NATO 70 Years Old… Still Vigorous in Aggression

EDITORIAL

When the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created 70 years ago in 1949 it was formed as a blatant military instrument for waging the Cold War, a war that the US, Britain and other European allies had newly embarked on. NATO’s public relations cant about “peace and security” is but Orwellian rhetoric.

The supposed allies of the Soviet Union hastily went from an ostensible joint purpose of defeating Nazi Germany during the Second World War to initiating hostility towards Moscow. Already in 1946, British war-time leader Winston Churchill was fulminating about “an Iron Curtain” descending across Europe, in language adapted from Third Reich propaganda maestro Joseph Goebbels. The ensuing Cold War would last for nearly half a century until the Soviet Union collapsed from its internal political and economic stresses.

NATO’s first secretary general, Britain’s Lord Ismay, was candid in the mission of the military alliance. Its objective, he said, was to, “Keep Russia out, the Americans in, and Germany down”.

Of course, Western propaganda always portrayed the Soviet Union as the “aggressor”, alleging that the so-called Red Menace had designs on conquering all of Europe. Not much has changed when one listens to Western contemporary claims of Russia being an aggressor. As in the past, present innuendo casting Moscow as a demonic force has a decidedly hollow quality, at least for those willing to be critical about Western state and media “information”.

Lord Ismay, perhaps unwittingly, let the cat out of the bag in his statement all those years ago. The purpose of NATO was to serve as a means of dividing and ruling over Europe for Washington and its always closely aligned, servile British partner.

If countering Soviet aggression was the real purpose of NATO, as officially claimed, then one must ask why is this organization still in existence – some 30 years after the alleged “evil communist empire” dissolved?

NATO is a military monster desperately in search of a purpose. The substitution of Russia as an enemy in place of the Soviet Union doesn’t quite hold the same propaganda cachet, but nonetheless that is why Moscow continues to be designated the official “enemy” – in order to justify the existence of NATO. The US-led military bloc needs enemies like a junkie needs a narcotic fix.

NATO’s real function is at least three-fold. First, it gives the US an excuse to justify its enormous military presence in Europe. Instead of appearing as an occupying force, which it is, the Americans claim to be a protector of allies against malign Russia, or formerly the Soviet Union. This allows Washington to exert political control over its so-called European allies, and specifically to prevent any normalized relations with Russia. US vice president Mike Pence this week scolded Germany and fellow NATO member Turkey for daring to continue relations with Moscow, in the form of the Nord Stream 2 gas project and Ankara’s purchase of Russian S-400 air defense system. Pence inferred treasonous conduct on the part of Berlin and Ankara just because these two nominally independent countries have chosen to do business with Russia. Pence was thus demonstrating the classic NATO purpose of dividing Europe from Moscow.

A second function of NATO is to serve as an extension of the US military-industrial complex and, in turn, an important buttress for American corporate capitalism, which is totally dependent on military spending. When President Donald Trump castigates European allies, like Germany, for not spending enough on military and NATO, his real concern is for European nations to buy more American weaponry, such as the vastly over-priced and over-rated F-35 fighter jet. If NATO were to be disbanded – as it should from its obsolete objective purpose – then US capitalism would suffer a major withdrawal of European subsidy in the form of decreased weapons purchases.

The irony here is that Trump has previously denigrated NATO as obsolete. In his irascibility, he is more correct than he seems to realize. But Trump has – despite superficial griping – still continued to boost NATO for the purpose of hiking European military spending. What Trump means by “obsolete” is that the past financial tribute from the Europeans to the US militarized economy must henceforth be significantly increased. The outrageous demands by Trump are inciting tensions within NATO. At a time of massive civilian social needs across Europe being neglected due to “fiscal constraints”, the American ultimatums for more military spending are bound to be seen by the wider European populace as an intolerable dictate.

A third function of NATO for its American leadership is that it gives a pseudo legal cover of “multinationalism” to what would otherwise be seen as blatant US imperialist aggression all over the globe.

NATO forces have assisted US illegal wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, among other interventions. This by an organization that self-declares itself a bastion of security and peace.

It was 20 years ago that US-led forces under the cover of NATO bombed Serbia and its capital Belgrade. That marked a watershed assault on international law, and the unleashing of US global violence with impunity.

Washington could not carry out its aggression without the political and legal cover of NATO. Jens Stoltenberg, the present NATO secretary general, was in Washington this week calling for more aggression towards Russia. The Norwegian figurehead is a shameless warmonger who is violating the UN Charter for the sake of feathering his career as an American puppet.

