Thursday, October 27, 2016

NATO’s ‘force projection’ on Russia’s doorstep undermines European security – Moscow

The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Carney sets sail in the Bosphorus, on its way to the Black Sea, in Istanbul, Turkey, October 24, 2016. © /Murad Sezer
NATO’s activities are clearly aimed at “military force projection” in the Black Sea and Eastern Europe and have no “anti-terrorism value” whatsoever, according to Russia’s Permanent Representative to the alliance, who promised the moves won’t stay unanswered.
The biggest military buildup along Russia’s borders since the Cold War by the supposedly defensive alliance is not bolstering European security, but is instead creating additional “obvious risks” for it, Aleksandr Grushko said on Thursday, following the Wednesday meeting of the alliance’s defense ministers in Brussels.
“Military specialists from the alliance’s member states are implementing the decisions of the Warsaw summit [in July] and are fulfilling their confrontational schemes of military planning and military preparations in the territories along our borders,” the Russian diplomat said. “Thus, as part of reinforcing the so-called eastern flank of the alliance, it is forming battalion-level reinforced multinational contingents which will be deployed in the Baltic countries and Poland in early 2017. Moreover, they consider deployment of some ‘framework’ brigade in Romania, and some specific options for enlarging NATO’s presence in the Black Sea.”
Such actions put at risk the viability of Russia-NATO Founding Act, according to Grushko.
“NATO and primarily the United States are actively reclaiming the aquatorium of the Black Sea with their multifunctional combat platforms having a serious offensive and anti-missile potential,” while “intimidating the public with movements of Russian ships in the international waters,” said Grushko.
The ongoing cruise of the Russian Northern Fleet’s naval group, including Russia’s only aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, has caused an unprecedented hysteria in NATO military circles and sent media into a spin. For example, some unnamed senior NATO diplomat somehow deducted that Russia has “deployed all of the Northern fleet and much of the Baltic fleet in the largest surface deployment since the end of the Cold War,” as reported by Reuters. Some European states even promised to “intercept” the flotilla.
The Russian Navy group is travelling for the eastern Mediterranean to “ensure naval presence” and pay “particular attention to ensuring the safety of maritime navigation and other maritime economic activities of the Russian Federation, as well as respond to new types of modern threats such as piracy and international terrorism,” the Russian Navy said in an official statement.
Meanwhile, NATO’s military activities in the Black Sea region, are a clear “projection of force” and do not have any value for “carrying out anti-terrorist missions,” according to Grushko.
“Apart from that, they are making front-rank stockpiles of weapons and hardware in Eastern Europe region, modernizing infrastructure for deployment of large army units, conducting an endless chain of drills – both ground, sea and air – right at the Russian borders,” said Grushko.
NATO activities in the region won’t stay unanswered, the Russian diplomat said.
“So, a question arises: What’s next? A new wave of NATO’s speculations about the ‘Russian threat’ and a new round of arms race?” Grushko wondered. “We believe this is a road to nowhere.”
https://www.rt.com/news/364486-nato-russia-black-sea/

Moscow aims to host ‘meaningful’ Israeli-Palestinian talks

© Mohamad Torokman
An Israeli-Palestinian summit in Moscow would be a “thoroughly prepared” event aimed at reviving the reconciliation process, rather than yet another meeting for the sole purpose of holding talks, the Russian Foreign Ministry says.
Moscow is continuing consultations with both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but does not “force” the events, because the revival of reconciliation talks is a “sensitive matter,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told TASS upon his return from Israel on Thursday.
“This issue is very sensitive for the both sides. That’s why we’re currently undergoing the process of preparations and coordination with both sides. So far it happens through diplomatic contacts,”Gatilov said.
Both sides have previously expressed support of Russia's position on the matter, as well as approval of Moscow's diplomatic actions to revive talks.
“They [Palestine and Israel] approve our idea in principle. But still, we’re not trying to force this event...it should be done at the right time. This meeting must be thoroughly prepared, so it won’t turn out to be just a meeting for a meeting.”
The Israelis “are very alarmed and do not want the Israeli-Palestine conflict internationalized,” Gatilov told Russian media. Any possible “Security Council-level” actions must be cautious enough to “not undermine the possibility of a revival in bilateral talks,” the Russian diplomat warned.
“There’s an idea on a [UN] resolution on the settlements. There’s an initiative and a League of Arab States' decision on this matter. In fact, not all Arab states unanimously support such a resolution; many understand the sensitivity of this matter. Personally, I think that a resolution won’t be approved in a forced manner,” Gatilov said.
Relations between the Jewish state and the Palestinians remain extremely tense. Construction of illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian land is continuing, while the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) regularly invade and bomb what they claim are terrorist targets in Gaza. There has been a surge in stabbing attacks against Israelis by radicalized Arabs, and occasional missile launches into Israeli territory.
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been at a standstill for two years, following failed US efforts. The two sides stopped the talks after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas forged an unexpected pact with Hamas, which Israel considers to be a terrorist organization. Since then, both Russia and France have offered to host peace talks.
Both sides of the conflict have expressed readiness to revive bilateral talks on reconciliation. There has been no concrete decision reached so far, however, with both parties blaming each other for failing to resume discussions.
https://www.rt.com/news/364498-israel-palestine-meaningful-talks-moscow/

