4 New Messages
Digest #4685
Messages
Sun Apr 21, 2013 7:49 am (PDT) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_04
Voice of Russia
April 21, 2013
Kosovo is Serbia, territorial integrity must be respected
John Robles
====
States that have supported and promoted the secession of Kosovo from Serbia should, in reality, face sanctions from the UN and member countries. However the United Nations has shown, time and time again, that it is merely an instrument of the West and will continue to be thus as long as it is funded by and based in the United States of America.
[I]f the international community continues to support the independence of Kosovo and the violations of international law that are ongoing there, then they should do the same if, for example, the State of Texas decides to secede from the United States. If you think this sounds ludicrous then you understand the hypocrisy of the situation in Serbia with regards to Kosovo.
====
Serbia is on the verge of recognizing the legitimacy of the illegal breakaway territory of Kosovo and expanding Kosovo’s authority. According to many Serbians and analysts this may lead to the eventual disintegration of Serbia as a sovereign state. Kosovo’s declaration of independence was an illegal act and the support by the West in redefining Serbian borders is a clear act of international aggression. Whether a forced border change in Serbia is carried out by economic pressure from the European Union or by the military aggression of NATO, it is still illegal and contrary to international law.
The maintaining of the territorial integrity of sovereign nations is enshrined in international law and the United Nations Charter and is an integral part of every country’s right to security, self-government and maintaining its existence. Every country has the right to use force if necessary to protect its sovereign territory both from internal and external threats and under international law the imposition by force of a border change is an act of aggression. Therefore the campaign by the West in attempting to bring about an independent state in Serbia runs contrary to the United Nations Charter and international law and is illegal and must no longer be supported.
With regards to Serbia and the self-declared “independent state” of Kosovo, the fact that the West is imposing a forced border change, militarily through its surrogates NATO and KFOR, extra-legally through its police arm EULEX, extra-judicially through the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and economically and politically through the European Union, is an affront to all the principles of international law and international conventions with regard to territorial integrity.
All of these bodies together, acting under the cover of law, are in fact acting illegally to impose a Western-conceived plan for the Balkans and a reassignment of territory which also runs counter to all agreements reached after World War II with regard to territorial changes.
Of course when dealing with the issue academically, the West’s hypocrisy is none the more clear than it is when looking at the situation surrounding Kosovo and the fallacy of the West’s entire adventure in the former Yugoslavia. This hypocrisy can be seen when it comes to sovereign territories such as Las Malvinas, Palestine, Puerto Rico, the Koreas and a host of other locations.
Forcing a border change or outright denying the sovereignty of nation states is an extreme example of Western meddling but it is the clearest example of Western flaunting of international law when it comes to promoting its own interests.
The international community and United Nations member countries should be up in arms over Serbia being forced by the European Union into accepting and recognizing the forceful border change taking place within its sovereign territory. Whether that force be military or economic (it is a matter for academic debate which is more illegal when the goal is forced border change) it must not be allowed to continue and all parties placing pressure on Serbia to accept an internal border change to its sovereign territory must cease and desist immediately.
If the world community allows the West and its geopolitical architects to get away with redefining the borders of Serbia it is allowing a dangerous precedent that will make it much easier the next time they target a country for territorial transformation.
Serbia is a broken and devastated country which makes the leadership more susceptible to western manipulation and it has been kept unstable and marginalized for so long by an ongoing and conscious Western effort that the Serbian people have little recourse to defend themselves against this attack by the West.
The united Nations and the international community must pull together and support Serbia and support its right to maintain its territorial integrity, otherwise the whole concept of the United Nations and international law is a farce and the two are in fact only tools for use by the West when they see fit to use them for their own ends.
Western hypocrisy is also clear when it comes to allowing Israel to continue building illegal settlements in Palestinian territory, arming terrorists to bring about regime change in Syria and in countries such as Puerto Rico, that the U.S. deems are not intelligent enough to govern themselves.
States that have supported and promoted the secession of Kosovo from Serbia should, in reality, face sanctions from the UN and member countries. However the United Nations has shown, time and time again, that it is merely an instrument of the West and will continue to be thus as long as it is funded by and based in the United States of America.
In my opinion the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China, Venezuela and all other countries that have independent foreign policies must pull together and do more to assist the Serbian government and the Serbian people in saving their country from the eventual complete destruction of their sovereign state which a recognition of Kosovo will lead to.
If there was more economic and political assistance perhaps Serbian politicians would not be forced to look to the European Union to solve the country’s economic woes and more energetic moves could be made to return Kosovo to Serbia.
With regard to the current residents of Kosovo claiming it is their nation state, they must be integrated into Serbian society and the international community should aid in that integration, not allow for the separation and breaking up of the country. This was not done by the West because Serbia was aligned with Russia and therefore was a “problem” country that they had to destroy.
Lastly if the international community continues to support the independence of Kosovo and the violations of international law that are ongoing there, then they should do the same if, for example, the State of Texas decides to secede from the United States. If you think this sounds ludicrous then you understand the hypocrisy of the situation in Serbia with regards to Kosovo. Kosovo is Serbia and territorial integrity must be respected and protected, no matter how small or weak a country may be.
