Global Issues

Why There’s No Contradiction Between Standing With Ukraine and Calling Out Western Hypocrisy -By Jeremy Scahill

It is intellectually dishonest to ignore the broken promises from the US & NATO regarding NATO expansion. It is lunacy to deny that Russia has legitimate security concerns posed by this expansion even if its response to these concerns is a heino

Published

2 years ago

March 4, 2022

Opinion Nigeria

A few thoughts about the issue of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the credibility of the US and NATO:
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a bald faced act of aggression, replete with war crimes, and is rightly being condemned as such by large numbers of people and nations across the globe.
The US and other NATO nations are in a dubious position to claim moral high ground in condemning Russia’s actions.
While many statements from Western leaders may in fact be accurate regarding the nature of Russia’s actions, they must be placed in the context of their own militarism and well-documented hypocrisy and moral bankruptcy.
It is intellectually dishonest to ignore the broken promises from the US & NATO regarding NATO expansion. It is lunacy to deny that Russia has legitimate security concerns posed by this expansion even if its response to these concerns is a heino
During the 78 day NATO bombing of Serbia and Montenegro in 1999, the US-led NATO alliance committed similar or identical acts that it is now condemning Russia for in Ukraine.
President Clinton sidestepped both the UN and the US Congress in initiating this bombing. Joe Biden was among its biggest cheerleaders.
Under the command of US General Wesley Clark, NATO intentionally bombed Radio Television Serbia, killing 16 media workers, including technicians and makeup artists.
The US-led NATO force used internationally-banned cluster bombs, including on a crowded marketplace in the city of Nis.
The US-led NATO force bombed a civilian passenger train and then released a doctored video, sped up to make it appear as though it was a mistake made in a split second. This was a total fabrication.
The US bombed the Chinese embassy, killing three journalists. The US-led NATO force bombed bridges and civilian infrastructure repeatedly.
These crimes committed by the US and its NATO allies do not in any way excuse or justify Russia’s aggression. At the same time, history and context matter. If the US wants the moral high ground, it should cease its own ongoing war crimes and support for war crimes.
This could begin with such actions as ending all support for Israel’s aggression against Palestine and recognizing the Palestinians’ legitimate right to self defense.
The US could immediately end all support for Saudi Arabia and “make it a pariah,” as Biden promised. The US could stop its drone strikes in Somalia and elsewhere.
The systemic US failure to accept responsibility for its own crimes undermines the credibility of its condemnations of Russia, particularly in the eyes of anyone who knows the history of NATO and US militarism. It is a gift to Putin’s cause.
There is no contradiction between standing with the people of Ukraine and against Russia’s heinous invasion and being honest about the hypocrisy, war crimes and militarism of the US and NATO.