Et tu Poland? Putin Excluded from Holocaust Commemorations

New Eastern Outlook
January 20, 2015
Ulson Gunnar

Glancing at the headlines one might believe Russian President Vladimir Putin had inappropriately decided not to attend Holocaust commemorations in Poland.

In one breathtaking display of misinformation, Reuters would report in its article Putin will not attend Holocaust commemorations in Poland that, "Sources told Reuters on Monday that Putin was unlikely to join world leaders gathering at the site of the Auschwitz death camp because distrust caused by the conflict in Ukraine has cast a pall on arrangements."

In reality, The Russian leader was never invited by Poland, the nation hosting the commemorations.

The geopolitical thrust and accompanying misinformation is designed to reinforce the perception that Russia is now a hegemonic threat, on par with Nazi Germany during World War II. Reality could not contradict this contrived narrative more.

On June 22, 1941, Operation Barbarossa was launched. Three massive German armies moved at lightning speed into the Soviet Union as part of a long anticipated Nazi attempt to conquer Russia. The invasion would quickly overwhelm unprepared Russian forces bringing German armies up to the gates of several major Russian cities, Moscow included.

MH17: Malaysia's Barring from Investigation Reeks of Cover-up

New Eastern Outlook
Ulson Gunnar
November 28, 2014

It was a Malaysian jet, carrying Malaysian passengers, flown by Malaysian pilots, yet after Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine in July 2014, Malaysia has been systematically blocked from participating in the investigation, leaving an overwhelmingly pro-NATO bloc in charge of the evidence, investigation and outcome as well as the manner in which the investigation will be carried out.

Despite the integral role Malaysia has played during several pivotal moments in the aftermath of the disaster, it appears that the closer to the truth the investigation should be getting, the further Malaysia itself is being pushed from both the evidence and any influence it has on the likely conclusions of the investigation. With the downed aircraft in question being Malaysian, Malaysia as a partner in the investigation would seem a given. Its exclusion from the investigation appears to be an indication that the investigation's objectivity has been compromised and that the conclusions it draws will likely be politically motivated.

Joint Investigation Team Includes, Excludes Surprising Members 
With the Dutch leading the investigation, the logic being that the flight originated from the Netherlands and the majority of the passengers were Dutch, it has formed a Joint Investigation Team (JIT). At the onset of its creation it seemed obvious that Malaysia would too be included, considering it lost the second largest number of citizens to the disaster and the plane itself was registered in Malaysia. Instead, JIT would end up comprised of Belgium, Ukraine, and Australia, specifically excluding Malaysia.

Putin Exposes Criminal Global Order

New Eastern Outlook
Ulson Gunnar
October 26, 2014

Russian President Vladimir Putin, before an international audience, exposed an international order capitalizing on the end of the Cold War to reshape the world according to its own interests, sidelining concepts such as basic international relations, international laws, systems of checks and balances, and even the very concept of national sovereignty itself. Amid President Putin's speech, he would condemn the United States' support for neo-fascists, terrorists, and its contempt for national sovereignty around the world.

The West's Rebuttal 

Curious language accompanied the New York Times' account of the Valdai International Club discussion in the Black Sea coastal region of Sochi, Russia in front of which President Putin spoke. In an article titled, "Putin Accuses U.S. of Backing ‘Neo-Fascists’ and ‘Islamic Radicals’," the NYT attempts to portray President Putin's statements about US support for neo-fascists and terrorists as merely baseless accusations.

The NYT claims, "instead of supporting democracy and sovereign states, Mr. Putin said during a three-hour appearance at the conference, the United States supports “dubious” groups ranging from “open neo-fascists to Islamic radicals.”" The NYT would also report, "“Why do they support such people,” he asked the annual gathering known as the Valdai Club, which met this year in the southern resort town of Sochi. “They do this because they decide to use them as instruments along the way in achieving their goals, but then burn their fingers and recoil.”"

It is difficult to understand why the NYT attempts to portray this statement as particularly controversial, or as a "diatribe," as the Times puts it, rather than a factual, timely, and necessary observation.