==============================
Stop NATO e-mail list home page with archives and search engine:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
Stop NATO website and articles:
http://rickrozoff.wordpress.co
To subscribe for individual e-mails or the daily digest, unsubscribe, and otherwise change subscription status:
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==============================
Voice of Russia
April 21, 2013
Kosovo is Serbia, territorial integrity must be respected
John Robles
====
States that have supported and promoted the secession of Kosovo from Serbia should, in reality, face sanctions from the UN and member countries. However the United Nations has shown, time and time again, that it is merely an instrument of the West and will continue to be thus as long as it is funded by and based in the United States of America.
[I]f the international community continues to support the independence of Kosovo and the violations of international law that are ongoing there, then they should do the same if, for example, the State of Texas decides to secede from the United States. If you think this sounds ludicrous then you understand the hypocrisy of the situation in Serbia with regards to Kosovo.
====
Serbia is on the verge of recognizing the legitimacy of the illegal breakaway territory of Kosovo and expanding Kosovo’s authority. According to many Serbians and analysts this may lead to the eventual disintegration of Serbia as a sovereign state. Kosovo’s declaration of independence was an illegal act and the support by the West in redefining Serbian borders is a clear act of international aggression. Whether a forced border change in Serbia is carried out by economic pressure from the European Union or by the military aggression of NATO, it is still illegal and contrary to international law.
The maintaining of the territorial integrity of sovereign nations is enshrined in international law and the United Nations Charter and is an integral part of every country’s right to security, self-government and maintaining its existence. Every country has the right to use force if necessary to protect its sovereign territory both from internal and external threats and under international law the imposition by force of a border change is an act of aggression. Therefore the campaign by the West in attempting to bring about an independent state in Serbia runs contrary to the United Nations Charter and international law and is illegal and must no longer be supported.
With regards to Serbia and the self-declared “independent state” of Kosovo, the fact that the West is imposing a forced border change, militarily through its surrogates NATO and KFOR, extra-legally through its police arm EULEX, extra-judicially through the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and economically and politically through the European Union, is an affront to all the principles of international law and international conventions with regard to territorial integrity.
All of these bodies together, acting under the cover of law, are in fact acting illegally to impose a Western-conceived plan for the Balkans and a reassignment of territory which also runs counter to all agreements reached after World War II with regard to territorial changes.
Of course when dealing with the issue academically, the West’s hypocrisy is none the more clear than it is when looking at the situation surrounding Kosovo and the fallacy of the West’s entire adventure in the former Yugoslavia. This hypocrisy can be seen when it comes to sovereign territories such as Las Malvinas, Palestine, Puerto Rico, the Koreas and a host of other locations.
Forcing a border change or outright denying the sovereignty of nation states is an extreme example of Western meddling but it is the clearest example of Western flaunting of international law when it comes to promoting its own interests.
The international community and United Nations member countries should be up in arms over Serbia being forced by the European Union into accepting and recognizing the forceful border change taking place within its sovereign territory. Whether that force be military or economic (it is a matter for academic debate which is more illegal when the goal is forced border change) it must not be allowed to continue and all parties placing pressure on Serbia to accept an internal border change to its sovereign territory must cease and desist immediately.
If the world community allows the West and its geopolitical architects to get away with redefining the borders of Serbia it is allowing a dangerous precedent that will make it much easier the next time they target a country for territorial transformation.
Serbia is a broken and devastated country which makes the leadership more susceptible to western manipulation and it has been kept unstable and marginalized for so long by an ongoing and conscious Western effort that the Serbian people have little recourse to defend themselves against this attack by the West.
The united Nations and the international community must pull together and support Serbia and support its right to maintain its territorial integrity, otherwise the whole concept of the United Nations and international law is a farce and the two are in fact only tools for use by the West when they see fit to use them for their own ends.
Western hypocrisy is also clear when it comes to allowing Israel to continue building illegal settlements in Palestinian territory, arming terrorists to bring about regime change in Syria and in countries such as Puerto Rico, that the U.S. deems are not intelligent enough to govern themselves.
States that have supported and promoted the secession of Kosovo from Serbia should, in reality, face sanctions from the UN and member countries. However the United Nations has shown, time and time again, that it is merely an instrument of the West and will continue to be thus as long as it is funded by and based in the United States of America.
In my opinion the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China, Venezuela and all other countries that have independent foreign policies must pull together and do more to assist the Serbian government and the Serbian people in saving their country from the eventual complete destruction of their sovereign state which a recognition of Kosovo will lead to.
If there was more economic and political assistance perhaps Serbian politicians would not be forced to look to the European Union to solve the country’s economic woes and more energetic moves could be made to return Kosovo to Serbia.
With regard to the current residents of Kosovo claiming it is their nation state, they must be integrated into Serbian society and the international community should aid in that integration, not allow for the separation and breaking up of the country. This was not done by the West because Serbia was aligned with Russia and therefore was a “problem” country that they had to destroy.
Lastly if the international community continues to support the independence of Kosovo and the violations of international law that are ongoing there, then they should do the same if, for example, the State of Texas decides to secede from the United States. If you think this sounds ludicrous then you understand the hypocrisy of the situation in Serbia with regards to Kosovo. Kosovo is Serbia and territorial integrity must be respected and protected, no matter how small or weak a country may be.
