▸The “Ramstein Flag 24” air exercise, planned to take place from September 30 to October 11, 2024, centered at 117 AM in Andravida, is the largest air exercise to be conducted by NATO in Greece and a dangerous step in the escalation of involvement of Greece in the NATO-EU war plans. This exercise, with the participation of 140 aircraft and 1,500 military personnel and the support of the military forces of the US and other 12 NATO member states, turns our country into a bridgehead for military operations, at a time when military conflicts are dangerously intensifying and the military preparation in Europe.
This is emphasized in a statement by the NAR Western Greece Regional Office for Communist Liberation, underlining that “the struggle for the overthrow of the pro-war government and its policy as well as the disengagement from the imperialist alliances is a struggle for the very survival of our people . We will not allow Greece to become a victim of war rivalries. It is imperative to escalate the anti-war struggle, with a special focus on the formation of a mass movement and the active participation of unions, associations, and mass organizations”.
The entire announcement of the NAR of Western Greece is as follows:
For the conduct of the NATO military exercise “Rammstein Flag” in Andravida
Block in capital wars
Anti-war-internationalist struggle for the defeat of war preparation
OR air exercise “Ramstein Flag 24”scheduled to take place from September 30 to October 11, 2024 centered at 117 AM in Andravidaconstitutes the largest air exercise to be conducted by NATO in Greece and a dangerous step in escalating Greece’s involvement in NATO-EU war plans. This exercise, with the participation of 140 aircraft and 1500 military personnel and the support of the military forces of the USA and other 12 NATO member states, turns our country into a bridgehead for military operations, at a time when military conflicts are dangerously intensifying and the military preparation in Europe.
The war in Ukraine continues, with tragic consequences for the people of both countries. The dangerous escalation with Ukraine’s invasion of the Kursk region and the start of new missile attacks by Russia signal a new round of confrontation, with the risk of war spreading but also direct involvement of NATO countries to grow as the conflict drags on.
At the same time, the developments in the Middle East, with the continuation of the massacre in the Gaza Strip and the escalation of the confrontation with Iran (Khaniyeh murder) show the clear pursuit of the murderous state of Israel, with the open support of the US-NATO-EU, to light the fuse of even a generalized war ignition in the region.
Its results are revealing militarization and her war economy followed by EU countries. Leaving military spending outside the constraints of the new unpopular fiscal stability pact, total military spending by member states has increased by 15% in 2022-2023, reaching record levels only compared to era of the “cold war”. Several countries, such as Germany, Poland and Lithuania, have adopted ambitious militarization plans. It is characteristic that in 2024 the NATO member countries spending more than 2% of their GDP on military equipment increased from 10 to 23. Part of NATO’s new war doctrine is the further transfer of nuclear warheads to the region of Europe, as was decided at the recent NATO meeting in Madrid.
For Greece, war spending has taken off, reaching 7.5 billion euros and 3.8% of GDP in 2023, while it is expected to increase even more with the new 2025 budget. At the same time, capital and EU policy and the government’s choices, impose massive cuts in social spending, school mergers, hospital closures and the privatization of every public good. The Prime Minister’s statements from the TIF about 2.6 billion euros in additional costs for war preparation (purchase of a Belh@rra frigate and increases in overall military spending) out of a total of 3.5 billion in additional costs in the 2025 budget are typical.
At the same time, the war preparation is also connected with the re-heating of the war industry on a pan-European level. It is no coincidence that there are increasing voices for the investment of resources from the “Recovery Fund” in the military industry (M. Draghi), in the context of strengthening the “single European defense and security area”.
In this context, the conduct of the Rammstein Flag exercise is a milestone in the general military preparation of the NATO and EU countries. There can be no doubt that Greece claims an upgraded role and actively participates in any adventurous intervention, even in a generalized war, that its allies will decide to declare: USA, EU, NATO and Israel. He has already given relevant writing samples, moreover, as evidenced by the systematic equipping of Ukraine with weapon systems and ammunition which have also allegedly been acquired to counter the “Turkish threat”.
To this dangerous strategy, the response of the labor and anti-war movement must be clear.. “Rammstein Flag 2024” is not a simple military exercise, but one preparation for future military interventions that the people of the region will pay with their blood. The Greek people, workers and youth must block the war machine, say no to war, military alliances and capitalist wars.
The interests of the people are in the immediate disengagement from the war in Ukraine, the cancellation of the weapons programs, the closing of the bases, the withdrawal from NATO, the confrontation with the reactionary Greek-Turkish rivalry. They are associated with the struggle for working people’s rights and liberties, against the pursuit of capital to burden the costs (and) of wars on the people.
It is imperative to build a strong anti-war movement. To stop any cooperation with the killer state of Israel, for the immediate disengagement of the Greek state from Israel and US-NATO plans that promote the generalization of the conflict in the region.
The struggle for the overthrow of the pro-war government and its policies as well as the disengagement from the imperialist alliances is a struggle for the very survival of our people. We will not allow Greece to become a victim of war rivalries. It is imperative to escalate the anti-war struggle, with a special focus on the formation of a mass movement and the active participation of unions, associations, and mass organizations.
- To immediately cancel the conduct of the “Red Flag” exercise. Let Andravida and no other camp become a training ground for the upcoming war conflicts of capital.
- To stop any involvement-participation of Greece in the war in Ukraine and in the imperialist-war plans. To close the US and NATO death bases in our country. Out of NATO, not in the Eurosart, out of the EU.
- To cancel the equipment programs – money for health, education, the unemployed, social needs and not for weapons.
- Down with the pro-war anti-labor-anti-people policy of the government, struggle to overthrow the government and any government with anti-people policies.
- We strengthen our solidarity with the people of Palestine until the end of the occupation and the conquest of their freedom!
- We are not fighting for the interests of the Greek bourgeoisie and the USA-NATO-EU-Israel!
We call on workers, youth, unions and mass organizations to oppose the implementation of the “Rammstein Flag 24” exercise and the development of multifaceted actions and mobilizations against the war plans of the government and NATO.
The NAR Western Greece regional office
9/9/2024
2024-09-09 20:30:59