Ukrainian Weapons of Mass Destruction

New Eastern Outlook
Ulson Gunnar
September 1, 2014

In July, the Kiev-based regime deployed OTR-21 Tochka ballistic missiles also known as SS-21 “Scarabs,” against the people of eastern Ukraine. The missiles measure 6.4 meters in length and carry warheads of up to 454 kg, making them without a doubt a weapon of mass destruction (WMD). Despite Kiev utilizing weapons like the SS-21, there was little outcry in the United States or across Europe. The deafening silence over the use of such weapons in Ukraine stands in stark contrast to wild hysteria exhibited just in 2011 when the Libyan government allegedly deployed Scud missiles against NATO-backed militants fighting Tripoli, Sirte, and the desert city of Bani Walid.

Ukraine's Nuclear Legacy 

As a former Soviet state, Ukraine possesses a large variety of advanced weaponry and industrial capacity, aspects of a developed nation now in the hands of a state descending into third world-like chaos. Among Ukraine's industrial and technological inheritance is nuclear power. In total Ukraine possesses 15 nuclear reactors including the largest facility in Europe, the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. It also, until 1994, possessed nuclear weapons. Having been nuclear weapons-free since 1994, the new regime in Kiev has expressed interest in once again obtaining such weaponry for the purpose of "defending itself" from "Russian aggression." 

But absent of nuclear weapons, the possibility of Kiev committing to a course of action that threatens both Ukraine itself, as well as other nations across the region with nuclear catastrophe should weigh on the minds of all policymakers and analysts. Already, the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant served host to clashes between Kiev-backed Neo-Nazi militants from Right Sector and local police.

Fighting Back Against Western Sanctions

New Eastern Outlook

Ulson Gunnar

August 24, 2014

While the impact of sanctions leveled against Russia is being debated, one fact is perfectly clear; the dangerous interdependence cultivated by the concept of "globalization" leaves nations vulnerable amid a global order dominated by hegemonic special interests that use such interdependence as a weapon.

Two rounds of sanctions have been leveled against Russia targeting Russian banking, arms manufacturing, and oil industries. Even as the sanctions are marketed to the world as Russia "paying a price" for its role in "destabilizing" Ukraine, Russia has been busy cultivating ties and expanding markets that are increasingly found outside the West's spheres of influence and therefore, beyond the reach of these sanctions. Russia is also looking inward to diversify its markets and seek socioeconomic independence.

Instead of viewing the sanctions as an impassable obstacle requiring capitulation to Wall Street and London, Russia has viewed them as a challenge to sever reliance on unstable markets. More so, Russia's quest for alternative markets is a means of applying its own form of pressure back upon the West. While the West attempts to portray the sanctions as "cutting off Russia," the restrictions do at least as much to isolate the West itself.

Multipolar World Vs Western Hegemony  

In a unipolar world, supranational geopolitical blocs like the EU (European Union), the African Union, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), and regional free trade agreements serve to consolidate and open up the collective socioeconomic potential of the planet to those at the top of this international order. Currently, this constitutes the special interests on Wall Street, in the city of London, and among the special interests converging in Brussels. Interdependence is intentionally cultivated among the various members of individual blocs and between supranational blocs themselves. This ensures that leverage is constantly maintained over each individual national entity, making individual nations incapable of sidestepping collective initiatives of the blocs they are a part of.

Kiev Deploys WMDs Against Eastern Ukraine

New Eastern Outlook
Ulson Gunnar
August 7, 2014

Ukraine's Kiev-based regime has deployed OTR-21 Tochka ballistic missiles also known as SS-21 "Scarabs," against the people of eastern Ukraine. The missiles measure 6.4 meters in length and carry warheads of up to 454 kg, making them without a doubt a weapon of mass destruction (WMD). Their use was revealed by a CNN report released just as US President Barack Obama announced that the US and EU would be issuing more sanctions against Russia. 

CNN revealed that, "there were reports that Ukraine's government in the past 48 hours used short-range ballistic missiles against the rebels, three U.S. officials told CNN. The weapons have a range of about 50 miles (80 kilometers) and pack up to 1,000-pound (454-kilogram) warheads." 