It is all the more disturbing that this week in Washington, foreign ministers of the 30 member states belonging to NATO deferred to the US calls for naval forces to be deployed to the Black Sea “in defense” of Ukraine and Georgia from “Russian aggression”. These two countries have done everything possible to provoke Russia. They are cat’s paws for their NATO master, and are reckless enough to instigate a full-on war. Washington and its NATO minions have the audacity, or intelligence deficit, to call such an explosive situation as “defense” against Russia.

NATO, or rather the US, is giving itself a green light to mount even more aggression against Russia than it already has done over the past 30 years. In that period, NATO membership has almost doubled with the result that the military bloc is now on Russia’s border – and at the same time claiming with Orwellian double-think that it is defending Europe from Russian aggression. As Russian wit would have it: Russia has had the temerity to move its border towards NATO offensive forces.

Global security and peace is too serious for jokes. The maintenance of NATO, with its original aggressive objective against Moscow still intact, is a grotesque joke. A joke sickeningly played on the people of Europe who could benefit greatly from halting the squandering of billions of dollars each year on military budgets. NATO’s gratuitous belligerence towards Russia – based on trumped-up, ridiculous propaganda – is an obscenity. This organization is a dinosaur that somehow outlived its Cold War environment because those powers who control it from Washington and London want it to live on for their own selfish, ideological, economic reasons.

For the sake of world peace, the citizens of North America and Europe should demand that NATO be liquidated. Thirty years too late.

NATO – 70th Anniversary of the Most Murderous – and Legal – Organization on our Planet

by Peter Koenig

On 4th of April 2019 NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)“celebrated” the 70th Anniversary of its murderous existence. This horror organization was born sort of as a “Rosemary’s Baby”, signed into life in Washington DC, as the North Atlantic Treaty. Its creation was absolutely unethical but also absolutely “legal” -meaning what we, the west, have made the law, a man-made law for war, was applied by the Washington-Pentagon driven NATO. Estimates have it, that NATO and its ‘allies’, cronies, proxies and mercenaries killed more than 20 million people since NATO’s existence, basically since the end of WWII. Compare this with about 70 to 80 million killed in WWII. – The 70 years of NATO are considered “Peace Time” – were they really a period of Peace?

This is a call on all NATO members to exit NATO – to opt for Peace and to exit NATO! To stop fighting wars – to liberate yourselves from the shackles of NATO.

Was the artificially and under totally false pretenses, as we know today, Cold War, which started immediately after WWII and lasted until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 – a period of Peace? – Or was it rather a period of constant intimidation for war, a period of armament of the west, a period of maximizing profits for the mainly US military industrial complex – a period, to destroy any chance the Soviet Union may have had to economically advance, as the arms race made it impossible for the USSR, the country that won WII, to concentrate on economic development at home after having lost 25 million lives and her basic production infrastructure.

And yes, it was the Soviet Union – not the “allies” (US, UK, and France) that liberated the world at the time from the German Nazi dominance. And yes, western history books tell you a different story. Western history books are never to be trusted.

The entirely Pentagon-run NATO has today 29 member countries (NATO member states: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_states_of_NATO), 26 of which are in Europe, and one, Turkey, in Eurasia.Plus, there are a number of “associated” or wannabe members, like Ukraine, Israel – and in recent months, would you believe! – Colombia in South America joined NATO through a so-called “Cooperation Agreement”,dating back to 2013 – and Brazil is perhaps the next candidate. The US want to control again their “backyard”, by applying again their Monroe Doctrine (no foreign power, other than the US, in Latin America) except, that the backyard has learned its lesson.

While Venezuela and her hydrocarbon and other mineral riches is the main target right now for NATO’s presence in Colombia and perhaps soon in Brazil, the most democratically elected government in the western world, is not just buckling under, as Washington is used to from the past. No. Venezuela has a solid strategic, economic – and MILITARY alliance with Russia and China. Despite all the infamous Trump-Pompeo-Bolton saber-rattling, its Russia and China who are drawing the red line. So much for the Monroe Doctrine. Times ar’a changing.

The US / NATO – all ruled by the Pentagon – have about 800 – and according to some estimates more than 1,000 military bases in about 100 countries. Not all are known to the public. The funds used to arm and maintain the bases are your tax-payer’s moneys. While producing weapons for the NATO killing bulldozer, these moneys are not available for much needed, education and health care, let alone basic infrastructure in poor countries, precisely those countries that are being colonized by the US / NATO military bases.

