The mainstream media is, without exception, repeating the unevidenced claim from the Biden administration that Russia is about to invade Ukraine. They do this with no proper journalistic questioning or scepticism. They do this despite the fact that, in the last month, not only have we had repeated cries that invasion is “imminent”, we have had specific secret intelligence sourced claims from the Americans, that a Russian staged false flag attack was about to happen, and from the British, that there was about to be a coup in Kiev led by very minor figures. Both claims turned out to be nonsense.
Perhaps more pertinently, the media do this as though the invasion of Iraq had never happened and they had never before been misled by US and UK governments, citing intelligence sources.
Last night I watched the Press Review of today’s papers on both Sky and BBC News. They showed all of today’s front pages, all of which repeated, without qualification, the warning that Russia will invade in the next few days. The discussion, like the news output all day, took the accuracy of this as certain.
Wars are of course good for the media; wars bring news viewers and sell newspapers. They are also very good for the arms industry. Pity the poor arms manufacturers and arms dealers, who haven’t had a really full-throated NATO military action since Libya. Massacring women and children in Yemen and through drone strikes throughout Middle East and Asia is a nice little business, but nothing like as profitable as proper all out war.
It’s An Ill Wind – BAE Share Price
A BBC reporter on Radio 4 this morning stated that the USA was sending troops to the Baltic States and elsewhere in Eastern Europe “to deter Russian aggression”. What a stupid thing to say. The “aggressive” Russian forces are inside Russia. The American troops are 5,000 miles from home.
One swallow doth not a summer make; I was hopeful that this reporter’s following example might lead others to engage their brains, but that was fanciful:
It is interesting that a number of people lost their jobs for not supporting the Iraq War, both in the media and civil service. Greg Dyke lost the leadership of the BBC, because the BBC had questioned the non-existence of the Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction. David Kelly was murdered for giving them information.
But not one single person suffered any career detriment at all for supporting the Iraq War and for spreading the lying narrative of the Iraqi WMD. In the UK, Blair, Campbell and Straw are treated as gurus by the media. The journalists who now shill for war with Russia are precisely the same journalists who shilled for war with Iraq. Why would they not push fake intelligence now, when pushing fake intelligence then boosted their careers, as they enabled so many of the powerful to get richer still from war?
The UK’s “Dirty dossier” on Iraqi WMD consisted more or less entirely, where it used intelligence sources, of declassified human intelligence rather than signals intelligence. “Human intelligence” simply means something an informant told us, usually for large sums of cash. The “intelligence” on Iraqi WMD did exist – there was no shortage at all of Iraqi colonels willing to make up stories about WMD in return for briefcases full of dollars or krugerrands. What Blair and Straw did, with the practical help of fellow war criminals like Sir Richard Dearlove and Sir John Scarlett, was to ignore the filters that assess such “intelligence” for credibility, in favour of presenting the picture the government wished to show to the world to justify war.
Signals intelligence, by contrast, is communications intercept, and is generally more accurate (though of course there can be planted misleading communications). I can tell you that the NSA have shared with GCHQ no communications intelligence that indicates an imminent Russian attack. As those two deeply integrated agencies share everything, this “imminent attack” knowledge is therefore human intelligence, like the Iraq dossier. Alternatively it issimply a surmise from satellite and other monitoring of the movement of Russian assets.
Biden and Johnson both have an interest in stoking the fires of conflict to try to improve (well deserved) terrible poll ratings at home. NATO has an interest in promoting Cold War, its traditional raison d’etre. The disastrous results of NATO’s attempts to expand its role in Afghanistan and Libya have led to the organisation needing an apparent success.
For all these western political interests, they see a win-win over Ukraine, because when Putin does not invade, they can claim it is a victory and that they forced Putin to back down.
There is a real problem here. By taunting Putin with the position that Johnson and Biden will claim Putin lost if he does not invade, they are effectively daring him to invade.
This is terrible diplomacy, unless the USA and UK actually want a war – and that takes us back again to the interests of the military and security services and the arms industry.
I maintain the view that Putin is far too wily to be pushed into an invasion. If Putin really wished to escalate matters, he would be much more likely to cut gas supplies than to invade Ukraine. There are two points to make on this.
Firstly, Ukraine is said to be less dependent now on Russian gas because, rather than buy direct from Russia, it buys from third countries. But it is still Russian gas, which is being sold on by another state merely on paper. The multi-invoicing may provide some diplomatic cover and some protection against price sanction, but not against the tap being turned off.
Secondly, it is argued that if Russia cut gas to Ukraine, Ukraine could cut off transit supplies to much of the rest of Europe, reducing Russian income. But that would almost certainly happen more seriously if Putin did indeed invade Ukraine, which would almost certainly trigger Ukrainian destruction of transit infrastructure.
There remains much else Putin can do before invading. NATO’s ultra-aggressive attitude to Russia, insisting on encircling it with missile systems ever creeping closer, is unlikely to be changed in the short term. But Russia has already achieved the exodus of many NATO “trainers”, diplomats and nationals from Ukraine in the last few days.
While the West was looking the wrong way, Putin has also, with a tiny use of troops, greatly increased Russian influence in Kazakhstan, a massively resource rich country. That may well prove to be the most important diplomatic move of the year.
As for Ukraine itself, I annoyed some Putin fans when I posited that Russia’s annexation of Crimea was a pyrrhic victory for Putin. After 30 years of contention, it swung Kiev much more firmly into the Western diplomatic orbit and made the coup of 2014 irreversible, when it had been shaky.
The Minsk Agreements appear to be a very sensible way forward in Ukraine; in fact the principles embodied in the Minsk agreements appear to be essential to a settlement. They are really very simple, covering Ukraine gaining control of its borders, devolution and a high degree of autonomy for the Russian speaking areas in the East, disarmament and the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Ukraine, release of prisoners and an amnesty.
The western media ignores or dismisses the Minsk agreements. But these were negotiated by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, of which both the UK and the USA are members, together with Russia and Ukraine. They were lodged with the United Nations as a binding international agreement.
The First Minsk Agreement is very short:
Upon consideration and discussion of the proposals put forward by the
participants of the consultations in Minsk on 1 September 2014, the Trilateral
Contact Group, consisting of representatives of Ukraine, the Russian Federation and
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), reached an
understanding with respect to the need to implement the following steps:
1. Ensure the immediate bilateral cessation of the use of weapons.
2. Ensure monitoring and verification by OSCE of the regime of non-use of
weapons.
3. Implement decentralization of power, including by enacting the Law of
Ukraine on the interim status of local self-government in certain areas of the
Donetsk and Luhansk regions (Law on Special Status).
4. Ensure permanent monitoring on the Ukrainian-Russian State border and
verification by OSCE, along with the establishment of a security area in the border
regions of Ukraine and the Russian Federation.
5. Immediately release all hostages and unlawfully detained persons.
6. Enact a law prohibiting the prosecution and punishment of persons in
connection with the events that took place in certain areas of the Donetsk and
Luhansk regions of Ukraine.
7. Continue an inclusive national dialogue.
8. Adopt measures aimed at improving the humanitarian situation in
Donbass.
9. Ensure the holding of early local elections in accordance with the Law of
Ukraine on the interim status of local self-government in certain areas of the
Donetsk and Luhansk regions (Law on Special Status).
10. Remove unlawful military formations and military hardware, as well as
militants and mercenaries, from the territory of Ukraine.
