presented a paper to fional Executive for withdrawal from NATO. ship is- currently dorsed at successive conferences.
We print below presented to the NEC. THIS PAPER argues that the time is ripe discussion about Britain's membership. and it attempts to set out CEne arosenes alid against that course. The case for remaining Is Labour poncy as cnaors ed by successive COH C CICE lo reopen that issue now would be divisive and might harm Labour's prothat argument is resumed it might reopen the Party's commitment to non-nuclear defence policy and the removal of all US nuclear bases in Bri4. Public opinion, much of which still accents the idea of a Soviet military threat, I caly countenance so radical a change in Britain's defence and foreign policy, after nearly during ycals which it was part of the allCorsCHIsus There other more urgent policy priorities.
The case for reopening the question of NATO membership policy actually calls for the Tony Benn last week the Labour: Party NaCommittee arguing the case NATO memberLabour Parly policy, enfull the paper simultaneous disbandMES.E A800-095 Pact and NATO, and the substitution a pan-European security system. CEAUS saw Pact year, 1985, the War- comes up for and therefore it 1cucwal would be very appropriate for us to raise the possibility ol aispanaig now, before the Warsaw arowe cece ostie future of their alliance. Cold NATO was established to deal with the possibility of a soviet attack upon Western Europe, and this has been the ass ulHoLIUH basis western military thinking since the COlO wal Decat though there is no factual basis for that asumption and while people continue to believe t they non-nuclear policy.
NATO is dominated by the USA and is seen in Washington as a way of maintaining American hegemony in Europe, just as ner omer derence pacts like SEATO ANZUS - O I OUCE parts of the world.
NATO ministers have tended to take the collective defence spending deci sions of member states out of the normal public exa. fixed percentage at the expense of social pregramlead to phe joint financing process that could of the 'Star Wars' project where much of the produc- tion work will be done in * America.
American waseg nuclear weapons in Britain ae OCu e Bocha o.
and as we are seeing in the case of the New Zealand government, refusal to allow US nuclear weapons in their ports has produced angry US response, inciuag threat of trade ZUS.
Public opposition
the siting of US missiles, as at the Greenham Common and Molesworth bases, nas edee government to use military ane olce Dowc CasE civil liberties; and much of the Civil Defence planning is, in reality, designed to deal with dissenters.
Bases Despite the argument that the acceptance of US Dases. alu uc casicucc ul our own nuclear deterrent, gives influence with the USA and a seat at the top table arms control talks, unis country Is ex cluded from all the superpower osama aes negotiations, precious little influence on their outcome.
The reality of the so-called special relationship with the USA is that we are a client state, dependent the provision of US military technology inteligence for the building and operation of our nuclear weapons, and alc ezaccica micial. accept their missiles her and furnish them with al the inteligence that we gather through .OWI security SCI VICCS the Special Branch GCHQ.
Meanwhile the continual propaganda about the imminence of a Soviet military threat acts as means of identifying all domestic critics "traltors or 'subversives In addition, our membership of NATO effectively freezes out any British foreign policy that might be taken to reduce tension in Europe develop closer links with the USSR or Eastern Europe.
It is beginning : to be clear that, for all these reasons, all incoming Labour government would not be able to implement its existing policy without facing implacable US and opposition, thus those who have argued that there is an in herent contradiction between SOO UC present defence policies, and our commitment to remain in NATO, are correct. Conclusion and recommendations These issues should now be made the subject of a full, realistic : public and outside the party, sc ulal we cal Colc ol walc with a fresh policy state ment designed prepare the foI withdrawal from action now!
Molesworth, cruisewatch, - to be put to contererce wila view to including it ir next manifesto.
Such statemen would need to be entirel positive and to spell ou we see foreign and defence policy role in pursuit of detente coopertion United Nations, whole of Europe, and in our work for peace. development, ana Jusuce in tne rest un the world This would be a major undertaking, •designed to develop lc W. distinctive proach and it should be set In nana as soon as possi i ble. "THE WANDERING tribes came together' is how the Observer described the 500 CND activists from all strands of the peace movement - Greenham, NVDA, Comiso, Holland, Demark - who took over Manchester
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in NATO. 1. Membership of NATO