==============================
Stop NATO e-mail list home page with archives and search engine:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
Stop NATO website and articles:
http://rickrozoff.wordpress.co
To subscribe for individual e-mails or the daily digest, unsubscribe, and otherwise change subscription status:
stopnato-subscribe@yahoogroups
==============================
Sun Apr 21, 2013 7:49 am (PDT) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://www.tradearabia.com/
Arabia News Service
April 21, 2013
BDF, Nato to boost ties
Manama: The Kingdom of Bahrain and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) have agreed to boost cooperation and expand relations to serve common interests...in the region.
Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) Commander-in-Chief Field Marshall Shaikh Khalifa Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa and Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (DSACT), Polish General Mieczyslaw Bieniek, stressed the significance of Bahrain's military coordination and reviewed issues of common interest.
At the meeting, the Nato delegation was briefed on the BDF's participation and role in international missions [Afghanistan and Libya] contributing to global security and peace [sic], a statement from an official said.
Bahrain has been a major non-Nato ally since 2002, and has often expressed an interest in forming closer ties with the military alliance.
Bahrain and fellow GCC countries have been pushing for closer ties with Nato since 2004 when the alliance launched the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative.
The ICI was launched to contribute to long-term regional security and offered GCC countries practical bilateral security cooperation with Nato.
==============================
Stop NATO e-mail list home page with archives and search engine:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
Stop NATO website and articles:
http://rickrozoff.wordpress.co
To subscribe for individual e-mails or the daily digest, unsubscribe, and otherwise change subscription status:
stopnato-subscribe@yahoogroups
==============================
Arabia News Service
April 21, 2013
BDF, Nato to boost ties
Manama: The Kingdom of Bahrain and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) have agreed to boost cooperation and expand relations to serve common interests...in the region.
Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) Commander-in-Chief Field Marshall Shaikh Khalifa Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa and Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (DSACT), Polish General Mieczyslaw Bieniek, stressed the significance of Bahrain's military coordination and reviewed issues of common interest.
At the meeting, the Nato delegation was briefed on the BDF's participation and role in international missions [Afghanistan and Libya] contributing to global security and peace [sic], a statement from an official said.
Bahrain has been a major non-Nato ally since 2002, and has often expressed an interest in forming closer ties with the military alliance.
Bahrain and fellow GCC countries have been pushing for closer ties with Nato since 2004 when the alliance launched the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative.
The ICI was launched to contribute to long-term regional security and offered GCC countries practical bilateral security cooperation with Nato.
==============================
Stop NATO e-mail list home page with archives and search engine:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
Stop NATO website and articles:
http://rickrozoff.wordpress.co
To subscribe for individual e-mails or the daily digest, unsubscribe, and otherwise change subscription status:
stopnato-subscribe@yahoogroups
==============================
Sun Apr 21, 2013 7:49 am (PDT) . Posted by:
"Rick Rozoff" rwrozoff
http://www.lankaweb.com/news/i
Lankaweb
April 20, 2013
UN silent on US/NATO crimes but goes after Third World nations and leaders
Shenali Waduge
====
The former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in an interview in 1998 summed up exactly what the US thinks of the UN : “The UN plays a very important role. But if we don’t like it, we always have the option of following our own national security interests, which I assure you we will do if we don’t like what’s going on.” That’s how the Gulf War happened in 1991, Iraq was invaded, the US/NATO bombed Serbia in 1999 and invaded Afghanistan in 2001.
Pentagon policy revealed to the media was that any strikes that result in 50 or more civilian deaths was “unavoidable collateral damage”. That means the US administration is well aware of targets and given its policy it simply excuses all civilian deaths above 50 as “collateral damage.” It is classified information as to whether this policy still continues. By virtue of this authorization the US is committing a crime and that crime is murder.
International justice simply does not exist; justice is when the perpetrator become the jury and judge as we see happening and the targets are Third World nations and their leaders.
====
The West has a history of invading nations, forcibly occupying them, plundering nations of their resources and saying thank you by designing systems that would keep people divided and dependent on them because they make the laws and they are the judges for the very crimes they have committed. For over 500 years nations were forcibly occupied and plundered – this was called colonialism. Country after country was forcibly invaded on the excuse of sheltering terrorists – this they called military intervention. The grounds for this have been subtly camouflaged in a theory approved by the UN called R2P [Responsibility to Protect]. To add to their list of crimes has been the assassination of leaders who are a threat to them and replacing them with puppets. The “Status of Forces Agreement” has guaranteed that US cannot be held accountable for their crimes in any country that the US has bases in. Are we wrong to accuse the West and with all the evidence
against the West for their crimes either direct or as covert operations while the UN is prepared to only hound the nations that the West are against and leaders that stand in the way of the West. Are we wrong to accuse the UN of being a puppet of the West and suggest an alternate organization for World Peace?
Not many countries can overthrow foreign governments and get away with it – the US can and they are masters at it.
Overt Military Interventions
· From 1798-2001 a total of 330 interventions (Congressional Research Service)
· From 1946-1975 a total 218 occasions where US used its armed forces “as a political instrument” (Force without war: US armed Forces as a Political Instrument – Blechman and Kaplan)
· From 1899 to 1990 – 60 Low Intensity Conflicts (LICs) – America’s Small Wars: Lessons for the Future, J M Collins.
