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.

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." 

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.

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.

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. 

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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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Debating Ukraine on “Breaking the Set”

Stop Imperialism
Eric Draitser
March 19, 2014

Eric Draitser of StopImperialism.org appears on “Breaking the Set” to debate recent developments in Ukraine and Crimea. He debunks the attempts by some to whitewash the nature of the coup in Kiev and the illegal government. Draitser explains some of the geopolitical motivations behind the crisis, pointing out the recent history that has lead to the current situation.  He also examines the possible next steps.

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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Global Research's Professor Michel Chossudovsky on Ukraine Coup

Global Research
Michel Chossudovsky
March 18, 2014