It's good to be back. A lot has happened since I last wrote an entry. Russia has come under increasing economic siege with an attack on the Ruble, and the crashing Energy prices engineered by an agreement between the US and Saudi Arabia. Russia struck a Gas Deal with Turkey aiming to punish Europe for it's subservience which had prevented the South Stream Deal from going through. The US launched a surprise deal as well opening diplomatic relations with Cuba. The US launched a dramatic attack in Chechnya and would clearly like to begin a third Chechen War in the new Year. The Civil War in Ukraine has escalated again after a long lull as Donetsk Airport was finally captured by the Novorossiyan armed Forces. A series of massive Ukraine counter attacks was foiled. Currently the NAF is on a counter offensive although they have so far made only minor advances. The Saudi King died today and Yemen recently had a successful rebellion which I don't have time to discuss except to say if only the Saudi Monarchy itself had ended. All I know about the new king is Pepe Escobar posted on his Facebook page that "Salman our new bastard is Practically demented. Really."
Then there was the string of Terror attacks first Canada then Australia then France. I'll discuss this first since just thinking about it makes my blood boil. Frankly I didn't look into the attacks themselves so I don't know whether they were blowback resulting from the fact that the west is supporting Terrorists in Syria, Iraq and indeed across Africa and Eurasia; or were they the results of actual planning by western intelligence agencies to drum up support for The war on terror 2.0 that the US began Last summer by bombing Iraq and Syria. The timing was suspicious I don't remember when 3 such high profile terror attacks happened so soon after each other. Interestingly the Paris attacks timing was after Hollande called for easing tensions with Russia and also after France voted to recognize Palestine. I'll leave it to others to obsess over every detail. Instead I'll talk about the Public response. In the case of the Charlie Hebdo attacks the response was so overblown as to be completely offensive to anyone not sharing the belief that European or American Life is vastly more valuable then the lives of everyone else on the planet. The sight of Netanyahu marching in triumphant solidarity with other terror sponsors through the streets of Paris was particularly disgusting. Israel murders journalists all the time and for years pro-Israeli pressure groups have sought to censor any criticism of Israel. Then there is France which is attempting to destroy it's former colony Syria. France, Britain, The US and Israel funnel money and weapons through their GCC allies like Saudi Arabia and Qatar to spread horror and terror throughout Syria year after year. If an attack like this happened in Syria with 12 people killed it would be a minor occurrence. Every day the people of Syria suffer numerous attacks while the west turns truth on it's head claiming these mass murderers are freedom fighters. Yet where are the marches to commemorate the more then hundred thousand people killed in Syria the millions turned into refugees. Instead the western world marches to support the right to publish offensive cartoons. Free speech is being willing to speak truth to power and is sorely lacking within the western media which seemingly gets worse with each passing year ever more Orwellian and disconnected from reality. According to William Blum Charlie Hebdo has supported every imperial war of the last 20 years. If the West had a free and open media people would instead be marching to demand the end of the funding of terror groups.
Russia has come under increasing economic siege. First there was a mysterious attack on the ruble. Unfortunately I'm no economist but it is quite interesting when the market usually seemingly a somewhat random chaotic beast suddenly shows that in fact it is controlled by a relatively small number of forces when it acts in a concerted attack like this. It's also revealing that this never seems to happen for any good purpose. For example during the periodic economic crises there is seemingly nothing anyone can do, but when it comes to launching an attack on the Russian Ruble suddenly "the Market" can seemingly be told what to do. Less Mysterious is the deal Kerry made with Saudi Arabia to flood the world with cheap oil. This had the added bonus of harming Iran and Venezuela as well as Russia. Mahdi Nazemroaya wrote a fascinating account of the manipulation of oil prices in the 80's and 90's that first destabilized eastern Europe (then allied with the USSR) with high oil prices then in the late 80's and early 90's targeted the USSR, Iraq and Iran with low oil prices. In this case however the low oil prices could damage the profitability of US oil companies who had been planning on expanding it's fracking in the US, Poland and Ukraine including the Areas of former eastern Ukraine now Novorossiya which are not coincidentally being targeted with Ethnic cleansing. Sort of a weird Paradox as one of the factors behind launching the Ukraine Civil war was to seize the shale gas fields in the East for Chevron, and Biden's Party loving son Hunter. That plan will have to be abandoned if Oil prices continue to fall a result of a strategy to punish Russia for interfering in Ukraine. Another reason this war is Insane and pointless from a western perspective. They wanted Crimea so they could dominate the Black Sea that was foiled when Crimea with Russian support Seceded. Now the Ukraine's Shale gas fields will cease to be a profitable opportunity so long as Energy prices remain low. Ukraine won't be joining NATO or the EU anytime soon either. So like most US strategies the only real success was in creating war and the possibility of Future wars. On the Russian side the question is if the Russian people will be able to maintain a stoic resistance in the face of the economic hardship that may result from western attempts to wreck their economy. Also whether the Russian economy can be successfully altered to make it more self sufficient in order to resist the economic war being waged upon them.