11. Adopt a programme for the economic revival of Donbass and the
resumption of vital activity in the region.
12. Provide personal security guarantees for the participants of the
consultations.
The second Minsk Agreement fleshes this out a little
Package of measures for the Implementation of the Minsk agreements
1. Immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions
of Ukraine and its strict implementation starting from 00.00 AM (Kiev time) on the 15th of
February, 2015.
2. Withdrawal of heavy weapons by both sides on equal distances in order to create a security
zone at least 50 km wide from each other for the artillery systems with caliber greater than
100mm and more, a security zone of 70 km wide for MLRS and 140 km wide for MLRS
“Tornado-C”, “Uragan”, “Smerch” and Tactical missile systems “Tochka” (“Tochka U”):
– for the Ukrainian troops: from the de facto line of contact;
– for the armed formations from certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk oblast of Ukraine
from the line of contact according to the Minsk memorandum of September 19, 2014.
The withdrawal of the heavy weapons as specified above is to start on day 2 of the ceasefire at
the latest and to be completed within 14 days.
The process shall be facilitated by the OSCE and supported by the Trilateral Contact Group.
3. Ensure effective monitoring and verification of the ceasefire regime and the withdrawal of
heavy weapons by the OSCE from the day 1 of the withdrawal, using all technical equipment
necessary, including satellites, drones, radar equipment, etc.
4. Launch a dialogue, on day 1 of the withdrawal on modalities of local elections in accordance
with Ukrainian legislation and the Law of Ukraine “On interim local self-government order in
certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions” as well as on the future regime of these
areas based on this Law.
Adopt promptly, by no later than 30 days after the date of signing of the document a
resolution of the Parliament of Ukraine specifying the area enjoying the special regime, under
the Law of Ukraine On interim local self-government order in certain areas of the Donetsk and
Lugansk regions”, based on the line of the Minsk Memorandum of September 19, 2014.
5. Ensure pardon and amnesty by enacting the law prohibiting the prosecution and punishment
of persons in connection with the events that took place in certain areas of the Donetsk and
Lugansk regions of Ukraine.
6. Ensure release and exchange of all hostages and unlawfully detained persons, based on the
principle “all for all”. This process is to be finished on the day 5 after the withdrawal at the
latest.
7. Ensure safe access, delivery, storage, and distribution of humanitarian assistance to those in
need, on the basis of an international mechanism.
8. Definition of modalities of full resumption of socio-economic ties, including social transfers,
such as pension, payments and other payments (incomes and revenues, timely payments of all
utility bills, reinstating taxation within the legal framework of Ukraine).
To this end, Ukraine shall reinstate control of the segment of its banking system in the conflict
affected areas and possibly an international mechanism to facilitate such transfers shall be
established.
9. Reinstatement of full control of the state border by the government of Ukraine throughout the
conflict area, starting on day 1 after the local elections and ending after the comprehensive
political settlement (local elections in certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions on the
basis of the Law of Ukraine and constitutional reform) to be finalized by the end of 2015,
provided that paragraph 11 has been implemented in consultation with and upon agreement
by representatives of certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions in the framework of
the Trilateral Contact Group.
10. Withdrawal of all foreign armed formations, military equipment, as well as mercenaries from
the territory of Ukraine under monitoring of the OSCE. Disarmament of all illegal groups.
11. Carrying out constitutional reform in Ukraine with a new Constitution entering into force by
the end of 2015, providing for decentralization as a key element (including a reference to the
specificities of certain areas in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, agreed with the
representatives of these areas), as well as adopting permanent legislation on the special status
of certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions in line with measures as set out in the
footnote until the end of 2015
12. Based on the Law of Ukraine “On interim local self-government order in certain areas of the
Donetsk and Lugansk regions”, questions related to local elections will be discussed and
agreed upon with representatives of certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions in the
framework of the Trilateral Contact Group. Elections will be held in accordance with relevant
OSCE standards and monitored by OSCE/ODIHR.
13. Intensify the work of the Trilateral Contact Group including through the establishment of
working groups on the implementation of relevant aspects of the Minsk agreements. They will
reflect the composition of the Trilateral Contact Group.
The Minsk Agreements were endorsed by the UN Security Council. The UK and USA are therefore obliged in law to support them. Yet they have abandoned them in favour of the highly intransigent position of the government of Ukraine in refusing to accept any devolution to administrations in Eastern Ukraine. Instead the Ukrainian government insists on on a highly centralised Ukrainian nationalist state.
I choked on my tea two days ago when a BBC correspondent reported that Ukraine could never implement the Minsk Agreements, because it could result in some pro-Putin MPs being elected to the Ukrainian parliament from the Eastern areas. Remember that when they tell you they are starting a war for democracy.
Western warmongering is always disgusting, but still the more so when it involves abandonment of an entirely sensible framework for peace which they themselves initiated. The press and politicians all want a war. We have been here before, and we know that neither the people nor the truth can stop them.
———————————————
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O/T Update on Phil the Greek’s last will and testament
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2022/02/how-the-establishment-functions-the-real-dark-web/comment-page-1/#comment-1009663
Forgive me if this has been mentioned
I am wondering if the US is planning new tactic, a ‘reverse false flag’.
This would manifest as a straight attack on the Russians, who would be honour bound to retaliate in some form.
The USA would claim that the attack was a false flag, and then retaliate against the retaliation.
non-hilarity would ensue.
I’m almost reluctant to mention this possibility for fear of giving ideas
squirrel
Retaliation like muesli is best eaten cold. Hillary Clinton built massive concrete bunkers in Syria to house Al Qaida and once they were occupied Putin bunker bombed each one of them with cruise missiles. He is now in charge of Syria and Silly Clinton is not.
I am intrigued by the fact that when Biden and Johnson speak of Russian conspiracy theories and false flag events, they seem to be believed 100% of the time; and yet when anyone speaks of Western conspiracy theories and false flag events, they are branded conspiracy theory nut jobs and mocked relentlessly.
Fat Jon
I once took my car to a mechanic in another city and he made some anti- Putin comments. When I went back to check on progress, my car was unfinished on the ramp while the mechanic was working on something else.
The economic logic of that is that I paid £300 for a job that took only half an hour. This mentality recognises and applauds Western politicians’ dishonesty as double bubble, getting paid twice.
During lockdown the managerial classes who do sfa anyway, got paid massive dollops of furlough , while not paying their mortgages and not paying for travel to work. Hence the massivecrise in savings and property prices.
A disgustingly simple plan for bribing the bum-sitting classes to vote for Tory policy. The bum sitters can’t eat more food than workers, or use more energy for warmth, so they should have had Universal, equal furlough, based on bare necessity.
Considering even this monumental corruption of the current Tories shows us why people “”””” believe “””” in what lies Tory politicians vomit about foreigners, and don’t believe Tories should be made to keep their promises to nurses and doctors who sacrificed their lives during Covid.
After all, in their eyes, the nurses and doctors are only the same as stupid , naive customers who love being robbed.
I am too, Fat Jon.
Apparently the Russians (Intelligence) call this by the name of one of your relatives: A “Reverse Ferret”.
Though I’m not exactly sure of that definition.
Its a mighty wind blowing even in a London this morning. Good luck all you across the country hope your roofs don’t blow away.
It is though not an ill-wind that we face over the Ukraine made up crises by nato.