School in Syria’s Idlib province not hit by airstrike, drone photos show – Russian MoD

© Russian Defense Ministry
The Russian Defense Ministry says that it dispatched a drone to analyze the site of Wednesday’s alleged bombing of a school in Idlib, Syria. The ministry says that the aircraft spotted no evidence of airstrikes, and accused the White Helmets of faking digital images of the attack.
“On Thursday, a Russian UAV was directed to the area, to conduct detailed digital photography,” said a statement from Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov. “As can be seen from the photos taken by the drone, there are no signs of damage to the roof of the school, or craters from airstrikes around it.”
“We have analyzed the photo and video ‘evidence’ of the supposed attack. The video published in a range of Western media outlets appears to consist of more than 10 different shots, filmed at different times of the day, and in different resolutions that were edited into a single clip,” continued Konashenkov.
“The photograph published by AFP shows that only one wall of the school is damaged, and all the desks inside the classroom are in place. The outer fence seen through the hole has no traces of damage from bomb fragments. In a genuine airstrike this is physically impossible – the furniture would have been swept away by the blast wave, and there would have been damage marks on the classroom wall and the outer fence.”
© Omar Haj Kadour
The Moscow official said that the findings of the Russian drone could be verified by the American side, as during its photo mission, a US MQ-1B Predator UAV was in the same area.
Konashenkov also added that it is an “indisputable fact” that no Russian Air Force plane was present in the airspace in the vicinity of the school on the morning of the supposed attack.
The attack was first reported by the controversial two-man, London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Civil Defense Network, also known as the White Helmets, which claimed that 22 children and six teachers died in an aerial assault on Wednesday morning.
Later the same day, Anthony Lake, executive director of UNICEF, called the incident a “tragedy” and an “outrage,” and said that “if deliberate” it amounted to a “war crime.”
“Our evidence points to UNICEF falling victim to another scam from the White Helmet fraudsters. Before making resonant statements, UNICEF should check its sources more carefully, to protect the reputation of the respected organization,”continued Konashenkov.
The White Helmets is a Western-funded volunteer civil defense body that operates in Syria. Its official mission is to offer first aid to victims of bombings, but Syrian and Russian authorities have accused the White Helmets of spreading anti-government propaganda, and of close ties with Islamist rebels.
© Russian Defense Ministry

France, US accused Russia and Assad of bombing

Despite an absence of independent verification of Wednesday’s incident, several leading Western powers were quick to pin the blame on Moscow or Damascus.
"We don't know yet that it was the Assad regime or the Russians that carried out the air strike, but we know it was one of the two," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said during a press briefing in Washington on Thursday. "Even if it was the Assad regime that carried it out, the Assad regime is only in a position to carry out those kind of attacks because they are supported by the Russian government."
"Who is responsible? In any case it is not the opposition because you need planes to launch bombs. It's either the Syrians – the regime of Assad – or the Russians," French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told the media in Paris. "It's yet another demonstration of the horror of this war, which is a war against the Syrian people, which we cannot accept."
In recent weeks, both France and the US have leveled the accusations of war crimes against Bashar Assad and the Russian military, particularly in relation to events in Aleppo, where a multi-faction battle continues to rage.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was "appalled" by the reported incident and called for "an immediate and impartial investigation of all attacks against civilians," his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, as cited by Reuters.
Before Thursday’s revelations from the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian officials have also publicly supported a full inquiry into the school attack, while denying any responsibility. https://www.rt.com/news/364454-russia-idlib-school-comment/
Vier interessante Beiträge zu Geopolitik, USA, Mainstream-Medien und Syrien


Willy Wimmer wurde am 25.10.16  im Moskauer Studio des Fernsehkanals Rossija 24 interviewt:  

Rainer Rupp über: Trump, Joe-Sixpack, Militärisch-Industrieller-Komplex, Islamisierter-Finanz-Komplex usw.  