Bloodbath Follows Ukrainian Elections

New Eastern Outlook
Ulson Gunnar
May 28, 2014

What can only be described as "show elections" in Ukraine have been promptly followed by combined arms operations in the eastern region of the country. Warplanes, helicopter gunships, heavy armor and troops poured into eastern Ukraine in a blitzkrieg offensive aimed at overrunning the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Both provinces had carried out successful referendums declaring autonomy from what is perceived as many to be an illegitimate regime occupying Kiev.

The day after elections, over 100 people were reportedly killed, including a large number of civilians. Local media broadcast grisly images of dead self-defense forces as well as civilians clearly the victims of artillery and aerial ordnance. In Kiev, Petro Poroshenko, "president-elect," compared eastern Ukrainians to "Somali pirates," claiming they were terrorists and that "no civilized country negotiates with terrorists." Claiming that his Ukraine was most certainly "civilized," he swore not to negotiate with eastern Ukraine indicating that the brutality seen in Donetsk following elections may just be the beginning of a more widespread armed campaign against what seems to be regarded by Kiev as a separate, enemy state.

Indeed, the military operations being conducted by Kiev appear to be more comparable to an invasion or cross-border punitive operations regularly carried out by NATO members such as Turkey against Kurds in Iraq.

Deeply Flawed Election Quickly Rubber Stamped By NATO-EU 

Despite polling not even taking place across much of eastern Ukraine, and no polling at all taking place in what Kiev, the US, EU and others still claim is Ukrainian Crimea, the elections were quickly declared "free and fair." Citing an Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) preliminary report admittedly drafted by the EU and NATO themselves, the US State Department and editorials across the West declared the elections a resounding success.

Russian-Chinese Gas Vs. Western Hegemony

New Eastern Outlook
Ulson Gunnar
May 21, 2014

Russian energy giant Gazprom's 30 year, 400 billion dollar gas deal with China is set to impact global geopolitics in many profound ways. To understand the future impact of the deal, it is important first to understand the geopolitical conditions that face both Russia and China today that helped seal it. 

The Russian Imperative 

For Russia, diversifying its markets away from the European Union is of vital importance. Persistent economic decline is effecting demand, while special interests within the EU have become increasing belligerent toward Russia as the supranational conglomerate seeks to expand into Russia's traditional spheres of influence. The EU and NATO's insistence on continued eastward expansion, "integrating" nations along Russia' peripheries, is now clearly aimed at the encirclement of Russia proper. The current crisis in Ukraine, and the brief conflict of 2008 on the Russian-Georgian border are both direct results of this expansion. US and EU sanctions aimed at Russia, and Russia's response by leveraging the EU's dependence on its natural gas have reminded both of this vulnerable interdependencies. 

For Russia, it will be difficult to find another market in which to sell the 160 billion cubic meters of natural gas it exported to Europe last year. The new deal with China is expected to begin at 38 billion cubic meters of gas per year, or about a quarter of what it exports to Europe. Additional pipelines are in the works, and the amount of gas routed to China can surely be expanded to meet future demand.

Ukraine's Doomed Elections

New Eastern Outlook
Ulson Gunnar
May 13, 2014

Presidential elections in Ukraine are supposedly to be held on May 25, but the unelected regime to preside over them in Kiev faces a nation not just deeply divided, but literally fleeing out from under its self-proclaimed authority. And as Kiev attempts to hold the country together, primarily through the use of heavy weapons deployed against civilian populations, it is difficult to understand how any election can be held under such conditions, let alone be recognized as legitimate.

Despite this glaring reality, both the United States and the European Union insist that the May 25th elections be held, and held quickly. No mention is made of what legitimacy such elections hold even as running gun battles are waged in the eastern part of the country, particularly the province of Donetsk where a recent referendum has paved way for greater autonomy from Kiev.

Kiev's inability to assert authority over a growing segment of Ukraine's population coupled with the fact that it came to power extralegally poses an acute problem for both the regime itself and its American and European backers. By holding elections, even under such chaotic conditions, Kiev and its backers hope to establish greater legitimacy for their version of Ukraine. Kiev, the US and EU have declared a recent referendum held by the provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk "illegal." This implies that both Donetsk and Luhansk are part of Ukraine and fall under the authority of Kiev. It also implies that they will participate in the upcoming election. A similar stance has been taken regarding now Russian Crimea.

