decorimagenid

Decor: Pearls

Peace and Defence Statement

We cannot have lasting peace without justice

Policy Summary

  • The Green Party opposes terrorism whether it comes from groups such as Al Qaeda or from governments such as that of the US.
  • Although we can take precautions against terrorist attacks we cannot ultimately prevent terrorism through force. Rather, we must tackle its causes.
  • The nuclear weapons states can have no moral authority to oppose the spread of weapons of mass destruction while they possess them themselves. The Green Party is committed to pursuing immediate and unconditional nuclear disarmament.
  • Cluster bombs and depleted uranium have long-lasting effects on innocent civilians and should be banned.
  • The arms trade (including the trade in small arms) must be strictly controlled and all subsidies removed.
  • The Green Party opposes membership of NATO and the militarisation of Europe, but supports the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
  • The invasion of Iraq by the United States, the United Kingdom and their allies was illegal, immoral and counterproductive. The Prime Minister has been either incompetent or dishonest. His only honourable course is to resign.

Background

The present world order is based upon an inequitable distribution of resources, and governments of rich countries, particularly the US, have shown themselves willing to use force to 'protect their economic interests'. Increasingly, this means securing access to oil, and ensuring that it is traded in dollars. The rise of international terrorism must be seen as a response to this situation.

The Green Party condemns terrorism and indiscriminate killing whether it comes from groups such as Al Qaeda or from governments, such as that of the US. Both result in death and suffering of innocent people.

'Defence' has become an 'Orwellian' word, meaning its opposite - capability to attack others. UK 'defence' strategy needs to be comprehensively rethought as described below.

Common Security - Building a Culture of Trust

Environmental destruction and the overuse of resources threatens our common survival:

  • directly through processes such as global warming and
  • indirectly through the rise of international tension and violence fuelled by shortage of resources.

We have no real choice but to build common and co-operative responses, involving an equitable division of resources.

The world we build for our children must not depend on exploitative economic relationships but on the acceptance of our global interdependence. We cannot have genuine peace without justice.

Real security cannot be based upon a balance of nuclear terror, nor upon global domination by a group of states operating largely from self-interest. Societies and their governments must instead address the real threats facing us, by engaging in sustainable and socially just practices, eradicating poverty, and by building trust between peoples.

The first objective of UK 'defence' policy must be to provide real, sustainable security effectively.

Legitimacy and Democracy

Any defence policy must be consistent with international law and the Charter of the United Nations.

In addition, any defence policy must in accordance with the values of the society it seeks to protect, or else it undermines those very values. Defence decisions should only be made after proper public debate based on the provision of the fullest possible information. No agreement or alliances with other nations should be entered into without prior parliamentary consent.

Military action must have the mandate of the UK Parliament. Never again must we go to war without the consent of the British people.

Weapons of mass destruction

Nuclear weapons are political weapons of terror, and are disproportionate to any threat. Further, since there is a finite possibility that the policy of nuclear deterrence will fail, and the ecological and social consequences of such a failure would be catastrophic, the deterrence system must be abandoned.

Furthermore, the UK's so-called 'independent nuclear deterrent' - Trident - is actually totally dependent upon the US. The Green Party is committed to pursuing immediate and unconditional nuclear disarmament.

All weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear, biological and chemical weapons must be dismantled and banned by international agreement. The nuclear weapons states can have no moral authority to oppose the spread of weapons of mass destruction while they possess them themselves.

Cluster bombs and Depleted Uranium

Cluster-bombs, like land mines, cannot be used effectively without significant risk of death or injury to the civilian population, either during or after a period of conflict, and must therefore be banned by international agreement. The UK should renounce the use of these weapons immediately.

The use of depleted uranium in weapons also causes long-term hazards from radiation, and should be immediately banned.

The Arms Trade

The Green Party strongly supports the Campaign Against the Arms Trade. Sales of military equipment, including small arms, to other countries should be tightly controlled by a stricter licensing system involving the Foreign Office, Ministry of Defence, Department for International Development, and Customs and Excise. Equipment exported should be of a defensive nature only, or strictly and verifiably for use in international campaigns sanctioned by the UN or its regional organisations. Such a licensing system will take proper account of social sustainability criteria, human rights and regional stability issues. There will be a presumption against supply unless an export fulfils all criteria.

All subsidies to arms exports should be ended, and the Defence Export Services Organisation and the Export Credit Guarantee Department closed. We will press for the extension of the UN Register of Arms Transfers to include production and stocks, and to extend significantly the number of categories in the interests of greater transparency. We will advocate the setting up of an inspectorate associated with the Register that is independent of the major powers.

