Opinion Editorials, February 2016

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Russia: National Security and Cooperation With the Zionist Empire

By Henry D'Souza

Russia: National Security

            A second look at Russia’s Near Abroad needs to be made; the first was done in The Age of Neo-Imperialism. Russia’s creation of Novorossiya in Eastern Ukraine has woken up the West and is likely to influence other countries within the Near Abroad. The creation of the two republics of Donetsk and Lugansk seeking autonomous status within Ukraine is causing much controversy and problems for Russia.

          Ukraine is protesting the loss of Crimea and the two republics.  Ukraine has about 8 million ethnic Russians, some of whom want to be part of Russia, while others want independence within Ukraine, yet others want Crimea to be part of Ukraine, even though Crimea strictly belongs to the Cossacks, (Tartars.) 

The West sees Russian action in Eastern Ukraine as a way of enlarging its borders and re-creating the Soviet Empire.  One of the West’s financial agent, the IMF, has encouraged Ukraine to default on its $3 billion Russian loan. The IMF then undertook to assist Ukraine to deal with its debt.  The IMF changed its rules to isolate Russia and China: the IMF should have guaranteed a government-to-government loan but it did not; Ukraine should not have received any financial aid since it was unwilling to negotiate with its creditors; the IMF should have imposed austerity measures on a defaulter, and it did not; and, bankrupt Ukraine should not have received any assistance.  The IMF also saw the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as a NATO’s rival, and AIIB as a rival of IMF and World Bank.  The IMF also saw the world slipping from a dollar-denominated system to a yen-led one.  Michael Hudson 1 rightly saw IMF’s actions as dividing the world into two systems for trade, finance, and therefore politics.

For Putin his policy of “support of compatriots” 2 stranded in other countries is a continuous problem.  His opponents saw it as a way of grabbing territory: Transnistria and South Ossetia became separate pro-Russian states from Moldova and Georgia, respectively.  Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Novorossiya were separated by sponsored revolutions from Georgia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine respectively.

There are about 20 million ethnic Russians living abroad, of which 17.3 million, or 86.5%, are in Russia’s Near Abroad.  Russia has therefore to provide them efficiently with normal embassy services like visas, passports and protection in a foreign country.  Russia is also concerned about the coloured revolutions that are being fostered against Russia, like the Rose Revolution in Georgia, Orange Revolution in Ukraine, and the Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan.   

Apart from the crisis in Ukraine and Syria, Russian strategists have to plan a “Third Front,” for its Near Abroad. The rise of IS along the unstable Afghan-Turkmen border will need seven new armoured battalions, else there is likely to be a migrant crisis into Russia, bigger than the one to Europe.  In Tajikistan, the moderate Islamic Party of Islamic Rebirth has already sworn allegiance to IS.  ISIS is gaining momentum as it pays its fighters seven times what Al Qaeda does. 3     South of Russia, Turkey is beginning to flex its muscles as its air space is theoretically being protected by US war planes. 4

Commentator Sridharun 5 echoes Russia’s concerns when he notes that Russia’s main worry is a series of threats from NATO and the coloured revolutions.  NATO is also capable of using biological weapons and indulging in cyber warfare.  Russia also sees an increase of military infrastructure on its borders. In addition, Britain has a thousand troops in Poland, and seems to be fighting a proxy war in Yemen.  Poland and Yemen are on the borders of Russia’s “sphere of influence.” As the “world’s police,” NATO frequently breaches international law. Russia therefore sees it necessary to adjust its national security position, once every six years. 

US Senator Rand Paul 6 would like to see Russia labelled a “highly dangerous country.” By America’s Security Act, visa clearances would take a month and it would place Russia with many Muslim countries on the danger list.  As Rand Paul is no longer a presidential candidate, his suggestion might be ignored.

