Stephen Lendman / Global Research & George Eliason / Global Research – 2015-01-26 02:00:15
Mariupol Shelling: Kiev’s Latest False Flag?
Stephen Lendman / Global Research
(January 25, 2015) — Previous Kiev false-flag attacks suggest Saturday’s Mariupol shelling perhaps its latest. It remains to be seen what further evidence discloses.
Throughout months of fighting, Kiev sought to blame Donbass self-defense forces for its crimes of war and against humanity. Including gruesome atrocities. Use of cluster bombs, chemical and other illegal weapons. Downing MH17. Systematic shelling of residential and other non-military areas. Recent Volnovakha and Donetsk bus attacks. Willfully murdering civilian men, women and children.
On Saturday, shelling killed a reported 30 people in Mariupol. Rebels and Kiev exchanged blame. A Donetsk region state administration statement said:
“A total of 23 people, including one child, died instantly. Ninety-three people, including eight children, were hurt. Seventy-five people were taken to hospitals. Seven, including one child, died of wounds in hospital.”
A rebel spokesman said “(o)ur militias have no weapon systems near Mariupol that would be able to shell that region. Our positions are simply too far away.”
“According to our intelligence, the artillery was fired from the Stariy Krim neighborhood (less than 10 kilometers from central Mariupol). Ukrainian troops are stationed there. We believe it was a provocation committed by the Ukrainian troops.”
Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) deputy parliamentary speaker Denis Pushilin called the incident “yet another (Kiev) provocation.” Saying “(i)t is all clear who shelled Mariupol: from which regions they are, from which spot and where the artillery was located.”
“As far as I know, Grad multiple rocket launcher” fire was responsible. “Our militia units don’t have artillery capable of reaching the location of the shelling.”
Pushilin blamed Kiev for “doing everything possible” to suspend peace talks. “How can we make agreements with people that aren’t responsible either for their words, or signatures and have clearly showed their incapability to reach agreements. . . . They agree to meet in Minsk, but they don’t come.” Earlier they accepted Minisk ceasefire protocol terms. Then violated them straightaway. Rejecting peace. Continuing conflict.
DPR military commander Eduard Basurin said militia forces have no current operations in Mariupol. Tass reported DPR Prime Minister Alexander Zakharchenko saying “(n)o one is going to attack the city. We are not beasts as they in Kiev.”
“We have conducted no active combat operations near Mariupol until today. But now, after Kiev decided to place responsibility for erroneous fire from its Grads from Berdyanskogo on Mariupol’s living quarters, I ordered to suppress the positions of Ukrainian troops east of Mariupol.”
Kiev sent additional forces to Mariupol, said Zakharchenko. A strategically located Azov Sea port city in the southern Donetsk Oblast region. Its population around half a million.
“Our positions near Novoazovsk are shelled round-the-clock from Grad multiple rocket systems and large-calibre artillery,” said Zakharchenko.
“Today, the 28th Ukrainian brigade was reinforced by armoured vehicles. It is being done to force us swing our forces to Mariupol from the Donetsk airport in a bid to drive us out of it.”
Zakharchenko accused Kiev forces of using Mariupol residents as human shields. “They are our people,” he stressed.
Western propaganda is relentless. Including disinformation on:
• US planned and implemented Maidan violence;
• last February’s US-instigated coup;
• installing an illegitimate putschist regime controlled by neo-Nazi thugs;
• sham elections; and
• continuing Kiev aggression on Donbas.
John Kerry responded to Mariupol’s shelling as expected. Automatically blaming “Russia-backed separatists.” Calling Mariupol “a peaceful city,” ignoring Kiev’s military attacking it with Grad rockets.
Kerry’s bluster and Big Lies wore thin long ago. Outrageously blaming rebels for “publicly glorifying (Mariupol’s incident) and other offensives in blatant violation of the Minsk agreements they signed.” Calling Saturday’s attack a “horrific assault by Russia-backed separatists.”
Fact: Donbass freedom fighters scrupulously observed Minsk protocol ceasefire terms.
Fact: Kiev violated them straightaway.
Fact: Rebels responded in self-defense. Their international law guaranteed right.
Fact: Kerry consistently and diabolically blames them for Kiev crimes of war and against humanity.
Fact: Instigated at the behest of Washington. Ukraine’s puppet master pulling the strings.
