America’s astonishing war crimes hypocrisy

Of course Russian president Putin is guilty of war crimes in Ukraine. In a war of aggression, every death is a crime emanating from the original, supreme crime of unnecessary war. It is right for the U.S. and others to charge Putin with war crimes.

But while the U.S. may change others with war crimes, it conveniently omits itself from an endless series of its war crimes in the 21st century. Upwards of a million folks are dead in the Middle East and Africa from unnecessary, senseless wars either launched by the U.S in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya; or joined into by Uncle Sam, as in Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Niger, among others.

It’s fair to add Ukraine to the list of countries on America’s war crimes roster. Eight years ago the U.S. committed an act of war against Ukraine democracy, inspiring and supporting a coup against the democratically elected president, simply to keep Ukraine from partnering economically with Russia.

The new West leaning puppet government was quickly hijacked by ultranationalists who decided to brutalize Russian speaking Ukrainians in the Donbas. This set off a civil war now claiming over 13,000 Ukrainians, mostly the Russian speaking and leaning variety. Their blood is partly on the hands of the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations, who weaponized and trained the ultra-nationalist Ukrainians, and egged on their refusal to make peace with ‘the other’ Ukrainians simply to punish Russia.

What truly astounds about U.S. war crime charges is that when such charges are even hinted at against the U.S., we sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC), the agency charged with opening such investigations.

Two years ago, in response to a pending investigation of U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan, the Trump Administration issued Executive Order 11. It blocked financial assistance to the ICC and imposed visa restrictions on ICC staff and their families. As former Trump National Security Advisor John Bolton explained, “We will not cooperate with the ICC. We will provide no assistance to the ICC. We will not join the ICC. We will let the ICC die on its own. After all, for all intents and purposes, the ICC is already dead to us.” The investigation went nowhere.

That puts the U.S. in the peculiar position of promoting an investigation into Putin’s war crimes by an agency the U.S. considers illegitimate….when it dares investigate the gold standard of 21st century war crimes.

1Urban Djin

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Substantive policies, not dog whistles, needed to reduce crime

Illinois State Rep. Chris Bos of toney Lake Zurich in Lake County, sure traveled far afield to blow a conservative dog whistle over rising crime in Cook County.

Bos, who’s District 51 contains a tiny slice of Cook County, wastes Legislative resources introducing a bill to recall Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, blaming her for rising crime. Using no statistics to back his bill with zero chance of passage, Bos is simply posturing to shore up his ‘tough of crime’ bonafides. When Cook County State’s Attorney spokesperson Christian Villarreal responded with high prosecution and conviction figures in line with previous administrations, Bos had no comment.

Rather than frivolous, unhelpful posturing about crime, Bos might consider substantive legislative measures tackling massive availability of guns and lack of community resources to improve housing, education and job opportunities in crime ravaged communities.

Bos has a platform to improve opportunity, thereby reducing crime on Chicago’s South and West sides. Sadly, he squanders that platform to grandstand on a measure adding no value whatsoever to a critical social issue.

Unhappy 7th anniversary, U.S. Saudi war on Yemen

While the U.S. government and mainstream media rightly condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, neither offer one iota of protest against U.S. enabling of Saudi Arabia's horrific war against neighboring Yemen that has killed over 400,000 and puts millions at risk of starvation.

The Saudis started the war 7 years ago today by intervening in Yemen's civil war to prevent an Iranian aligned faction from becoming their neighbor. For America it represents a proxy war against the hated Iranian regime.

American has been all in helping the Saudis with U.S. made planes and bombs; refueling and maintenance help, and logistical support. Without U.S. support the incompetent Saudi war effort would collapse, making America instrumental in the carnage and humanitarian catastrophe called the 'worst in the world'.

A couple of years back Congress voted an end to American war crimes under the War Powers Act. Trump vetoed the measure and had enough friendly votes for more war crimes in Yemen from Congress to prevent an override. Biden came into office vowing to end it. But in a criminal and cowardly move, kept right on killing on in Yemen.