As Durham slowly oh so so slowly moves forwards aware that any rush would let the bastards who fermented a coup against a elected potus have a chance of getting away with murder ( yup Seth was definitely murdered) and Assange is being murdered.
It looks like Trump will walk back into office even easier than he first did because even the dumbest septic will see that Obama approved Hillary’s and CIA’s plan of usurping his candidacy and than actually doubled down to ferment a coup once he was in office!
Not that Trump is a straight batter he did after all approve and let Pompeo launch his election interfering Gauntlet. The giant turd.
Blinken does the dirty Powellian scam to stir shit at the UN
https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/02/1112202
As the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, tries to explain to the Blinkered:
“ She pointed to the Minsk Agreements as “the only framework endorsed by this Council, in resolution 2202 (2015), for a negotiated, peaceful settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine,” noting nonetheless that “little, if any” progress has been made in this regard.
The accords – also known as the Minsk II agreement, signed in 2015 by representatives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Russian Federation, Ukraine and leaders of two pro-Russian separatist regions – outline a series of political and military steps to settle the fighting between Government forces and separatists in eastern Ukraine.”
Note the ‘ONLY’ and the participants, there is no USA and U.K. in these – so why the F**k have we got our noses in there let alone being belligerents ? It is direct ILLEGAL intervention and all these involved are flouting the UN agreement.
It’s past time that we jump and salut at what ever we are told to believe and ignore the facts of which there are daily many about how the Empire has decided that by merely dealing with perception management of its OWN population. They won’t suddenly realise they have been made fools of for ever; their great grandparents sacrifices on foreign corners was all based on lies and they really were no heroes just thugs against civilians.
Today’s Churchillian speechifying out of Liz Effing Truss’s gob is such pure high-grade shite – am going to love explaining it to the members at the Social tonight- they are coming round to actually listen to what I say, without accusations of CT/rabbit hole/woke etc.
It’s easy if you know how to make friends and influence people like the Establishment tries.
“Will the wind be so mighty that it will lay flat the mountains of the earth?”
?
My fave mo from Blinken’s address:
“Russia may describe this event as ethnic cleansing or a genocide, making a mockery of a concept that we in this chamber do not take lightly, nor do I do take lightly based on my family history. …”
Wow! So now we know that folk from a particular ethno-religious background are incapable of telling lies. That’ll make things so much easier to process.
Shameful from Blinken but not unexpected.
blinken’s grandfather was born in kiev, so he is obviously biased and hate-filled concerning Russia.
Last post for the moment it’s important.
The bad and late homework assignment has been marked and the response is publicly published. A clear statement by the Kremlin yesterday explains exactly and simply where we are.
(Imagine Dirty Harry as the Russian new sheriff in town talking to the punk nato that has been cornered and thinks he will get away with a surrender)
“We cannot consider the letter received from NATO dated February 10, 2022 as a response to the message sent by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on January 28, 2022 to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on this issue. We asked for an answer in a national capacity.”
(Do you feel lucky? Punks?)
??
#USFalseFlag IN UKRAINE
If you were orchestrating an attack for maximum outrage, a #UkrainianKindergarten is a perfect choice!
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1494437868898426880.html
https://twitter.com/vicktop55/status/1494331419488784385
Craig Murray reports:
“Just watched Blinken’s presentation for the US at the UN security council.
“It astonishes me that any single person who remembers Colin Powell’s presentation on Iraq – identical in tone, alleged sourcing and most importantly intent – can buy this shit.”
https://twitter.com/CraigMurrayOrg/status/1494464859920023554
It always works and the liars know they will never face repercussions. There will be many more such presentations in years ahead.
I was expecting the purpose of a false flag to draw Russia into taking military action. Thus the false flag would have to be a real attack not a fake attack like this one looks. So what purpose other than to continue the russia bad narrative?
Possibly a double bluff (fake attack claimed as both real and carried out by russia) as pretext for Ukranian attack on breakaway region? But, if so, then staging it in Ukraine controlled territory rather than in the breakaway region (as appears the case) would be a bit daft – why would russia stage a false flag in Ukraine controlled territory as a pretext for military action. Or is it that they don’t bother about such details – it will all be lost in the confusion.
People will escape Donbass
https://ria.ru/20220218/evakuatsiya-1773598104.html
“The head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, announced the organization of a mass exodus of the population to Russia.
He noted that, in agreement with the Russian authorities, a place was allocated in the Rostov region for the population of the DPR and LPR, and conditions were created at border checkpoints for a quick transition.
According to Pushilin, President of Ukraine Volodymyr *pianist* Zelensky will soon order the Armed Forces of Ukraine to launch an offensive in the region.
The day before, the Donbass republics announced that the situation on the line of contact had escalated – Kiev was ignoring all the agreements reached earlier. At the same time, Ukraine claims that they intend to solve the problem through political and diplomatic means.
The conflict in eastern Ukraine has been going on for almost eight years, during which time, according to the UN, more than 13,000 people have become victims, and about 44,000 more have been injured. De-escalation is being discussed at a contact group meeting in the Belarusian capital, based on the Minsk agreements.”
—
On the right bank of the Don River, there used to be the city of Nakhichevan, which has now become a district of the expanded city of Rostov. The name Nakhichevan is Armenian. It was a settlement of Armenians from the Crimea. At the time when the Muslims conquered the Crimea, they actively sold the kidnapped Slavs in the slave markets of the Ottoman Empire, the overlord of the Crimean Khan. Queen Catherine II gave a ransom to the khan for the Christian inhabitants, Armenians and Greeks, and settled them on Russian lands. Later, the entire Crimea was conquered by Russia.
Today we see that city of Rostov will host more refugees. That’s strange, never thought we can see it in 21st century.
—
Again, for those arguing on false-flag attacks, I urge you to refer to the sources responsible for their words. Like OSCE mission to Ukraine who publish daily reports, in English.
https://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/reports
Tatyana – there are those claiming that a full-scale evacuation of the Donbass Russian ethnic population into Russia is part of Putin’s propaganda war. You know: looking after Russians from the near diaspora whilst making the West look aggressive and stupid?
I think personally that Putin is giving the west every single chance to behave with decorum whilst making sure that ethnic Russians are not going to get massacred He will not back down on the Minsk Agreement even after the evacuation.
Some are saying that Ukraine is going to break up into a Western Banderastan full of nutcase leaders; and the rest is going to migrate economically and diplomatically toward Russia and the various security and trade organisations of the Russian orbit of influence.
I’m not qualified to comment on that, but I can’t see Ukraine surviving a second war in the Donbass as a single nation. Not unless the whole Ukrainian leadership is cleared out and the UK/US axis are kicked out in ways that made Vietnam look like VE Day.
What’s for certain is that ordinary British people don’t want the UK involved in war, but the BBC, whom the ordinary British people are obliged by law to fund, are pushing precisely that line and have been for years.
Wow.
What a brilliant and genius move!
Russians eh? Just can’t fault their inventiveness.
I thought Zelenesky was urging calm and restraint, and now he is (allegedly) ordering a military attack?? the insanity escalates. during the buildup to Iraq, it was obvious they wanted to invade. here, it’s like they are just ignoring the fact it could kick off World War 3. f/n maniacs.
From what I have been reading it is not clear that Zelenesky has complete control of Ukrainian forces. Ukraine, like Iraq, seems to have incorporated various militias into the armed forces, including the Nazi Azov Brigade, and some of them are possibly thinking of independent action. I don’t know their sizes but they probably have all those nice shiny new toys the US, UK and others have sent to Kyiv.
