{"id":120662,"date":"2014-05-25T07:05:00","date_gmt":"2014-05-25T07:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/?guid=261b2f9855c25c433eba8d95fcedb52c"},"modified":"2014-05-25T07:05:00","modified_gmt":"2014-05-25T07:05:00","slug":"us-led-natos-war-on-humanity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/editorials\/us-led-natos-war-on-humanity\/","title":{"rendered":"US-Led NATO&#8217;s War on Humanity"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\"><b>US-Led NATO&#8217;s War on Humanity<\/b><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">by Stephen Lendman<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">US-led NATO threatens humanity. It&#8217;s an imperial tool. It&#8217;s a global killing machine.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It prioritizes war. It deplores peace. Humanity&#8217;s survival hangs in the balance.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It includes 28 member nations, 22 Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) ones, seven Mediterranean Dialogue countries, and four Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) states.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They comprise nearly one-third of world nations. NATO plans exponential expansion. It wants new members and partners.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It wants them on all continents. It wants them virtually everywhere. It wants a global military established.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It wants unchallenged control. It wants all outliers eliminated. It wants pro-Western vassal states replacing them.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Its strategy prioritizes war on humanity. It&#8217;s ravaging and destroying one country after another.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Ukraine is in the eye of the storm. On Friday, Putin said it may join NATO. Washington may take full advantage.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It may deploy nuclear-armed missiles on Russia&#8217;s borders. It may target its heartland.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Ukraine&#8217;s coup occurred, said Putin. &#8220;(T)hey (won&#8217;t) talk to us.&#8221; They obey orders from Washington.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;The next step will be Ukraine&#8217;s membership in NATO. They never ask us about that\u2026&#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;(A)nd they do not engage in dialog with us\u2026&#8217;No dialog,&#8217; they say\u2026&#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;(I)t is none of your business, and it does not concern you.&#8217; &#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;Ukraine may become a member of NATO tomorrow,&#8221; said Putin. Under US control.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Doing so threatens Russia. Cooperative relations with Moscow ended. Minimal contacts alone continue.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Putin said Western countries elevated Kiev putschists to power. They have no legitimacy whatever.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;There was a coup d&#8217;etat backed by American and European partners,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;Then there was chaos, and now we are witnessing a full-scale civil war.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Washington imposed sanctions on Russia to gain economic advantage, Putin said. They&#8217;re counterproductive. They won&#8217;t work.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">On the one hand, Chinese investors will replace EU companies if they&#8217;re squeezed out. So will other global businesses.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">On the other, Russian economist\/Putin advisor Andrey Belousov said Moscow prepared retaliatory measures in response.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">At different levels, he explained. It depends on US policy going forward. Moscow will respond in kind.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">In its own way. Its own timing. &#8220;(W)e know exactly how to react,&#8221; said Belousov.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">On May 23, Reuters <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/2014\/05\/23\/us-ukraine-crisis-eu-exclusive-idUSBREA4M0J020140523\"><span style=\"color: #1255cc;\">headlined<\/span><\/a> &#8220;Exclusive: EU weighs Russia sanctions from caviar to oil and gas,&#8221; saying:<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;EU leaders will hold their first detailed discussion next week of specific steps they can take against Russia if Ukraine&#8217;s elections are not free and fair, including restrictions ranging from luxury goods imports to an oil and gas ban.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Reuters cited a two-page document. It explains three scenarios &#8211; low, medium and high-intensity sanctions.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Low ones target Russian diamonds, precious metals, furs, vodka, caviar, and other luxury goods.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Medium ones aim at fertilizers, chemicals, tires, vessels to Russia, as well as weapons imports and exports.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">High-intensity ones target investments, capital markets, other financial operations, as well as importing oil and gas.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">At the same time, said Reuters, &#8220;there is no (EU) unanimous backing for (this) move.&#8221; German and other European business interests strongly oppose it.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They want no restrictions imposed. They want nothing interfering with bottom line interests.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;Unless there is unanimous backing for stricter sanctions, the EU will not be able to move ahead &#8211; a hurdle that has been frustrating for the United States, which is keen for Europe to move further in imposing restrictions on Moscow,&#8221; said Reuters.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">On May 24, Itar Tass <a href=\"http:\/\/en.itar-tass.com\/world\/733067\"><span style=\"color: #1255cc;\">headlined<\/span><\/a> &#8220;Lugansk Republic head says provocations possible during Ukrainian presidential elections.