Russia attempted to counter the effect of the sanctions and compensate for their increasing isolation from Europe by signing huge business deals. They finalized a huge agreement with the Chinese for a massive gas Pipeline. They also made a huge deal with India to build nuclear reactors. Finally they announced the cancelation of the south stream gas pipeline and the announcement of a new pipeline to Turkey. Despite Turkey's sinister role in Syria on behalf of the west apparently Erdogan is far more independent then his European peers who have shown a shameful subservience and disregard for their own interests throughout the Ukraine war. Apparently Turkey is willing to offend it's longtime ally the US in pursuit of it's goal of becoming a major regional energy hub. However it is a strange alliance considering they are both on opposite sides in the war on Syria. Overall clearly attempts to Isolate Russia have not been wholly successful. In addition many observers have noted that this so called turk stream project could evolve into a new south stream serving eastern Europe. One thing to keep in mind as Pepe Escobar readers have learned over the years is that these Pipeline projects are always very unpredictable constantly being announced, delayed, canceled, and reborn in altered forms.
The US had a surprise of it's own announcing that it was opening diplomatic relations with Cuba after more then 50 Years. This could only provoke a mixed reaction. On the one hand there is the hope that the US may end it's embargo. However that would require congress to approve and they recently demonstrated their collective insanity once again by voting unanimously to put sanctions on Venezuela. Thus I don't know if Cuba will actually receive any benefit and Obama made it clear that America would be engaging in some of it's infamous two track diplomacy in public willing to bargain with the Cubans while secretly also trying to overthrow the government. Still it is also a victory for the Cubans who didn't make any concessions in return. Although there is serious cause for concern that America will attempt a color revolution in Cuba we should keep in mind that the Cubans have survived 50 years of Economic War, Destabilization attempts, Covert war, sabotage and Terrorism. Thus they are no fools and know full well the US is not to be trusted. They have more experience with US regime change attempts then anyone. Hopefully they will be able to stop any attempts to launch a counter revolution. Cuba must survive a beacon of independence and hope to the world.
Last December an attack took place in Grozny, the capitol of Chechnya when a group of terrorists seized government buildings after they were discovered at a checkpoint and got into a shootout with Police. Luckily the buildings were abandoned since one of them was a school. Eventually all the terrorists were killed although 14 police were killed in the process. The attack was timed to embarrass Putin on the eve of his speech to the Kremlin and those familiar with the region assume it was a typical Gladio B style operation undertaken on behalf of the US and NATO. In fact the US practically signed the attack when Strobe Talbot bragged publicly that there would be a third Chechen War in 2015. However having lived through two Chechen Wars already the majority of the Chechen people are unlikely to join yet another insurgency after living in the failed state that resulted after Chechnya achieved defacto independence during the Yeltsin Years. Nor do they want to go through another brutal war to restore order like the second Chechen war. Thus I'm skeptical whether there will be a third Chechen war whatever the US has planned. Ramzan Kadyrov Struck back for the attack in two interesting ways. After the attack Some in the Ukrainian Rada (Parliament) applauded the attack. Ukrainian Fascists actually fought alongside the Chechen terrorists in the 2 Chechen wars most infamously Yarosh and the now dead Muzychko famous for their love of torturing captured Russian POWS to death. Actually this is quite an interesting topic some of the Ukrainian fascists have been doing NATO's dirty work for some 20 years in the UNA-UPSD. Slaughtering civilians in Transdniester, fighting in the balkans and in Georgia. In any case in response to the Rada deputies demands that Ukraine should do more to fund terror in Chechnya he charged them with aiding terrorists. He charged Yuri Beryoza, Andrei Levub, And Igor Mosiychuk with providing material/moral support for terrorism. More ominously for Ukraine he announced the creation of a 20,000 strong force of volunteers willing to fight anywhere they are needed to defend Russia. Obviously this has implications for the war in Ukraine where volunteers from Russia have joined the Novorossiyan forces some of whom are "advisers" who have provided invaluable training and intelligence. Actually Chechen volunteers are already fighting on both sides the Al Qaeda types have joined the Fascist Kiev side while Kadyrov supporters have joined the Novorossiyan side. Kadyrov's volunteers could play a valuable role in aiding Novorossiya in the future. There are many other places they might be deployed as well especially in central Asia and the Caucuses. Sibel Edmonds has warned that tensions are likely to increase between Georgia and Russia this year.
