Moral defeat of the West on the day diplomacy died
While the British Press hails a diplomatic triumph for Theresa May, the claim could not be further from the truth: the West, has committed a colossal mistake.
March 2018 will go down in the annals of diplomatic history as a colossal mistake, a Western failure of epic proportions and will showcase again the outrage committed in Iraq, when the UK, USA and a handful of sycophantic yes-dogs invaded Iraq based on lies, outside the auspices of the UNSC, committed war crimes, committed murder and destroyed a sovereign State, as the FUKUS three (France, UK, US) did again in Libya, based on more lies.
So the record is not that great, is it? But let us not speak about the past, let us examine the present. After Iraq, as I warned at the time, the word of London and Washington can be taken with a pinch of salt, to the extent that whatever they claim, one has to be suspicious, turn what they say inside out and upside down to get anywhere near the truth and then do what the police do, and try to find a motive.
We are speaking about the Skripal affair, in Salisbury and once again let me reiterate that the use of poisonous substances in public spaces, occasioning the serious illness of three persons, endangering the life of a policeman going about his work and putting the public at risk is totally unacceptable. And I mean that.
Now let us examine the case further, all eyes on London, where the British government and several ministers openly and immediately blamed the Russian State, and immediately afterwards its President, without a shred of evidence. The position of the UK and the evidence it is based upon, is outlined as follows by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office:
A wild statement that Russia has conducted state-sponsored assassinations in Russia and abroad; the assessment by the FCO that Russia regards defectors as legitimate targets; the knowledge that Russia produced a chemical agent and would be capable of doing so again and the identification of an agent by Porton Down Defense Science and Technology Laboratory, outside whose doors the crime was committed.
So it is the same as stating that Bill killed little Tommy because he had been suspected of killing someone before, because he could have done it and because the police found a footprint from a shoe of a similar size to his in little Tommy's bedroom. Sorry but in a court of law, it's a non-starter. What happened to the principle of innocent until proven guilty?
How could the British political class rubber stamp the indictment against the Russian State (and its President) after minutes, when the team of international experts needs weeks to reach a conclusion (and even then let us see what it is and provide samples to the Russian authorities)?
And speaking of science, let us see the summary of the Porton Down analysis which I have been sent, and I quote from my email: Blood samples from Sergei Skripal and Yulia Skripal were analyzed and the findings indicated exposure to a nerve agent OR RELATED COMPOUND.The samples tested positive for the presence of a Novichuk-class nerve agent OR CLOSELY RELATED AGENT" . Now if that is sealed-tight, crystal-clear, objective scientific evidence that Moscow is involved, I am a Mongolian yak-herder. Going back to my analogy, the murder was committed by Bill OR SOMEONE ELSE wearing size 9 shoes OR A SIMILAR SIZE. Conclusion: Porton Down was not able to identify the compound as being made in Russia (and anyway the Soviet facility making this Novichok would probable have been in Uzbekhistan). Uzbekhistan is not Russia. Crimea is.
As I have already said, I have the formula for Novichok on my desk, it is easily available public information. The manufacturing process is relatively simple and could be conducted anywhere by any University laboratory. These things are not rocket science - snake venoms, Fasciculins work on the same principle, as Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. There are literally hundreds of known nerve toxins so to speak about Related Compounds or Closely Related Agents is not very scientific and is not the language of researchers and analysis.
It is the same language as "Hey! Saddam is procuring Yellowcake Uranium...from Nigeria!" Actually it is Niger and your document is so puerile that the IAEA immedietely recognized the stamp as a forgery. It is the same language as "Hey! Saddam is producing chemical weapons, LOOK!" showing a vial of flour. It is the same language as "Hey! Gaddafy is bombing his own people!" And on their tour of the bombed-out building, SKY News found what? Pristine blocks of flats where everyone was holding Gaddafy flags and cheering on Saif al-Islam.
So I want to see evidence, clear evidence, that the Russian State is behind the Skripal case. I want to see it presented in a scientific and objective way and I want proof, not hearsay or gossip from the hairstylist's salon, that the Russian State was involved. To date we have heard nothing but Theresa May's claims that it is "highly probable" the Russian State was involved "because there is no plausible alternative explanation", so she says. Like, what the hell is that supposed to mean? I am sorry, Theresa May but even for you that is a bit lame is it not? I am no genius but I can think of several plausible alternative explanations.
MI6? CIA? The mob? Skripal's business partners? Central Asian Republic link? Azerbaijan link? Something he discovered and made him unwelcome? One Russian exile has just fled the UK claiming that he was more afraid of MI6 than the FSB.
Now let us not be too hard on the Brits, although they are behaving like a bunch of wannabe amateur sleuths playing a game of Cluedo. Spreading poisonous substances in public places is not sexy, but then again who bombed the Gaddafy grandchildren and claimed they were "legitimate targets"? See what I mean? Then destroyed the Libyan water supply (war crime) "to break their backs, eh what?"
The Brits have a lot of good things going for them but they have one colossal hang-up: they are Russophobes (the Establishment, not the people). So the UK and its bedmaster the USA (notice the cooing noises when Washington says there ya go buddy ...pat on the head... er...special relationship? And then watch the UK have a collective searing throbbing orgasm before Washington orders it to cavort with terrorists or to invade someone)...the UK and its bedmaster are getting worried at a resurgent Russia which defeated the Georgia Project in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which told the truth over Iraq as they (the UK and its bedmaster) destroyed whatever credibility they had in spectacular fashion. They watched aghast as Russia did the right thing over Libya and they once again were on the wrong side and destroyed a State and left it crawling with terrorists, which they crawled into bed with.