Donetsk, evacuating civilians into Russia, as aggression from Ukrainian forces looks likely. Lugansk could be in the crosshairs as well.
Breakaway Donetsk republic orders evacuation (18 Feb 2022) – RT News
Civilians must flee from the rebel-held Ukrainian region to Russia, its head says
The American estimate of the number of Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders reported in the Guardian has now increased to 170,000-190,000, a lot higher than January. Which means that the risk of invasion is greater, not less. Representatives of a puppet state set up in a newly renamed Kiev (as in the Soviet era) could be meeting Lukashenko and Putin at the three sisters monument on their common border to renounce aspirations to join NATO, before this month is out.
OPCS knobbled, now OSCE knobbled, not reporting on violations by Ukraine on Donbas properly.
Ex-Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko called on the Kiev authorities to apply to the International Monetary Fund to write off all external debts.
… there were many examples in history when they did the same with states that “fell into a system of aggression and other difficult situations,” she stressed.
“Our foreign debt today is approximately 52 billion dollars. This means that if we now have friends in the Western world, they are obliged by international law and the Budapest Memorandum to write off 52 billion dollars of state debts”
https://ria.ru/20220218/ukraina-1773577536.html
That is why they need a war.
Tatyana.
OSCE personnel have been sent into monitor what happens in the peoples republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, lets not forget that Poland now has the chair of the OSCE and has held it since Jan 1st. So Russia and the two peoples republics will not get a fair shake as they say, I expect the commencing of hostilities to be blamed on the two republics by the OSCE.
Tatyana – do you have any reliable estimates of how much of that 52bn dollars fell into the private bank accounts of Yulia Tymoshenko?
No way all of it, I’m sure, there are far more corrupt people in Ukraine than her, but one does wonder if she sees that as a way of securing her ill-gotten gains in perpetuity, free of anyone ever trying to call in the loans and chasing after robber barons who nicked it??
Tayana, it would definitely fall under the definition of odious debt under this definition ‘According to the doctrine of odious debt, loans which are knowingly provided to subjugate or defraud the population of a debtor state are not legally binding’.
That is the way the IMF operates. It is absolutelty obvious that Ukraine does not have the means to repay these debts, but still gets given more. And how are they going to pay for all the war material the west keeps shovelling their way? And the navy boats from Britain. I expect Ukraine to be totally looted by the west at the end of it all, except for the east that will be allied with Russia.
War.. Why.
What The F
I live about 2 miles across the Clyde from Faslane.. My Daughter would Rather an Asteroid Hits.
But you gotta love Maria –
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, “15 February 2022 will go down in history as the day Western war propaganda failed,”insisting that the West has been “shamed and destroyed without firing a single shot.” Zakharova then asked for updates so that she could plan her vacation.
—
[ Mod: The vacation quip was already recorded here three times, two days ago: Tatyana (16 Feb, @1:33pm); MI0 (@6:06pm); Crispa (@6:38pm). It’s getting a little old now. ]
Citizens of DNR & LNR are being evacuated to Russia in anticipation of war. Terrible news. Is CM wrong to have doubted the prospect of war?
https://www.vedomosti.ru/society/news/2022/02/18/910031-v-lnr-prizvali-zhitelei-viehat-v-rossiyu
https://www.vedomosti.ru/politics/news/2022/02/18/910012-dnr-organizovala-massovii-viezd-naseleniya
Well, if Ukrainian forces, at the direction of the the US, are stupid enough to launch an all-out assault on the East in an attempt to provoke a Russian response, it might happen.
But left to their own devices Ukraine and Russia wouldn’t go to war. I think that was the point. The US want Russia to trigger its sanctions and are happily using Ukraine’s forces and Donbass civilians to do that. The US has some very sick people in charge.
Won’t be reported like that in the West but that appears to be what’s happening.
“We have made it clear that we will not expand NATO beyond the Elbe,” wrote German diplomat Juergen Chrobog of a March 1991 meeting of the United States, Britain, France and Germany. This document confirms Russia’s view of eastward enlargement.
In a note from the British National Archives, which has only just surfaced, supports the Russian claim that the West violated promises made in 1990 with NATO’s eastward expansion. This is reported in the Mirror.
On little question – the comparison of numbers of NATO troops in eastern NATO countries and Russian troops around the borders of Ukraine are interesting – figures of 5000-6000 for the NATO battlegroups and 150000-190000 Russian troops. Realistically which side is more likely to start a war/invade?
NATO may not be perfect but it is not the side threatening invasion and destruction in this situation.
“150000-190000 Russian troops”
Says someone. Russia hasn’t invaded anyone so far.
Biden is now convinced, not only that an invasion is possible, but that it will happen, and furthermore, it will in Kyiv:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60436938
To any foreigner in Ukraine: get out now, while you can, because it appears that Russia will go for the capital, not just Luhansk and Donetsk!
NATO has been the aggressor from the start in this situation.
You can add at least 100,000 Ukrainian regular army soldiers, plus their neo-Nazi allies. Russia is also threatened by the armed forces of Poland, the Baltics, and all the other NATO members. Turkey is a NATO member, and with its opportunistic (aka “unprincipled”) president could easily join any attack on Russia.
Apologies. Make that 150,000 regular Ukrainian troops.
Russia is threatening invasion of course – if Ukraine starts war in Donbass. There’re no other means of deterrence available to them.
Provocations going on in Donbas right now,
Just one week ago this happend:
Breaking: US Evacuating Americans From OSCE Ukraine Special Monitoring Mission
https://www.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/us-evacuating-americans-from-osce-ukraine-mission.html
Ukraine now act like Georgia in 2008, the fault lies with the reckless behavior by US/Nato past 3 months that havve given Ukraine arms and economic aid for billions of USD, of course Ukraine feel strong enough to finish the Donbas once and for all with military means.
[ Mod: Sockpuppet – ‘Neeps‘ ]
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Yes, Ukraine must be thinking they can sweep aside the vastly superior nuclear-armed Russian Federation forces massed on their borders and be in Moscow before winter: its 1941 all over.
They’re going to attack at just the moment these forces are ready for them and… no… no… it *won’t* be a false flag or a fictional provocation. Putin always tells the truth. Every Christmas he is one of Santa Claus’s helpers.
Nobody is claiming the Ukrainians can beat Russia in a one-on-one, the aim is to provoke Russia into an incursion in order to trigger planned sanctions and thwart NS 2.
And what if some incident happens (the US talked of possible use of chemical weapons) and Russia doesn’t use it as a pretext to invade? Who should we look at as being responsible then?
Putin asking Zelensky to get around a table and talk with the leaders of Donetsk and Lugansk.
“Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Ukraine must begin talks with the two breakaway regions in the country’s war-torn east to put an end to fierce fighting that has escalated in recent days.”
https://www.rt.com/russia/549880-putin-ukraine-stop-war-negotiations/
The apartheid khazar khanate in Palestine has reached the end of its product life-cycle. All this Ukraine push-n-pull is about setting up a new khazar state there. The nuland/pyatts/US emigre KHAZAR deep state plans for a US PROTECTED KHANATE in a tatar-vacated Crimea were thwarted as Putin beat them to the punch. What we are seeing is Plan B, and the dumb banderas and azov polish ethnics are just as unaware of the machinations of the Rev 3:9 mob.