· Since World War 2 the US has conventionally bombed 28 countries (William Blum – Rogue State)
· A total of 560 US covert military interventions have taken place between 1798-2008.
· 170 of these interventions was between 1798 to 1945.
· 390 military interventions between 1945 and 2008 – 391 with Libya.
· 20 million civilian deaths by US interventions
· In the past 40 years itself 6 million people are said to have been killed because of CIA secret wars. The 6 million dead belong to the Third World.
· Over 200 US military interventions in the Third World by the US.
· In the past 40 years all the “WARS” the US is involved in has been in the Third World with millions killed
· 60 countries have been victim of at least ONE MAJOR WAR since 1945 where an estimated 20 million people have died.
· There have been 200 proxy “undeclared wars” from World War 2 to 1980s in 80 countries with the involvement of armed forces of 90 states.
· Between 1869 and 1897 US sent warships into Latin American ports an unbelievable 5980 times
· From mid 19th century to 20th century US military had conquered all lands and original inhabitants to the western edge of its continent, stolen half of Mexico, invaded Korea, annexed Hawaii, conquered Philippines, Puerto Rico and Cuba.
· By 1930 US sent military gunboats to Latin America over 6000 times and invaded Cuba and Mexico once again, invaded Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Columbia and protracted wars in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Haiti – ALL these was to ensure US corporations and financial houses to dominate the economies of most of Mexico, Caribbean, Central America and much of South America.
US regime change – last 50 years
1963 – South Vietnam : CIA backs coup against President Ngo Dinh Diem of South Vietnam paying USD40,000 to kill him
1964 – Brazil : Democratic Government of President Goulart overthrown in March 1964
1966 – Ghana : overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah by the CIA because of his non-aligned Marxist economic perspective.
1970-3 – Chile : Marxist President Salvador Allende overthrown and murder planned by US with President Nixon personally authorizing $700,000 for the covert operation. General Pinochet took over on 1973 – US installs a dictator!
1979-89 – Afghanistan : Carter Doctrine that the US would not allow any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf. US armed Afghan insurgents provided weapons and training to the Mujahideens (an affiliated leader of whom was Osama bin Laden) to fight the Russians a covert operation costing over $3 billion.
1980 – Turkey : 3000 US troops landed before the 12 September coup.
1980-81 – Poland : US supports Solidarity movement
1981-90 – Nicaragua : CIA overthrows Sandinista government of Daniel Ortega through a group tasked to sabotage ports, refineries, boats and bridges/arming Contras despite Boland Amendment.
1980-95 – Cambodia : Reagan Doctrine of aiding anti-Soviet resistance movements abroad applied to Cambodia under Vietnam occupation following Khmer Rouge genocide.
1980s – Angola : Reagan administration helps anti-communist rebels led by Jonas Sayimbi who was supported by the Heritage Foundation. Savimbi was killed by Angolan military in February 2002.
1986 – Philippines : US pressurized President Marcos to step down and hand over power to Corazon Aquino
1992-1996 – Iraq : CIA indirectly supports sabotage campaigns between 1992 and 1995 but fails to topple Saddam Hussein.
2001 – Afghanistan : Plan to invade Afghanistan developed by CIA Special Activities Division on pretext of 9/11
2002-3 – Iraq : CIA Special Activities Division enter Iraq in July 2002 before the main invasion and prepare ground for the arrival of US special forces. Turkey bans use of US forces across its territory.
2002 – Venezuela : Coup and installing Pedro Carmona as President
2006 to present – Palestinian authority : Hamas and Fatah win 2006 election and form Palestinian Authority National Unity Government in 2007 headed by Ismail Haniya and takes control of Gaza Strip. Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization.
2006-2007 – Somalia : CIA funds coalition of anti-Islamic warlords
2005 to present – Iran : CIA authorized to undertake black operations against Iran $400m was authorized as covert operation to create unrest in Iran in 2007.
2011 – Libya : following Arab Spring overthrowing of rulers in Tunisia and Egypt, Libya was next target with US/NATO airstrikes, arming of rebels/mercenaries and killing of Gaddafi
2012 – Syria : President Obama authorizes to support regime change in Syria and overthrow Government of President Assad – rebels and mercenaries again being armed and trained.
Installing puppet states – is when sovereign states become controlled by foreign powers though externally it looks independent and acts independent the decisions that these leaders take are almost always taken on the instructions of the foreign powers ruling it from behind the scenes.
Origins of CIA
On 18 June 1948, US President Harry Truman signed the National Security Directive 10/2 (NSC-10/2) defining covert operations.
CIA – Central Intelligence Agency was created prior to this directive, answerable to the President through a National Security Council to carry out covert operations.
Their scope covers assassination attempts, government overthrows, paramilitary operations, concerted propaganda efforts, interference in free elections, economic destabilization campaigns.
1976 Church Committee Report on CIA activities published by US Sen. Frank Church stated from 1961 to 1974, 900 major and 3000 minor operations had been undertaken by CIA (President’s Secret Wars: CIA and Pentagon Covert Operations from World War 2 through the Persian Gulf – Prados)
Former CIA officer John Stockwell extrapolated in 1990 that the CIA had initiated and overseen about 3000 major and over 10,000 minor covert operations.
Pentagon acknowledges that there are Special Operations Forces deployed in missions across 200 plus nations. At virtually all these foreign missions are assigned CIA case officers working under the State Department cover.
