Vice-President Joseph Biden
The White House
Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington D.C.
USA

February 2, 2009

An OPEN LETTER regarding the Security Conference 2009, in Munich, Germany

Dear Mr. Vice-President:

As, according to the media, you are apparently planning to attend the
so-called Security Conference, February 6 to 8, 2009, here in Munich,
we, members of the Munich American Peace Committee, would appreciate
your doing your utmost to analyze, criticize, change the nature of, or
even use your influence to end this conference, the world's largest
and most important meeting of the Military Industrial Complex. Of
course, we think the best method for combating the influence of the
Security Conference, and thus implementing President Obama's and your
widely supported policies for
diplomacy, non-aggression, peace and
disarmament, would be not to
attend the conference, and to withdraw,
under protest, the U.S.-delegation from participation in this and
other preparations for further wars of aggression.

This meeting, as you surely know, brings together highest ranking
political leaders, military brass and executives of the armaments
industry. These people personify the Military Industrial Complex, so
clearly defined by former President Dwight Eisenhower. Past
experience has proven that the participants in the Security Conference
have never been involved in reducing the arms race, ending
international wars, searching for better methods and diplomacy for
achieving peace. As best evidenced, the industrial companies
represented, such as General Dynamics, Lockheed-Martin, Snowcraft
Groups from the United States; EADS, Howaldswerke-Deutsche Werft,
Krauss Maffei of Europe and Germany, are almost purely weapons
manufacturers. The Security Conference secures
only more billions for
these corporations. The policies of our government, which in the past
has subsidized these wasteful and destructive conglomerates, must
change. Reducing and ending the influence of these corporations could
start here in Munich!

Thus our protest against the very insecurity of the "Security
Conference" has been of long duration. We, in the Munich American
Peace Committee (MAPC), are a group of United States citizens, living
in Munich and surroundings, where we have been working together, also
with the peace movement here and in other parts of Germany, for 25
years. We are also associated with other American peace and
environmental groups at home, in Europe and overseas, whose activities
we support according to our mutual needs. Many of us are Democrats
(some active in Democrats Abroad), many voted with enthusiasm for
Barack Obama and you. All of us voted for a peace
platform.

To quote President Dwight Eisenhower (only the word "new" is out of
date!):
"This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large
arms industry is new in the American experience. The total
influence—economic, political, even spiritual—is felt in every city,
every State house, every office of the Federal government. … We must
not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources
and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our
society."

We ask you to use, as Vice-President of the United States, your huge
influence, and that of our new President Barack Obama, to achieve the
expected transformation, to start change from a largely militarized to
an essentially peaceful society.

Thank you.

Sincerely,


Richard Forward and members of the Munich American Peace Committee