I watched the press conference of Putin and Scholz, and was extremely disappointed with the position of this gentleman. He was able to mention all of the standard claims, including the closure of the Memorial. When a German citizen makes a claim for the closure of those who included the Nazis in the memorial lists, I really feel uneasy.
Positive was his statement that security in Europe cannot be created without Russia. But here’s what happened, Mr. Scholz said, that he belongs to a generation that did not see the war in Europe. Putin said that he also belongs to this generation, but Europe did see the war, and recalled the bombing of Belgrade without UN sanction, by NATO. Mr. Scholz retorted that there was a genocide in Kosovo. To this, Putin replied that what is happening in Donbass is also a genocide. Scholz did not comment, obviously he does not think so?
A genocide is defined as – acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, as such. By that definition, what happened in Kososvo wasn’t a genocide, and neither is what happening in Donbass.
So, let me get this right. Ukrainians are fighting on their own soil. They have lost one of their regions completely, and half of two more regions. They are facing an army four times larger than their own, one which has technical superiority in every way, and is massed on their borders, able to attack simultaneously from the north, east and south. Their enemy has enough nuclear fire power not just to obliterate Ukraine but all of humanity. And yet…the Ukrainians are the aggressors!
Bravo, people! You are doing well!
Neil you should get out more. “They have lost one of their regions” – Neil read the history of Crimea. Its naval base at Sevastipol. Would UK permit Russia to have a naval base in Faslane ? Get real man. ” And half of two more regions” Neil Read the history of ethnic cleansing and the mass murder of Jews. Do you call people who critise Israel Anti-Semites ? Yet you support the supporters of Bandara and the Azof lot. The only bastards to use nuclear bombs, were USA, against two cities. Keep reading the MSM and you’ll go blind mate.
they lost one of their regions because they were killing people there. they are allying themselves with enemies of Russia. even as Zelenesky says there is no imminent threat of invasion those allies, which are far more powerful than Ukraine, are filling media with lies about Russian aggression. and those enemies have enough nuclear fire power to obliterate not just Russia but all of humanity, and unlike Russia have used nukes before to destroy cities. you managed to get almost everything wrong while trying to get it right.
By your logic, Chechnya should have been confiscated from Russia the moment the Russians started killing people there. Have you ever thought about why they might be allying themselves with the enemies of Russia? Russia seems to have a lot of enemies, all of them smaller than Russia and located right next door to Russia. I wonder how Russia ended up with so many enemies. The other day, Putin said, “genocide” is going on in Eastern Ukraine. He meant the Ukrainian controlled side, of course. And yet people live there and go about their daily lives, and no one is going around trying to exterminate Russians. Instead there is what the locals call “badminton”–both sides firing potshots at one another, and blaming the other side whenever anything on their side gets hit.As to the US using nukes against Japan, well, it was a different war… perhaps if the Soviets had entered it a bit earlier, things might have been different.
The Soviets had a few minor things to deal with before joining the war against Japan. You know, like defending Stalingrad, clearing the Kursk salient, lifting the siege of Leningrad, and destroying ~90% of the Wehrmacht. If only they had brave armchair generals like you to guide them.
“I wonder how Russia ended up with so many enemies”.
Mostly American money.
why are you bringing up Chechnya? that isn’t Crimea. i was not aware that the US is “smaller” than Russia unless you are talking about square miles. It is certainly more powerful than Russia, with a far richer economy. but by all means keep pretending that the murderous US empire is interested in protecting human rights and democracy instead of its true objective, to encircle and threaten Russia to protect it’s waning empire.
The US used nukes against Japan, to stop Russia getting there first, and to show Stalin what might happen to the USSR. Japan was already defeated in effect. Nukes were pure US big boy bullying.
Russia, aside from having a massive Armed force is economically as significant as Spain. China is the real game.
Russia has very few enemies, every way you count. But they are most welcomed to make noise in the Western press.
In the Crimean referendum in 2014, 97% of the 83% turnout voted to merge with Russia. If you think this must have been rigged, remember that it was largely boycotted by the 15% ethnic Ukrainian population and the majority ethnic Russian population had just seen a democratically elected president favourable to their interests have to flee for his life from a neo-Nazi-led mob. If in the same year, 50.1% of voters in the Scottish independence referendum, whatever the turnout, had voted Yes, Scotland would now be a sovereign country, whether the rest of the UK wanted that or not. The situation in the Donetsk & Luhensk regions is more complicated, but large parts of them want either to be part of Russia or have a large degree of autonomy within Ukraine.
A full-scale, all-out nuclear attack by Russia on the US, would result in the death by vaporisation, blast trauma, radiation poisoning, drowning in rivers flooded by the bursting of dams etc of around 20% of the US population (mainly in cities). A further 70-75% would likely be dead within the year due to the collapse of the food & fuel supply systems, but only because they lack basic survival skills in a country that each year produces several times more food than people there can eat (most of it being fed to animals). Most people in South America and many other parts of the world would experience little change to their lives – the ‘nuclear winter’ hypothesis has largely been discredited.
Enjoy the weekend.
Lapsed Agnostic “ the nuclear winter hypothesis has largely been discredited”,
Sorry I missed those nuclear tests, can you point me to a source that summarises the results of the experiment.
Thanks for your reply Phil. Good point, well made about the scientific method. The thing is though, the dire predictions about nuclear winter by Brian Toon and others come from modelling not experiment – they just assume that in the event of full-on US-Russian missile exchange, millions of tons of carbon soot will end up in the stratosphere absorbing sunlight. Whilst no thermonuclear weapons have been dropped on US or Russian cities – the centres of which are mostly concrete, not wood – there have been large emissions of soot in the recent past e.g. the Kuwaiti oil fires, in which most of the soot generated didn’t enter the stratosphere.
Don’t get me wrong, I think all nuclear powers should increase the rate of nuclear disarmament, and the UK should unilaterally scrap Trident – we’re basically paying for US-controlled system anyway. Note I didn’t say that absolutely, 100% there won’t be a nuclear winter in event of a missile exchange – I just believe it would be highly unlikely. But even if there is one, with global temperatures plunging by 5-7 degrees C for years, crops will still grow in large parts of South America and Africa etc so, unlike what has been stated by Neil Munro & Pretzelattack, it won’t be the end of humanity by any means.
Neil it boils down to people Craig himself was driven to describe as ‘fuckwits’ who can only see the world in black and white. Once they’ve allowed themselves to be convinced that one side is responsible for all the evil in the world then anybody who opposes them must incapable of doing anything wrong.
Wonder how he’d describe you.
Every single thing you say is wrong.
Crimea has never been part of Ukraine; and Donetsk and Lugansk were normal provinces until the Kiev junta ordered the armed forces to attack them and kill civilians. Naturally, they defended themselves.
The Russian forces in the vicinity of Ukraine are, at most, about 150,000 including normal garrison forces. The Ukrainian army can must at least 100,000 – so your figure of “four times” is rubbish.
Russia could, indeed, attack Ukraine from North, East and South – but it has not done so and does not intend to. The USA could invade Canada and Mexico, but has shown no sign of doing so.
As for the nuclear weapons, those are reserved for defence in the last extremity. If Russia is attacked with WMD or invaded, they may be used. if they do, probably all human life will be destroyed. Such weapons do not come into consideration over a miserable dump like Ukraine.
