The North Atlantic Treaty Organization serves no useful purpose in the role it plays today, say peace groups, who this weekend will stress that point, a spokesman for a protest coalition said Friday in Victoria.

"We're saying it no longer has any rationale for its existence the way it's being used these days," said Phil Lyons, a spokesman for a coalition of peace groups.

While NATO leaders plot strategy this weekend in the B.C. capital, the groups plan to stage a mass rally in front of the legislature, a short distance from the meeting.

"Remember it's their forces that usually create the violence … it's not necessarily, and very seldom, the people protesting that create violence," said Lyons.

Lyons also had an ominous warning if protesters aren't allowed to demonstrate peacefully: "If the police decide they're going to clear people up, they're going to fight back."

NATO's military committee of 26 generals are gathering for what spokesman Lt.-Col. Tony White said will be a session discussing the organization's current and future operations.

'Busloads' of protesters expected

White said Afghanistan will be a topic on the agenda but it's not the main item, with the focus this weekend being larger than any single war zone, he said.

"The discussions are going to be very strategic. It's going to be about how does NATO prepare itself and have the right capabilities for today, but more importantly, for future operations."

Lyons predicted "busloads" of people would gather at the legislature grounds for the "No to NATO" rally.

The coalition wants NATO to disband because it claims it is no longer a defence force, but is instead a puppet of the U.S., he said.

"NATO, which had some reason perhaps when it was first formed — some defensive reason — is no longer a defensive force. It's a force that uses its strength to follow the Americans' dictates in their attempts to build an empire."

NATO forces have been responsible for much human suffering throughout the world, he said.

No formal plans for 2009 pullout, Henault says

"Essentially, they're using some of the worst armaments that have ever come along in terms of damaging the civilian populations of those countries," Lyons said, referring to Kosovo and Afghanistan.

The meeting takes place in the midst of a growing tension over the increasing violence in Afghanistan.

Gen. Ray Henault, chairman of NATO's military committee and former chief of Canada's defence staff, said the alliance has not received formal notice from the federal government that it intends to end its combat commitment.

Opposition leaders have demanded Prime Minister Stephen Harper formally announce Canada will end its combat mission in the country in February 2009.

Henault said the alliance anticipates there will be changes but has not begun the formal process of scouting out replacement nations.