Kiev's Conundrum 

If elections are held "nationwide" as Kiev and its American and European backers define Ukraine (which includes Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk) the failure to actually conduct polls in these three regions will by consequence void the entire election or at the very least call into question their legitimacy. Should elections exclude these regions, it will be a concession by Kiev, Washington and Brussels that these three regions no longer exist within Ukraine or under Kiev's authority. With that precedent, other regions who refuse to recognize Kiev's authority will be given a clear-cut exit, particularly if upcoming elections result in the current regime staying in power. Either way Kiev attempts to hold upcoming elections, it will come out the other side weaker still.

NASA & Russian Space Legacy Threatened in Ukraine

New Eastern Outlook
Ulson Gunnar
May 19, 2014

Across the surface of Earth, Russia and America have been engaged in direct and indirect conflict for decades. Above the Earth, however, both have inspired the world and each other through the peaceful scientific exploration of space. Beginning in 1975 with the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project, both nations began cooperating directly with one another toward this singular, noble endeavor and have continued to do so until present day with the International Space Station (ISS).

The Russian Soyuz program is currently the only means by which astronauts and cosmonauts can reach space and return. 

Joint US-Russian space exploration has so far weathered the demagoguery of politicians from both sides over the years, but the recent conflict in Ukraine is once again putting this relationship to the test. Little will be gained if this cooperation ends, despite attempts across the Western media to claim otherwise.

The International Space Station 

The ISS is an artificial habitat circling the Earth at an altitude of over 260 miles (over 420 km)  that has been permanently manned for over 13 years. It represents a stepping stone in what will be the most profound leap in human civilization's history, the permanent colonization of space and mankind's accession to a multiplanetary species. The ISS is constructed primarily of Russian and American modules, but also includes European and Japanese components. It was built drawing from experience gained from the Russian space station Mir. Mir also served as a platform for joint US-Russian space exploration, with eleven space shuttle missions being flown to it, establishing many of the protocols used today aboard the ISS.

A combination of NASA space shuttle missions and Russian Soyuz rocket launches had previously worked in tandem to send and retrieve astronauts and cosmonauts from the ISS. With the retirement of NASA's space shuttle fleet, Russia's Soyuz program is the only means to move people to and from the ISS. While a combination of automated US, Russian, European, and Japanese cargo ships keep the ISS supplied with food, water, and equipment, without Russia's Soyuz program, the ISS will by necessity become abandoned.

Ukraine Crisis Reaching to the Stars? 

A US-backed uprising spearheaded by armed Neo-Nazis overthrew the elected government of Ukraine over the course of 2013-2014's Euromaidan demonstrations. The attempt to overthrow the government of Ukraine came as the nation was backing away from integration with the European Union and away from a possible membership within NATO that was likely to follow. The US-engineered Euromaidain uprising, eerily familiar to the similarly US-backed Orange Revolution in 2004, sought to overturn yet another of Moscow's allies and place NATO right on Russia's border.

Ukrainians Reject Fascism

New Eastern Outlook 

Ulson Gunnar 

May 19, 2014

Referendums in Ukraine's eastern most provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk have overwhelming indicated a greater desire for autonomy from the capital of Kiev. The referendums included provisions to elect each provinces' own respective government, retain locally collected taxes, and have the Russian language given official status (presumably to protect Russian speakers from anti-Russian legislation passed by the unelected regime in Kiev just days after they seized power in a violent coup).

Troops loyal to Kiev continue operations in an attempt to take over Donetsk's city of Slavyansk. Violence across much of Donetsk province appeared to be an attempt by Kiev and its American and European backers to disrupt referendums that have overwhelmingly called for greater autonomy from Kiev. (Reuters/Baz Ratner)

Despite attempts by troops deployed by the regime to disrupt the referendums leading to violence that cost multiple lives, turnout was reported to be over 70 percent.

Russia Asked for Delayed Referendums

Russia had suggested that the referendums be delayed until tensions between eastern Ukrainians and regime troops eased. Policymakers in the United States and Europe had interpreted this as Russia backing down from NATO. Clearly then, the people of Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, and not the Kremlin, were determined to distance themselves from a regime in Kiev they felt does not represent them or their interests, as the referendums were carried out despite Moscow's wishes.

