Angelo Baracca

Italy

University Profesor and nuclear physics scientist

I completely agree, and subscribe to the Declaration of a Europe for Peace, and free from nuclear weapons.

At present, these weapons constitute a much greater danger than in previous decades.

In fact, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the previous concept of Equilibrium (although in reality of Terror) has completely disappeared. In the uni-polar world, militarily dominated by the US, with the increasing shortage of every kind of natural resource, war has assumed an increasing and dominant role (well before September 11, which was instead a consequence and an acceleration of it) as the means to conquer and/or control the strategic areas of the Planet. Such a position makes use of every kind of offensive means and weapons, abandoning every remaining limitation, and violating International Law and ethics. International Organizations are abdicating their basic role.

Research, experimentation and use on the battlefield of new kinds of terrible weapons is spreading, with no restraint. In this context, nuclear armaments are perceived by the big powers and the military as the weapons to resolve a situation, no longer as a mere deterrent, or last-resort weapons, but to be used on the battlefield. Far from complying with the duties of complete and controlled nuclear disarmament, imposed since 1970 by the NPT, an unprecedented effort to develop new kinds of nuclear weapons is being carried out by the nuclear States, in the first place the US, but also, in Europe, France and the UK.

In the meantime, the nuclear threat is instrumentally used against those countries arbitrarily qualified as “rogue States”. Israel and the US are ready for a military strike against Iran, in which nuclear weapons should be used. The danger of a nuclear holocaust is very concrete.

The reinforcement and enlargement of the system of military bases is conceived as the support to such a worldwide aggressive strategy. The construction of an antimissile system plays only an aggressive role, since no State around the world has the real capacity of performing a nuclear strike on US territory: it will only push the nuclear, missile, and space arms race.

In particular, no State around the world is threatening Europe! Our Continent would have nothing to fear from other States if it would promote and implement an international peace policy. The unique role of Europe can be that of promoting peace, freedom and justice all around the world, and the improvement of the living conditions of every population: starting with a just solution of the problems in the Middle East, and an independent and dignified Palestinian State; through to the elimination of any kind of exploitation of the resources of other states (as done, for instance, by European oil companies).

Above all, Europe absolutely does not need nuclear weapons, neither those pertaining and developed by European countries (see the recent bad, dangerous and useless decision of the Blair government), nor those deployed by the US in Europe, nor those transported by nuclear submarines cruising our seas, and entering European harbours. In particular, it is necessary and urgent to open a wide debate among European citizens and governments about NATO: an alliance that should have disappeared after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and has evolved instead into an aggressive and extremely dangerous military organization.

The barbarisation of international relations must be absolutely stopped, before it becomes too late. This new century must develop and adopt a new renaissance, based on justice and civil growth, the freeing from the dominance of pure economic interests and profit, and the overcoming of wild liberalism.

Angelo Baracca

Firenze, 22 February 2007