{"article":{"id":267259,"heading":"NATO Heading for War with Russia?","author":"Stephen Lendman","created":"2015-02-05 11:36:07","modified":"2015-02-05 11:36:07","last_modified":"Thu, 05 Feb 2015 18:36:07","article":"<p>NATO Heading for War with Russia? <br><br> by Stephen Lendman <br><br> US-dominated NATO is the greatest threat to world peace, stability and security. Washington wants regime change in Russia. <br><br> Economic and political wars rage. Ineffective in achieving America's aims. Russia is strong and resilient.  <br><br> Putin is a master chess player. Obama is buffoon-like in comparison. His neocon infested administration threatens world peace. <br><br> Lunatics influencing policies promote permanent wars. Challenge Moscow irresponsibly.  <br><br> Use Kiev's military as a proxy US force against Russia. Getting battered in the process. More on this below. <br><br> Deputy NATO Secretary-General\/former US Defense Secretary for International Affairs Alexander Vershbow effectively runs the organization. <br><br> He played a major role in expanding NATO. Including outside Europe. Establishing new bases in Central Asia. Surrounding Russia with US military strength. <br><br> He calls the Russian Federation \"more of an adversary than a partner.\" Vows \"NATO enlargement will continue.\" <br><br> Lied saying its \"core task is collective defense. We're taking legitimate steps to deal with instability created by Russia's illegal actions.\" <br><br> Asked earlier about deploying US forces to Eastern European states close to or bordering Russia, he said \"I would not write off contributions from any nation.\" <br><br> NATO defense ministers agreed to strengthen the Alliance's Eastern European presence. Setting up a network of command centers to counter nonexistent \"threats from Russia.\" <br><br> US ambassador to NATO, Douglas Lute, said Alliance flags will fly over its command centers in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. <br><br> Will new US regional bases provocatively follow close to Russia's border? Raising the specter of Cold War turning Hot. <br><br> On February 2, Vershbow highlighted nonexistent \"threats pressing in on us from the East and from the South.\" <br><br> \"To the East, Russia has torn up the international rule book,\" he absurdly claimed. <br><br> \"It has returned to a strategy of power politics. It threatens not just Ukraine, but European and global security more generally.\" <br><br> Moscow threatens no one. Putin is committed to regional peace and stability. He's gone all-out for it throughout months of conflict. Thwarted by Washington's rage for war. <br><br> No Russian aggression exists. Not now or earlier. Not according to Vershbow. <br><br> Turning truth on its head saying its \"aggression against Ukraine is not an isolated incident, but a game-changer in European security.\" &nbsp; <br><br> \"It reflects an evolving pattern of behavior that has been emerging for several years, despite our efforts to reach out to Russia and build a cooperative European security system with Russia.\" <br><br> Washington deplores peace. Wages permanent wars. Plans new ones. Challenges Russia irresponsibly. Goes all-out to subvert cooperative relations. <br><br> Vershbow repeated familiar Big Lies. Russia destabilizes Europe, he said. \"(U)sed force to alter legally recognized borders&hellip;\" <br><br> \"(A)ctively subvert(s) the government of a neighboring state&hellip;(U)ndermine(s) (Ukraine's right) to choose (its) own future.\" <br><br> Putin \"detach(ed) (Russia) from Europe.\" His \"raison d'etre&hellip;is defined by opposition to the West.\" <br><br> \"Russia's narrative - a false narrative, let me stress - is one of a country humiliated by a West that has tried to take advantage of its weakness since the end of the Cold War.\" <br><br> Its \"current policy (is) confrontation with the West (and) unprovoked aggression against its neighbors.\" <br><br> Verhsbow has it backwards. Russia is the world's greatest force for peace and stability. US-dominated NATO policy is polar opposite. <br><br> Waging war on humanity. Naked aggression against one country after another. Risking direct confrontation with Russia. <br><br> Provocatively heading this way. Vershbow lied claiming \"more Russian pressure against its neighbors\" ahead. <br><br> \"NATO (will) have no option but to respond,\" he said. Barely stopping short of declaring war.  <br><br> Direct confrontation with Russia ahead looms increasingly possible. The unthinkable may become reality. <br><br> Especially given conditions in Ukraine. Its military battered. In disarray.  <br><br> Facing increasing numbers of desertions. Mobilization stalled. Thousands of youths ignore conscription notices. Flee to Russia and other neighboring states.  <br><br> Newsweek reported women aged 20 - 50 conscripted for war in Donbas. Maybe the lame, halt and blind are next. <br><br> The anti-regime hacktivist CyberBerkut group published Ukrainian Judge Advocate General documents Kiev wants suppressed. <br><br> Showing rebel forces routing its military. Inflicting devastating losses. <br><br> In the past two weeks alone, at least 1,100 Ukrainian troops were killed. Many more wounded. <br><br> Large numbers surrendered to rebel forces. Kiev lost over 100 tanks and armored vehicles. <br><br> So-called barrier squads fire on their own troops to prevent retreats. According to Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) Defense Ministry spokesman Eduard Basurin: <br><br> \"Ukrainian troops are demoralized, which is proven by an unprecedented incident&hellip;\" A captured Kiev soldier said \"anti-retreat units from territorial defense battalions were used against Ukrainian troops.\"  <br><br> Poorly trained reserves are being rushed to the front. Making up for huge combat losses, mass desertions and defections. <br><br> Commanders are switching sides. Leaving subordinates to run things. RT International said \"(t)he zone along the frontline is full of prowling deserters and bloodthirsty psychopaths dressed up in Ukrainian uniforms.\" <br><br> Citing CyberBerkut as its source. Saying \"(w)e're CyberBerkut. We don't forget. We don't forgive.\" <br><br> Promising more information on \"criminal organizations\" responsible for starting \"civil war in Ukraine.\" <br><br> John Kerry and outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel flew to Europe to discuss Ukraine and related issues.  <br><br> Joe Biden will follow \"in the next day or so,\" according to State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki. <br><br> On Thursday, Kerry arrived in Kiev. He'll meet with regime officials. Discussing war on Donbas. Washington supplying more heavy weapons.  <br><br> Getting more directly involved. Perhaps heading toward US boots on the ground. A provocative escalation if initiated. A game-changer. <br><br> Kiev's military is a spent force. Unable to defeat Donbas self-defense forces on their own. Washington didn't initiate war to quit. <br><br> It wants total control over its newest colony. A dagger used to target Russia. What's next remains to be seen. <br><br> Polls show Ukrainians strongly oppose war. Kiev's junta and Washington deplore peace. Plan conflict without end. <br><br> Manufacture threats justifying the unjustifiable. Perhaps a major false flag coming.  <br><br> A previous article discussed a possible coup with hardcore Nazis assuming full power. <br><br> At a time war without end rages. Despite devastating regime losses. Ukraine's economy deteriorating toward collapse. <br><br> Extreme poverty and human misery increasing nationwide. How long will ordinary Ukrainians put up with regime policies destroying their welfare and futures? <br><br> Is Maidan 2.0 likely? This time grassroots, not Western planned and implemented.  <br><br> Ukraine is a hotbed of fascist extremism, state terror, war without end and instability. What's ongoing should scare everyone. <br><br> Anything ahead is possible. From revolutionary change to WW III. <br><br> Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at <a href=\"mailto:lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net\" rel=\"nofollow\">lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net<\/a>.  <br><br> His new book as editor and contributor is titled \"Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.\" <br><br> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.claritypress.com\/LendmanIII.html\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/www.claritypress.com\/LendmanIII.html<\/a> <br><br> Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.  <br><br> Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. <br><br> It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs. <\/p>\n","contact":"lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net","link":"sjlendman.blogspot.com","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"Russia","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2015\/02\/267259.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}