A growing wave of unrest is spreading across the Eastern European nation of Ukraine. The unrest comes in the form of protesters refusing to recognize the current "acting government" in Kiev, which came to power on the back of violent protests that ousted the elected government of Viktor Yanukovych. Polices enacted by Yanukovych that attempted to appeal to both western and eastern Ukrainians were quickly repealed in the wake of the violent coup in Kiev.

In response to Kiev's perceived lack of legitimacy, protesters have taken over government buildings, demonstrated in the streets, and have begun organizing referendums to distance themselves from the regime by granting themselves greater autonomy. The United States and Europe have accused Russia of organizing the unrest, even as they claim Russia has backed down on supporting referendums that have not only taken place, but granted pro-autonomy Ukrainians a sweeping mandate.

In Mariupol, Donetsk province in eastern Ukraine, many civilians risked their lives standing in front of armored vehicles to prevent troops deployed by Kiev from asserting authority. Several civilians can be seen shot on camera as troops advanced. Despite the deaths, Donetsk has overwhelming voted for greater autonomy from Kiev. (Reuters/Marko Djurica) 

The US State Department has issued multiple statements condemning the referendums, regardless of who US politicians and policymakers claim are behind them. One statement dated May 10, 2014, tiled, "On the Illegal Referenda in Eastern Ukraine," claims, "as the United States has said, the referenda being planned for May 11 in portions of eastern Ukraine by armed separatist groups are illegal under Ukrainian law and are an attempt to create further division and disorder. If these referenda go forward, they will violate international law and the territorial integrity of Ukraine. The United States will not recognize the results of these illegal referenda."

Russia, GMO and the Geopolitics of Organic

New Eastern Outlook 

Ulson Gunnar 

May 2, 2014

Russia’s RT reported in an article titled, “Russia will not import GMO products – PM Medvedev,” that, “Russia will not import GMO products, the country’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said, adding that the nation has enough space and resources to produce organic food.” The article would quote Russia’s prime minister who stated specifically, “if the Americans like to eat GMO products, let them eat it then. We don’t need to do that; we have enough space and opportunities to produce organic food.”

The article would also state that products in Russia containing more than 0.9% genetically modified ingredients must be labeled, as opposed to US laws where no labeling is required for genetically modified products despite steadily growing public opposition to the practice.

 

Russia’s stance against GMO is mirrored elsewhere, including in France where just recently Monsanto’s GM corn was banned and in China where the importing of US GM corn has been outlawed. The backlash against GMO has widespread appeal due to well-placed health and environmental concerns among increasingly informed populations. But the drive to push back against GMO in nations like Russia and China also has a geopolitical dimension.

 

An Army Marches on Its Stomach

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US Ambassadors: Diplomats or Agitators?

New Eastern Outlook 

Ulson Gunnar 

April 3, 2014 

A diplomat is defined as "a person who represents his or her country's government in a foreign country: someone whose work is diplomacy," while diplomacy is considered, "the work of maintaining good relations between the governments of different countries." This is with the avoidance of arousing hostility kept particularly in mind. An ambassador, the highest ranking diplomat representing their respective nation while living in another country, should therefore be exceptionally skilled in diplomacy.

An agitator on the other hand is considered by definition "a person who tries to get people angry or upset so that they will support an effort to change a government." A diplomat and agitator would appear to be polar opposites pursuing opposing agendas while using opposing means and methods. But apparently American politics find accommodation for both within a single job description. 

The parting shots of China's establishment reflected resentment over the machinations US Ambassador Gary Locke helped facilitate during his 2 year stint in Beijing. The Chinese paper, The Global Times, reported in its article, "US Ambassador to China to step down," specifically that, "amid the applause Locke won from the public praising his style, heated debates stirred as adverse voices arose saying Locke making a show was an American plot to stir citizens' resentment of their own leaders." 

Locke's "style" was that of a modest man "of the people," hinging on widely publicized images of him carrying his own luggage and ordering his own coffee at the airport upon his arrival. It was a playact designed intentionally by Washington script writers to stand in contrast to the perception that China's leadership is opulent and out of touch with the Chinese people. In reality, Locke has well above average annual income in America and many times more than the average Chinese citizen. He holds millions of dollars in assets and is ranked as one of the richest executive branch officials in the United States, according to the South China Morning Post.

