{"id":109854,"date":"2014-03-20T07:43:00","date_gmt":"2014-03-20T07:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/?guid=6ff6edc9aaf1530148b139ff11815701"},"modified":"2014-03-20T07:43:00","modified_gmt":"2014-03-20T07:43:00","slug":"crimean-false-flag-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/editorials\/crimean-false-flag-attack\/","title":{"rendered":"Crimean False Flag Attack?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Crimean False Flag Attack?<\/b><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
by Stephen Lendman<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
On Tuesday, Simferopol snipers shot and killed a Crimean self-defense member and Ukrainian soldier. Another self-defense member and Ukrainian soldier were wounded.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Gunfire came from a building under construction. It’s near a military research center. What happened resembled Euromaidan sniper killings. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Fascist thugs bore full responsibility. Kiev putschists apparently target Crimea. Expect similar incidents to follow. More on what happened below.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
On Monday, Putin endorsed Crimean independence. He did so by decree. On Tuesday, he signed the Crimean reunification treaty.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Expect overwhelming State Duma and Federation Council approval. On March 19, Russia’s Constitutional Court chairman Valery Zorkin said:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“The Constitutional Court recognizes that the Treaty corresponds to the Russian Constitution.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Crimeans are going home. Washington and rogue EU partners responded as expected.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Slap-on-the-wrist sanctions were imposed. Russian and Crimean officials were targeted. So was Ukraine’s legitimate president, Viktor Yanukovych.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denounced Western sanctions. He called them “unacceptable.” A Russian Foreign Ministry statement said:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Republic of Crimea “residents made their democratic choice in line with the international law and the UN charter, which Russia accepts and respects.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“The sanctions introduced by the United States and the European Union are unacceptable and will not remain without consequences.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
White House press secretary Jay Carney warned “(m)ore (are) coming.” He left unexplained what’s intended. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Daily Beast <\/a><\/span>contributor Josh Rogan suggested Russia intends sanctioning high-profile US senators, congressmen and administration officials.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Perhaps Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland is targeted. She’s a neocon hardliner.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
She was Obama’s point person in charge of ousting democratically elected Viktor Yanukovych. She helped replace him with illegitimate fascist, ultranationalist putschist governance.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Vice President Joe Biden wrongfully accused Russia of a “brazen military incursion.” None whatever occurred. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Washington may deploy regional ground forces. Other NATO members may add theirs.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Illegitimate putschist leaders include president Oleksandr Turchynov and prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. They issued a joint statement, saying:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“The Crimean issue\u2026switches from a political to a military stage due to the Russian military.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Days earlier, Kiev mobilized for war. Turchyov ordered full mobilization of Ukrainian armed forces. He ludicrously warned of “potential (Russian) aggression.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
He moved troops close to Russia’s border. He’s recruiting radicalized National Guard forces. He “invite(d) everyone who sees rising for the defense of homeland as an honor” to join.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
He plans manpower strength up to 60,000. On March 17, Stars and Stripes <\/span><\/a>headlined “NATO, Ukrainian minister talk closer ties in wake of Crimea referendum.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said “NATO will forge closer ties with Ukraine and intensify efforts to help build up the country’s military\u2026”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
A NATO news release added: “The secretary-general reiterated the alliance’s firm commitment to support Ukrainian sovereignty and independence, and the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine’s frontiers.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Expect Washington’s dirty hands controlling things. John Kerry threatened Russia. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
He warned against intervening in eastern Ukraine. Doing so would be “as egregious as any step I can think of,” he said. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
He barely stopped short of threatening war. Whether Washington intends risking it remains to be seen.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Russian nationals in Ukraine aren’t safe. Expect incidents like what happened to Aleksandr Panteleymonov to repeat.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
He’s National Television Company of Ukraine (NTU) acting CEO. At least he was. Kiev putschist elements stormed his office. Neo-Nazi Svoboda party members were involved. Perhaps Right Sector extremists.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Panteleymonov was beaten. Putschists accused him of airing anti-Ukrainian programming. They forced his resignation.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
He’s lucky he wasn’t killed. He was viciously assaulted. “Write your resignation,” he was told. “Sit down. I told you, sit down.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“You are feating in my Ukraine\u2026Here is a paper (and) pen. Write the resignation now quickly, you animal\u2026You are Moskal garbage.” It’s a Ukrainian ethnic Russian slur.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Panteleymonov said he’s Ukrainian, not Russian. Putschists called him “sh.t!”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“You campaigned for Moscow,” they said. “You lied to Ukrainians for our money. NTU is Ukraine’s largest public broadcaster.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Putschists want their message alone aired. They want dissenting views silenced. Independent voices are prohibited. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
