In July 2006, several weeks after the Czech parliamentary elections, it was publicly announced that a plan exists to build US military bases in the Czech Republic and Poland. The plan involves building a radar station in the west of the Czech Republic and a base for interceptor missiles in north east Poland. Both bases are designed to be part of an American shield system against intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The plan to build such bases in the Czech Republic has its origin in 2002 when US officers “consulted” with the Czech defense minister. However, this “consultation” proceeded for about four years in secrecy, behind the back of the public. This very hot topic was also kept secret during important elections in 2006, so the citizens couldn’t vote for parties which oppose this military base. And it is quite clear why the politicians and military circles were silent for such long time: since the plans were firstly published, opinion polls have shown that between 68-83% of all citizens are opposed to a military base.

Already a few weeks after these plans were announced, different individuals and organizations (left-wing, ecological, feminist, religious etc.) formed an initiative – “No Bases” – with the aim of coordinating and organizing protest activities against the plans of US imperialists, the Czech military and domestic capitalist class (the new government, led by right-wing “Civic Democratic Party” with the support of Christian Democracy and Greens, is strongly pro-American and pro-base). REVO Czech Republic has participated in the initiative “No Bases” since last summer. Currently there are about 50 organizations affiliated to this initiative.

Our main purposes is to inform the general public about the political background of this US plan as well as all the technical, ecological, health and other aspects of such a radar system. It is a system designed for a protection of US territory rather than for the protection of the Czech Republic (the missiles stationed at the Polish base can destroy an incoming missile only during the midcourse phase). It is also a very expensive system with a lot of technical problems – and therefore also scorned by many scientists and most of the public in the USA.

But the most important reason that REVO says “NO” to the radar system is the main purpose of this system: to establish a US military presence in the Czech Republic and Poland as a means to bind these states to US imperialism even more, to split (and weaken) the EU and reinforce US dominance against Russia. This imperialist plan, if realized, would kick start a new nuclear arms race and will reinforce conservative and militarist elites throughout the whole world.

“No Bases” organized several public events and demonstrations (the biggest on 29 January this year in Prague was attended by about 2,000 people), but also conferences, forums, TV interviews and public discussions. We also collect signatures for the petition which calls for a referendum on the radar system. Up to now 30,000 have signed, while a separate petition of the Communist Youth, has more than 100.000 further signatures.

We are in regular contacts with our Polish friends as well as with anti-militarist forces across the Europe. Our representatives also spoke at a recent big anti-base demo in Vicenze in Italy. We are sure that plan to build new US military bases in the heart of Europe is part of increased rivalry amongst the imperialist powers. The global aggressive policies of neoliberalism are supposed boost the profits of the arms industry. So we ask you for your help in the international resistance against these plans.

No U.S. (or other) military bases in the Czech Republic and Poland!

by Nikola from Prague, www.revo.cz.tc