop d'années. Des sources dignes de foi font déjà état de nombreuses victimes civiles suite aux bombardements, et ce nombre de morts augmentera inévitablement si les bombardements continuent.

Plutôt qu'affaiblir l'influence de Ben Laden et des Talibans, ces bombardements ne font que provoquer un regain de haine qui pourra conduire à de nouveaux actes de terrorisme. Au siècle dernier, Gandhi nous a mis en garde : « An eye for an eye makes everyone blind » (oeil pour oeil rend tout le monde aveugle) Nous devons aujourd'hui prendre position et briser la spirale de la violence.

Ces opérations militaires ne sont motivées que par la vengeance. Elles ne rendront pas la justice. Pour une solution réelle et durable au terrorisme, nous devons investir dans des stratégies de prévention de conflit et s'attaquer aux problèmes de fond qui nourrissent ce même terrorisme : la pauvreté et les inégalités entre le Nord et le Sud. Nous devons investir dans des programmes de développement, et non dans l'armement.

Je vous demande aujourd'hui de suivre l'exemple de vos partenaires verts et sociaux-démocrates de la coalition et d'ôter tout soutien belge et européen à l'intervention militaire des USA et du Royaume Uni.

Sincèrement,