For his obstinacy and stubbornness, Putin has been targeted with a smear campaign.  He is blamed for imprisoning and killing his opponents.  Mikhail Khodorkovsky comes to mind.  He was imprisoned for ten years for allegedly killing a Siberian mayor in 1998, and for fraud, tax evasion and embezzlement.  His political spokesperson may have hit the nail on the head when he said that Khodorkovsky was a “prisoner of conscience.” His son, Pavel, said that he was a “moral leader.” Khodorkovsky wanted his party, Open Russia, to promote more democracy.  Khodorkovsky was the richest man in Russia: among his assets were 9.5% shares in Yukos, valued at $11 billion.  With other friendly oligarchs who had political clout, he brought Boris Yeltsin to power and gained commercial privileges. Khodorkovsky was released from jail in May 2014, when he promised to leave the country and stay out of politics.7

There is one significant fallout of the Khodorkovsky incident.  His Yukos shares were passed on to Rothschild, the British billionaire, 8 who has links with the Swiss-based Bank of International Settlements and who bailed out the US in 2008, when  Timothy Geithner of the Federal Reserve offered to print as much money as was needed to save the dollar as an international currency.  It is necessary to scrutinize this network at the top of the world pyramid, to understand global politics.

As part of the smear campaign, Putin is blamed for Litvinenko’s death in Britain.  Litvinenko publicly accused his superiors in the secret service, FSB, of murder.  FSB used terrorism to bring Putin to power and to keep him there. The claim was that Putin “murders his opponents in Russia.”  Two FSB agents, Andrey Lugovoy and Dmitry Kovtun, are wanted for Litvinenko’s death by the use of the dangerous Polonium, P-210.  British High Court judge Sir Robert Owen concluded that Litvinenko’s death was “an act of state-sponsored terrorism by the Russian Government.”  But the judge’s use of “almost certainly” allows the Russians to say that the conclusion is without evidence and is a “joke” and a “whitewash.” 9

Russian problems are not only on three main fronts, Ukraine, Syria and parts of its Muslim belt, but also with pressure from NATO.  After Russia interfered with Ukraine’s eastern provinces in 2014, NATO increased its foot print in Europe.  Russia saw this as a challenge and modernized its forces and armament.  In the last year of his rule, Obama gained for the Pentagon an increase of $3.7 billion as a “European Reassurance Initiative” for 2017 onwards.10    The US escalated the pressure on a “resurgent” Putin.  Putin’s reaction to these increased security threats was wide-ranging and calculated.

First, Russia’s finances.  Peter Spence 11 noted that Russia’s economy is in turmoil: its GDP fell by 3.7% in 2015, its growth was just .7% in 2014, oil, the mainstay of its economy, fell precipitously and US sanctions were meant to impoverish the nation for annexing Crimea. While these facts are correct, Russia managed its finances well.  It allocated $1.7 billion for the real economy and anti-crisis spending.12 

Russia used unspent 2015 money and readjusted distribution to take account of inflation for the poor.  Its import substitution worked well for the country, but hurt several of its previous customers, like France, Eastern Europe, and the Balkan countries, who retrospectively opposed the sanctions.  Russia used reserve funds to fund shortfalls and pay debt.  Russia’s domestic financial market was stabilized though loans were expensive, even unaffordable. Russia even had money for modernization of its military hardware.13     After all these financial adjustments, Russia will have a debt-to-GDP ratio of just 6%.

The hawk-eyed forex specialist George Soros14 always felt that Russia was EU’s enemy.  Yet he is now suggesting that the EU should cooperate with Russia and the latter should offer Europe a Marshall Plan.  He finds that Russia’s forex reserves, SDRs, IMF contributions, and monetary gold amount to $386.3 billion, enough for two years, as of January 15, 2016.  Russia’s rival, the US, on the other hand, is currently $19.5 trillion in debt and is still printing money, to keep the dollar strong.15     However, the unemployment rate in the US fell from over 10% when Obama took over the White House, to less than the frictional rate of 5%, quite an achievement.