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">A false flag attack may be planned. Lugansk People&#8217;s Republic (LPR) Governor Valery Bolotov said:<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;I recommend LPR nationals not go to the polling stations as we have information about provocations being prepared by the Ukrainian government and National Guard.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;They will be conducted to later accuse the Army of the Southeast of disrupting the elections.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">May 25 voting began. It remains ongoing. Kiev&#8217;s sham electoral process won&#8217;t change things.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Putschist approved aspirants alone are competing. Billionaire bandit Petro Poroshenko looks sure to win.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">A previous article explained. He made his money the old-fashioned way. He stole it.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">He supported Maidan putschists. He ignored their violence. He helped bankroll them. He wants Ukraine plundered for profit.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">He&#8217;s up to his old tricks again. He&#8217;s paying 1,000 hryvnyas per day (about $84) for anti-Eastern Ukrainian freedom fighter volunteers.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">He admitted it publicly. Their &#8220;life and health will be insured for one million hryvnyas,&#8221; he said. Ukrainian forces receive 600 hryvnyas per month.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Results are predetermined for Poroshenko to win. Perhaps on two rounds. Ballot choices exclude democracy. Expect worse than ever policies to follow.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Fascist regimes operate this way. Ukraine is Europe&#8217;s worst. Putschists threaten regional security and stability.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\"><span style=\"color: #1255cc; text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/voiceofrussia.com\/2014_05_23\/Ukrainian-elections-are-sham-wont-be-recognized-by-sane-world-rallies-participant-7736\/\">Voice of Russia<\/a><\/span> (VOR) interviewed Ukrainian Dennis Schedrivy. He participated in Maidan protests. He supported them. No longer.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Kiev-instigated violence continues, he said. He expects more ahead. He called coup-appointed Kiev officials &#8220;junta&#8221; governance.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;I don&#8217;t see (May 25) elections as anything,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The whole thing with Maidan revolution is not successful.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;According to the law they have adopted, even if the small village (alone) votes\u2026elections will be considered successful.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;I am sure that at least part of the sane world will not accept these elections,&#8221; he added.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;(T)hey are bombing\u2026civilians\u2026(T)his is a farce. (T)hey will try to (legitimize) this whole circus\u2026&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Growing thousands of Ukrainians express similar views. Nothing ahead looks encouraging.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">War without mercy rages. Ukrainian forces target civilians. They&#8217;re killing them in cold blood.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Freedom is on the chopping block. Fascists want it entirely eliminated. They want unchallenged top-down hardline rule replacing it.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They want it enforced. They want junta power institutionalized. Gangsterism is planned. Democracy is prohibited.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They want what most Ukrainians oppose. It remains to be seen how they&#8217;ll react. Civil war rages. National rebellion may follow.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Nothing ahead looks promising. What kind of government usurps power? What kind establishes itself by force?<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">What kind rules extrajudicially? What kind by intimidation? <\/span>What kind of legitimacy do ultranationalist, xenophobic, neo-Nazi, anti-Semites have?&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">What kind substitutes unrestrained coercion for rule of law principles? What kind prohibits opposing views?&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">What kind mandates its message alone getting out? The same kind substituting despotism for democracy!<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">The battle for Ukraine&#8217;s soul didn&#8217;t end with putschists usurping power. It just began. It continues.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Ukraine&#8217;s future is up for grabs. Ordinary people alone will determine it. They have every right to do so.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Hopefully they&#8217;ll take full advantage. They&#8217;ll have themselves to blame if not.<\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; min-height: 22px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">A Final Comment<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">On May 24, RT International<a href=\"http:\/\/rt.com\/news\/161024-rt-denied-entry-ukraine\/\"><span style=\"color: #1255cc;\"> headlined<\/span><\/a> &#8220;Russian journalists being banned entry to Ukraine to cover presidential election.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They&#8217;re accredited to do so. It doesn&#8217;t matter. They&#8217;re refused entry. RT&#8217;s press service said:<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;Without explaining the reason for refusal, the members of (Ukraine&#8217;s) border service forced the RT crew to buy return tickets at their own expense.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It&#8217;s not the first time. It won&#8217;t be the last. Fascist regimes operate this way.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Expect more of the same ahead. Expect police state ruthlessness enforced.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">RT&#8217;s Anna Knishenko, Elderra Khaled ad Konstantin Bolshakov arrived at Kiev&#8217;s Borispol International Airport.