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Title: NATO Says It Might Now Have Grounds to Attack Russia
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URL Source: http://www.globalresearch.ca/nato-s ... ounds-to-attack-russia/5531167
Published: Jun 16, 2016
Author: Eric Zuesse
Post Date: 2016-06-16 15:32:49 by Ada
Keywords: None
Views: 512
Comments: 18
On Tuesday, June 14th, NATO announced that if a NATO member country becomes the victim of a cyber attack by persons in a non-NATO country such as Russia or China, then NATO’s Article V “collective defense” provision requires each NATO member country to join that NATO member country if it decides to strike back against the attacking country. The preliminary decision for this was made two years ago after Crimea abandoned Ukraine and rejoined Russia, of which it had been a part until involuntarily transferred to Ukraine by the Soviet dictator Nikita Khrushchev in 1954. That NATO decision was made in anticipation of Ukraine’s ultimately becoming a NATO member country, which still hasn’t happened. However, only now is NATO declaring cyber war itself to be included as real “war” under the NATO Treaty’s “collective defense” provision. NATO is now alleging that because Russian hackers had copied the emails on Hillary Clinton’s home computer, this action of someone in Russia taking advantage of her having privatized her U.S. State Department communications to her unsecured home computer and of such a Russian’s then snooping into the U.S. State Department business that was stored on it, might constitute a Russian attack against the United States of America, and would, if the U.S. President declares it to be a Russian invasion of the U.S., trigger NATO’s mutual-defense clause and so require all NATO nations to join with the U.S. government in going to war against Russia, if the U.S. government so decides. NATO had produced in 2013 (prior to the take-over of Ukraine) an informational propaganda video alleging that “cyberattacks” by people in Russia or in China that can compromise U.S. national security, could spark an invasion by NATO, if the U.S. President decides that the cyberattack was a hostile act by the Russian or Chinese government. In the video, a British national-security expert notes that this would be an “eminently political decison” for the U.S. President to make, which can be made only by the U.S. President, and which only that person possesses the legal authority to make. NATO, by producing this video, made clear that any NATO-member nation’s leader who can claim that his or her nation has been ‘attacked’ by Russia, possesses the power to initiate a NATO war against Russia. In the current instance, it would be U.S. President Barack Obama. However, this video also said that NATO could not automatically accept such a head-of-state’s allegation calling the cyber-attack an invasion, but instead the country that’s being alleged to have perpetrated the attack would have to have claimed, or else been proven, to have carried it out. With the new NATO policy, which was announced on June 14th, in which a cyber-attack qualifies automatically as constituting “war” just like any traditional attack, such a claim or proof of the target-nation’s guilt might no longer be necessary. But this has been left vague in the published news reports about it. In the context of the June 14th NATO announcement that cyberwar is on the same status as physical war, Obama might declare the U.S. to have been invaded by Russia when former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s State Department emails were copied by someone in Russia. It’s a hot issue now between Russia and the United States, and so, for example, on the same day, June 14th, Reuters headlined “Moscow denies Russian involvement in U.S. DNC hacking”, and reported that, “Russia on Tuesday denied involvement in the hacking of the Democratic National Committee database that U.S. sources said gained access to all opposition research on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.” In previous times, espionage was treated as being part of warfare, and, after revelations became public that the U.S. was listening in on the phone conversations of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, espionage has become recognized as being simply a part of routine diplomacy (at least for the United States); but, now, under the new NATO policy, it might be treated as being equivalent to a physical invasion by an enemy nation. At the upcoming July 8th-9th NATO Summit meeting, which will be happening in the context of NATO’s biggest-ever military exercises on and near the borders of Russia, called “Atlantic Resolve”, prospective NATO plans to invade Russia might be discussed in order to arrive at a consensus plan for the entire alliance. However, even if that happens, it wouldn’t be made public, because war-plans never are. The origin of this stand-off between the U.S. and Russia goes back to promises that the West had made in 1990 to the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, not to expand NATO up to the borders of Russia, and the West’s subsequent violations of those repeatedly made promises. Gorbachev disbanded the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact, on the basis of those false assurances from Western leaders. Thus, Russia is surrounded now by enemies, including former Warsaw Pact nations and even some former regions of the Soviet Union itself, such as Ukraine and the Baltic republics, which now host NATO forces. NATO is interpreting Russia’s acceptance of the Crimeans’ desire to abandon Ukraine and rejoin Russia following the 2014 Ukrainian coup, as constituting a showing of an intent by Russia to invade NATO nations that had formerly been part of the Soviet Union and of the Warsaw Pact, such as Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia; and this is the alleged reason for America’s Operation Atlantic Resolve, and the steep increase in U.S. troops and weapons in those nations that border on Russia. Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author, most recently, of They’re Not Even Close: The Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records, 1910-2010, and of CHRIST’S VENTRILOQUISTS: The Event that Created Christianity.