It seems the Ukrainian army has at least 150,000 soldiers poised to attack the LDNR right now.
you lose any kind of argument with the words you use. I worked in the Kiev for 2 years. Its an interesting place, feels in some respect like living 40 years ago. It greatly suffered from being under the Soviet Union. I can’t convey the hatred one part of them have for the Russians.
Neil Munro
Russia has not invaded the Ukraine.
The Ukrainian army has attacked its own breakaway regions, whose complaint is, essentialy, that Ukrainians keep attacking them.
The problem is Ukraine’s wish to be part of NATO. In my book, they have a right to ask to be members, but no right to demand it. The so-called “open door ” to NATO is a US invention, there isn’t such a thing. The problem is Ukraine will not * to meaningful devolution for the Donbass, a mainly Russian speaking and Russian looking part of Ukraine. Russia says no. Just as the US would say no to Mexico or Canada having a military alliance with China or Russia. Whether we like it or not, large powerful nations play by different rules from smaller nations, Russia rightly feels threatened by the inexorable expansion of NATO to its borders. It has a right to look after its own security. If the domino theory holds any water for the US, then it certainly does for Russia as it sees one eastern European state become NATO members and install weapons of aggressive warfare in its borders – Romania, Poland, Czech republic, Baltic States. It is NATO that is the aggressor here, and has spent billions on a coup in Ukraine, and arming and supporting that country. Russia lost 20-25 million people in the Great Patriotic War fighting a western nation. The US, NATO’s most powerful nation has, on its own or with other allies, fought these wars since its inception – Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Bay of Pigs, Grenada, Libya, Panama, Gulf, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Bosnia, etc. Many of these wars illegal wars of aggression with the loss of millions of innocent lives and truly horrendous material destruction. Your comment just goes to show how little understanding so many folk have. We are the enemy here, in particular there are a number of insane neocons in the White House pulling President Biden’s strings. Do you honestly believe that a single American cares a stuff about Ukraine? 99% of Americans wouldn’t be able to put a finger within a thousand miles of it on a map.
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* [ Mod: “The problem is Ukraine will not to meaningful devolution for the Donbass … ”
There seems to be a missing word here: the clause doesn’t make grammatical sense and there are two contiguous spaces in the text. John Monro, you’re welcome to clarify below, and the text will be amended. ]
Ministry of Emergency Situations of the DPR planned to evacuate 700,000 residents…
The first refugees from Donbass arrived at the Zvezda camp in the Rostov region… Representative of the People’s Militia of the DPR Eduard Basurin: the evacuation to Russia will continue at night, many buses in Donetsk were removed from flights specifically for this.
https://ria.ru/20220218/donbass-1773691278.html
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700 thousand is half of population!
Penza region governor says they are ready to host the refugees. Sukhum city mayor called the leaders of Donetsk and Lughansk, inviting to send refugees to Sukhum, Abkhazia.
I bet you the EU will not offer to take Ukrainian civilians, but is actively supporting the former breadbasket of Soviet Union to become a basketcase, as it did in Lybia Yemen and Syria.
Refugees? No, I think deportees is the more appropriate expression. They have been living in Donbas with war for eight years with war going on around them, and then suddenly a car bomb goes off next to the building housing the people’s government, no one is killed, and 700,000 people need to be evacuated.
I don’t think I am going to visit this blog for a while. It’s become an affiliate of the ITAR-TASS news agency, somehow resurrected from the dead.
Anyone remember how the Soviets reported Chernobyl? Explosion? What explosion?
Yes, they have been living in Donbas with war for eight years. It’s just recent days that Ukraine declares at high level that they are not implementing the Minsk agreements.
I don’t think I am going to visit this blog for a while. It’s become an affiliate of the ITAR-TASS news agency, somehow resurrected from the dead.
Oh God no! Neil, please reconsider.
What about your fans????
Deportees. Who’d leave their homes this time of year to go and live in a makeshift camp somewhere miles away unless they really had to. Dreadful thing to do to that many people some of whom (elderly and infirm) are going to die as a result.
Difficult not to conclude that they’re being shifted out of the way of a upcoming Russian assault.
Piers, Rostov is next region to mine and I have family there. If I visited and spoke to people in the camp, what then would be your further argument to defend Ukraine’s desire to kill these people?
I haven’t yet seen any evidence that Ukraine intends to kill these people. Why would Ukraine troops advance towards a better equipped and much larger army which has them outflanked? It makes no sense.
Japan evacuated 300,000 from the Fukushima area and 1,600 died from trauma, exhaustion, lack of access to medical care and suicide. By that standard 3,700 can be expected to die in this deportation. Probably more given the cold weather. Russia ordered this to happen so they’re the ones doing the killing.
“I haven’t yet seen any evidence that Ukraine intends to kill these people.”
Other than that they keep firring shells and drones in their general dirrection.
“Why would Ukraine troops advance towards a better equipped and much larger army which has them outflanked? “
So far they haven’t, but the removals of the population means they cannot be used as hostages by an advancing army such that the defending forces are hampered by the need to avoid civilian casualties.
” Russia ordered this to happen so they’re the ones doing the killing”
So far as I know this a voluntary move to a place of safety.
Difficult not to conclude that they’re being shifted out of the way of a upcoming Ukrainian/NATO assault.
FTFY.
They would not be in the way of a Russian offensive, if it happens. No point in attacking Ukrainian forces head-on through populated areas where all their Javelins and NLAWs can be put to a good use. But I am inclined to agree that there is a hidden agenda behind this evacuation.
If you read Dmitri Orlov, there probably is a hidden agenda, and that is to allow these Russian identifying people safe haven in Russia. Dmitri wrote about this a year ago, and repeated this thought now. Just as in Crimea, I imagine the vast majority will be well looked after. Russia is short of younger people and workers, they’ll be better off in Russia as Ukraine’s economy is basket case. I don’t know how likely, but Dmitri is a Russian who has been following these geopolitical issues for at least 30 years, You can read his article here http://www.cluborlov.com
Germany Ready to ‘Pay High Price’ if Russia Invades Ukraine, Including End to Nord Stream 2, FM Says
https://sputniknews.com/20220218/germany-ready-to-pay-high-price-if-russia-invades-ukraine-including-end-to-nord-stream-2-fm-says-1093155153.html
That statements are so dumb I do not what to say, Germany that was one of the more sane nations have become dumbed down with the green/socialists, definately more warmongering than Merkel and her government ever was!
Germany was one of the parties that wanted this pipeline to begin with! Besides if Germany impose harsh sanctions on Russia well of course Russia could do the same that is: there will be no NS2 nor any russian gas going to Germany at all. How about that Germany?
Jack, US and UK want to ruin Germany economically and keep it under control.
Baerbock and Habeck are unhinged fake greens and Scholz is a weakling, phantom chancellor. The SPD and Scholz were the nominal winners in the last elections, yet they allow their minority fake green coalition partner to set the government’s agenda.
Baerbock and Habeck were always against NS2. I’m sure they see this crisis as a great opportunity to shut down NS2 using the excuse of Russian ‘aggression’. Thus, I think they are deliberately stoking the fire.
The irony is that it is Germany, not Russia, who uses energy as a weapon. Germany threw a hissy fit a few years ago and demanded to be the main gas distribution hub of Europe. They shut down SouthStream, which would have provided the Eastern periphery with billions of euros in transit fees. The Germans got their NS2 and now they are sabotaging its launch and thus blackmailing the rest of Europe. Remember, it’s not just Germany’s gas. Thanks to their actions, gas and energy prices are through the roof everywhere.