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Knishenko explained what followed, saying:<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;At the border control, they immediately took our passports. An hour later, we &#8211; one by one &#8211; were invited to a special room for an interview.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They were denied entry. For falsified reasons. For not properly explaining why they came, they were told.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Echo of Moscow correspondent Ilya Azar was treated the same way. So were Russian TV channel reporters.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Everyone denied entry had press cards. Ukraine&#8217;s Central Electoral Committee accredited them to cover its election earlier.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It didn&#8217;t matter. Fabricated reasons denied them. Kiev wants its message alone reported. It wants truth suppressed.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;A whole range of Russian media outlets, including Channel One, NTV, TVC and Zvezda channels have been denied entry to Ukraine headed by the coup-appointed authorities,&#8221; said RT.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Kiev putschists wage war on media freedom. Russian journalists are targeted. So are others not putschist-approved.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">On May 23, The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) <a href=\"https:\/\/cpj.org\/2014\/05\/russian-journalists-barred-from-entering-ukraine.php\"><span style=\"color: #1255cc;\">headlined<\/span><\/a> &#8220;Russian journalists barred from entering Ukraine,&#8221; saying:<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">CPJ &#8220;condemns the move\u2026(It) call(ed) on Ukrainian authorities to allow all journalists to carry out their job without harassment.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">CPJ&#8217;s Europe and Central Asia program researcher Muzaffar Suleymanov added:<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;If Ukrainian authorities are looking to build a democratic state, they must stop barring the press from covering public events in the country, especially the presidential vote.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;Openness and transparency are vital for democracy.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">&#8220;We urge Ukraine to grant entry to all journalists, no matter their nationality or affiliation, or their newsroom&#8217;s editorial line.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It &#8220;equate(s)&#8221; legitimate conflict reporting &#8220;with terrorism,&#8221; he added. CPJ denounced what media scoundrels ignore.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They support Sunday&#8217;s sham process. They equate putschist rule with democracy.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #323333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">They turn truth on its head claiming it. Don&#8217;t expect them to explain.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px; min-height: 22px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">His new book as editor and contributor is titled &#8220;Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"color: #1255cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.claritypress.com\/LendmanIII.html\">http:\/\/www.claritypress.com\/LendmanIII.html<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div style=\"font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;\"><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: 19px;\">http:\/\/www.progressiveradionetwork.com\/the-progressive-news-hour&nbsp;<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div><b>US-Led NATO&#8217;s War on Humanity<\/b><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>by Stephen Lendman<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>US-led NATO threatens humanity. It&#8217;s an imperial tool. It&#8217;s a global killing machine.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It prioritizes war. It deplores peace. Humanity&#8217;s survival hangs in the balance.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It includes 28 member nations, 22 Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) ones, seven Mediterranean Dialogue countries, and four Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) states.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They comprise nearly one-third of world nations. NATO plans exponential expansion. It wants new members and partners.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It wants them on all continents. It wants them virtually everywhere. It wants a global military established.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It wants unchallenged control. It wants all outliers eliminated. It wants pro-Western vassal states replacing them.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Its strategy prioritizes war on humanity. It&#8217;s ravaging and destroying one country after another.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Ukraine is in the eye of the storm. On Friday, Putin said it may join NATO. Washington may take full advantage.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It may deploy nuclear-armed missiles on Russia&#8217;s borders. It may target its heartland.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Ukraine&#8217;s coup occurred, said Putin. &#8220;(T)hey (won&#8217;t) talk to us.&#8221; They obey orders from Washington.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;The next step will be Ukraine&#8217;s membership in NATO. They never ask us about that&hellip;&#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;(A)nd they do not engage in dialog with us&hellip;&#8217;No dialog,&#8217; they say&hellip;&#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;(I)t is none of your business, and it does not concern you.&#8217; &#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;Ukraine may become a member of NATO tomorrow,&#8221; said Putin. Under US control.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Doing so threatens Russia. Cooperative relations with Moscow ended. Minimal contacts alone continue.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Putin said Western countries elevated Kiev putschists to power. They have no legitimacy whatever.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;There was a coup d&#8217;etat backed by American and European partners,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;Then there was chaos, and now we are witnessing a full-scale civil war.