When the West masterminded the Ukrainian saga, where the democratically elected President was ousted and mysterious operatives fired on the crowd from the sixth floor of Hotel Ukraine in the main square of Kiev to incriminate the police and start an OTPOR-style cause, Russia again acted with mastery, standing back as the legal entity in power in Crimea, its Legislative Assembly (in the absence of the President) conducted a free, open and fair democratic election. They then accused Russia of invading (itself). Conclusion: Sour cheese that they did not get their grubby hands on the Russian Navy bases. And sour cheese again because Russia conducted a successful counter-terrorist operation in Syria and the Western-backed terrorists are getting their assholes handed to them by the heroic Syrian Arab Army.
So a bully does not like it when others stand up to him and he will try every ploy in the book to retain his grip on fear because that is the only cement which holds him on his pedastal. This includes ganging up on Russia not only in a geo-political stand-off but also excluding Russia from song contests, from games and this time around, a failed attempt to disrupt FIFA. (Oh all right then, well, the...the...the Royal Family won't be going to any of the games. So there! Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it, what?)
So it all started with Theresa May. One wonders what she said at that meeting to get States like Estonia and Poland and so on to join the gaggle of ninnies jumping the gun because she claimed that it was highly likely that Bill killed Little Tommy, because he could have. Funny, if one googles up my article Baltic States and Revisionism, we can see where these countries are coming from, joined by Ukraine, of course, the rest making token expulsions with a bored shrug and a sigh as they rolled over, dropped their pants and did as they were told by their NATO boss across the sea. They're all there, the three Baltic States with their deplorable Fascist record during the Second World War, Albania, obviously, after its behavior in Kosovo, Poland (rolleyes), the Czech Republic (Sniff! Sniff!), NATO wannabes Macedonia, Australia (as usual, I say anyone for cricket?), Canada (as usual - how many baby seals did you guys murder this year?). In short, a bunch of States with an unhealthy interest in Fascism and in invading others, murdering families from 30,000 feet and claiming they won a tremendous victory. Just like in Imperial times when warriors were mown down with machine guns and a great military feat was claimed, eh whatty what what?
Does anyone think that she threatened to do striptease? Just imagine the reaction in Brussels. Oooh Là! Là! No, Madame please! Sacré Coeur! Please don't! We will do whatever you want! Achtung! Gott in Himmel! Tell ze Vuman she must stopp! Ah no. No, apleasa. Do notta take offa youra panties, Missesa May-a! Never in the history of Brussels have so many dinners been lost in such a short space of time by so many diplomats. After all the hors d'oeuvres. So she screamed, follow suit or I'll show you my backside! (screams) And Bob's your Uncle! The game was in the bag. A great diplomatic victory.
Or a sniveling defeat in which the norms of international law flew out the window, again, in which slanderous and libelous accusations were made against an innocent State and its President without a shred of evidence and who knows upon what lies already cooked and to be cooked up further?
March 2018 when the international community got it spectacularly wrong, as time will tell. Notice the position of Portugal, very clearly on the side of international law, condemning the attack, demanding that those responsible should be held accountable but waiting (no doubt under tremendous pressure) for the evidence. Innocent until proven guilty by facts, not hearsay. Congratulations, Lisbon! Long may you resist as an oasis of KUDOS for others to follow!
What should Russia do?
This is up to the Russian Government. My reaction would be to close all Embassies and cut all diplomatic ties with all the countries involved in this act of insolence and provocation, turn off the gas supply and move the pipes eastwards, slam the door, bolt it, lock it and throw away the key. From the West came Napoleon (got his ass kicked) and Hitler (got his ass kicked) and in between interference in the Russian Revolution on the side of the Whites in the Civil War (got their asses kicked). No doubt the Russian President will show more patience and will practise Diplomacy, not hairdresser-type gossip sessions and WAG-style hair-pulling at soccer tournaments. Without (gasp) the Royal Family!!
Rather than a victory, this common stance based upon diatribes is a colossal defeat for the West as once again it aligns itself against the principles of international law, gets it wrong, over-reacts and shows itself to be a bastion of nastiness, spite and snide comments. It is a shame that politicians of such a low caliber can be in positions of power making such decisions, while their populations follow them blindly like sheep. How sickeningly predictable.
Por João Carvalho - Obra do próprio, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2130757
Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey
Pravda.Ru
Twitter: @TimothyBHinchey
timothy.hinchey@gmail.com
*Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey has worked as a correspondent, journalist, deputy editor, editor, chief editor, director, project manager, executive director, partner and owner of printed and online daily, weekly, monthly and yearly publications, TV stations and media groups printed, aired and distributed in Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Portugal, Mozambique and São Tomé and Principe Isles; the Russian Foreign Ministry publication Dialog and the Cuban Foreign Ministry Official Publications. He has spent the last two decades in humanitarian projects, connecting communities, working to document and catalog disappearing languages, cultures, traditions, working to network with the LGBT communities helping to set up shelters for abused or frightened victims and as Media Partner with UN Women, working to foster the UN Women project to fight against gender violence and to strive for an end to sexism, racism and homophobia. A Vegan, he is also a Media Partner of Humane Society International, fighting for animal rights. He is Director and Chief Editor of the Portuguese version of Pravda.Ru.