Reuters / Stefan Wermuth / Reuters
Written by Prof Michel Chossudovsky; Originally appeared at Globalresearch
The Headlines on Britain’s tabloids point to US-NATO war preparations in response to alleged Russian aggression. It is largely a display of war propaganda including an array of images and maps to intimidate Western public opinion.
The Russians are Coming…:
“Nato squares up to Putin: As Russia beefs up its military might on Europe’s border, West responds with biggest show of force since the Cold War” according to the Daily Mail.
The reports are replete with insinuations of Russia’s resolve to initiate World War III and destroy the West. In response to Russia’s alleged bellicosity, Britain is slated to deploy more troops and tanks to Estonia, RAF planes are dispatched to Romania.
It’s a “show of force” allegedly to prevent Moscow from attacking Eastern Europe and the Baltic States: ”The moves are designed to stop Moscow taking over or undermining its former Eastern European satellites as it has with Crimea and Ukraine.” (Daily Mail, October 26, 2016)
The US-NATO deployments are nothing new. They are routine and have been ongoing in the course of the last few years, to which Russia has responded.
Source: Daily Mail, October 26,2016
Russian War Ships to the Eastern Mediterranean
NATO’s “show of force” is largely in response to Moscow’s decision to dispatch warships to Russia’s Tartus naval base on Syria’s Eastern Mediterranean coastline. The propaganda ploy led by Britain’s tabloids points to “Russian aggression in Syria” following the dispatch of the Kuznetsov Aircraft carrier from the Baltic sea to Syria’s Eastern Mediterranean coastline. “President Putin sent a fleet of eight Russian warships through the English Channel to assist the assault on the besieged Syrian city.” says the Daily Mail.
What the report fails to mention is that parts of Aleppo are in the hands of Al Qaeda terrorists who are supported and financed by US-NATO and its Middle East allies.
Russia’s naval deployment is largely motivated by Washington’s stated intent to establish a “No Fly Zone” over Syria which could lead to direct military confrontation between US-NATO and Syria and Russia.
Realities are turned upside down. While Europe is portrayed as defending itself against an imminent Russia attack, what is really at stake is the movement of Russian war ships from the Baltic sea to the Mediterranean in support of Syria’s counter-terrorism campaign to liberate Aleppo.
According to the report, Spain had initially agreed to refuel two Russian warships at its port of Ceuta en route to the Eastern Mediterranean. That permission was repealed following pressures “from its NATO allies”. ”Spain withdrew permission for the ships to refuel because Moscow was unable to pledge the vessels would not be used to bomb Syria.” According to Britain’s Secretary of State for Defense Sir Michael Fallon:
“‘Our concern is that any NATO member [Spain] should consider assisting a Russian carrier group that is heading for Syria and might end up bombing Syrian civilians. … That clearly wouldn’t be right and runs counter to the solidarity of Nato. (Daily Mail, October 26, 2016).
Lest we forget, the Al Qaeda terrorists responsible for countless atrocities in Syria (and who presently occupy parts of the city of Aleppo) were from the very outset (March 2011) supported, trained and equipped by NATO, according to Israeli intelligence sources (Debka, August 14, 2011):
NATO headquarters in Brussels and the Turkish high command are meanwhile drawing up plans for their first military step in Syria, which is to arm the rebels with weapons for combating the tanks and helicopters spearheading the Assad regime’s crackdown on dissent. … NATO strategists are thinking more in terms of pouring large quantities of anti-tank and anti-air rockets, mortars and heavy machine guns into the protest centers for beating back the government armored forces. (DEBKAfile, NATO to give rebels anti-tank weapons, August 14, 2011)
This initiative, which was also supported by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, involved a process of organized recruitment of thousands of jihadist “freedom fighters”, reminiscent of the enlistment of Mujahideen to wage the CIA’s jihad (holy war) in the heyday of the Soviet-Afghan war:
Also discussed in Brussels and Ankara, our sources report [August 2011], is a campaign to enlist thousands of Muslim volunteers in Middle East countries and the Muslim world to fight alongside the Syrian rebels. The Turkish army would house these volunteers, train them and secure their passage into Syria. (Ibid, emphasis added)
No more brother wars for the Zionists!