Western media march in lockstep. Propaganda substitutes for hard truths. Russia and Donbas freedom fighters are blamed for Kiev crimes. The latest misreporting on Saturday’s Mariupol shelling. The New York Times blamed rebels. Claiming Zakharchenko said “(w)e began our attack on Mariupol.” His above quote explained no offensive rebel attacks until Kiev shelling the area demanded a response.
The Times claimed rebels have “new tanks and other heavy weapons from Russia.” No evidence whatever proves it. The Washington Post claimed rebels “snub(bed) truce bids.” Ignoring their consistent support for peaceful conflict resolution throughout months of conflict.
Zakharchenko on Saturday calling Minsk dead in response to repeated Kiev violations. Western media irresponsibly accused Russia of blocking a US-backed Security Council resolution on developments in Mariupol.
Tass reported disagreement on text language. Because Britain’s delegation “insisted that the Council discuss separate statements made by the militias.”
Russia said they “made various statements” on Saturday. “. . .Western (SC) member states. . .refus(ed) throughout the conflict to denounce any statements and actions (often very aggressive) of the Kiev leadership.”
Reports suggest Security Council members will continue discussing Ukraine’s conflict on Monday. Expect no denunciation of Kiev war crimes forthcoming.
The Wall Street Journal accused rebels of Saturday’s Mariupol incident. Calling it “a potentially dangerous escalation in the fighting in eastern Ukraine.”
Consistently ignoring Kiev’s aggression throughout months of conflict. UK media misreport on Ukraine like their US counterparts. Managed news misinformation substitutes for hard truths. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini irresponsibly blamed Moscow for escalated fighting. Saying it’ll “inevitably lead to a further grave deterioration of relations between the EU and Russia.”
Neo-Nazi Kiev security/national defense council head Oleksandr Turchynov lied calling Saturday’s incident “another bloody crime against humanity committed by the Russian military and the bands of terrorists under their complete control.”
Ignoring horrific war crimes and atrocities committed by Ukrainian forces throughout months of conflict. Western media consistently suppress them. Blaming victims for Kiev crimes too grave to ignore.
Fort Russ said US European commander General Ben Hodges “awarded medals to Ukrainian soldiers for genocide.” It reported at least one “uniformed, armed American caught on camera in Mariupol.”
“Who is this individual,” it asked? “A US white supremacist acquiring skills for the inevitable RAHOWA back home?” A Blackwater/Academi mercenary? US military advisor? US special operations soldier?”
A previous article said highly trained US killer special forces operate in scores of countries worldwide. In over 150 during the past three years. For sure, in Ukraine. Infesting Donbas. Involved in Kiev’s aggression. Along with US-supported mercenaries like Blackwater USA (now Academi) there for the same purpose.
Kiev deplores peace. Vows to crush Donbas resistance. Intense fighting continues. No end of conflict looms. Key is whether Washington intends getting US combat troops involved.
Deploying them to Ukraine for so-called training exercises suggests perhaps something else may be planned. It remains to be seen what follows.
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: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.” http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Mariupol, Donetsk, Frunza,
Firing on The Civilian Population in East Ukraine.
Poroshenko Responsible for Crimes Against Humanity
George Eliason / Global Research
(January 25, 2015) — A little over a week ago, Petro Poroshenko ordered an all out assault on Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. Faced with massive losses during the first few days the Poroshenko regime has resorted unsuccessfully to get both republic’s listed as terrorist organizations by the EU and United Nations.
It started with the Volonavaha bus attack after which the bus driver states in an interview with the Korrespondent that a mine exploded and killed his passengers in Ukrainian controlled territory. Images from the scene taken by the Ukrainian army shows a soldier carrying what appears to be a claymore mine. Claymore mines are directional explosives that are set off remotely or by a trip wire.
Kiev is engaging in a game of escalating crimes against humanity. Each attack on civilian populations has been followed by an all out media blitz trying to place blame on the fledgling republics.
Frunza: The Example not the Exception
When Poroshenko’s nationalist government ordered the new escalation Frunza was attacked again. Caught on video made by the Ukrainian army unit shelling the town, the world can no longer deny that Peter Poroshenko and the Ukrainian Rada are attacking civilian populations. The Ukrainian government and military are guilty of crimes against humanity.
