Hoerstel told Sputnik Radio that the troops were deployed in Germany after World War Two to deter a Soviet invasion. Yet 25 years on, the NATO forces are still there, complicated by the fact that US international bombing missions are often conducted from the German base Ramstein, which automatically makes Germany a "warring nation," according to the petition.
"We give a peace signal from Germany, including the foreign signees," Hoerstel said, adding that he wanted to internationalize the petition.
The publicist claimed that the US Department of Defense’s military doctrine, which said the country was at war with terrorism, perpetuates US belligerence to benefit its arms makers at a time when tensions with Russia were deepening.
"The earnings of a permanent war are, of course, much higher than if you had a peace… Parts of the industry are relying on the doctrine of a permanent war to generate a permanent surplus income," Hoerstel said. "This has to be finished very quickly, and this is part of our petition."
He added that Germans were aware of the ongoing crisis with Russia. "This is the first time in 25 years that something is going deeply wrong, and I am trying to use this idea… to induce a larger number to sign," the activist said.
Overall 58,000 NATO soldiers are currently stationed in Germany. That number includes 13,000 UK troops and 42,000 US soldiers.