After months of fighting and after months of false claims of victory from both sides the NAF (the Novorossiyan Armed Forces) finally managed to eject the UA (Ukrainian army) from the airport. For the Ukrainians it was a major psychological blow as they had dubbed their forces Cyborgs for their ability to resist the assault. For Donetsk it was a major symbolic victory as the forces of the airport were hated for shelling the city throughout the so called "CeaseFire" Ukraine made some disastrous attempts to recapture or as they falsely claimed reinforce or rescue the airports now nonexistent defenders. Hundreds of UA forces were killed in the assault. The NAF managed to capture a Colonel and some troops which they paraded in front of the TV cameras and even in Donetsk itself where they were attacked by an angry mob of civilians with angry Grandmas leading the charge. It was not a pretty picture but neither are all those ugly pictures of civilians killed in the constant shelling. Unfortunately capturing the airport only seemed to lead to an increase in shelling in revenge. Kiev even sent bombing raids which they haven't done much of since the NAF destroyed the Ukrainian Air Force last summer. DPR PM Zhakharchenko announced a counter-Offensive aimed at forcing the artillery out of range of the city and at liberating more territory. Unfortunately the UA had plenty of time to dig in during the Ceasefire and advances have so far been slow. However given that they managed to completely smash the UA counter-Offensive the NAF can claim victory in the first round of the renewed fighting. However it is clear that the fighting has only just begun. I can only hope that the NAF will eventually be able to replicate the successes of last year and they will be able to Liberate more territory from Fascist Occupation.
Meanwhile in Kiev a Surreal form of Nationalist hypocrisy was on display. Ukraine is waging war on it's own citizens in the name of purifying Ukraine from the "Moskals" one of many racial slurs for Russians popular in Ukraine. However while waging an insane ethnic cleansing plan against ethnic Russians and indeed all Russian cultural influence the Kiev regime passed a law to allow foreigners to join their government so that they could hire a bunch of foreign experts no doubt handpicked in Washington for their government. Given the corruption and incompetence of the Kiev junta I Guess it makes sense from a practical perspective. Although given Washington's taste in stooges you can be sure that these imports will no doubt be equally corrupt and incompetent. In fact one of them already has had a scandal for giving his mistress a job, while his mistress another official in the Interior ministry (in charge of security) posted a picture of herself flashing her privates paris hilton style. It certainly highlights the delusional nature of Ukrainian politics willing to spill endless blood to remove all trace and memory of their relationship to Russia while at the same time eager to throw itself subserviently under the domination of the EU and above all the US. Their nationalism seems to contain an element of self hatred and is a cynical ploy to cover the fact that Ukraine is becoming another western Neo-Colony/Failed state like Iraq was. The Capture of the Airport revealed yet again the strong involvement of the west in the conflict as a bunch of expensive weaponry from NATO countries was found which the NAF claimed proved that special forces from NATO countries and/or western Mercenaries were among the forces there. At the very least it showed that NATO countries were covertly supplying weapons to the forces which had been terrorizing the populace for months. Meanwhile the western press cynically ignores the whole thing. Apparently even some European lives are as expendable as Arabs or Africans and Poroshenko also marched proudly through the streets of Paris crying crocodile tears over 12 dead Frenchmen when he had killed thousands of his former citizens. Like Netanyahu many journalists have been killed under his watch.
2015 promises to be yet another year of War and bloodshed as America's seemingly endless long war continues. There will be continued attempts to destroy the gains made by Revolutions in Cuba and Venezuela. There will be an expanded War in Syria and Iraq as America pretends to fight forces it secretly funds while attempting to balkanize Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. It will keep increasing tensions in the Asia-Pacific region with China and North Korea. It will try to force Europe and Asia to sign it's newest free trade agreements. It will continue waging proxy wars on Russia and China targeting China's Xinjiang region and trying to destabilize the Chechnya and Dagestan regions of Russia. It may try to start another Georgian war. In other words it will spread war and poverty across the globe. But all over the world the desire to resist will also increase. By allying with violent fanatics in Syria, and Genocidal fascists in Ukraine the Empire reveals it's true nature to the world. I look forward to another year exposing the crimes of the Empire and Celebrating those brave enough to resist it.
Sources
Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya wrote some great articles on the Economic War on Russia
http://www.globalresearch.ca/oil-prices-and-energy-wars-the-u-s-empire-of-frack-versus-russia/5418051
http://www.globalresearch.ca/from-energy-war-to-currency-war-americas-attack-on-the-russian-ruble/5421554
Pepe Escobar wrote a great on Article on Saudi Arabia Oil price manipulation, and future after the kings death which he wrote more then a week before the king actually died.
http://rt.com/op-edge/223283-saudi-oil--price-history/
A great account in Christoph Germann's New Great Game round up of the attack on Grozny
http://www.christophgermann.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-new-great-game-round-up-78.html
And a new great game round up on Ramzan Kadyrov's army of 20,000 volunteers
http://www.christophgermann.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-new-great-game-round-up-81.html
A great attack on the Charlie Hebdo Hysteria
https://libya360.wordpress.com/2015/01/14/unitymarch-should-have-been-a-perpetrators-walk-to-the-hague/
The Latest military update From Col. Cassad Which thankfully has returned since the war in Ukraine heated up
http://cassad-eng.livejournal.com/111020.html
And Slavyangrad has also returned here is an account of a bombing in Gorlovka
http://slavyangrad.org/2015/01/22/massed-air-raid-on-gorlovka/
Also Check out the Kazzura You Tube channel they provide English subtitles for footage coming out of novorossiya and I've read more then a couple articles on Ukraine of late relied heavily on their content I definitely recommend you subscribe.
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