So are Russian TV channels. RT International said its former satellite service provider was “threatened by unknown gunmen.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Days earlier, radicalized masked elements stormed a Kiev city council meeting. They came armed with bats and hammers. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
They forced targeted members to resign. It bears repeating. Expect lots more disturbing incidents to follow.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Democratic governance is gone. Police state lawlessness replaced it. Dissenters are especially endangered. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
So are Russian nationals. Whether Putin intends to protect them if necessary remains to be seen.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Tuesday’s Simferopol sniper killings resemble commonplace false flag provocations. Crimea’s Interior Ministry said:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“According to preliminary reports, the shots were fired from one place in two directions.” <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“Someone fired from the window of a partially constructed building in the immediate vicinity of a military installation at self-defence unit soldiers checking up on a report that armed people had entered that building.” <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“The other shots were fired at the nearby Ukrainian military installation.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“The shooting was carried out from the same spot in two directions: against the self-defense fighters who were checking a warning about the presence of armed people in an uncompleted building, and in the direction of Ukrainian military base located nearby.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“As a result, one fighter has been killed and yet another injured. A man from the nearby Ukrainian military base has also sustained an injury. The shooting in both directions was carried out from the same spot.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The ministry suggested a well-planned provocation. Crimean self-defense forces were warned about armed militants in a partially inhabited building near Kubanskaya Street.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Sniper fire began during their investigation. Doing so wasn’t accidental. It was on the same day Vladimir Putin signed the Crimean Reunification Treaty. He did so saying:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“I am submitting and asking the Federal Assembly to consider a constitutional bill on accepting two new constituent regions as part of the Russian Federation – the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Crimea “has always been and it will remain Russian, Ukrainian, and Crimean Tatar.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
RT International<\/a><\/span> said one sniper was detained. Crimean Prime Minister Sergey Aksyonov compared what happened to Euromaidan shootings.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“At the moment two people are dead as a result of a provocation, a sabotage,” he said. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“The situation allows me to conclude that the same techniques that were used at Maidan are being used now because most likely one attacker fired at both sides – one Ukrainian serviceman and one man from the self-defense forces of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea were killed.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“The location of the sniper was identified,” he added. Crimea’s Interior Ministry called him a 17-year-old Lvov resident.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
According to RT, “Ukrainian servicemen (said) unknown groups tried to break into several military bases” the previous night.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Crimean self-defense forces prevented them. RT producer Lida Vasilevskaya tweeted: “Guys from self-defense told me today that they were afraid of provocations.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It bears repeating. Expect lots more like them ahead. Maybe much more provocative. For sure wrongfully blamed on Russia and Crimean authorities.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Media scoundrels reported Simferopol shootings their way. As expected, misinformation followed.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The putschist-controlled Ukrainian News Agency<\/span><\/a> headlined “Ukrainian Soldier Killed During Storming Of Photogrammetric Center In Simferopol,” saying:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“A Ukrainian soldier has been killed during the storming by Russian troops and members of the ‘Crimean self-defense’ of the photogrammetric center of the central military topographic and navigation department of the Main Administration of Operational Provision of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Simferopol.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“The head of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense’s Crimean media center, Vladyslav Selezniov, wrote on his Facebook page:”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“One person was killed during the storming of the (center). This Ukrainian soldier was serving on the territory of the unit’s park, he said.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“He also said another wounded person, a captain, was sent to the emergency hospital of Simferopol. The invaders told Ukrainian officers that they were arrested and took away their papers.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“As Ukrainian News earlier reported, unidentified gunmen presumed to be members of the Russian military and the ‘Crimean self-defense’ stormed the military base at about 15:00.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The Wall Street Journal <\/span><\/a>regurgitated the Big Lie. It cited Ukraine’s putschist defense ministry doing so. It headlined “Defiant Russia Claims Crimea As Violence Flares in Region.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It claimed “(t)he Ukrainian soldier was killed and another wounded in a shootout as their office in the Crimean capital of Simferopol was stormed by well-armed commandos wearing Russian uniforms that had been stripped of identifying insignia.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Qatar-controlled Al Jazeera<\/span><\/a> propaganda headlined “Ukrainian serviceman killed in Crimea.” It cited Kiev’s illegitimate defense ministry.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It’s reporter Nick Schifrin lied saying: “We saw what appeared to be Russian snipers leaving positions from a separate building that overlooks the” targeted area.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“A statement from the Ukrainian defence ministry said a decision had now been taken by the commander-in-chief and the acting defence minister to allow Ukrainian troops to use force in self defence.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