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CrossTalk: Cold War 2.0?

StopImperialism.org
Eric Draitser
March 31, 2014

How do the West and Russia interpret the results of the Cold War? Is NATO at the heart of the so-called "New Cold War"? Does NATO refuse the partnership with Russia? And are Russia and the West doomed to be adversaries? CrossTalking with Geoffrey Hosking, Eric Draitser and Wolfgang Richter.

Chinese Thinking on Crimea: “Taiwan” or “Tibet?”

New Eastern Outlook
Ulson Gunnar
March 31, 2014

China has maintained a very careful and consistent foreign policy of non-interference. It has steadfastly condemned foreign incursions into other nations under any pretext. In recent years, this has been extended to NATO’s adventures in Libya and Syria, where China has been vocal in its condemnation of foreign meddling. This is not only because China believes in national sovereignty in general as the foundation upon which it is building its global influence, but also and perhaps primarily because it fears for its own territorial integrity at home.

When Crimea voted to join the Russian Federation, the Chinese were particularly cautious in how they responded diplomatically. China even abstained from voting on a resolution submitted to the UN General Assembly backing Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

Their somewhat ambiguous statements and moves have given license to international press houses to portray China as opposing Russia. Headlines such as the Business Insider’s “China Doesn’t Back Russia’s Invasion Of Crimea — And That’s A Big Problem For Putin,” seem to describe Beijing as wholly abandoning Moscow over the ongoing Ukraine crisis.

The Business Insider even goes as far as saying, ”Russia’s Vladimir Putin has committed a grave strategic blunder by tearing up the international rule book without a green light from China. Any hope of recruiting Beijing as an ally to blunt Western sanctions looks doomed, and with it the Kremlin’s chances of a painless victory, or any worthwhile victory at all.”

Another assessment, this time from Bloomberg’s Businessweek, strikes a little closer to reality. In an article titled, “Is China Siding With Putin in the Ukraine Crisis?,” Businessweek states, ”The Chinese might naturally sympathize with Vladimir Putin, someone willing to stick it to Western leaders such as President Obama. However, China has long opposed actions that smack of interference in other countries’ internal affairs, in part to keep outsiders away from such sensitive issues as Tibet and Chinese dissidents.”

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Solving the crisis in Ukraine

Stop Imperialism

Eric Draitser 

March 22, 2014 

Ukraine has become a geopolitical and strategic battleground upon which the West (US-EU-NATO) and Russia are struggling for influence. But, underlying this conflict is the need to develop a viable solution, one that would address both the short term and long-term needs of the Ukrainian people and both Russia and the West. The deep political divisions within Ukraine, exacerbated in recent months with the ouster of the Yanukovich government, will require careful diplomacy and mediation in order to be resolved. Additionally, the economic crisis afflicting the country – a crisis which dates back to well before the February coup – will equally require a multi-faceted and inclusive solution that benefits all interested parties. Naturally, achieving these high-minded goals will not be easy; however, they are necessary in order to chart a course toward a prosperous and stable future for Ukraine. 

(Read entire article)

Specter of Western Mercenaries Hang Over Ukraine Crisis

New Eastern Outlook
Ulson Gunnar
March 22, 2014


Recent rumors of notorious Blackwater US mercenaries operating inside of Ukraine invoked a plausible narrative so convincing even news outlets across the West began echoing it. 
 

UK’s Daily Mail article “Has Blackwater been deployed to Ukraine? Notorious U.S. mercenaries ‘seen on the streets of flashpoint city’ as Russia claims 300 hired guns have arrived in country” stated “a Russian diplomat in Kiev told the Interfax news agency on Wednesday that 300 employees of private security companies had arrived there.”

 

The article continued by stating, “‘These are soldiers of fortune proficient in combat operations. Most of them had operated under private contracts in Iraq, Afghanistan and other states,” the source said. Interfax reported that the diplomat did not disclose the nationalities of the mercenaries but said, ‘Most of them come from the United States’.” 