The implications of Russia’s relative strength against the West is that Soros has set the record straight, and wants cooperation with Russia.  But Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov “excludes business as usual with the West.”  He wants “non-interference in each other’s internal affairs,” and “respect for fundamental rights of each side.”  The US wants, on the other hand, to punish Russia for its independent policy.16  

Japan, too, wants to cooperate with Russia.  As chairman of the latest G7 meeting PM Shinzo Abe wants Russia to rejoin the G7 so that he could discuss the return of the Kuril Islands.  Abe recognized that Russia as a world power is making decisive decisions in the Central Asia and MENA crisis.17 

 Egypt is another country that wants Russia to come closer to Saudi Arabia.  Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov led a delegation of representatives of 60 companies to Egypt on January 31, 2016.  Egypt’s El Sisi wants to rekindle the kind of close partnership that existed when Gamal Nasser was in power.  Egypt, with its trained officer corps and modern military equipment, is seen as an asset to Saudi Arabia.18   Russia’s leadership is being increasingly sought in the emerging world.

          American Professor Paul Craig Roberts who generally steers clear of propaganda feels that the neo-cons in Congress can still take the country to World War III.  The neo-cons have lost influence in the White House, but he argues, they are strong enough to work independently and to attack Syria and Russia independently.  A World War III is possible.19     Ukraine’s President used to talk of a major war against Russia, but his new phraseology is “open war.”20

          The notion of an imminent world war is doubtful since the Syrian war is mainly conventional; if it extends to Europe, it will be nuclear, and “Russia and the US can destroy Planet Earth five or ten times in a row.  One time is enough for the all people,” said military specialist Vladimir Kozin at the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies.21    Europe will suffer the most devastation, while the US will not escape damage as the Russians have opened a South American front.  Moreover, in some aspects of warfare like mobile and under-water missiles, Russia dominates the US.

          Russia has already shown its military prowess against the West, particularly Europe, by conducting exercises.  In 2016, it has conducted 100 military exercises.  In addition, it has placed 10 regiments of Russian Strategic missile forces on high alert in Novosibirsk, Ivanovo, Kirov, Sverdlovsk, Irkutsk regions, Altai territory, and Republic of Mari El. Russia has also strengthened its nuclear air-raid shelters.  Russia is on a war footing.22

          Under the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty of 1987, Russia and the US agreed to limit the range of land-based missiles to 500 kms.  Consequently Russia has equipped sea-based missiles with a range of over 1500 kms.  At a September 29, 2014 meeting, the littoral countries of the Caspian Sea agreed to exclude others from the use of the sea.  In the Syrian war, Russia launched these deadly missiles from this sea and hit targets in Syria.  Russia has also fitted long-range missiles similar to those used by Varshavyanda subs to small nimble ships (950 tons).  Russia claims that it has a system with 9 Bunyans that can destroy 72 targets over 1500 kms away with one salvo.23

          These exercises and weapons have Eurasia, Palestine and the southern Mediterranean in sight, at gunpoint.  The exercises in the Baltic are centered on Sweden, Russia’s traditional rival.  Russia claims that it can overcome Baltic cities in 36 hours.  The Black Sea too can be easily blocked.

          To counteract NATO’s threat to Russia’s Near Abroad, Russia is returning to Latin America with ballistic missiles and bases.24  Russian Defense Minister says that he has to cooperate with Cuba, Brazil, Nicaragua, and, Venezuela.  The Russian view is that with Chinese cooperation, it can tackle any military adversary.

          As in the West, Russia has intensified buying out loyalty with aid.  Russia provides Cyprus with 80% of its foreign investment, valued at € 2.5 billion, at a time when it is experiencing a financial crisis.  France’s right wing leader Marine Le Pen received a loan of €9 million.  Milos Zeman’s campaign for the Czech presidency which he won was bankrolled by Lukol.25   Russia also backed Hungary’s third largest party, Jobbik.

          By deduction, Russia is reacting rather successfully to pressure from the West, whose main competitor is the BRICS coalition.