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#1. To: Ada (#0)
We are ruled by lunatics.
We are ruled by people with little talent and great ambition
It's much worse than that, Ada. We're ruled by thugs and baby killers. "Honest, April 15th is the real April Fool's Day". "The almighty Dollar ain't worth a buck". "White Lives Matter Most if you're white" Doug Scheidt
Past time, way, way, past time to defund and withdraw from this insane organization. Just like the UN crazies.
“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
Israel? Just asking..... :)
"After tomorrow those SOB's will never embarrass me again. That’s not a threat. That’s a promise.” – LBJ to his mistress Madeleine Brown on the eve of JFK assassination 
#2. To: FormerLurker (#1)
#3. To: Ada (#2)
We are ruled by people with little talent and great ambition
#4. To: Ada (#0)
#5. To: Ada, NeoconsNailed, Lod, Cynicom, christine, noone222 (#0)
On Tuesday, June 14th, NATO announced that if a NATO member country becomes the victim of a cyber attack by persons in a non-NATO country such as Russia or China, then NATO’s Article V “collective defense” provision requires each NATO member country to join that NATO member country if it decides to strike back against the attacking country.
-Alex Kurtagic
#6. To: X-15 (#5)
Israel? Just asking..... Great question ! On Tuesday, June 14th, NATO announced that if a NATO member country becomes the victim of a cyber attack by persons in a non-NATO country such as Russia or China, then NATO’s Article V “collective defense” provision requires each NATO member country to join that NATO member country if it decides to strike back against the attacking country.
"Honest, April 15th is the real April Fool's Day".
"The almighty Dollar ain't worth a buck".
"White Lives Matter Most if you're white"
Doug Scheidt
#7. To: Ada (#0)
HAHAHAHAAA ! Good Luck with that. And for the record, if this spills into Central and South America we are shooting first and asking zero questions later. NATO is now alleging that because Russian hackers had copied the emails on Hillary Clinton’s home computer, this action of someone in Russia taking advantage of her having privatized her U.S. State Department communications to her unsecured home computer and of such a Russian’s then snooping into the U.S. State Department business that was stored on it, might constitute a Russian attack against the United States of America, and would, if the U.S. President declares it to be a Russian invasion of the U.S., trigger NATO’s mutual-defense clause and so require all NATO nations to join with the U.S. government in going to war against Russia, if the U.S. government so decides.
"Define yourself as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion."—Brennan Manning
#8. To: X-15 (#5)
They don't need to hack. They have passcodes and all the information goes to servers in.... Guess where the info is ?
"Define yourself as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion."—Brennan Manning
#9. To: Ada (#0)
Since when does nato need grounds to do anything, libya was invaded without cause as was syria and iraq. NATO doesnt need to pretend its justification for its thugery... they are made of nothing but pedophile baby killers. Worst scum of the earth. May christ judge them soon. NATO Says It Might Now Have Grounds to Attack Russia
______________________________________
Suspect all media / resist bad propaganda/Learn NLP everyday everyway ;) If you don't control your mind someone else will.
#10. To: titorite (#9)
brutal imperial mercenaries
"Define yourself as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion."—Brennan Manning
#11. To: X-15 (#5)
I think I smell gefiltefish. Isn't this exactly the kind of BS that caused WW1? Israel? Just asking.....
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I love humanity -- it's the people I can't stand.
