NATO Head Stokes Tensions with Russia

by Stephen Lendman

America dominates NATO. The alliance serves its imperial interests. Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg speaks for Washington.

On October 26, at a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, Russia was a key topic. Stoltenberg's hostile comments contribute to heightened East/West tensions.

"Close to our borders, Russia continues its assertive military posturing, including with massive, non-notice exercises," he blustered.

"This month alone, Russia has deployed nuclear-capable Iskander missiles to Kaliningrad and suspended a weapons-grade plutonium agreement with the United States."

"And Russia continues to destabilize eastern Ukraine with military and financial support for the separatists."

Fact: US-led NATO's provocative encroachment near Russia's border is hugely destabilizing.

Fact: Russia conducts military exercises like numerous other countries, especially NATO ones. They're solely for self-defense, a natural response to US-led Western provocations.

Fact: Russia forthrightly supports resolving Ukraine's conflict diplomatically, seeking stability and peace in its neighboring country.

Stoltenberg: "…Russia's continued support for the Assad regime in Syria is also deeply troubling. Russia has resumed the bombing of Aleppo which is exacerbating a humanitarian catastrophe."

"Men, women and children are dying every day. Killed by disgraceful attacks on their homes and even their hospitals."

"I call on Russia to show real efforts to restore a cessation of hostilities and allow humanitarian access to Aleppo."

"The deployment of the Kuznetsov carrier group to the Eastern Mediterranean raises concerns that these assaults could increase. We need to see an end to indiscriminate attacks."

Fact: Obama's war on Syria, allied with rogue partners, using ISIS and other terrorist groups as imperial foot soldiers, bears full responsibility for ravaging and destroying the Syrian Arab Republic, wanting US-controlled puppet governance replacing Assad's legitimate leadership.

Fact: In September 2015, Russia began combating the scourge of US created and supported terrorism at the behest of Syria's government - a vital intervention to eliminate its scourge and defeat the aims of its foreign backers.

Fact: Its aerial operations scrupulously avoid killing noncombatants. Pentagon and "coalition" warplanes slaughter them indiscriminately.

Fact: According to senior Syrian official Mohammad Khalaf Qaandil, US-led "coalition" airstrikes on Syria, over the past two years, killed over 5,000 civilians, along with inflicting "heavy losses on the Syrian army." 

Fact: Media scoundrels ignore the slaughter, disgracefully blaming Moscow and Damascus for Western high crimes.

Fact: On October 18, Russian and Syrian warplanes halted bombing eastern Aleppo, their aerial operations ongoing outside the city. Stoltenberg lied claiming otherwise.

Fact: Assault aircraft aboard the Kuznetsov will likely be used for anti-terrorist operations as needed.

Fact: Russia's UN envoy Vitaly Churkin accused UN authorities of "not properly work(ing) out an operation to evacuate the sick and wounded" from eastern Aleppo.

"External patrons of entrenched groups in eastern Aleppo could not or did not want to positively influence the fighters and convince them to stop the shooting, to release civilians or leave the city themselves."

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is a longtime US imperial tool, violating the mandate he's sworn to observe, supporting its wars of aggression, ignoring its high crimes, blaming victims instead of going all-out to help them.

On Wednesday, Reuters headlined "Britain, US sending planes, troops to deter Russia in the east." They'll be deployed to Romania and Poland as part of "NATO's biggest military buildup on Russia's borders since the Cold War."

Other alliance members pledged forces, including Britain, France, Germany and Canada. US secretary of war Ashton Carter said a "battle-ready battalion task force" of about 900 soldiers will be deployed to eastern Poland to supplement thousands of other heavily armed US forces already encroaching provocatively close to Russia's border.

Escalating US-led provocations in Eastern Europe, Syria and elsewhere up the stakes hugely for eventual East/West confrontation - potential nuclear war able to kill us all.

Humanity's survival is up for grabs once war goddess Hillary succeeds Obama next year - likely certain by electoral rigging.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

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