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Washington’s War Crimes From Africa And The Middle
East To Ukraine
By Paul Craig Roberts at Information Clearing House
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A person might
think that revulsion in “the world community”
against Washington’s wanton slaughter of civilians
in eight countries would have led to War Crimes
Tribunal warrants issued for the arrest of
presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama and many officials
in their regimes. But the vocal part of “the world
community”–the West–has become inured to
Washington’s crimes against humanity and doesn’t
bother to protest. Indeed, many of these governments
are complicit in Washington’s crimes, and there
could just as well be arrest warrants for members of
European governments.
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The one
exception is Russia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of the Russian Federation has published a White Book
on violations of human rights and the rule of law in
Ukraine.
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Propagandized Americans think that all the
violations in Ukraine are made by Russians. The
White Book carefully and accurately documents
reported violations that occurred in Ukraine for
four months from December 2013 through March 2014.
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The White
Book is available
here:
You will not hear much or anything about it from the
presstitute US media, and it is unlikely to receive
much coverage in Europe. The facts are so greatly at
odds with the West’s position that the White Book is
a huge embarrassment to the West.
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The
slaughter of Ukrainians on Washington’s orders by
Washington’s stooge government in Kiev has worsened
considerably in the past three months, producing
more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees fleeing into
Russia for protection from strikes against civilian
housing from the air, artillery, and tanks.
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Every
effort by the Russian government to involve
Washington, the European Union, and Kiev in
negotiations to find a peaceful settlement has
failed.
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Washington
is not interested in a settlement. Disturbed by its
NATO vassals’ dependence on Russian energy and the
growing economic relationships between Russia and
Europe, Washington is at work through its Kiev proxy
murdering citizens in eastern and southern parts of
present-day Ukraine that once were part of Russia.
Washington has declared these civilians to be
“terrorists” and is trying to force Russia to
intervene militarily in order to protect them.
Russia’s protective intervention would then be
denounced by Washington as “invasion and
annexation.” Washington would use this propaganda,
which would blare from the Western media, to
pressure Europe to support Washington’s sanctions
against Russia. The sanctions would effectively
destroy the existing economic relationships between
Russia and Europe.
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Washington
has not had success in imposing sanctions, because,
although Washington’s European vassals, such as
Merkel, are willing, business interests in Germany,
France, and Italy stand opposed. Washington is
hoping that by forcing Russia to act, Washington can
sufficiently demonize Russia and silence the
European business interests with propaganda.
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To counter
Washington’s ploy, Putin had the Russian Duma
rescind his authority to send Russian forces into
Ukraine. Unlike the American presidents Clinton,
Bush, and Obama, Putin does not claim the authority
to use military forces without permission from the
legislature.
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Washington’s response to Putin’s stand down is to
increase the slaughter of civilians, all the while
denying that any such slaughter is occurring.
Washington is determined not to acknowledge the
existence of a slaughter for which it is
responsible, although everyone knows that Kiev would
not dare to take on Russia without Washington’s
backing.
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Putin’s bet
is that European business interests will prevail
over Washington’s European lap dogs. This is a
hopeful and optimistic bet, but Washington is
already at work to threaten and to undermine the
resistance of European business interests. Using
concocted charges, Washington has stolen $9 billion
from France’s largest bank for doing business with
countries disapproved by Washington. This was
Washington’s warning to European business to comply
with Washington’s sanctions. Washington even told
France that the fine would be rescinded or reduced
if France broke its contract with Russia to supply
two helicopter carriers. Other such moves against
European businesses are in the works. The purpose is
to intimidate European businesses from opposing
sanctions against Russia.
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Washington’s arrogance that Washington can decide
with whom a French bank can do business is
astonishing. It is even more astonishing that France
and the bank would accept such arrogance and
infringement of France’s sovereignty. France’s
acceptance of Washington’s hegemony shows that one
risk in Putin’s bet is that the bet assumes European
business interests can prevail over Washington’s
strategic interest.
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Another
risk in Putin’s bet is that by standing down and
tolerating Washington’s slaughter of civilians,
Putin is becoming complicit in Washington’s crimes
against humanity.
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The longer the slaughter goes on,
the more complicit the Russian government becomes.
Moreover, the passage of time allows Kiev to
increase its forces and NATO to supply these forces
with more deadly weapons. A Russian intervention,
which previously would have met with easy success,
becomes more costly and more drawn out as Kiev’s
forces increase.
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Washington’s puppet in Kiev has made it clear that
he is not going to accommodate any Russian interests
or any opposition of Ukrainian provinces to the
radical anti-Russian policies of Washington’s stooge
government. As Washington acknowledges no
responsibility whatsoever for the situation, how
long can Putin wait for Merkel or Hollande to break
ranks with Washington?
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Putin’s
alternative is to come to the defense of the
Ukrainians who are being attacked. Putin could
accept the requests of the rebellious provinces to
rejoin Russia as he did with Crimea, declare
Washington’s stooge, Petro Poroshenko, to be a war
criminal and issue a warrant for his arrest, and
send in the Russian military to face down the forces
sent by Kiev.
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Outside the
West, this would establish Putin as a defender of
human rights. Inside the West it would make it
completely clear to Washington’s European vassals
that the consequence of their alignment with
Washington is that they will be drawn into war with
Russia and, likely, also with China. Europeans have
nothing to gain from these wars.
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Sooner than
later Putin needs to realize that his reasonableness
is not reciprocated by Washington. Washington is
taking advantage of Putin’s reasonableness, and
Washington is pushing Russia harder.
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Putin has
done what he can to avoid conflict. Now he needs to
do the right thing, as he did in Georgia and Crimea.
_________________________________________________________
Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of
the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for
Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and
Creators Syndicate. He has had many university
appointments. His internet columns have attracted a
worldwide following. Roberts' latest books are
The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic
Dissolution of the West and
How America Was Lost.
