"If you repeat a lie often enough, it
becomes the truth.”
- Joseph Goebbels (Hitler’s Propaganda Minister)
This is obviously the inspiration behind the campaign of lies by Western political leaders and their 'news' media.
Russia demands publication of
recordings from downed flight MH17
By Mark Trevelyan
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is
demanding to know why international investigators have yet to publish the black
box data from a Malaysian airliner that was shot down over eastern Ukraine in July, a deputy defense minister
said in an interview published on Saturday.
Moscow blames
Ukraine for the disaster, in which all 298 passengers and crew were killed. In
a version of events widely believed in the West, Ukraine says the Boeing 777 was shot down by pro-Russian
separatists with a surface-to-air missile.
"The
Boeing catastrophe throws up more and more questions. But lately not many people
are talking about this," Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov told RIA news agency.
"Why have the data still
not been published about the conversations between the air traffic controllers
and the pilots of the Boeing? Why haven't the data been presented from the
international investigation of the black boxes? Who doesn't want this to
happen?"
...Antonov said Russia had
established that a Ukrainian Su-25 military aircraft was in the vicinity of the
Malaysian airliner.
"Where is the transcript
of the recordings of conversations between the pilot of this plane and his
command? How did a military aircraft come to be alongside a civilian one?
"If
people are saying today that a rocket was fired from the ground towards that
military plane, then I'd like to look that military pilot in the eye who used a
civilian plane as cover, if of course that's what happened," Antonov said.
His
comments appeared to allow for the possibility that rebels might have downed
the airliner in a failed attempt to hit a Ukrainian military plane, although he
said these were only "working versions" of what may have happened.
Antonov
said his ministry was pressing for answers about the tragedy from the United
States, Ukraine and European countries.
He
reiterated Russia's denials of military intervention in Ukraine: "When
people say today that Russia has launched aggression or war against Ukraine,
that is all nonsense."
(Editing
by Mark Heinrich)
Dutch Intellectuals Apologize to Putin for Lies on MH17, Syria, Ukraine...
"...Please accept our apologies on behalf of a great many people here in the Netherlands for our Government and our Media. The facts concerning MH17 are twisted to defame you and your country..."
| Dutch Intellectuals Apologize to Putin for Lies on MH17, Syria, Ukraine... |
| Wednesday, 27 August 2014 | |
A letter sent by a prominent Dutch Professor to Russian president Vladimir Putin has attracted much media attention in Europe. The letter was written by Professor Cees Hamelink and signed by dozens of Dutch intellectuals and professors.
Below is the letter in its entirety.
Dear Mr. President Putin,
Please accept our apologies on behalf of a great many people here in the Netherlands for our Government and our Media. The facts concerning MH17 are twisted to defame you and your country. We are powerless onlookers, as we witness how the Western Nations, led by the United States, accuse Russia of crimes they commit themselves more than anybody else. We reject the double standards that are used for Russia and the West. In our societies, sufficient evidence is required for a conviction. The way you and your Nation are convicted for 'crimes' without evidence, is ruthless and despicable. You have saved us from a conflict in Syria that could have escalated into a World War. The mass killing of innocent Syrian civilians through gassing by ‘Al-‐Qaeda’ terrorists, trained and armed by the US and paid for by Saudi Arabia, was blamed on Assad. In doing so, the West hoped public opinion would turn against Assad, paving the way for an attack on Syria. Not long after this, Western forces have built up, trained and armed an ‘opposition’ in the Ukraine, to prepare a coup against the legitimate Government in Kiev. The putschists taking over were quickly recognized by Western Governments. They were provided with loans from our tax money to prop their new Government up. The people of the Crimea did not agree with this and showed this with peaceful demonstrations. Anonymous snipers and violence by Ukrainian troops turned these demonstrations into demands for independence from Kiev. Whether you support these separatist movements is immaterial, considering the blatant Imperialism of the West. Russia is wrongly accused, without evidence or investigation, of delivering the weapons systems that allegedly brought down MH17. For this reason Western Governments claim they have a right to economically pressure Russia. We, awake citizens of the West, who see the lies and machinations of our Governments, wish to offer you our apologies for what is done in our name. It’s unfortunately true, that our media have lost all independence and are just mouthpieces for the Powers that Be. Because of this, Western people tend to have a warped view of reality and are unable to hold their politicians to account.
Our hopes are focused on your wisdom. We want Peace. We see that Western Governments do not serve the people but are working towards a New World Order. The destruction of sovereign nations and the killing of millions of innocent people is, seemingly, a price worth paying for them, to achieve this goal.
We, the people of the Netherlands, want Peace and Justice, also for and with Russia. We hope to make clear that the Dutch Government speaks for itself only. We pray our efforts will help to diffuse the rising tensions between our Nations. Sincerely, Professor Cees Hamelink |
‘Anything US touches turns into Libya or Iraq’:
Top Putin quotes at youth forum
Published time: August 29, 2014 20:23
Edited time: August 29, 2014 23:10
Edited time: August 29, 2014 23:10
Unilateral decisions made outside the United Nations are usually doomed to failure, Putin said Friday, while speaking at the “Seliger-2014” annual youth forum.