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Washington imposed sanctions on Russia to gain economic advantage, Putin said. They&#8217;re counterproductive. They won&#8217;t work.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>On the one hand, Chinese investors will replace EU companies if they&#8217;re squeezed out. So will other global businesses.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>On the other, Russian economist\/Putin advisor Andrey Belousov said Moscow prepared retaliatory measures in response.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>At different levels, he explained. It depends on US policy going forward. Moscow will respond in kind.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>In its own way. Its own timing. &#8220;(W)e know exactly how to react,&#8221; said Belousov.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>On May 23, Reuters <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/2014\/05\/23\/us-ukraine-crisis-eu-exclusive-idUSBREA4M0J020140523\"><span>headlined<\/span><\/a> &#8220;Exclusive: EU weighs Russia sanctions from caviar to oil and gas,&#8221; saying:<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;EU leaders will hold their first detailed discussion next week of specific steps they can take against Russia if Ukraine&#8217;s elections are not free and fair, including restrictions ranging from luxury goods imports to an oil and gas ban.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Reuters cited a two-page document. It explains three scenarios &#8211; low, medium and high-intensity sanctions.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Low ones target Russian diamonds, precious metals, furs, vodka, caviar, and other luxury goods.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Medium ones aim at fertilizers, chemicals, tires, vessels to Russia, as well as weapons imports and exports.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>High-intensity ones target investments, capital markets, other financial operations, as well as importing oil and gas.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>At the same time, said Reuters, &#8220;there is no (EU) unanimous backing for (this) move.&#8221; German and other European business interests strongly oppose it.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They want no restrictions imposed. They want nothing interfering with bottom line interests.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;Unless there is unanimous backing for stricter sanctions, the EU will not be able to move ahead &#8211; a hurdle that has been frustrating for the United States, which is keen for Europe to move further in imposing restrictions on Moscow,&#8221; said Reuters.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>On May 24, Itar Tass <a href=\"http:\/\/en.itar-tass.com\/world\/733067\"><span>headlined<\/span><\/a> &#8220;Lugansk Republic head says provocations possible during Ukrainian presidential elections.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>A false flag attack may be planned. Lugansk People&#8217;s Republic (LPR) Governor Valery Bolotov said:<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;I recommend LPR nationals not go to the polling stations as we have information about provocations being prepared by the Ukrainian government and National Guard.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;They will be conducted to later accuse the Army of the Southeast of disrupting the elections.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>May 25 voting began. It remains ongoing. Kiev&#8217;s sham electoral process won&#8217;t change things.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Putschist approved aspirants alone are competing. Billionaire bandit Petro Poroshenko looks sure to win.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>A previous article explained. He made his money the old-fashioned way. He stole it.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>He supported Maidan putschists. He ignored their violence. He helped bankroll them. He wants Ukraine plundered for profit.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>He&#8217;s up to his old tricks again. He&#8217;s paying 1,000 hryvnyas per day (about $84) for anti-Eastern Ukrainian freedom fighter volunteers.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>He admitted it publicly. Their &#8220;life and health will be insured for one million hryvnyas,&#8221; he said. Ukrainian forces receive 600 hryvnyas per month.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Results are predetermined for Poroshenko to win. Perhaps on two rounds. Ballot choices exclude democracy. Expect worse than ever policies to follow.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Fascist regimes operate this way. Ukraine is Europe&#8217;s worst. Putschists threaten regional security and stability.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><span><a href=\"http:\/\/voiceofrussia.com\/2014_05_23\/Ukrainian-elections-are-sham-wont-be-recognized-by-sane-world-rallies-participant-7736\/\">Voice of Russia<\/a><\/span> (VOR) interviewed Ukrainian Dennis Schedrivy. He participated in Maidan protests. He supported them. No longer.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Kiev-instigated violence continues, he said. He expects more ahead. He called coup-appointed Kiev officials &#8220;junta&#8221; governance.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;I don&#8217;t see (May 25) elections as anything,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The whole thing with Maidan revolution is not successful.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;According to the law they have adopted, even if the small village (alone) votes&hellip;elections will be considered successful.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;I am sure that at least part of the sane world will not accept these elections,&#8221; he added.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;(T)hey are bombing&hellip;civilians&hellip;(T)his is a farce. (T)hey will try to (legitimize) this whole circus&hellip;&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Growing thousands of Ukrainians express similar views. Nothing ahead looks encouraging.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>War without mercy rages. Ukrainian forces target civilians. They&#8217;re killing them in cold blood.