 

An accompanying video showed unidentified armed men running through the streets of the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, however it appeared unrelated to the claims made by the Russian diplomat.

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US Expels Syrian Diplomats – Dangerous Desperation in the Air

New Eastern Outlook
Tony Cartalucci
March 19, 2014

The United States has officially told the Syrian government to immediately suspend its diplomatic and consular missions in the country, and ordered its diplomats to leave the country if they are not US citizens.

 

“We have determined it is unacceptable for individuals appointed by that regime to conduct diplomatic or consular operations in the United States,” US special envoy for Syria, Daniel Rubinstein, said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

 

The move is suspected by many to be in retaliation for the permanent reversal of fortunes for US-backed militants operating inside of Syria, and perhaps the prelude to an act of Western aggression in response to other geopolitical loses elsewhere, including Crimea.

 

West Arrives at a Dangerous Turning Point 

 

It was a turbulent week for Western hegemons. First the teetering regime they thrust into power in Kiev, Ukraine was exposed globally as led by armed Neo-Nazis. Next, the people of Crimea fled en masse via a referendum that overwhelming chose for the strategic peninsula to join with Russia rather than be left subjected to the Western-backed fascists occupying Kiev.

 

The West’s response was impotent sanctions quickly brushed off by both the Russians and Ukrainians they targeted, with military posturing by both NATO and their new regime in Kiev also appearing feckless and altogether desperate.

 

And finally, in Syria, a complete reversal of fortunes for the Western-orchestrated bloodbath, now in its third year, culminated in Syrian forces retaking the pivotal city of Yabroud, northwest of Damascus and very near the Lebanese-Syrian border.

 

The retaking of Yabroud seemed perhaps a greater symbolic victory than a strategic one – and strategically, it was a very important victory. It is yet another step in stemming the flow of foreign militants, weapons, and cash into Syria, effectively isolating militants within the country to be sweep away by the Syrian Arab Army. Symbolically, it represents the irreversible momentum gained by the Syrian government and its security forces in retaking the country and restoring order within and along its borders.

 

In light of this reversal, one that has been ongoing since the beginning of 2013, Saudi Arabia has now apparently abandoned or at the least reduced its extraterritorial involvement in Syria, meaning Western attempts to geopolitically and economically reorder Syria while stripping neighboring Iran and Lebanon of an important ally have been all but effectively ended.

 

For the West, who has enjoyed global hegemony for so long, the slipping away of its power and prestige – all based on the illusion of its strength – leaves the world facing a dangerously desperate entity willing to do anything to reestablish that illusion. The sitting heads of state across the West, including, and perhaps most symbolically, US President Barack Obama, endlessly creating “red lines” the world boldly walks across exemplifies just how diminished that illusion is.

 

An example must be made, and with the expulsion of Syrian diplomats from the US, that example may be Syria.

 

Striking Syria Will Be the Ultimate Act of Weakness 

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Assessing the Costs and Benefits of “Punishing Russia”

New Eastern Outlook
Eric Draitser
March 19, 2014

With the referendum on Crimean independence and possible reunification with Russia now taking place, the US and its European allies have threatened punitive actions to punish Moscow. These measures include the denial of visas, freezing of assets, even possibly commencing economic sanctions against Russia and Russian interests. Such escalation of tensions would undoubtedly have negative, potentially disastrous, effects on the European and global economy, not to mention the all-important political and diplomatic ties between West and East.

On Saturday March 15^th, the day before this historic referendum in Crimea, the Washington Post, famously regarded as a principal mouthpiece of the US political establishment, published a strongly worded Op-Ed piece collectively written by the Editorial Board entitled US, EU must stay the course on Russian sanctions over Ukraine. The article laid out a number of punitive actions that the West should, according to the authors, use to punish Russia, including targeted sanctions against prominent Russians in Putin’s inner circle.

 

Specifically, the authors suggest the denial of visas and freezing of assets of such key Russian figures as Igor Sechin (Chairman of Rosneft), Vladimir Yakunin (President of Russian Railways), and Alexei Miller (Chairman of Gazprom). Such measures must, according to the authors, be combined with “punishment” of Russia diplomatically including exclusion from the G8 and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Were the US and EU to follow through with these and other sanctions, they would undoubtedly open the door for an effective Russian response – a response that would have dire consequences for the already fragile economic situation in Europe and the US.