It has, of course, never been a priority for the western elite – those financial-military-petrol and lie-propaganda giants – that dark shady neofascist state that pretends to manipulates the rest of the world, to care for people’s health, and, of course even less so, for people’s education. Educated people are dangerous for these nefarious lecherous, greedy kingpins.

Take note! People around the world, your education is not wanted. Instead the money – YOUR MONEY – your government is supposed spend to give you a decent education so you can earn a decent living and understand the ropes of this ever more complex globe – these funds – YOUR FUNDS – are spent for arming to the teeth the NATO bases, to colonize you and your countries, to enslave you to a One World Order under a western dollar dominated financial hegemony.

They have already all the instruments in place, IMF, World Bank, World Trade Organization (WTO); they are subordinates to NATO. Get out of them too. They are the “elite’s” (for lack of a better term) tool to suffocate you with debt – so you will be at their mercy and sell them your resources for a pittance. Create your own economy, outside of the realm of GLOBALIZATION, of globalized neoliberalism, bordering already today on neofascism. Get out of NATO – and the rest will follow.

Because that’s what Europe has become: A US-NATO-Pentagon colony. European Nations – you think since you area member of NATO, you have a say in NATO decisions? – Better think again. You know,you have no say in NATO. It couldn’t be more obvious that the Pentagon is calling the shots. Trump and his minions, on behalf of the Pentagon and, of course, on behalf of the military industrial oligarchs, is threatening you – you European members, better pay upto NATO, or else…Whatever “else” means, it’s supposed to scare you. You know, you leaders (sic) of so-called EU members, you have been coopted to obey. Your non-elected European Commission (EC) that calls the shots on European legislation – yes, not the EU Parliament – has also been bought by Washington. The EU is nothing but a puppet of Washington and run by NATO.

But, then, what can you expect, the European Union was never an idea of Europeans. It was an idea born by the CIA already during WWII – then transplanted to some “willing” Europeans, with the promise of NATO protection from the evil Soviets. And, bingo, the red scare did it. It was the US Senator Joseph McCarthy era. The Red Scare. And today, we live in the entire wester era Russia Scare, then the China Scare, scares no-end – they keep NATO in place – keep NATO in Europe and gradually moving around the world – South China Sea, Latin America; the scares keep NATO ravaging and killing millions around the globe.

All the while – there is a real danger of a nuclear war – People, wake up! The Masters of WAR, NATO, are just waiting for the moment to provoke that infamous Red Button. People of this Universe, don’t you realize – if that happens, we are all doomed; mankind is doomed. Mother Earth may recover, but humans self-destruct.

People! Before that happens, kill the killing machine; kill NATO in its roots. Exit NATO! Contribute no penny anymore to the NATO budget. Withdraw from NATO, get out of NATO. Kick NATO out of your sovereign countries. Regain your NATO-stolen sovereignty. – And you will see the feeling of Peace enhances your well being, while the constant fear of war destroys your soul.

Getting out of NATO is actually easy, it’s also legally possible. As per Article 13 of the NATO charter, all of you members are eligible to exit NATO and to opt for PEACE:

There most likely may be multiple attempts to coopt (buy) your leaders again, under the false pretenses of security. Don’t fall for it. There is no danger from the “East”. In fact, neither Russia or China have an expansionist history. They have a different philosophy. They are seeking a multipolar world, by connecting to what is most logical – the so-called European Continent,which is geographically just the westernmost part of the huge contiguous Continent of Eurasia, even including the Middle East.Trading with friendly nations within this huge land mass is not only logical, it had been done in the past for thousands of years.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, six years ago, launched the so-called Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), also called the New Silk Road, connecting the world with transport, industrial cultural, learning and research infrastructure; the largest and most brilliant all-inclusive economic development project of known human history. It aims at connecting people, not separating them. It aims at equality and justice, including those left behind, for a world of Peace. As a Chinese delegate to an international conference recently said – we are building bridges to connect people, while the west is building walls.

It’s time for a new era of Peace. Seventy years of NATO, of killing for dominance and greed – is passé. Stop NATO. Exit NATO. Abolish NATO.

Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. He is also a water resources and environmental specialist. He worked for over 30 years with the World Bank and the World Health Organization around the world in the fields of environment and water. He lectures at universities in the US, Europe and South America. He writes regularly for Global Research; ICH; RT; Sputnik; PressTV; The 21st Century; TeleSUR; The Saker Blog, the New Eastern Outlook (NEO); and other internet sites. He is the author of Implosion – An Economic Thriller about War, Environmental Destruction and Corporate Greed – fiction based on facts and on 30 years of World Bank experience around the globe. He is also a co-author of The World Order and Revolution! – Essays from the Resistance.

Peter Koenig is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization.

Worldwide Rallies Against NATO and for Right of Return for Palestinians

Crescent International

On Saturday March 30, peace and anti-war activists held rallies in different capitals to demand that NATO be dismantled as well as to support the Palestinians’ right of return.

Despite pouring rain and Canada’s customary cold, hundreds of people participated in a rally outside the US Consulate in Toronto demanding that Washington end its destructive wars against peoples of the South. Speakers also called for ending Canada’s membership of NATO that is seen as a war-mongering alliance.

NATO was formed in 1946 to allegedly confront the threat from communism then led by the Soviet Union. With the end of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, the rationale for NATO's existence ended. It should have been disbanded.

Perish the thought. It became even more virulently aggressive and expanded toward the Russian border despite having given assurances earlier that it would not move toward the Russian border.

The Washington warlords thrive on wars, hence the US’s enormous annual war budget at $719 billion and the slaughter of millions of innocent people in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen.

In recent weeks, Venezuela has also been targeted. The US and its Zionist ally have targeted Islamic Iran for decades.

It has been subjected to vicious sanctions that have inflicted massive misery on the people of Iran.

The US and its NATO allies—Britain, France etc—are also involved in the Saudi regime’s criminal war against the people of Yemen. Canada is also supplying the medieval kingdom $15 billion in weapons that the regime is using against its own.

Speakers at the anti-NATO rally demanded immediate end to Canada’s supply of weapons to the barbaric regime in Saudi Arabia.

Rallies for Palestinians’ Right of Return

Simultaneously there were rallies in many parts of the world in support of the Palestinian people. While the one in Gaza on March 30 was the largest (more on this below), there was also a noisy rally in Toronto.

It was held at the iconic Dundas Square on Toronto’s Yonge Street that thousands of curious shoppers witnessed.

In Gaza itself, tens of thousands of people gathered on the first anniversary of return and breaking the siege march from early morning.

Organizers had already set up gathering points away from the so-called border fence that Israel has erected in order not to provide any pretext for the trigger-happy Zionist soldiers to shoot and kill unarmed peaceful Palestinians.

This, however, did not prevent the Zionists from shooting and killing three Palestinian civilians and wounding 364 others. Among the wounded were 74 Children, 12 Women, 7 Journalists, and 6 Paramedics.

Israeli snipers had taken up positions on high ground and indiscriminately fired, using live bullets, at a group of Palestinian young men.

As a result, Mohamed Jehad Jawdat Sa’d (20), from al-Shuja’iyia neighborhood, was hit with a live bullet to the chest. He was pronounced dead at al-Shifa Hospital.

The two other Palestinians killed on March 30 were:

Adham Nedal Saqer ‘Amarah (17), from Gaza City, who was hit with a tear gas canister to the face in eastern Gaza City;

Tamer Hashem ‘Isaa Abu al-Khair (18), from Hamad City in Khan Yunis, who was hit with a live bullet to the chest while participating in demonstrations in eastern Khuza’ah in Khan Yunis.

Of the 364 Palestinian civilians wounded, Health Ministry officials confirmed 93 were hit with live bullets and shrapnel, six were hit with rubber bullets, and 148 were hit directly with tear gas canisters.

Even paramedics and journalists were not spared.

An ambulance carrying the wounded to hospital was also directly hit with a tear gas canister in northern Gaza Strip.

Among those wounded, 540 are in serious condition and 136 had their lower or upper limbs amputated; 122 lower-limb amputations, 14 upper-limb amputations, and 25 children had their limbs amputated according to the Ministry of Health.

The numbers of wounded only included those that were shot with live bullets or directly hit with tear gas canisters. Thousands of others suffered tear gas inhalation and sustained bruises.

In view of Israel’s deliberate targeting of Palestinian civilians demands for taking Zionist officials—civilian and military—to the International Criminal Court have increased.

On March 18, the UN Human Rights Council’s Special Inquiry Commission in its report had recommended such action.