Kiev Uses Chemical Weapons

Kiev Uses Chemical Weapons

by Stephen Lendman

Fascists wage wars their way. Dirty ones rage. America fights this way.

It's done so throughout its existence. No-holds-barred barbarism reflects official policy.

Washington manipulates criminal events in Ukraine. Coup-appointed putschists are convenient stooges. They're murdering their own people. They're doing it in cold blood.

Donetsk People's Republic leaders said Mariupol self-defense forces were attacked with chemical weapons. A statement issued said:

"Kiev bears the entire responsibility not only for their state agencies' actions, but also for the actions by citizens who illegally apply means of chemical warfare."

"Armed groups controlled by Kiev used unidentified chemical weapons on May 6 while storming the City Council headquarters."

"The defenders of the City Council have left the contaminated area."

"Many of them had their breathing systems damaged, which is likely to have consequences and probably be a danger to their lives."

A toxic choking agent was used. One victim was diagnosed with unidentified gas poisoning.

Others were affected. Symptoms include first-degree chemical-inflicted eye burns, alcoholic-like intoxication, bodily lacerations and fainting. Victims were hospitalized.

At the same time, Kiev forces attacked Mariupol. They did so with tanks and other heavy weapons.

Federalization supporters screamed "Fascists." Armored vehicles fired on unarmed civilians. Reports suggest around 20 deaths. Many more were wounded.

The 0629.ua news service reported "a tank seized at the crossroads of Lenina and Torgovaya streets by the representatives of the Donetsk People's Republic."

"At 12.50, 14 tanks were spotted coming from the agricultural base towards Mariupol. According to medics, there are two dead and 8 wounded," the report added.

"(O)n Lenin avenue, two people were seriously wounded - one in the head and another in the stomach."

"A huge pool of blood (was) next to the Arbat cafe. It's not known whether the wounded people have survived."

"Witnesses sa(id) they were driven away in a passenger car. The fighting (went) on next to the main police department."

"Gunfire (was) heard. Two armored vehicles blocked Artyom street." Residents barricaded streets. They burned tires. They overturned cars.

They stormed Mariupol's Interior Ministry building. According to a self-defense force representative:

"Camouflaged people...storm(ed) the building of the city’s interior ministry department. A bus with soldiers dr(ove) up."

"They (came) from a military unit located in the vicinity of Mariupol. Policemen who refuse to obey Kiev regime's orders (were) detained."

"Policemen of the city department refused to obey Kiev's orders and guard the building of the city council, which had been seized a day earlier by the Ukrainian security services."

"As a result, Kiev authorities decided to storm the building of the city Interior Ministry department. Policemen are shooting back."

"The building (was) surrounded." Self-defense forces said "(a)rmored vehicles approached (it) and opened fire with heavy weapons."

"The building is old and has thick walls, so you can't penetrate it with machine-gun fire." A city resident added:

"On the central street of the city, I saw tanks and armored vehicles with the Ukrainian flags at around 11.40 am (local time)."

"Then, the city residents started to gather near the city executive committee building."

"Then some of the protesters tried to go to the district department of interior, but it seemed that the Kiev regime military was beginning to shoot at those who attempted to approach."

"I don't know if they were shooting to kill, but at their legs - that's for sure."

A separate report said the Interior Ministry was set ablaze.

RT International reported what happened. Its stringer was wounded. He's identified only as Andrey for his safety.

It happened while filming. He sustained a stomach injury. His bulletproof vest didn't help. He's hospitalized in serious condition. Reports suggest he'll survive.

On Friday, gun battles raged. Ukrainian MP Oleg Lyashko said:

"The perimeter around the Interior Ministry department building in Mariupol is completely blocked by the armed forces."

"Terrorists are barricaded inside and are now returning fire. An order has been issued not to take anyone alive."

Fascists fight this way. Friday was Victory Day. It commemorated Nazi Germany's defeat. Russia honored heroes of its Great Patriotic War.

Ukrainians did so nationwide. Many thousands were on city streets. Imagine waging war this day. Imagine attacking civilians.

Imagine targeting unarmed ones. Imagine doing so with thousands in harm's way.

Imagine US media scoundrels ignoring what happened. Imagine European ones misreporting it.

Imagine them calling freedom fighters "terrorists." Imagine them ignoring civilian casualties.

Imagine fascists fighting this way. Imagine Washington supporting their worst brutality. Imagine direct orders to commit mass murder. One fascist regime supports another.

About 1,500 Mariupol residents participating in Victory Day commemoration marched on police headquarters.

They did so resisting Ukraine's military. According to a self-defense forces spokesman:

"Demonstrators - about 1,500 in all - rushed to the police department building."

"Men wearing black camouflage walk(ed) towards them, firing shots in the air."

Other residents burned tires near City Council headquarters. Mariupol is one of many Eastern Ukrainian battlegrounds.

Kharkov is Ukraine's second largest city. On Friday, an anti-government rally was held. Around 1,500 residents participated.

One held a sign reading: "Referendum. We're not separatist!" Residents oppose Kiev's "junta." They called coup-appointed officials "US henchemen."