The soldiers in this video are laughing and swearing “At Frunza!” and “F- – k Frunza!” as they fire on the civilian population. Soldiers don’t attack targets without orders. These same orders are being carried out across the Donbass region.
In October I spent 3 days embedded with Commander Alexey Moskovoy’s Prezrak “Ghost Battalion.” I am one of the few western journalists to do invasive passport and weapon checks on soldiers and interview foreign volunteers with more than baseline questions.
During the time I was with Ghost Battalion we stopped in Frunza. It was a typical town with a vibrant market place so I could pick up a few things. There was no military targets or presence inside the city limits. Pictured below is the entry to Frunza market place. A few days after I left, Frunza was attacked by Ukrainian artillery and the market pictured below was destroyed.
Prezrak- “Ghost Battalion” Answers
In the last few seconds of the Ukrainian army’s video, the Ukrainian soldier with the artillery unit laments they were hit back by Prezrak and his artillery brigade was destroyed. Until Poroshenko started this offensive the armies of the DNR (Donetsk People’s Republic) and LNR (Lugansk People’s Republic) were forced to stand down unless directly attacked.
Poroshenko’s Ukraine has never stopped attacking the cities and towns in Donbass. When the order for the counter offensive came, Kiev’s nationalist army suffered massive losses. Because of the devastation they caused in Frunza, the entire artillery brigade that shelled the town were destroyed.
Mariupol! Crimes go beyond the Pale
Since May, Mariupol, which is a city of 500,000 people, has suffered under the hand of Azov Battalion. Its been reported that at Women’s prison #107 in Mariupol 15-20 women are taken daily to the Azov Battalion military barracks to be raped and tortured. Local citizen’s disappear off the street on a daily basis. Andrei Biletsky, the founder and leader of Azov Battalion was rewarded with a seat in the Ukrainian Senate (Rada) for his efforts at Ukrainizing the city. Azov has been noted by Human Rights Watch as one of the Ukrainian governments most criminal battalions. Poroshenko and the Ukrainian Rada
This latest rocket and missile attack in which close to 30 casualties including 2 children is being reported. Currently the number of civilians wounded in the attack stands at 97, including at least 5 children.
Ukraine was quick to blame the DNR for the attack and large western media outlets have run that story with very little reliable information available at the time.
What Happened in Mariupol
Citizens of Mariupol report that ½ hour before the attack, utilities in the area — including natural gas, water, and electricity — were shut off.
Eye-witnesses in the town of Starri Crim (Old Crim) have reported seeing the rockets launched from this location.
In the following video the direction/ trajectory of the missiles is shown based on which side of the buildings the missiles actually hit during the strikes.
The missile trajectory agrees with the eyewitness account. The missile launch is from Ukrainian territory, originating in the direction of Starri Crim.
In an attempt to gain media attention, Arsenii Yatsenyuk “Yatzi” is asking the UN to discuss the Ukrainian version of the Mariupol massacre.
Poroshenko has been attempting this since his government ordered the missile strike and subsequent mining of the bus at Volnovaha a little over one week ago. These types of military strikes cannot happen without the orders to carry them out.
Donetsk Bus Attack
The bus and trolley attack in Donetsk by the Ukrainian army happened as they were forced to retreat and admit they lost Donetsk airport. Over 500 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the fighting. The DNR army is showing large caches of American made weapons and technology including observation drones.
Like Poroshenko’s attack on Volonovaha, the OSCE clearly shows the direction of the attack came from a Ukrainian position. At Volonovaha the bus driver confirmed the OSCE’s forensics by locating the direction to the north (from his left) and not northeast (straight along the road [direction of DNR artillery]). Human Rights Watch has been documenting Poroshenko’s crimes against humanity since May.
Is It Time to Draw Conclusions?
The governments of the EU and US have been staunchly supporting Poroshenko and the nationalists in Kiev this entire time. Regardless of the crimes committed, spokeswomen for the administration Marie Harf and Jen Psaki have stated President Obama’s unwavering support for the nazi junta.
If the democratic governments of the Western world can call Poroshenko’s policies of rape, torture, and murder lawful, the question is not what do they think about Kiev or human rights in Eastern Europe. The real question is; If your government supports crimes against humanity in Donbas as Kiev’s right, What does your government really think about YOU?
Posted in accordance with Title 17, Section 107, US Code, for noncommercial, educational purposes.