On March 18, UK-controlled BBC<\/span><\/a> propaganda reported its own version. It headlined “Ukraine officer ‘killed in attack on Crimea base,” saying:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“An (unidentified) eyewitness told the BBC that armed men arrived in two unmarked vehicles, storming the base in Simferopol and firing automatic weapons.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“The Ukrainian government said a junior officer who was on duty in a park inside the base had been killed and another officer injured.” <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“A third serviceman had leg and head injuries after being beaten with iron bars, it said.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“Defence ministry spokesman Vladislav Seleznyov told Reuters the attack was by ‘unknown forces, fully equipped and their faces covered.’ “<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“The Ukrainians had their IDs, weapons and money confiscated, he said.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Yatsenyuk called “an emergency meeting.” He barely stopped short of declaring war. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
He said “Russian soldiers have started shooting at Ukrainian military servicemen and that is a war crime.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Almost by afterthought, BBC added:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“Reports from the Crimean news agency, Kryminform, said a pro-Russia defence force member had been shot dead.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“Crimean police later said both Ukrainian and pro-Russian forces had been fired on from a single location and that one Ukrainian was killed and one injured, and one pro-Russian was killed and one injured.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
BBC’s inflammatory headline mattered most. So did what immediately  followed. Propaganda substituted for legitimate reporting. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It was repeatedly broadcast on air. Al Jazeera did the same thing. So did US cable channels.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Big Lies drown out truth. Anti-Russian propaganda rages. Hypocrisy is shameless. Scurrilous reporting substitutes.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Expect media wars to continue daily. Expect full support for illegitimate Kiev putschists. Expect Crimean democracy denounced. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Expect intense nonstop Russia bashing. Expect more false flag provocations. Perhaps something major. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Expect potential East\/West confrontation. Expect what hopefully won’t happen.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
His new book is titled “Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
http:\/\/www.claritypress.com\/LendmanII.html<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
http:\/\/www.progressiveradionetwork.com\/the-progressive-news-hour<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Crimean False Flag Attack?<\/b><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
by Stephen Lendman<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
On Tuesday, Simferopol snipers shot and killed a Crimean self-defense member and Ukrainian soldier. Another self-defense member and Ukrainian soldier were wounded.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Gunfire came from a building under construction. It’s near a military research center. What happened resembled Euromaidan sniper killings. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Fascist thugs bore full responsibility. Kiev putschists apparently target Crimea. Expect similar incidents to follow. More on what happened below.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
On Monday, Putin endorsed Crimean independence. He did so by decree. On Tuesday, he signed the Crimean reunification treaty.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Expect overwhelming State Duma and Federation Council approval. On March 19, Russia’s Constitutional Court chairman Valery Zorkin said:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“The Constitutional Court recognizes that the Treaty corresponds to the Russian Constitution.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Crimeans are going home. Washington and rogue EU partners responded as expected.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Slap-on-the-wrist sanctions were imposed. Russian and Crimean officials were targeted. So was Ukraine’s legitimate president, Viktor Yanukovych.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denounced Western sanctions. He called them “unacceptable.” A Russian Foreign Ministry statement said:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Republic of Crimea “residents made their democratic choice in line with the international law and the UN charter, which Russia accepts and respects.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“The sanctions introduced by the United States and the European Union are unacceptable and will not remain without consequences.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
White House press secretary Jay Carney warned “(m)ore (are) coming.” He left unexplained what’s intended. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Daily Beast <\/a><\/span>contributor Josh Rogan suggested Russia intends sanctioning high-profile US senators, congressmen and administration officials.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Perhaps Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland is targeted. She’s a neocon hardliner.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
She was Obama’s point person in charge of ousting democratically elected Viktor Yanukovych. She helped replace him with illegitimate fascist, ultranationalist putschist governance.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Vice President Joe Biden wrongfully accused Russia of a “brazen military incursion.” None whatever occurred. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Washington may deploy regional ground forces. Other NATO members may add theirs.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Illegitimate putschist leaders include president Oleksandr Turchynov and prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. They issued a joint statement, saying:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“The Crimean issue…switches from a political to a military stage due to the Russian military.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Days earlier, Kiev mobilized for war. Turchyov ordered full mobilization of Ukrainian armed forces. He ludicrously warned of “potential (Russian) aggression.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