Congress will try again with another War Powers Act measure in the works. Yesterday Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Representative Peter DeFazio (OR-04), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17) issued the following statement:

“Seven years ago today, the United States began unauthorized military participation in Saudi Arabia’s devastating war in Yemen. In the time since, Saudi Arabia’s airstrikes and air-and-sea blockade have cost hundreds of thousands of lives and threatened millions more with famine, triggering the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. On this grim anniversary — spanning seven years and three presidential administrations — we are calling for an immediate end to American involvement in the Saudi-led coalition’s brutal military campaign."

While the U.S. funnels in over a billion dollars in weaponry into Ukraine to keep the war there going on for 31 days now instead of promoting a negotiating settlement. U.S. support for the Saudi slaughter of Yemenis continues into day 2,550.

But turn on mainstream news and it's all Ukraine 24/7. Not one peep about the Made In USA slaughter in Yemen. Maybe Russia took a cue from the worst when contemplating their criminal war.

World War III still biggest threat from Ukraine war

Forty-one days into Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine no end is in sight. This is due to several reasons. Most important is failure of the Russian military to achieve its primary war objective: regime change of the Zelensky government, in a country one third as populous as Russia. Their abysmal performance gives the lie to the preposterous Western meme that Putin’s Russia is trying to re-establish a Soviet style Russian empire. They appear incapable of fighting their way out of a proverbial paper bag.

But a close second is the refusal of the U.S. and most NATO nations to promote negotiations which are the only way to end a war neither side can win decisively. Secretary of State Antony Blinken keeps blinking at negotiations, avoiding contact with his Russian counterpart since February 15. President Biden refuses to talk to his Russian counterpart, saying he cannot remain in office much less discuss a negotiated settlement with him.

The U.S. dismisses efforts by NATO members Turkey, France and Germany to communicate with Russia. Turkey is even serving as host for the difficult Russian, Ukraine negotiations, something that America should have brokered. Hard line NATO member Poland blasted French president Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who both had the courage and wisdom to engage Russian president Putin personally.

U.S. officials failed to learn the lesson of the Cuban Missile Crisis sixty years ago. With the U.S. and Russia on the brink of nuclear war, JFK sidelined the war hungry generals to promote candid, direct talks with Soviet diplomats connected to President Khrushchev. A late hour agreement forestalled likely nuclear war, no thanks to the hardliners who lamented failure of their chance to destroy Soviet Russia….and themselves as well.

In this war, instead of negotiations, the U.S. has funneled $1.6 billion in weaponry into Ukraine, putting America at war with Russia, tho both sides pretend they’re not…so far. The U.S. is content to supply the firepower with only Ukrainians dying to achieve America’s goal of removing Russia from any economic and political integration with Europe.

This was supposed to happen peacefully with NATO’s endless expansion up to Russia’s borders, including wannabe members Georgia and Ukraine. But when Ukraine president Victor Yanukovych chose Russia as his economic partner in 2013, the U.S, engineered the February, 2014 coup, an act of war on Ukraine democracy, to bring Ukraine back into partnership with the West.

That set off a civil war in Ukraine between the Russian speaking eastern provinces and the new ultra nationalist government trained and weaponized by Uncle Sam. Over 13,000 are dead, mostly the Russian speaking separatists, in the past 8 years. Over 100,000 Ukraine troops poised for a Spring offensive was a poke too far for the Russian beehive, provoking the massive and bloody February 24 invasion.

With tensions mounting daily, it may take a miracle to prevent the undeclared war between the U.S. and Russia from being acknowledged and going nuclear. But no miracle needed if the U.S. will admit its 8 years of provocative threats to Russia, end arming the Ukrainian government, and begin sensible negotiations.

Sixty years ago we saw a similar U.S. Russia crisis barely avoid nuclear Doomsday. Unless U.S. officials regain their senses and sanity, we may not be so fortunate this time round.