Across. I stand corrected.
NATO Secretary General, after setting fire to Ukraine will get new job doing same to Norway’s Soverigh Wealth Fund as Head of its Central Bank.
Jack
Germany has been central to running the Nato war against Syria from Adana in Turkey. Germany’s position wasn’t hate Assad must surrender unconditionally before the dogs of war would be put back on their leashes.
Capitalists can only see the world in terms of money. Garbage in , Garbage out. Whenever China or Russia see USUKIS fomenting war, by jihadist or Nazi mercenary proxy, they attack them ruthlessly and imho rightly. If anybody’s stupid enough to work for USUKIS while the usukises tend their lawns in Telford Texas or Tel Aviv , they deserve the annihilation that regularly occurs.
If Russia is relocating 140 000 Russian speaking citizens from Donbas as Tatyana suggests, then Russia will destroy the USUKIS Neo Nazi proxies, with the full approval of the world and the screaming hysteria of the MSM, in exactly the same way as USUKIS destroyed Daesh in Mosul.
That is a matter of principle , not money. The logic of capitalism is that if things aren’t working it’s because they have not been right wing enough. So they increase the power of the right until the bones snap. Either by mad mullahs or mad nazis, both pretty much the same human dandruff.
As many here have pointed out , USUKIS don’t know what to do when their stupid capitalism doesn’t work. Their money is so leveraged, it no longer exists. The US empire is on the brink of moral and economic collapse.
Biden should be impeached for his family involvement in Ukraine, which has led to war.Imho Trump, whom the
technocrats blocked, would have been a much better Potus than this statined corpse..
Germany’s position was that ..sorry about that.
Jack
The Germans’ problem is that their security service is a branch office of CIA. Most of the EU has the same problem.
In other news.. Canada has become a Police State.. After 3 weeks of beautifully peaceful protest against fascistic mandates, the robocops and military have moved in on men, women & children standing in solidarity… Elderly war veterans shoved to the ground and arrested..
The agenda of the World Economic Forum rolls on, having so many of it’s Young Global Leaders in positions of institutional power to carry out orders.
Oh…. And you won’t see any honest reportage offering the proper context, on the mainstream media channels… Surprise surprise.
The Eastern Ukraine false-flag conundrum is no mystery and UK military intelligence are stupid enough to run with Washington’s ruse to declare Russia is about to stealthily cause death and destruction in Donbas blaming Ukrainian government forces while in reality the UK is using SAS trained senior ranks and US weapons to terrorise the region this while priming the media with official verbal and written statements creating propaganda to demonise Russian accuse President Putin of aggression and disregard and finally insist on sanctions including termination of NS2 and interestingly seizing Russian assets in the City of London.
My thanks.
Craig, have you heard about this?
Interesting goings on with David Hurley the Australian Governor-General. He appears to have vacated his official residence in Canberra on the 25th of January after having been served with papers by former Senator Rod Cullerton who asserts that the Commonwealth of Australia created under the Constitution in 1901 has been usurped by the Australian Government created by Gough Whitlam in 1973. Cullerton says that Hurley’s appointment is invalid as it has not been officially sealed by Queen Elizabeth II.
Now we have some mysterious government documents which suggest that the Governor of Victoria has taken the place of Hurley.
https://constitutionwatch.com.au/has-governor-general-of-australia-his-excellency-general-the-honourable-david-hurley-fled-the-commonwealth-of-australia/
(includes Government Gazette for 27 January 2022)
Same gambit as Sir Anthony Blair.
(And Malcolm Wall)
As I predicted a couple of months ago, the Israelis would sabotage the pipelines to force Russia to go in to protect them. It happened tonight.
For ten years the demonization of Russia has been all about natural gas. Russia has 40% of the EU market and Israel have endless amounts of gas but no significant market. The Israelis need the EU to sanction EU much harder so they can take a big share.
Remember two weeks ago when Biden and von der Leyen signed a letter of intent for the US to deliver LNG to EU? Exactly – they will deliver Israeli LNG as they are already doing on a small scale (to Rotterdam).
At various times in the past, on different blogs and pages, I have noticed the emergence of what I can only describe as shills, or plants. These contributors have generally appeared from nowhere to take the exact opposite line to the author and the other commenters. I have a suspicion that similar is happening here. I am a long time followed of this blog and occasionally I comment, so I am well aware of the tone, the FEEL of the place. A number of anti-Russian views have been displayed that don’t follow the usual pattern. I suspect we have attracted the attention of some organisation involved in misinformation.
Seems likely, Simon. After all, there are limits to stupidity.
Well, I can’t speak for anyone else, but I occasionally “appear” as I share some of Craig’s views (on Palestine for example)… and posted in this thread only because the pro-Russian perspective was so illogical that I couldn’t help myself…
With a name like Carrots, you’ve got to be a plant.
Not that kind. Known for seeing clearly…
“ Known for seeing clearly…”
A WW2 psyop to conceal the invention of radar wasn’t it?
(it would be more interesting to be a trained secret covert internet operative/plant/spy… but sadly, no… I’m just me…)
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[ Mod: Well, no, you’re not just you, are you? You’ve used a variety of other pseudonyms too. ]
mod wins by knockout. thanks mod. Carrots, why do you feel it necessary to create alternate accounts?
Yes mod, I very occasionally have posted over the years with some large intervals, forgetting my user name so choosing something different… followed by the pain of about three times being told by the moderator to change it again and again… once because i was told it sounded like a slogan (even though other people’s did too)… and once because it sounded too much like some banned person’s user name and everyone insisted I was them. I’m not, the variety of other pseudonyms is largely down to you. And no, I am not a spy…
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[ Mod: It isn’t quite so simple. You posted on this same thread using the name ‘Neeps‘. That was hardly an innocent lapse of memory with a “large interval”. From the moderation rules for commenters:
Sockpuppetry.
…. the adoption of multiple identities within the same thread is not to be allowed.
Persistent sockpuppetry is a banning offence.
The email address you used for ‘Neeps’ was the same one you used previously for ‘Death by 1000 cuts‘ (i.e. the name you used when you were advised not to post a slogan as a username). And all this happened after you’d already been told numerous times to use a single identity rather than frivolous pseudonyms (such as ‘Onion‘ and ‘Habbak‘). So in addition to sockpuppeting, you’re also lying.
Interestingly, an analysis of the comments under your various pseudonyms has turned up associations with other troublesome identities. While investigations continue, you’re on pre-moderation. ]
At least 3 times. It might have been 4 or 5, some of the reasons/excuses I forget…
You deleted my reply explaining that it was moderators who objected to my past user names and insisted I change them. At least delete your criticism too then – its really bad letting that stand but deleting my truthful, but embarrassing for you, reply.
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[ Mod: The reply has been restored above, along with an annotation. ]
Makes you almost yearn for the days of Habbabkuk/Bostik. Almost.
I see it over many blogs. the war shilling has been epic, and we already know “our” intelligence agencies are trying desperately to control the narrative.
“A number of anti-Russian views have been displayed that don’t follow the usual pattern.”
Ah you mean that go against the consensus? I suppose dismissing the authors as ‘shills’ is one way of avoiding the issues but sadly for you Craig is a firm believer in free speech so the posts aren’t going to be deleted simply because of that.