US Government has provided both military and economic aid to more than 150 countries and protects the assets and operations of thousands of transnational corporations because it is their trillions of dollar investments that the US Government are looking after.
CIA’s 10,000 covert operations of which 3000 are major and have killed 6 million people has made the entire world unstable.
US and UN
In 2002 when the International Criminal Court was launched the US government did not take part nor did it ratify it.
US has also refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol on global warming.
US has withdrawn from 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
US walked out of the 1972 biological and toxic weapons convention.
US refused to comply with the Land Mine Treaty.
US has withdrawn from the International Conference on Racism.
When Jose Bustami, Director General of Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, offered membership to Iraq the Bush administration ousted him.
The former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in an interview in 1998 summed up exactly what the US thinks of the UN : “The UN plays a very important role. But if we don’t like it, we always have the option of following our own national security interests, which I assure you we will do if we don’t like what’s going on.” That’s how the Gulf War happened in 1991, Iraq was invaded, US/NATO bombed Serbia in 1999 and invaded Afghanistan in 2001.
Western Bases in Foreign Nations
US is said to have over 1000 foreign military bases in over 120 nations and territories.
US has 293 bases in Germany – why is it necessary for the US and UK to have bases in Germany or Japan 65 years after World War with over 70,000 US troops currently in Germany, more than 45,000 US soldiers in Japan and close to 30,000 US troops in South Korea?
The UK and France have a further 200 in their former colonies.
US personnel currently stationed number over 160,000 and excludes US personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Kwajalein Atoll. All bases function as storage facilities for weapons including nuclear arms, training, intelligence gathering; “Echelon” bases monitor all email, phone and data communication traffic; extra-judiciary transport, imprisonment and torture of which Guantanamo Bay is the best example.
US bases in Iraq (505) revealed only after US troops prepared to leave Iraq. Officially, we are told that the US has removed troops from Iraq but does this not include Department of Defense staff currently in Iraq? The bases in Afghanistan are over 1500 counting all the forward operating bases, checkpoints, mega-bases, military installations and other logistical support facilities. The number of US troops stands at over 100,000 if not more.
Why the US occupies Afghanistan
Not because of 9/11 or Osama – the hijackers were mostly Saudis.
The US occupies Afghanistan because it is a strategic hub in Central Asia. (Afghanistan borders the former Soviet Union, China and Iran.)
US is building a 1900km-long $8 billion oil and gas pipeline through Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
The entirety of US bases in Afghanistan are all located along the route of the gas/oil pipeline.
Afghanistan has over 1400 mineral outcroppings and 70 viable deposits worth over $1 trilion (including iron, Hajigak iron, coal, copper, cobalt, gold, lithium – raw material to make batteries for laptops and BlackBerrys).
The US government and business elites were well aware of Afghanistan’s mineral wealth and energy resources as far back as 1979 when it supported the Mujahideen “freedom fighters” which we know today as the Al Qaeda and Osama.
In 2001, before US occupation, opium production was 200 tons. By 2009 opium production had reached 6900 tons, generating cash earnings of more than $200 billion annually.
Opium production has increased by a staggering 3100% (from 185 tons before arrival of US in 2001 and now 5800 tons in 2011).
Afghanistan accounts for 90% of opium and cannabis supplies to the world.
Opium, morphine, cannabis, heroin, codeine, thebaine are all sought after by pharmaceutical companies.
Why the US invaded Iraq
The 9/11 attackers were not Iraqis nor had they links to Al Qaeda; neither did Iraq have WMDs, but Iraq was attacked.
The US attacked Iraq to secure 115 billion barrels of oil reserves! The US spends $900 billion per year on destruction when 49 million Americans live in poverty and 46 million depend on food stamps to survive and 4 million are homeless.
Collateral damage
New York Times reported in 2003 that US Secretary Rumsfeld personally approved over 50 US airstrikes in Iraq which killed many innocent Iraqi civilians.
Pentagon policy revealed to the media was that any strikes that result in 50 or more civilian deaths was “unavoidable collateral damage”. That means the US administration is well aware of targets and given its policy it simply excuses all civilian deaths above 50 as “collateral damage.” It is classified information as to whether this policy still continues. By virtue of this authorization the US is committing a crime and that crime is murder.
Sanctions
Former US Secretary of State Madeline Albright was asked about the deaths of Iraqi children (quoted as 500,000) and her response was, “I think this is a very hard choice, but the price – we think the price is worth it”
Use of nuclear and chemical weapons
The US used depleted uranium bombs on Iraqi towns where no tanks and no armored Iraqi vehicles existed. ”They changed the rules of engagement, and we went in and we shot everything that moved...that was an order given from our high command and in direct violation of the Geneva Convention”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
In 1998 a John Hopkins University study estimated that if cancers continued on the current curve, 44% of the population would develop it by 2000. The US has since dropped a further 2000-3000 more tons of depleted uranium (DU) which will mean a future generation of children born with birth defects.
Reconciliation
The buzzword is today “reconciliation” the theme is “accountability” and the pressure is on Sri Lanka from all corners – cooked up reports, books quoting from terrorist sources, funding of NGO spokesmen, former UN heads reversing and contradicting themselves, yet not a hum when Winston Churchill declared “We should never allow ourselves to apologize for what we did to Germany.” !