Vladimir Putin has criticized Washington’s unilateral actions on the international arena, saying that whatever it touches seems to be turning into Libya or Iraq. Below are the top 10 quotes from the Russian President’s speech at the Seliger youth forum.
“Do you remember the joke: ‘Whatever Russians make, they always end up with a Kalashnikov?’ I get an impression that whatever Americans touch they always end up with Libya or Iraq,” Putin told the participants of the 10th forum held on Lake Seliger in Tver region, some 370 km north of Moscow.
“When decisions are made unilaterally, they always turn out to be short lived. And the other way round: it’s difficult to reach consensus at the UN because often opposite opinions and positions collide. But that is the only way to achieve long-term decisions,” he said.
When a decision is balanced and supported by key members of the international community, Putin said, everyone starts working in order fulfill it perfectly.
'UN won’t be needed if it serves only US and its allies'
Putin totally disagreed that the UN is inefficient. But the organization needs to be reformed and its instruments should be used efficiently.
The reform should become a result of a consensus reached by the overwhelming majority of the members of the organization, he said.
It is also necessary to preserve the fundamental grounds of the UN’s efficiency. In particular, only the Security Council should have the power to make decision on sanctions and the use of military force, Putin said. And these decisions must be obligatory for everyone. Such mechanisms should not be eroded. “Otherwise the UN will turn into the League of Nations,” the Russian President said.
The organization will lose its purpose if it is only an “instrument to serve foreign policy interests of only one country – in this case the US and its allies,” Putin. “Then it is not needed.”
Putin compared the shelling of east Ukrainian towns and cities by Kiev army to actions by the Nazi forces during the World War Two.
“Sad as it might seem, this reminds me of the events of World War II, when the German Nazi troops surrounded our cities, like Leningrad, and directly shelled those cities and their residents,” Putin said.
“Why they (Kiev) call this a military-humanitarian operation?” he said, adding that the conflicting sides should get to a negotiating table.
Ukrainians who did not support the coup mounted by “our western partners” with the backing of radical nationalists, are being suppressed by the military force, Putin said speaking about the situation in the neighboring state.
“We’re no fools. We saw symbolic cookies handed out on [by Victoria Nuland] Maidan, information support, political support. What that means? A full involvement of the US and European nations into the process of the power change: a violent unconstitutional power change.”
“And the part of the country that disagreed with that is being suppressed with the use of jets, artillery, multiple launch systems and tanks,” Putin said. “If these are today’s European values – I’m gravely disappointed.”
Putin said that Russia did not “annex” Crimea, as the peninsula’s reunion with Russia is often described by foreign media and politicians.
“We didn’t not annex it, we didn’t take it away. We gave people an opportunity to have their say and make a decision, which we took with respect. We protected them, I believe.”
“We had to protect our compatriots, who live there (in Crimea). When we look at events in Donbass, Lugansk, Odessa, it becomes clear to us what would have happened to Crimea if we had not taken measures to provide free expression of will to people.”
'Russia to beef up nuclear deterrence potential'
Russia is going to boost its military forces and nuclear deterrence potential, Putin told the youth forum.
“Russia is one of the most powerful nuclear states. It’s not words, it is the reality,” he said. “We are strengthening our nuclear deterrence forces, we are strengthening our armed forces…We are beefing up our potential and will continue doing so.”
This is being done “not to threaten anyone, “but to feel secure,” he added.
'Russia is not going to get involved in large-scale conflicts'
Russia will not get engaged in any large conflicts, but will defend itself in case of aggression, Putin warned.
“Russia is far from getting involved any large-scale conflicts. We don’t want that and we are not going to do it. And, naturally, we should always be ready to repel any aggression against Russia,” Putin said.
“Our partners – whatever condition their countries are in and whatever foreign policy concept they adhere to – should understand that it’s better not to mess with us,” Putin said. “Thank God, I believe it doesn’t occur to anyone to unleash a large-scale conflict with Russia.”
'Russia will seek acceptable compromises on Arctic'
Russia admits that other states have their interests in the Arctic – the region that is thought to contain vast reserves of oil and gas.
Both Russia and Canada, who along with the US, Norway and Denmark constitute the five states with Polar claims, have made legal attempts to secure their rights to large swathes of the Arctic, which is thought to contain 15 percent of the oil reserves and 30 percent of all natural gas in the world.
“We will take the interests of these states into consideration and seek acceptable compromises,” Putin said, adding that Russia would “naturally” also defend its own interests.
The five Arctic states - Canada, Denmark, Norway, the Russia and the US – have for several years now been in a bitter dispute over how to divide up this resource-rich ‘pie’.
'Crimea recognition will be long and tedious'
It will take a long while for Crimea to be internationally recognizes as part of Russia, Putin believes.
He said he finds it “strange” and referred to an example with the recognition of Kosovo independence where a political will and desire were enough to make such a decision “easily.”
He also recalled that in case with Kosovo, no referendum was held: the decision on independence was made by the parliament of the Serbian breakaway republic. In the situation with Crimea, there was both a decision by the parliament and a referendum. In Putin’s view, the latter was a more democratic way for a nation’s self-determination.
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