He moved troops close to Russia’s border. He’s recruiting radicalized National Guard forces. He “invite(d) everyone who sees rising for the defense of homeland as an honor” to join.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
He plans manpower strength up to 60,000. On March 17, Stars and Stripes <\/span><\/a>headlined “NATO, Ukrainian minister talk closer ties in wake of Crimea referendum.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said “NATO will forge closer ties with Ukraine and intensify efforts to help build up the country’s military…”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
A NATO news release added: “The secretary-general reiterated the alliance’s firm commitment to support Ukrainian sovereignty and independence, and the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine’s frontiers.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Expect Washington’s dirty hands controlling things. John Kerry threatened Russia. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
He warned against intervening in eastern Ukraine. Doing so would be “as egregious as any step I can think of,” he said. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
He barely stopped short of threatening war. Whether Washington intends risking it remains to be seen.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Russian nationals in Ukraine aren’t safe. Expect incidents like what happened to Aleksandr Panteleymonov to repeat.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
He’s National Television Company of Ukraine (NTU) acting CEO. At least he was. Kiev putschist elements stormed his office. Neo-Nazi Svoboda party members were involved. Perhaps Right Sector extremists.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Panteleymonov was beaten. Putschists accused him of airing anti-Ukrainian programming. They forced his resignation.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
He’s lucky he wasn’t killed. He was viciously assaulted. “Write your resignation,” he was told. “Sit down. I told you, sit down.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“You are feating in my Ukraine…Here is a paper (and) pen. Write the resignation now quickly, you animal…You are Moskal garbage.” It’s a Ukrainian ethnic Russian slur.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Panteleymonov said he’s Ukrainian, not Russian. Putschists called him “sh.t!”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“You campaigned for Moscow,” they said. “You lied to Ukrainians for our money. NTU is Ukraine’s largest public broadcaster.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Putschists want their message alone aired. They want dissenting views silenced. Independent voices are prohibited. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
So are Russian TV channels. RT International said its former satellite service provider was “threatened by unknown gunmen.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Days earlier, radicalized masked elements stormed a Kiev city council meeting. They came armed with bats and hammers. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
They forced targeted members to resign. It bears repeating. Expect lots more disturbing incidents to follow.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Democratic governance is gone. Police state lawlessness replaced it. Dissenters are especially endangered. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
So are Russian nationals. Whether Putin intends to protect them if necessary remains to be seen.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Tuesday’s Simferopol sniper killings resemble commonplace false flag provocations. Crimea’s Interior Ministry said:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“According to preliminary reports, the shots were fired from one place in two directions.” <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“Someone fired from the window of a partially constructed building in the immediate vicinity of a military installation at self-defence unit soldiers checking up on a report that armed people had entered that building.” <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“The other shots were fired at the nearby Ukrainian military installation.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“The shooting was carried out from the same spot in two directions: against the self-defense fighters who were checking a warning about the presence of armed people in an uncompleted building, and in the direction of Ukrainian military base located nearby.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“As a result, one fighter has been killed and yet another injured. A man from the nearby Ukrainian military base has also sustained an injury. The shooting in both directions was carried out from the same spot.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The ministry suggested a well-planned provocation. Crimean self-defense forces were warned about armed militants in a partially inhabited building near Kubanskaya Street.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Sniper fire began during their investigation. Doing so wasn’t accidental. It was on the same day Vladimir Putin signed the Crimean Reunification Treaty. He did so saying:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“I am submitting and asking the Federal Assembly to consider a constitutional bill on accepting two new constituent regions as part of the Russian Federation – the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Crimea “has always been and it will remain Russian, Ukrainian, and Crimean Tatar.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
RT International<\/a><\/span> said one sniper was detained. Crimean Prime Minister Sergey Aksyonov compared what happened to Euromaidan shootings.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“At the moment two people are dead as a result of a provocation, a sabotage,” he said. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“The situation allows me to conclude that the same techniques that were used at Maidan are being used now because most likely one attacker fired at both sides – one Ukrainian serviceman and one man from the self-defense forces of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea were killed.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“The location of the sniper was identified,” he added. Crimea’s Interior Ministry called him a 17-year-old Lvov resident.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