International justice simply does not exist; justice is when the perpetrator become the jury and judge as we see happening and the targets are Third World nations and their leaders. But some of these leaders are not helping the cause in the least. Though not puppet leaders, by virtue of the mismanagement and corrupt policies that they uphold they help these international criminals to bully the nations.
Leaders that defy the status quo end up assassinated like Patrice Lumumba and there are many such assassinations: the perpetrators have the audacity to talk human rights and freedoms and we listen and applaud them. Perhaps people remain still ignorant of the US and the West’s record.
If a foreign leader is branded or labeled, he is definitely on the list of being ousted, but then some of these leaders deserve what's coming but the tragedy is that they are pulling the innocent people of the country down with them and they have only themselves to blame.
Like it or not what post-colonial governments are guilty of is not following the indigenous pattern of culture that was the reason for the colonials to arrive and divide the people. So why did these native leaders turn away from what was good to adopt the Western style of rule that see hallmarks of division everywhere we turn. The rich-poor gap is widening, the debt of these Third World nations is rocketing, the rich are leading ultra-rich lives and the politicians don't care two hoots about people’s suffering while public servants meekly say “yes, sir” and do not even make any effort to think of ways that people’s burdens can be relieved.
The people do not get much in return for the people they vote into power and then the eagles await for the correct opportunity to take over.
The hour-glass appears to be fast closing in on us.
Lankaweb
April 20, 2013
UN silent on US/NATO crimes but goes after Third World nations and leaders
Shenali Waduge
====
The former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in an interview in 1998 summed up exactly what the US thinks of the UN : “The UN plays a very important role. But if we don’t like it, we always have the option of following our own national security interests, which I assure you we will do if we don’t like what’s going on.” That’s how the Gulf War happened in 1991, Iraq was invaded, the US/NATO bombed Serbia in 1999 and invaded Afghanistan in 2001.
Pentagon policy revealed to the media was that any strikes that result in 50 or more civilian deaths was “unavoidable collateral damage”. That means the US administration is well aware of targets and given its policy it simply excuses all civilian deaths above 50 as “collateral damage.” It is classified information as to whether this policy still continues. By virtue of this authorization the US is committing a crime and that crime is murder.
International justice simply does not exist; justice is when the perpetrator become the jury and judge as we see happening and the targets are Third World nations and their leaders.
====
The West has a history of invading nations, forcibly occupying them, plundering nations of their resources and saying thank you by designing systems that would keep people divided and dependent on them because they make the laws and they are the judges for the very crimes they have committed. For over 500 years nations were forcibly occupied and plundered – this was called colonialism. Country after country was forcibly invaded on the excuse of sheltering terrorists – this they called military intervention. The grounds for this have been subtly camouflaged in a theory approved by the UN called R2P [Responsibility to Protect]. To add to their list of crimes has been the assassination of leaders who are a threat to them and replacing them with puppets. The “Status of Forces Agreement” has guaranteed that US cannot be held accountable for their crimes in any country that the US has bases in. Are we wrong to accuse the West and with all the evidence
against the West for their crimes either direct or as covert operations while the UN is prepared to only hound the nations that the West are against and leaders that stand in the way of the West. Are we wrong to accuse the UN of being a puppet of the West and suggest an alternate organization for World Peace?
Not many countries can overthrow foreign governments and get away with it – the US can and they are masters at it.
Overt Military Interventions
· From 1798-2001 a total of 330 interventions (Congressional Research Service)
· From 1946-1975 a total 218 occasions where US used its armed forces “as a political instrument” (Force without war: US armed Forces as a Political Instrument – Blechman and Kaplan)
· From 1899 to 1990 – 60 Low Intensity Conflicts (LICs) – America’s Small Wars: Lessons for the Future, J M Collins.
· Since World War 2 the US has conventionally bombed 28 countries (William Blum – Rogue State)
· A total of 560 US covert military interventions have taken place between 1798-2008.
· 170 of these interventions was between 1798 to 1945.
· 390 military interventions between 1945 and 2008 – 391 with Libya.
· 20 million civilian deaths by US interventions
· In the past 40 years itself 6 million people are said to have been killed because of CIA secret wars. The 6 million dead belong to the Third World.
· Over 200 US military interventions in the Third World by the US.
· In the past 40 years all the “WARS” the US is involved in has been in the Third World with millions killed
· 60 countries have been victim of at least ONE MAJOR WAR since 1945 where an estimated 20 million people have died.
· There have been 200 proxy “undeclared wars” from World War 2 to 1980s in 80 countries with the involvement of armed forces of 90 states.
· Between 1869 and 1897 US sent warships into Latin American ports an unbelievable 5980 times
· From mid 19th century to 20th century US military had conquered all lands and original inhabitants to the western edge of its continent, stolen half of Mexico, invaded Korea, annexed Hawaii, conquered Philippines, Puerto Rico and Cuba.
· By 1930 US sent military gunboats to Latin America over 6000 times and invaded Cuba and Mexico once again, invaded Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Columbia and protracted wars in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Haiti – ALL these was to ensure US corporations and financial houses to dominate the economies of most of Mexico, Caribbean, Central America and much of South America.
