A rebuttal to "President Putin's Fiction - 10 False Claims About Ukraine" http://blogs.state.gov/stories/2014/03/08/digital-edition-president-putins-fiction-10-false-claims-about-ukraine)
The US State Department put out a catchy compendium of deceptions on Mar. 8th, being ten statements attributed to "Mr Putin says," answered by the misleading "facts" of their own. Here we examine the fiction, facts and propaganda of these 10 points, plus one big one they somehow left out, in countdown order from 10 to zero.
"10. Mr. Putin says: The Rada [Ukraine's parliament] is under the influence of extremists or terrorists."US propaganda lie: "The Rada is the most representative institution in Ukraine."
The facts. Parliament was much more representative than the new junta because it was elected in a fair election in 2010. But on Feb. 22, opposition thugs beat up MPs who didn't follow their line. Parliamentary seats and ministries were divided up among the opposition parties. The opposition -- or their neocon handlers -- had also made a deal with the local oligarchs to support their coup. These mafia billionaires likewise told parliament to fall in line. 18 of them were rewarded with governorships by the illegal regime. The people of Ukraine, who wanted peace and clean government above all, now are getting redoubled corruption and instability instead, thanks to US neocons and the dirty coup they financed.
"9. Mr. Putin says: Kyiv is trying to destabilize Crimea."US Propaganda lie: "Ukraine's interim government has acted with restraint and sought dialogue."
The facts. Kiev is ignoring Crimea's statutory autonomy and calling its decisions illegal. Maidan terrorists have been caught trying to smuggle weapons and explosives into Crimea.
Yet not one person has been hurt in Crimea since its move towards full autonomy from Kiev began. Russian restraint has been even more remarkable, if one compares to the Shock and Awe of recent genocidal US invasions.
"8. Mr. Putin says: There have been mass attacks on churches and synagogues in southern and eastern Ukraine."I can't find any trace on the internet of Putin saying this. Such claims have been made by Russian writer Israel Shamir. If it does happen, the oligarchs who own the Ukrainian media are in on the fix in Kiev, and they won't report it.
"7. Mr. Putin says: Russian bases are under threat."The propaganda lie: Russian military facilities were and remain secure.
The facts. The lease on Russia's Black Sea fleet naval base in Sevastopol, which was to expire in 2017, was renewed by Yanukovich in 2010 for another 25 years, to 2042.
Looking at NATO's project of encircling Russia over the last decades, it is clear that Ukraine is the next target. Once you understand that NATO has just facilitated a violent coup to overthrow the Ukrainian government, it is clear that under their hooligan junta, the lease will become a worthless piece of paper.
In 1990, when Russia agreed to the reunification of Germany, the US and UK promised no eastward expansion of NATO. They have broken this promise 12 times. It's a fact of history that the American nation has always expanded since its birth by breaking treaties and promises made with weaker nations. Today, those who try to make their own way free of US economic domination, like Libya, risk devastation.
Thus, not only Russian bases, but Russia itself is under threat by NATO's persistent efforts to bring nuclear missiles right up to Russia's borders. The NATO coup has installed a Deputy Defense Minister in Kiev, the far-right extremist Dmitry Yarosh, who vows to "liquidate the Russian empire."
"6. Mr. Putin says: Ethnic Russians are under threat."US propaganda lie: "Outside of Russian press and Russian state television, there are no credible reports of any ethnic Russians being under threat. The new Ukrainian government placed a priority on peace and reconciliation from the outset."
The facts: Since the Ukrainian media are all owned by oligarchs who swung their support to the new regime, they can be expected to hush up the facts.But Western observers have also noted the fears expressed by Russian speakers in Ukraine. The Associated Press and US News reported that Crimean Russians are relieved that Russian forces are there to protect them "from a new Ukrainian government in Kiev that, they say, is ready to crush its Russian-speaking population."http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2014/03/06/in-crimea-old-fears-combine-with-new-propaganda .
Crimean sources even posted a video showing that a busload of their citizens returning from an anti-Maidan protest in Kiev were beaten to death.
One of the first things the Rada did was to pass a law against the use of any languages other than Ukrainian. Although acting President Turchynov was well-advised to veto it, great damage was done. A bill was also introduced to ban the previous ruling Party of the Regions, favored by Russian speakers. It has in fact been banned by some local governments. According to the Christian Science Monitor, Kiev has itself to blame for alienating the eastern and southern provinces. www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2014/0228/Is-it-too-late-for-Kiev-to-woo-Russian-speaking-Ukraine
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