Conversion of military industry

The Green Party is committed to the early conversion of arms production to socially useful and productive ends, providing more jobs of equal or better quality. Some military training areas should be decommissioned and used as nature reserves, with suitable provision for access by the public.

The South West contains many defence related establishments and industries. An imaginative programme of arms conversion could use many of the skills and resources at present tied up in military industry, to create new jobs and produce socially useful products. Conversion would also free research and development expertise and capital. New renewable energy industries, for instance, could be set up in the same area and use the same skills and resources as the existing arms industries - e.g. wave power (shipbuilding), wind power (aerospace) and tidal power (power engineering).

Terrorism

Terrorism is an extremely loaded term, frequently used by those in power to justify excessive use of force. or the weakening of controls on the exercise of their power. Sometimes governments justify their own terrorist acts by labelling any groups that resist their monopoly of violence "terrorist". A Green government, by implementing principles laid out elsewhere in this manifesto, particularly those of self-determination and non-interventionist foreign policies, would seek to overcome the unjust divisions within our global and domestic society and address the desperate motivations that lie behind many atrocities labelled "terrorist".

However, democratic societies need to protect themselves against those who seek to use terror and violence against them and to have plans in place that mitigate against the effects of attack. In a complex, modern society, it will be a long time before we can entirely eradicate the root causes of "terrorism". Any measures to protect society should not undermine the fundamental values that shape a green society: inclusion, justice and equality.

Peace-keeping

Military intervention in disputes by external powers rarely solves the problem, and more often reinforces animosities. Emphasis at all times must be on forms of peaceful assistance to local and international organisations working to resolve conflict, to protect local culture and sustainable practices, to engage in genuine mediation and the building of strong democratic institutions, and to build links between the people within conflicting communities.

In those desperate situations when this becomes impossible and some form of military intervention involving UK forces is necessary in the immediate term to prevent conflict or extreme and sustained oppression, it must be under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) or within Europe under the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

The European Union

We view the European Union (EU) as the civilian organisation to which matters that cannot be dealt with more locally should be brought. Our vision of the EU is not that of a global power bloc or broker. However, maintenance of peaceful external relations is a common concern of the countries of Europe and any outward facing EU policy is de-facto foreign policy.

It is deeply regrettable that the EU has taken the first steps towards militarisation, by the formation of the so-called Rapid Reaction Force. We also oppose the provisions within the proposed EU constitution for a Common Defence Minister.

The UK should opt out of any militarised aspects of the EU, including the Rapid Reaction Force, and we will back every attempt to ensure democratic control over the Rapid Reaction Force and any other military elements.

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)

The OSCE is inclusive of all European countries, not just those in the EU. It uses consensus decision-making and is not dominated by the larger countries. It refrains from unwanted interference in the internal affairs of member countries and it works in co-operation with Non Governmental Organisations. The aim of the OSCE is to prevent and solve conflicts, both in the short and the long run, by addressing the underlying causes (such as human rights abuses, economic inequalities, and ethnic tensions). We welcome the OSCE's broader view of the concept of common security and would like to see it better resourced and its role strengthened.

The United Nations

The Green Party supports the United Nations, whilst recognising that the organisation needs radical reform so that it can become an effective instrument for peace and security, free from undue influence from any particular nation state.

The current structure of the UN Security Council, with permanent vetoes for France, the UK, the US, Russia and China, is undemocratic and unworkable. All permanent seats on the UN Security Council should be abolished, continents should be represented in proportion to their populations, and decisions should be made by a 2/3 majority.

NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is a military-oriented body, dominated by the interests of the United States. As such, it is not a sustainable mechanism for maintaining peace in the world. We would take the UK out of NATO unilaterally. We would also end the so-called "special relationship" between the UK and the US.

Iraq

The Green Party has consistently condemned and opposed the invasion of Iraq. Both our members of the European Parliament, Caroline Lucas and Jean Lambert, have taken leading roles in the anti-war movement, speaking at million-strong peace marches in London. In addition, Caroline joined a fact-finding mission to Iraq to see the humanitarian consequences of the conflict.

The invasion of Iraq by the United States, the United Kingdom and their allies was illegal, immoral and counterproductive.

  • It has caused death, suffering and instability in Iraq itself.
  • It has nothing to make the Middle East more secure.
  • It has made the world a more dangerous place and increased the likelihood of terrorist attacks.
  • It has weakened the United Nations.
  • It has reduced the influence of the UK within Europe.
  • It has damaged race relations both within the UK and in the wider world.
  • It has weakened the British people's faith in our democratic system.

A Labour prime minister has taken Britain into a war against the wishes of the majority of the British people and his own party. The weapons of mass destruction, which were given as the reason for the invasion, have turned out not to exist. The Prime Minister has been either incompetent or dishonest. His only honourable course is to resign.

South West Green Party 2004