US regime change – last 50 years
1963 – South Vietnam : CIA backs coup against President Ngo Dinh Diem of South Vietnam paying USD40,000 to kill him
1964 – Brazil : Democratic Government of President Goulart overthrown in March 1964
1966 – Ghana : overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah by the CIA because of his non-aligned Marxist economic perspective.
1970-3 – Chile : Marxist President Salvador Allende overthrown and murder planned by US with President Nixon personally authorizing $700,000 for the covert operation. General Pinochet took over on 1973 – US installs a dictator!
1979-89 – Afghanistan : Carter Doctrine that the US would not allow any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf. US armed Afghan insurgents provided weapons and training to the Mujahideens (an affiliated leader of whom was Osama bin Laden) to fight the Russians a covert operation costing over $3 billion.
1980 – Turkey : 3000 US troops landed before the 12 September coup.
1980-81 – Poland : US supports Solidarity movement
1981-90 – Nicaragua : CIA overthrows Sandinista government of Daniel Ortega through a group tasked to sabotage ports, refineries, boats and bridges/arming Contras despite Boland Amendment.
1980-95 – Cambodia : Reagan Doctrine of aiding anti-Soviet resistance movements abroad applied to Cambodia under Vietnam occupation following Khmer Rouge genocide.
1980s – Angola : Reagan administration helps anti-communist rebels led by Jonas Sayimbi who was supported by the Heritage Foundation. Savimbi was killed by Angolan military in February 2002.
1986 – Philippines : US pressurized President Marcos to step down and hand over power to Corazon Aquino
1992-1996 – Iraq : CIA indirectly supports sabotage campaigns between 1992 and 1995 but fails to topple Saddam Hussein.
2001 – Afghanistan : Plan to invade Afghanistan developed by CIA Special Activities Division on pretext of 9/11
2002-3 – Iraq : CIA Special Activities Division enter Iraq in July 2002 before the main invasion and prepare ground for the arrival of US special forces. Turkey bans use of US forces across its territory.
2002 – Venezuela : Coup and installing Pedro Carmona as President
2006 to present – Palestinian authority : Hamas and Fatah win 2006 election and form Palestinian Authority National Unity Government in 2007 headed by Ismail Haniya and takes control of Gaza Strip. Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization.
2006-2007 – Somalia : CIA funds coalition of anti-Islamic warlords
2005 to present – Iran : CIA authorized to undertake black operations against Iran $400m was authorized as covert operation to create unrest in Iran in 2007.
2011 – Libya : following Arab Spring overthrowing of rulers in Tunisia and Egypt, Libya was next target with US/NATO airstrikes, arming of rebels/mercenaries and killing of Gaddafi
2012 – Syria : President Obama authorizes to support regime change in Syria and overthrow Government of President Assad – rebels and mercenaries again being armed and trained.
Installing puppet states – is when sovereign states become controlled by foreign powers though externally it looks independent and acts independent the decisions that these leaders take are almost always taken on the instructions of the foreign powers ruling it from behind the scenes.
Origins of CIA
On 18 June 1948, US President Harry Truman signed the National Security Directive 10/2 (NSC-10/2) defining covert operations.
CIA – Central Intelligence Agency was created prior to this directive, answerable to the President through a National Security Council to carry out covert operations.
Their scope covers assassination attempts, government overthrows, paramilitary operations, concerted propaganda efforts, interference in free elections, economic destabilization campaigns.
1976 Church Committee Report on CIA activities published by US Sen. Frank Church stated from 1961 to 1974, 900 major and 3000 minor operations had been undertaken by CIA (President’s Secret Wars: CIA and Pentagon Covert Operations from World War 2 through the Persian Gulf – Prados)
Former CIA officer John Stockwell extrapolated in 1990 that the CIA had initiated and overseen about 3000 major and over 10,000 minor covert operations.
Pentagon acknowledges that there are Special Operations Forces deployed in missions across 200 plus nations. At virtually all these foreign missions are assigned CIA case officers working under the State Department cover.
US Government has provided both military and economic aid to more than 150 countries and protects the assets and operations of thousands of transnational corporations because it is their trillions of dollar investments that the US Government are looking after.
CIA’s 10,000 covert operations of which 3000 are major and have killed 6 million people has made the entire world unstable.
US and UN
In 2002 when the International Criminal Court was launched the US government did not take part nor did it ratify it.
US has also refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol on global warming.
US has withdrawn from 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
US walked out of the 1972 biological and toxic weapons convention.
US refused to comply with the Land Mine Treaty.
US has withdrawn from the International Conference on Racism.
When Jose Bustami, Director General of Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, offered membership to Iraq the Bush administration ousted him.
The former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in an interview in 1998 summed up exactly what the US thinks of the UN : “The UN plays a very important role. But if we don’t like it, we always have the option of following our own national security interests, which I assure you we will do if we don’t like what’s going on.” That’s how the Gulf War happened in 1991, Iraq was invaded, US/NATO bombed Serbia in 1999 and invaded Afghanistan in 2001.
Western Bases in Foreign Nations
US is said to have over 1000 foreign military bases in over 120 nations and territories.
US has 293 bases in Germany – why is it necessary for the US and UK to have bases in Germany or Japan 65 years after World War with over 70,000 US troops currently in Germany, more than 45,000 US soldiers in Japan and close to 30,000 US troops in South Korea?
