Editorial

In the run-up to the NATO summit in Lisbon, Portugal, on 19/20 November 2010, this issue of The Broken Rifle provides information and opinion on NATO, and on resisting NATO and the war in Afghanistan.

In his opening article, Tobias Pflüger highlights the central importante of Afghanistan for the future of NATO. While it certainly is important to resist against the war in Afghanistan just for what it is – a bloody war – this shows that the stakes for NATO are high, and our resistance to the war in Afghanistan, if we make the links to NATO, can also contribute to weaken and finally overcome NATO.
That NATO is in trouble is also one of the messages of Wilbert van der Zeijden's article on NATO's new Strategic Concept, which will be passed in Lisbon. Due to quite some disagreements among NATO members it might be short, but that's probably about it. For us, to understand the cracks within NATO is important if we want to fight NATO.

Cynthia Cockburn looks at NATO from a feminist perspective, and shows that NATO fails to adhere to its stated objective of promoting and protecting women's rights – in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

A critical reflection on the movement against the war in Afghanistan and against NATO, and information on the activities against the NATO summit in Portugal, the European Antimilitarist Network and upcoming activities in Sweden in 2011 round up this issue of The Broken Rifle.

This issue provides the background to a call against NATO WRI will be launching in October, to give our activities against NATO some focus and framework. Please visit WRI's website for updates.
Enjoy reading – and act!

Andreas Speck

War Resisters' International
5 Caledonian Road
London N1 9DX, Britain
info@wri-irg.org http://wri-irg.org