According to RT, “Ukrainian servicemen (said) unknown groups tried to break into several military bases” the previous night.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Crimean self-defense forces prevented them. RT producer Lida Vasilevskaya tweeted: “Guys from self-defense told me today that they were afraid of provocations.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It bears repeating. Expect lots more like them ahead. Maybe much more provocative. For sure wrongfully blamed on Russia and Crimean authorities.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Media scoundrels reported Simferopol shootings their way. As expected, misinformation followed.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The putschist-controlled Ukrainian News Agency<\/span><\/a> headlined “Ukrainian Soldier Killed During Storming Of Photogrammetric Center In Simferopol,” saying:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“A Ukrainian soldier has been killed during the storming by Russian troops and members of the ‘Crimean self-defense’ of the photogrammetric center of the central military topographic and navigation department of the Main Administration of Operational Provision of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Simferopol.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“The head of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense’s Crimean media center, Vladyslav Selezniov, wrote on his Facebook page:”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“One person was killed during the storming of the (center). This Ukrainian soldier was serving on the territory of the unit’s park, he said.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“He also said another wounded person, a captain, was sent to the emergency hospital of Simferopol. The invaders told Ukrainian officers that they were arrested and took away their papers.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“As Ukrainian News earlier reported, unidentified gunmen presumed to be members of the Russian military and the ‘Crimean self-defense’ stormed the military base at about 15:00.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The Wall Street Journal <\/span><\/a>regurgitated the Big Lie. It cited Ukraine’s putschist defense ministry doing so. It headlined “Defiant Russia Claims Crimea As Violence Flares in Region.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It claimed “(t)he Ukrainian soldier was killed and another wounded in a shootout as their office in the Crimean capital of Simferopol was stormed by well-armed commandos wearing Russian uniforms that had been stripped of identifying insignia.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Qatar-controlled Al Jazeera<\/span><\/a> propaganda headlined “Ukrainian serviceman killed in Crimea.” It cited Kiev’s illegitimate defense ministry.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It’s reporter Nick Schifrin lied saying: “We saw what appeared to be Russian snipers leaving positions from a separate building that overlooks the” targeted area.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“A statement from the Ukrainian defence ministry said a decision had now been taken by the commander-in-chief and the acting defence minister to allow Ukrainian troops to use force in self defence.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
On March 18, UK-controlled BBC<\/span><\/a> propaganda reported its own version. It headlined “Ukraine officer ‘killed in attack on Crimea base,” saying:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“An (unidentified) eyewitness told the BBC that armed men arrived in two unmarked vehicles, storming the base in Simferopol and firing automatic weapons.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“The Ukrainian government said a junior officer who was on duty in a park inside the base had been killed and another officer injured.” <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“A third serviceman had leg and head injuries after being beaten with iron bars, it said.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“Defence ministry spokesman Vladislav Seleznyov told Reuters the attack was by ‘unknown forces, fully equipped and their faces covered.’ “<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“The Ukrainians had their IDs, weapons and money confiscated, he said.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Yatsenyuk called “an emergency meeting.” He barely stopped short of declaring war. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
He said “Russian soldiers have started shooting at Ukrainian military servicemen and that is a war crime.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Almost by afterthought, BBC added:<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“Reports from the Crimean news agency, Kryminform, said a pro-Russia defence force member had been shot dead.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
“Crimean police later said both Ukrainian and pro-Russian forces had been fired on from a single location and that one Ukrainian was killed and one injured, and one pro-Russian was killed and one injured.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
BBC’s inflammatory headline mattered most. So did what immediately  followed. Propaganda substituted for legitimate reporting. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It was repeatedly broadcast on air. Al Jazeera did the same thing. So did US cable channels.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Big Lies drown out truth. Anti-Russian propaganda rages. Hypocrisy is shameless. Scurrilous reporting substitutes.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Expect media wars to continue daily. Expect full support for illegitimate Kiev putschists. Expect Crimean democracy denounced. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Expect intense nonstop Russia bashing. Expect more false flag provocations. Perhaps something major. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Expect potential East\/West confrontation. Expect what hopefully won’t happen.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
His new book is titled “Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity.”<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
http:\/\/www.claritypress.com\/LendmanII.html<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs. <\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
http:\/\/www.progressiveradionetwork.com\/the-progressive-news-hour<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1217,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[461],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-109854","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-editorials"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1217"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109854"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109854\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}