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Freedom is on the chopping block. Fascists want it entirely eliminated. They want unchallenged top-down hardline rule replacing it.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They want it enforced. They want junta power institutionalized. Gangsterism is planned. Democracy is prohibited.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They want what most Ukrainians oppose. It remains to be seen how they&#8217;ll react. Civil war rages. National rebellion may follow.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Nothing ahead looks promising. What kind of government usurps power? What kind establishes itself by force?<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><span>What kind rules extrajudicially? What kind by intimidation? <\/span>What kind of legitimacy do ultranationalist, xenophobic, neo-Nazi, anti-Semites have?&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>What kind substitutes unrestrained coercion for rule of law principles? What kind prohibits opposing views?&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>What kind mandates its message alone getting out? The same kind substituting despotism for democracy!<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The battle for Ukraine&#8217;s soul didn&#8217;t end with putschists usurping power. It just began. It continues.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Ukraine&#8217;s future is up for grabs. Ordinary people alone will determine it. They have every right to do so.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Hopefully they&#8217;ll take full advantage. They&#8217;ll have themselves to blame if not.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>A Final Comment<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>On May 24, RT International<a href=\"http:\/\/rt.com\/news\/161024-rt-denied-entry-ukraine\/\"><span> headlined<\/span><\/a> &#8220;Russian journalists being banned entry to Ukraine to cover presidential election.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They&#8217;re accredited to do so. It doesn&#8217;t matter. They&#8217;re refused entry. RT&#8217;s press service said:<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;Without explaining the reason for refusal, the members of (Ukraine&#8217;s) border service forced the RT crew to buy return tickets at their own expense.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It&#8217;s not the first time. It won&#8217;t be the last. Fascist regimes operate this way.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Expect more of the same ahead. Expect police state ruthlessness enforced.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>RT&#8217;s Anna Knishenko, Elderra Khaled ad Konstantin Bolshakov arrived at Kiev&#8217;s Borispol International Airport.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Knishenko explained what followed, saying:<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;At the border control, they immediately took our passports. An hour later, we &#8211; one by one &#8211; were invited to a special room for an interview.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They were denied entry. For falsified reasons. For not properly explaining why they came, they were told.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Echo of Moscow correspondent Ilya Azar was treated the same way. So were Russian TV channel reporters.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Everyone denied entry had press cards. Ukraine&#8217;s Central Electoral Committee accredited them to cover its election earlier.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It didn&#8217;t matter. Fabricated reasons denied them. Kiev wants its message alone reported. It wants truth suppressed.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;A whole range of Russian media outlets, including Channel One, NTV, TVC and Zvezda channels have been denied entry to Ukraine headed by the coup-appointed authorities,&#8221; said RT.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Kiev putschists wage war on media freedom. Russian journalists are targeted. So are others not putschist-approved.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>On May 23, The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) <a href=\"https:\/\/cpj.org\/2014\/05\/russian-journalists-barred-from-entering-ukraine.php\"><span>headlined<\/span><\/a> &#8220;Russian journalists barred from entering Ukraine,&#8221; saying:<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>CPJ &#8220;condemns the move&hellip;(It) call(ed) on Ukrainian authorities to allow all journalists to carry out their job without harassment.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>CPJ&#8217;s Europe and Central Asia program researcher Muzaffar Suleymanov added:<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;If Ukrainian authorities are looking to build a democratic state, they must stop barring the press from covering public events in the country, especially the presidential vote.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;Openness and transparency are vital for democracy.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;We urge Ukraine to grant entry to all journalists, no matter their nationality or affiliation, or their newsroom&#8217;s editorial line.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It &#8220;equate(s)&#8221; legitimate conflict reporting &#8220;with terrorism,&#8221; he added. CPJ denounced what media scoundrels ignore.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They support Sunday&#8217;s sham process. They equate putschist rule with democracy.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>They turn truth on its head claiming it. Don&#8217;t expect them to explain.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>His new book as editor and contributor is titled &#8220;Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.&#8221;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.claritypress.com\/LendmanIII.html\">http:\/\/www.claritypress.com\/LendmanIII.html<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div>http:\/\/www.progressiveradionetwork.com\/the-progressive-news-hour&nbsp;<\/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-120662","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\/120662","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=120662"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120662\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}