Geopolitische Propaganda im öffentlichen Rundfunk; eine Analyse am Beispiel des SRF.
Im Anhang: srf-propaganda-analyse-2016-mt.pdf    

Diese Ausnahme bestätigt die Regel; Präsident Assad im SRF Interview:

"Souveränitat! Nicht länger als „trojanischer Esel des Pentagon“ missbrauchen lassen" Hochhuth


Wir dürfen uns nicht länger als „trojanischer Esel des Pentagon“ missbrauchen lassen, so Hochhuth, sondern müssen auf Souveränität dringen.
Die Logik des Herrn Hochhuth ist  einleuchtend. Warum schaffen «wir» das denn nicht?
Beste Grüsse
Willy Wahl




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Bereits in der 2. Auflage: "Ausstieg aus der NATO - oder Finis Germaniae" von Rolf Hochhuth





Mit seinem jüngsten Einwurf sorgt der weltbekannte Dramatiker Rolf Hochhuth einmal mehr für Aufsehen. Deutschland dürfe sich an der wieder aufflammenden Kriegstreiberei nicht beteiligen, es muss vielmehr ein klares Zeichen setzen, und das heißt: Raus aus der NATO! Das „Verteidigungsbündnis“ sei Geschichte, nun müsse man sich engagiert um Frieden bemühen, gerade mit dem Nachbarn Russland. Denn aufgrund der hierzulande stationierten US-Kernwaffen steht explizit Deutschland im Visier des Kreml. Wir dürfen uns nicht länger als „trojanischer Esel des Pentagon“ missbrauchen lassen, so Hochhuth, sondern müssen auf Souveränität dringen.Rolf Hochhuth: Ausstieg aus de NATO - oder Finis Germaniae
Hochhuths Anliegen liefert eine hochaktuelle, ja längst überfällige Diskussionsvorlage, zumal sich einer neuen Forsa-Umfrage zufolge 85 % der Bundesbürger für einen Abzug resp. ein Verbot der auf deutschem Boden gelagerten Atomwaffen ausgesprochen hatte.
Das ist indes nur eines von vielen Themen im Buch, welches auch messerscharfe Analysen und Betrachtungen der letzten Jahre aufgreift, die in nichts an Aktualität eingebüßt haben. So etwa der Verfall kultureller Werte oder der Niedergang der Demokratie – letztlich ein Appell an die abhanden gekommene Zivilcourage, die Hochhuth schmerzlich vermisst.
Neben Gesellschaftskritischem erhält aber auch das Schöne in Form erotischer Liebeslyrik seinen Platz – und selbst hier darf die provokante Note nicht fehlen.
„Natürlich weiß ich inzwischen, daß Hochhuth der wichtigste und wahrscheinlich mutigste Autor seiner Zeit war.“ (Hellmuth Karasek in „Karambolagen“, 2002).
→ Rolf Hochhuth: Ausstieg aus der NATO - oder Finis Germaniae. Katastrophen und Oasen. Eassays, Briefe, Gedichte. Sachbuch, gebunden mit Schutzumschlag, 312 Seiten, 33 Abb., ISBN 978-3-943007-11-4, 24,80 €
Versandkostenfrei bestellbar über unseren Verlag oder beim Buchhändler Ihres Vertrauens.


 




Debatte: Hochhuth über sein aktuelles Buch





Ins deutsche Fernsehen wurde der sonst so gerne gesehene Rolf Hochhuth zu seinem diskussionswürdigsten Anliegen, dem NATO-Ausstieg Deutschlands, bislang nicht eingeladen. Auch in die großen Gazetten und Nachrichtenmagazine hat es sein Buch nicht geschafft. Etwa weil es nicht in die herrschende Agenda passt?
Umso gefragter war er bei reichweitenstarken Internetmedien, so etwa bei KenFm, wo ein umfassendes und zugleich spannendes Interview erschien: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6YRYv9KVE0. Die schnellsten wiederum waren SputnikNews, die schon kurz nach Erscheinen des Werkes einen treffenden Gesprächsbeitrag im Netz publizierten. Und eben erst veröffentlicht wurde der Mitschnitt eines Gesprächs anlässlich Hochhuths jüngstem Auftritt beim Aktionsradius in Wien.
Weitere Interviews und Stimmen zum Buch finden Sie hier und auf der Facebook-Seite des Buches.


 




"Raus aus der NATO!" – neue Kampagne der Friedensbewegung





Mit ihrer jüngsten Kampagne „Raus aus der NATO!“ möchten zahlreiche Aktive von Friedensbewegung.info auf die bedenkliche Entwicklung der NATO vom Verteidigungsbündnis hin zu einer „aggressiven imperialistischen Institution“aufmerksam machen. Zahlreiche Prominente unterstützen die Aktion, so etwa der Friedensforscher Dr. Daniele Ganser, die Publizistin Evelyn Hecht-Galinski, der Jurist Dr. Wolfgang Bittner, der Geopolitik-Experte Dr. Rainer Rothfuß, der Journalist Rainer Kahni oder eben unser Autor Rolf Hochhuth.
Helfen Sie mit, die Kampagne zu einem Erfolg zu machen, in dem Sie diese Informationen oder am besten den ganzen Newsletter an Freunde und Bekannte weiterleiten oder den/die Banner in Ihre Homepage einbinden!