#12. To: Ada, Christine, X-15 Lod, Horse, NeoconsNailed, Cynicom, Rotara, noone222, Artisan Esso (#0) (Edited)
If The US attacks China or Russia we may finally have an answer to a hotly debated question: "Can a US aircraft carrier actually be sunk?" Supposedly the Russian SS-N-22 Sunburn anti ship cruise missiles (which the Chinese also have mounted on patrol boats in the Persian Gulf) can take evasive action in flight, and it remains to be seen if defense armaments such as the completely computerized, automated and LASER equipped Phalanx Close-In Weapon System can track and kill the missiles in flight. If a hostile's nuclear tipped missile performs as advertised (and a carrier's watertight doors don't) then 6,000 sailors, marines and airmen could go to the bottom in an attack. The thought of that gives me the collywobbles and nightmares. Even if our fighting men and women are instruments of bad policy, I don't want them to die horribly and en masse. And I remember when the nuclear flattops were pulled from the theater and creaky, leaky diesel powered carriers were stationed within striking distance of the coast of hostile Iran.
"Sometimes I hang my head and cry.. as that evening train goes by...wish it could take me far away, these FARMER'S BLUES"
#13. To: HOUNDDAWG (#12)
I hate to say it, but if they do it will mean fewer innocent citizens of far- flung nowheres dying horrible and en masse. In all my forensics and polemics I've asked only one thing -- that people be held to the standards they demand of others. That kills Zionism, the warfare state, yellow journalism, the works. Hate to be so controversial :-) Even if our fighting men and women are instruments of bad policy, I don't want them to die horribly and en masse.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I love humanity -- it's the people I can't stand.
#14. To: NeoconsNailed (#13) (Edited)
If an American carrier is sunk in the Med or the Gulf (or the South China Sea) I'd bet that it was a result of intentional antagonism-bait, if you will. And why would The US do that? Well, they will be able to order state of the art nukes once they use the ageing stockpile on hand. If I thought that the sinking of an American carrier would inspire people to rise up and put a stop to the endless militarism that has become the US trademark, then I'd weigh the possibility that it would be a necessary if tragic sacrifice. (If I knew the parents of a lost sailor, airman or marine then it wouldn't go down quite so easily.) Is that your belief or did I misread your thoughts? My belief is, as long as the JCS and top Pentagon folks believe they are safe they'd undertake their long-wished-for-war for control of what's left of the post-nuclear winter radiation-saturated planet. It is also my belief that no matter how many millions would ultimately die, the chauvinist military policy wonks would consider it "acceptable collateral damage". In fact if the result was a fraction of them surviving on stored underground supplies (not unlike the film, DR. STRANGELOVE) it would be a glorious victory for them. After all, if they can't have unrestrained, swindle capitalism in whatever form it takes then why not reduce the Earth to a burned out cinder? In fact if Jeebus was here he'd tell you himself that he supports General Electric, General Dynamics, General Tent, Boot & Bug Spray, Inc., and their holy mission to protect the "American Way of Life". I hate to say it, but if they do it will mean fewer innocent citizens of far- flung nowheres dying horrible and en masse.
If there's one word that describes me, it's profection!
#15. To: HOUNDDAWG (#14)
LOL! I think we agree on a great deal. What I meant was simply that it's one more ship worth of US troops that won't be helping with the "Israel's junkyard dog" project -- killing off people guilty of being disliked by Izrul and destroying their infrastructure. (A pregnant statement. Governments care more about a dead politician than you or me. Supposedly we as a civilization have respect for the graves of the dead, but not if it can make a historian's or archaeologist's career.) 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I love humanity -- it's the people I can't stand.
#16. To: NeoconsNailed (#15)
Right. The night raids of non combatants' homes and the manning of bloody check points require boots on the ground. And, the sinking of a carrier would no doubt adversely affect enlistment, perhaps forcing congress to re-institute yet another white trash conscription program. You know, the kind that has the enthusiastic support of rich Republican college kids who are ineligible for service for reasons such as old football injuries, allergy to BDU-green dyes, sand fleas, heat, cold, lack of sleep and being given orders by non college educated superiors.... What I meant was simply that it's one more ship worth of US troops that won't be helping with the "Israel's junkyard dog" project -- killing off people guilty of being disliked by Izrul and destroying their infrastructure.
If there's one word that describes me, it's profection!
#17. To: HOUNDDAWG (#16)
All news to me -- you seem to have an intimate nolej of the subject. But don't forget the dummacrat prostiticians' brats who'll never darken the door of a public school or wear the armée blue.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I love humanity -- it's the people I can't stand.
#18. To: NeoconsNailed (#17)
WORD! ...But don't forget the dummacrat prostiticians' brats who'll never darken the door of a public school or wear the armée blue.
If there's one word that describes me, it's profection!
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