          Meanwhile the Zionist empire is attempting to expand by fair or foul means.  Israel is occupying Palestine.  The Zionists in Ukraine claim that these are their Golden Years: the President and Prime Minister, both belong to the Zionist movement.  Had Khodorkovsky been allowed to function fairly, Russia could have come under the Zionist wing.  Putin is not against its members. In fact, he welcomes them.  Russia has established a Jewish Autonomous Oblast in 1934.  Control of the country is another matter.  The Zionists have considerable control of the US and if one of the potential applicants on the sidelines leads from March onwards, the Zionists will be in control of the most powerful country in the world. The Zionists made an abortive attempt to establish one in Latin America.

          If MacGuffin’s interpretation is to be believed, the coloured revolutions, including the Euromaidan one and much more, are being financed by Zionist financiers using non-government organisations and American tax-payer money.26 

Bibliography

1.     Michael Hudson, “The IMF changes its rules to isolate China and Russia,” counterpunch.org, December 18, 2015.

2.     “Putin won’t dump Russians living abroad,” pravda.ru, November 6, 2015.

3.     Paul Goble, “Moscow may have to open ‘Third Front’ in Central Asia to prevent refugee influx into Russian cities,” atimes.com, January 19, 2016, also in Eurasia.com.

4.     Vasudevan Sridharun, “NATO dispatches AWACs planes and troops to protect Turkish airspace over Russia spat,” ibtimes.co.uk, January 1, 2016.

5.     V. Sridharun, “Russia sees threats from NATO and coloured revolutions,” ibtimes.co.uk, January 1, 2016.

6.     “US Senator Rand Paul suggests labeling Russia as a ‘highly dangerous country,’” pravda.ru, 19.1.2016.

7.     Nick Enoch, “Putin sees me as a threat: Russia’s former wealthiest man says he may seek asylum in Britain after he is arrested in absentia in Moscow,” dailymail.co.uk, December 24, 2016.

8.     “Arrested oil tycoon passed shares to banker Rothschild,” the washingtontimes.com, 11-3-3?

9.     Leah Maclaren, “Poisoned diplomacy,” MacLean’s Magazine, February 8, 2016, 35.

10.                         NATO intimidates its members with Russian nuclear strikes,” pravda.ru, 4.2.2016.

11.                         Peter Spence, “Russian economy in turmoil as Putin is battered by falling oil price and sanctions,” telegraph.co.uk, January 25, 2016.

12.                         Reuters, “Russia allots $1.3 billion for real recovery,” arabnews.com, January 24, 2016.

13.                         Said Gafurov, “Russia’s budget 2016: Handling the crisis, pravda.ru, 18.1.2016.

14.                         “Soros: Russia’s international reserves enough for two years,” pravda.ru, 22.1.2016.

15.                         Donald Trump, current leader of the Republican Presidential race, 2016.

16.                         “Russia’s FM Lavrov excludes ‘business as usual’ with the West,” pravda.ru, 26.1.2016.

17.                         “Japan’s Abe: ‘We need Russia for global peace.’” Themoscowtimes.com, 18.1.2016.

18.                         “Egypt wants to bring Russia and Saudi Arabia closer,” pravda.ru, 27.1.2016.

19.                         Paul Craig Roberts, “About war in Syria and World War III, pravda.ru, 28.1.2016.

20.                         “Poroshenko speaks about threat of open war with Russia,” pravda.ru, 3.2.2016.

21.                         Kozin was interviewed by Pravda editor Inna Novikova.

22.                         “Ten regiments of Russian Strategic Missile Forces on high alert,” pravda.ru, 26.1.2016.

23.                         “Putin prepares bitter and hysterical missile surprise to ‘American partners,’” pravda.ru, 16.1.2015.

24.                         Lyuba Lulko, “Russian armed forces returning to Latin America,” pravda.ru, 27.2.2010.

25.                         Frank Nelson, “Vladimir Putin’s invisible empire,” telegraph.co.uk, 22.                  1. 2016.

26.                         James B. MacGuffin, “Soros – Doctor Evil,” pravda.ru, 19.1.2016.

Opinions expressed in various sections are the sole responsibility of their authors and they may not represent Al-Jazeerah & ccun.org.

editor@aljazeerah.info & editor@ccun.org