Putschists are waging "war against (their) own people," they said. Thousands of Donetsk residents rallied. They chanted greetings to Great Patriotic War veterans.

"Congratulations!" "Hurrah!" and "Russia!," they shouted. Self-defense forces leader Denis Pushilin thanked veterans for defeating fascism.

He urged people to vote in Sunday's referendum, saying:

"We must confirm our choice on May 11, confirm our holy duty to continue to carry the banner of Victory."

"We are Russians. The great Russian heritage is awakening in us, and we will win a victory whatever the cost."

Police were supportive. They wore St. George's ribbons. City residents applauded them.

Thousands in Slavyansk rallied. They celebrated Victory Day. They did so despite Kiev-imposed martial law.

Recently released People's Governor Pavel Gubarev urged residents throughout Southeast Ukraine "to join the people's militia under the command of Igor Strelkov."

Slavyansk People's Mayor Vyacheslav Ponomarev called on them to fight fascism. Vote in Sunday's referendum, he stressed.

Odessans displayed a red banner over the Trade Union House building. They did so honoring hundreds Right Sector thugs killed on May 2. Most were inside.

Crowds assembled in Taras Shevchenko Park. They did so to honor Soviet soldiers killed in the Great Patriotic War.

Others gathered in Kulikovo Field. Right Sector thugs burned activist tents on May 2. Doing so was prelude to murdering 300 unarmed civilians inside and outside the Trade Union House building.

Odessan mayoral candidate Aleksey Albu said:

"We have plans to put up a new tent camp after May 9. This time, there will be many more people there."

Odessa and other Eastern Ukrainian cities remain battlegrounds. Expect no end of fighting soon. Perhaps bloodbath conditions before things end.

Orders come straight from Washington. Eliminate opposition elements. Do it at all costs.

Unleash violence without mercy. Use tanks, artillery, mortars, APCs, helicopter gunships, and other heavy weapons against civilians.

Murder them in cold blood. Lie. Claim they're terrorists. Say you're protecting Ukraine.

Good journalism is the first casualty of war. It's a "weapon of war," said John Pilger.

Censorship is longstanding policy. Truth-telling is verboten. Media scoundrels suppress what people most need to know.

Managed news misinformation substitutes. Reporting on Ukraine has been appalling and then some. It matches the worst against Saddam, Gaddafi and Assad.

Bad fiction substitutes for hard truths. It persists daily. Presstitutes make street whores look good by comparison. Marching in lockstep with US policy alone matters.

Expect lots more of the same ahead. Ukrainian crisis conditions promise to get worse. Perhaps much worse before things end.

Perhaps Obama bit off more than he can chew. Ukraine isn't the walkover he planned. He's his own worst enemy.

He may have shot himself in the foot. Putin makes him look amateurish by comparison.

He outsmarted him since crisis erupted last November.  At times he made him look foolish.

Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland mocks the office she holds.

She was caught on tape using obscene language. She admitted Washington spent over $5 billion dollars toppling Ukraine's democratically elected government.

On Thursday, House Foreign Affairs Committee members challenged her with tough questions on Ukraine.

Dana Rohrabacher (R. CA) said Ukrainians had a "legitimate election before, and the legitimate president was removed after we had major street violence."

"There were pictures of people running around that we were told were neo-Nazis."

Nuland was hard-pressed to answer. Rohrabacher wanted straight talk. She failed to deliver. She lied saying:

"First of all, the vast majority of those who were participating on Maidan were peaceful protesters. There were mothers and grandmothers and veterans."

Rohrabacker interrupted her. He didn't mince words stressing:

"I saw those pictures, and I also saw a lot of people throwing fire bombs at groups of policemen."

"There were people shooting into the ranks of police. So, yes, there were mothers with flowers, but there were also very dangerous street fighters engaged in those demonstrations."

"The question is: were there neo-Nazi groups involved?"

Nuland was nonplussed. She couldn't deny credible video evidence. "There were many colors of Ukraine involved including very ugly colors," she said.

She stopped well short of truth, the whole truth, and nothing else. US-supported neo-Nazis bore full responsibility for Maidan violence. Likeminded extremists shared it.

Clear evidence proved it. Coverup and denial suppressed it. Ousted President Viktor Yanukovych had no involvement. Nor members of his government.

Nuland didn't explain. She's a war criminal. She's guilty of high crimes. Her policy positions indict her.

She belongs in prison doing hard time. So does Washington's entire criminal class. They mock legitimate governance.

They shame positions they hold. Washington makes more enemies than friends. They're heading America for tyranny and ruin.

It's too late for mere scattered reforms. Hubris, arrogance and overreach assure ending imperial rampaging sooner or later.

America is plagued by the same dynamic that doomed past empires. It's spending itself to death. It's bullying nations into supporting what harms their own interests.

It's threatening outliers that don't. It's increasingly having to work harder to accomplish less. It's falling short or failing more often. It's the world's top pariah state.

It bears repeating. It's heading for tyranny, bankruptcy and ruin. Misguided policies wreck all empires. Washington is no exception.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall. When America goes, the crash will resonate worldwide. It can't happen a moment too soon.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen [at] sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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