As of 06:30 on February 19, 2022, the number of evacuees was 6,603 people, of which 2,436 were children.
The Republic of Sakha and the Orenburg region are ready to accept refugees.
General mobilization was announced in Donetsk. Yesterday’s videos showed the streets of the city and the civil defense siren howled.
OSCE contact group meeting canceled due to Ukraine’s position.
Yesterday’s news reported on Ukrainian military groups trying to enter ‘Stirol’ plant, and water treatment plants. Actually, it’s scary. In the past week, there have been reports that Ukraine has requested military assistance from the West in the form of chemical protection gear, diving and tracking depth charges equipment.
Looks like they have decided to concentrate on the Russians rather than the Chinese. In the meantime, one head of state after another visits Moscow to improve bilateral relations in trade, Brazil being the latest. Not very indicative of a country about to invade Europe when its head of state and foreign minister are busy entertaining trade missions and its defence minister is visiting Syria. Must really wind up Blinking in his efforts to cry wolf at the UN. The Ukrainian population know now they have been sacrificed by their own proxy wolves.
The chemical protection gear might just possibly be explained as protection against the dreaded Novichok.
But, seeing how miserly HMG is, couldn’t they just get by with baby wipes?
Stirol plant has ammonia pipeline, perhaps it was the target. One security man was wounded there during the attack.
Water treatment facilities keep big quantities of chlorine.
US change the date for invasion once again and now claim Russia…. may use chemical weapons
https://www.rt.com/russia/549770-blinken-false-flag-ukraine/
This is an obvious disinformation campaign going on by the americans and the media.
Obviously US is trying to provoke Russia to act. Unfortuntately US may get what they want, if ethnic russian is threatened/killed in eastern Ukraine, well then Russia is going to act. Of course US and media on their part will deny killings had occured.
US and UK have been at war with Russia for decades already. They survive on conflict chaos and arms sales. Their economies and infrastructure are shot. Distract attention to distant shores while things collapse at home with corruption and incompetent thieves running both government, political parties and Judicary. A cowed population only worried about when and if they can go on holiday. Pathetic decline and fall.
Question is will they take the rest of the world down with them ?
“Distract attention to distant shores while things collapse at home.”
Consider this video:
This is not a queue for a Covid vaccine.
This is a queue at a food bank in the UK.
https://t.co/N3ke5104kR
https://twitter.com/afshinrattansi/status/1368840957551116288?s=20&t=ygMdeQAoWMVUHEWXAPTXVg
“This is a queue at a food bank in the UK”.
A year ago. Not that such things may not still be happening.
Perfectly normal. Nothing can or should be done. Let’s analyse geopolitics.
Well, Dom, geopolitics is the topic of this thread.
Apparently, the UK has more food banks than branches of McDonalds.
Go figure.
The food you get at food banks is better?
At the risk of sounding facetious people should go to their locally owned chippy, not McDonalds. Foodbanks at least show that some people in the country care for the plight of others. Time to stop supporting american owned enterprises.
Also this week – big increase in prisons.
People won’t put up with this for ever – crime will rise and they’re getting ready!
About 10,000 people have left Donetsk and about 13,000 have left Lugansk, for Russia. A state of emergency has been declared in the Rostov region due to the influx of refugees.
Nice to see all the world leaders rushing to Kiev to convince Zelensky to comply with the UN resolution and the Minsk agreements. Not.
Thanks very much for all your updates, and also for your informed opinions, Tatyana. It is very good to be able to rely on some sources for the truth.
As the main instigators of conflict in Ukraine, will the UK take Ukrainian refugees?
I think Poland would be happy to host west-ukrainians, who are ethnically, linguistically and culturally close to them. We would watch an outstanding show of hypocrisy, Poland would keep the door open for Ukrainian refugees, while using tear gas and water cannons on those from Middle East.
Blinken must be busy already preparing a set of phrases to implant into people’s heads via media. Nuland and Sherman warm up their mouths to bring it from podiums. Nikki Haley tries this and that concerned facial expression. Blumberg, Politico, the New York Times and CNN keep clickbait headers written and ready. Brokers accept bets. Everyone’s waiting for the show to start and enrich the wealthy with some more billions.
“I think Poland would be happy to host west-ukrainians, who are ethnically, linguistically and culturally close to them.”
Tatyana, I lived in Poland for many years and the last time I visited Wroclaw was told that 10% of the population there included refugees from Ukraine who were there after the American coup. Very few problems of assimilation, I think.
Tatyana.
I hope you live far away from this.
“Earlier on Saturday, a law enforcement source said that two shells had exploded in Russia’s Rostov region, close to the border with Ukraine.”
https://sputniknews.com/20220219/fsb-border-service-in-russias-rostov-confirms-two-shells-landed-on-russian-territory-1093180939.html
Seconded.
They can be housed in the plush offices of the BBC
German MP Sevim Dagdelen, Die Linke spokeswoman, drops many truth bombs on Break Through News ” German Parliamentarian Peace Can only exist with Russia Not Against Russia “
How does Russia prove it is not going to invade, even if given a R2P compulsion?
It makes a ♟ retreat move! As the R2P move.
But..but…you can’t do that it’s in the Rules that only We decide.
You are supposed to send in your Knights and Queen so that the King is left exposed . Cheat boo hoo. Lol.
Zelensky probably got a whiff of who exactly will be the pawn sacrifice – himself – while all his supposed besties are in Munich waiting to be aghast at this assassination of ‘one of their own’ and happily sell it to their populations that they alone represent humanity (no more than 15% of it!).
He may even drive himself there and turn up like the dead astronaut at the end of that moon landing conspiracy film. Evading the kill on sight praetorians planning his martyrdom.
End result – Ukrainian depopulated even more. Russia populated further as all these will benefit from Russia and SCO and BRI increases in security. Economic, Health, Education , Housing, Jobs and Welfare.
No zero sum Great Games for these who care about humans.
The long planned partition revealed for what it always was. A sacrifice and resource capture to ‘Extend’ Russia.
2 days to the magic number 22022022. ?
I, like almost everyone else here, have immense respect for Craig Murray.
I, also, have developed a great deal of respect for the intellect and insight and expressions of Tatanya in this and in related threads.
I hope and expect that they will both respect and understand my expression here that I’m appalled that they are two of the most reliably best informed commentators and reporters of news of this topic currently available on the nominally free electronic media in the English language. Not voices in the wilderness in any way, but quiet in a terrible hubbub of war.
That, to me, is inexpressably sad.
That vitally important intellectual content of information; and intelligent interpretation of government-provided “Intelligence” is so rare in the wider world, is appalling.
That someone like Julian Assange and Craig Murray can be imprisoned for telling what are actually some very very small fragments of Truth, is appalling.
And so, War goes on.
Where are the political voices for diplomacy and peace?
In the US, Trump changed Liberals. Trump Derangement Syndrome(TDS) is a real thing. His awfulness made a known hawk like Biden somehow respectable and acceptable as an alternative.
The whole media landscape and Liberal thinking was warped by hostility to Trump and the false linkage to Russia in people’s minds. The Russiagate dossier and the collusion lies conditioned a nation to hate Russia, for Liberals…Russia =Trump. Getting an objective view or perspective on Russia and its valid security concerns about NATO expansion, is now nigh on impossible from US Liberals. It’s the Cold War on steroids. What a mess. Everyone needs to take a step back.