The UK and France have a further 200 in their former colonies.
US personnel currently stationed number over 160,000 and excludes US personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Kwajalein Atoll. All bases function as storage facilities for weapons including nuclear arms, training, intelligence gathering; “Echelon” bases monitor all email, phone and data communication traffic; extra-judiciary transport, imprisonment and torture of which Guantanamo Bay is the best example.
US bases in Iraq (505) revealed only after US troops prepared to leave Iraq. Officially, we are told that the US has removed troops from Iraq but does this not include Department of Defense staff currently in Iraq? The bases in Afghanistan are over 1500 counting all the forward operating bases, checkpoints, mega-bases, military installations and other logistical support facilities. The number of US troops stands at over 100,000 if not more.
Why the US occupies Afghanistan
Not because of 9/11 or Osama – the hijackers were mostly Saudis.
The US occupies Afghanistan because it is a strategic hub in Central Asia. (Afghanistan borders the former Soviet Union, China and Iran.)
US is building a 1900km-long $8 billion oil and gas pipeline through Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
The entirety of US bases in Afghanistan are all located along the route of the gas/oil pipeline.
Afghanistan has over 1400 mineral outcroppings and 70 viable deposits worth over $1 trilion (including iron, Hajigak iron, coal, copper, cobalt, gold, lithium – raw material to make batteries for laptops and BlackBerrys).
The US government and business elites were well aware of Afghanistan’s mineral wealth and energy resources as far back as 1979 when it supported the Mujahideen “freedom fighters” which we know today as the Al Qaeda and Osama.
In 2001, before US occupation, opium production was 200 tons. By 2009 opium production had reached 6900 tons, generating cash earnings of more than $200 billion annually.
Opium production has increased by a staggering 3100% (from 185 tons before arrival of US in 2001 and now 5800 tons in 2011).
Afghanistan accounts for 90% of opium and cannabis supplies to the world.
Opium, morphine, cannabis, heroin, codeine, thebaine are all sought after by pharmaceutical companies.
Why the US invaded Iraq
The 9/11 attackers were not Iraqis nor had they links to Al Qaeda; neither did Iraq have WMDs, but Iraq was attacked.
The US attacked Iraq to secure 115 billion barrels of oil reserves! The US spends $900 billion per year on destruction when 49 million Americans live in poverty and 46 million depend on food stamps to survive and 4 million are homeless.
Collateral damage
New York Times reported in 2003 that US Secretary Rumsfeld personally approved over 50 US airstrikes in Iraq which killed many innocent Iraqi civilians.
Pentagon policy revealed to the media was that any strikes that result in 50 or more civilian deaths was “unavoidable collateral damage”. That means the US administration is well aware of targets and given its policy it simply excuses all civilian deaths above 50 as “collateral damage.” It is classified information as to whether this policy still continues. By virtue of this authorization the US is committing a crime and that crime is murder.
Sanctions
Former US Secretary of State Madeline Albright was asked about the deaths of Iraqi children (quoted as 500,000) and her response was, “I think this is a very hard choice, but the price – we think the price is worth it”
Use of nuclear and chemical weapons
The US used depleted uranium bombs on Iraqi towns where no tanks and no armored Iraqi vehicles existed. ”They changed the rules of engagement, and we went in and we shot everything that moved...that was an order given from our high command and in direct violation of the Geneva Convention”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
In 1998 a John Hopkins University study estimated that if cancers continued on the current curve, 44% of the population would develop it by 2000. The US has since dropped a further 2000-3000 more tons of depleted uranium (DU) which will mean a future generation of children born with birth defects.
Reconciliation
The buzzword is today “reconciliation” the theme is “accountability” and the pressure is on Sri Lanka from all corners – cooked up reports, books quoting from terrorist sources, funding of NGO spokesmen, former UN heads reversing and contradicting themselves, yet not a hum when Winston Churchill declared “We should never allow ourselves to apologize for what we did to Germany.” !
International justice simply does not exist; justice is when the perpetrator become the jury and judge as we see happening and the targets are Third World nations and their leaders. But some of these leaders are not helping the cause in the least. Though not puppet leaders, by virtue of the mismanagement and corrupt policies that they uphold they help these international criminals to bully the nations.
Leaders that defy the status quo end up assassinated like Patrice Lumumba and there are many such assassinations: the perpetrators have the audacity to talk human rights and freedoms and we listen and applaud them. Perhaps people remain still ignorant of the US and the West’s record.
If a foreign leader is branded or labeled, he is definitely on the list of being ousted, but then some of these leaders deserve what's coming but the tragedy is that they are pulling the innocent people of the country down with them and they have only themselves to blame.
Like it or not what post-colonial governments are guilty of is not following the indigenous pattern of culture that was the reason for the colonials to arrive and divide the people. So why did these native leaders turn away from what was good to adopt the Western style of rule that see hallmarks of division everywhere we turn. The rich-poor gap is widening, the debt of these Third World nations is rocketing, the rich are leading ultra-rich lives and the politicians don't care two hoots about people’s suffering while public servants meekly say “yes, sir” and do not even make any effort to think of ways that people’s burdens can be relieved.
The people do not get much in return for the people they vote into power and then the eagles await for the correct opportunity to take over.
The hour-glass appears to be fast closing in on us.