 

 Sanctions and Russia’s Counter-Moves

 

There are many both in the West and Russia who believe that the suggestion of punitive actions from the US and EU are merely empty threats. However, it is critical to examine just how Moscow might respond to such provocative measures, as sanctions would undoubtedly be seen as a very serious escalation. Moreover, it is essential to consider how the Russian response would impact the entire world.

 

First and foremost is the fact that Russia holds the key to Europe’s energy future. With Russia providing more than one third of Europe’s gas imports, any sanctions could immediately lead Russia to scale back, or even more drastically, cut off the gas to Europe. This would create innumerable problems for Europe, particularly for the export-dependent economy of Germany, which is unquestionably the economic powerhouse on the continent. With German technology, luxury cars, and the like no longer being produced in the required numbers, the economy would, almost overnight, come to a screeching halt. Moreover, future German energy security would be threatened, as the primary lifeline for the country is the Russian Nord Stream pipeline, which brings Russian gas across the Baltic and into northern Germany.

 

Additionally, such a scenario would create a tremendous amount of political discord within the EU as countries traditionally friendly with Russia, such as Italy, also heavily reliant on Russian energy, become ever more disenchanted with the belligerent policies of Brussels vis-à-vis Russia and Ukraine. With turmoil already in high gear in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and many other economically devastated countries in Southern Europe, it is unlikely that the political will to go along with a suicidal sanctions regime will remain.

 

Russia also has a tremendous financial weapon that could be unleashed against the US and EU: their dollar holdings. With the Russian government, not to mention private Russian holdings, retaining a tremendous amount of US dollars, they could easily choose to transfer or dump their dollars and create a veritable panic on Wall St and in Washington. In fact, this scenario may have already taken place on a small scale.

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Crimea: Democracy Is Not Democracy…Unless Obama Says It Is…

New Eastern Oulook

Eric Draitser 

March 18, 2014

As Crimea prepares to vote on Saturday March 16^th in a crucial referendum on its future, the rhetoric coming from the West and its propaganda machine has hit a new and ridiculous low. Not only has US President Barack Obama and his administration done everything to undermine democracy in Ukraine, they have now resorted to the most naked forms of hypocrisy in an attempt to delegitimize the democratic process.

 

On Thursday March 6^th President Obama spoke at the White House on the referendum and the issue of Crimea. In his prepared remarks, Obama stated categorically that the United States would not recognize the results of the Crimean referendum. He argued that the it would violate both the “Ukrainian Constitution and international law.” Obama kept the comedy coming when he noted that, “In 2014 we are well beyond the days when borders can be redrawn over the heads of democratic leaders.” As with all statements made by the US government, and the President specifically, this must be contextualized and deconstructed in order to be effectively critiqued.

 

First and foremost is the question of democracy and, more specifically, how exactly Washington is choosing to define this gravely abused word. In referring to the so-called “interim government” in Kiev, headed by Yatsenyuk and his associates, as “democratic leaders”, Obama demonstrates either a complete lack of understanding of the word democracy, or as I think is more likely, an utter contempt for democratic principles. By referring to an unelected entity that has seized political power in Kiev by force, and through collaboration with Nazi elements, as “democratic leaders,” Obama exposes himself and his administration to be cynical opportunists whose interests rest not in democracy but in a geopolitical agenda guided solely by strategic interests.

 

Naturally, the references to the Ukrainian Constitution and international law are also deeply disingenuous. Obama, and the US imperial system more generally, speak of international law purely when it suits their interests, eschewing it completely when it does not. This fact has been illustrated quite clearly with Washington’s wars of aggression throughout that last two decades, including the illegal wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya, not to mention the habitual violations of international law in Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan and around the world.

 

The most significant point here is that the US recognizes democracy and international law only when it suits their interests. Moreover, US hypocrisy regarding democracy becomes self evident if one examines the recent historical precedents of Kosovo and South Sudan. In both these cases, precisely the same individuals who today cry about international law and argue against the democratic right of Crimea to determine its own future, were then eloquently and unabashedly in favor of precisely the same sort “democratic aspirations.”

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