by Stephen Lendman

NATO warlords concluded two days of meetings and related activities. Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said a Readiness Action Plan was agreed on."

It'll "strength (the alliance's) defense," he said. It can be deployed on very short notice. It includes "several thousand land troops."

It complement's NATO's (multinational) Response Force. It includes land, air, sea and special force elements.

It's a stand-alone force available for rapid deployment. It maintains up to 25,000 troops. NATO's mission is offense, not defense.

Its readiness tells "any potential aggressor: should you even think of attacking one (member), you will be facing the whole alliance."

Rasmussen announced plans to launch a Defense Capacity Building Initiative. It "reinforce(s) (NATO's) commitment to partner nations.

It includes cooperation with Georgia, Moldova an Jordan. It provides "security capacity support" for Libya. It's ready to assist Iraq on "request."

The alliance's US-led Open Door policy aims for establishing a global police force. To include as many nations as possible.

To subordinate member-state militaries under its command. To operate virtually everywhere. To do so extrajudicially.

"Today we have decided how to make NATO more ready and better connected," said Rasmussen. "This is the blueprint for the NATO of tomorrow.

A Wales Summit Declaration in part said:

"We, the Heads of State and Government of the member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance (met) at a pivotal moment in the Euro-Atlantic security."

Fact: US-led NATO bears full responsibility for global instability, lack of security, and permanent wars.

"Russia's aggressive actions against Ukraine have fundamentally challenged our vision of a Europe whole,.free, and at peace."

Fact: Russia supports peace and stability.

Fact: It works tirelessly for it.

Fact: America sabotages it best efforts repeatedly.

Fact: US-led NATO is a serial aggressor.

Fact: It's humanity's greatest threat.

"Our Alliance remains an essential source of stability in this unpredictable world. Together as strong democracies, we are united" for a common purpose.

Fact: NATO is an alliance for war.

Fact: It's for offense, not defense.

Fact: It's a machine for the destruction of fundamental democratic freedoms.

Fact: It's common purpose is making the world safe for monied interests.

"…NATO remains the transatlantic framework for strong collective defence and the essential forum for security consultations and decisions among Allies."

"The greatest responsibility of the Alliance is to protect and defend our territories and our populations against attack…"

Fact: NATO's only threats are ones it invents.

"We stand ready to act together and decisively to defend freedom and our shared values of individual liberty, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law."

Fact: NATO's "shared values" want hardline rule replacing fundamental freedoms, "individual liberty, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law."

NATO is ready to respond to "challenges posed by Russia…"

"NATO can effectively address the specific challenges posed by hybrid warfare threats, where a wide range of overt and covert military, paramilitary, and civilian measures are employed in a highly integrated design."

Fact: NATO challenges Russia irresponsibly.

Fact: Doing so risks potential East/West confrontation.

"We agree to reverse the trend of declining defence budgets…"

"Increased investments should be directed towards meeting our capability priorities, and Allies also need to display the political will to provide required capabilities and deploy forces when they are needed."

"A strong defence industry across the Alliance, including a stronger defence industry in Europe and greater defence industrial cooperation within Europe and across the Atlantic, remains essential for delivering the required capabilities."

Fact: NATO wants more money for warmaking.

"We condemn in the strongest terms Russia's escalating and illegal military intervention in Ukraine and demand that Russia stop and withdraw its forces from inside Ukraine and along the Ukrainian border."

"This violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity is a serious breach of international law and a major challenge to Euro-Atlantic security."

"…We demand that Russia comply with international law and its international obligations and responsibilities…refrain from aggressive actions against Ukraine…withdraw its troops; halt the flow of weapons, equipment, people and money across the border to the separatists; and stop fomenting tension along and across the Ukrainian border."

"Russia must use its influence with the separatists to de-escalate the situation and take concrete steps to allow for a political and a diplomatic solution which respects Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and internationally recognised borders."

Fact: Russia didn't invade Ukraine.

Fact: It hasn't violated its sovereignty.

Fact: It complies with international law.

Fact: It doesn't foment tensions inside or outside its borders.

Fact: It wants peaceful conflict resolution.

Fact: Washington wants war.

Fact: So do rogues NATO partners.

"For more than two decades, NATO has strived to build a partnership with Russia, including through the mechanism of the NATO-Russia Council, based upon the NATO-Russia Founding Act and the Rome Declaration."

"Russia has breached its commitments, as well as violated international law, thus breaking the trust at the core of our cooperation."

"The Alliance does not seek confrontation and poses no threat to Russia."

Fact: US-led NATO wants Russia marginalized, isolated, weakened, and co-opted.

Fact: Moscow respects rule of law principles.

Fact: US-led NATO spurns them.

Fact: It threatens Russia and other independent states.

Fact: It's a humanity-threatening cancer.

Obama said "Russia’s aggression against Ukraine threatens our vision of a Europe that is whole, free and at peace."

Fact: Moscow wants people everywhere living free.

Fact: It's European vision is democratic.

Fact: US-led NATO's world view is instability, permanent wars, replacing independent leaders with pro-Western subservient ones, institutionalizing hardline rule, and crushing democracy at all costs.

"We will defend every Ally" threatened, said Obama.

Fact: NATO faces no threats.

Fact: Its only threats are ones it invents.

Fact: Its members agreed to support NATO aggression for any reason or none at all.

"(W)e agreed to be resolute in reassuring our Allies in Eastern Europe," said Obama.

Fact: Washington wants all Eastern European nations co-opted.

Fact: It wants them used as a dagger against Russia.

New strategy assures NATO's capability "for any contingency," said Obama.

Fact: It prioritizes violence, instability and war over peace.

Alliance members intend spending increasing amounts for warmaking. Obama, rogue NATO leaders and Rasmussen call doing so collective defense.

Fact: Money spent for war ends up launching them.

Fact: Less is spent for popular needs.

"…(O)ur Alliance is fully united in support of Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity and right to defend itself."

Fact: Washington controls NATO.

Fact: It's an imperial tool.

Fact: America destroyed Ukraine's sovereign independence.

Fact: Neo-nazi-infested fascists are convenient US proxies against Russia.

"Today, the United States and Europe are finalizing measures to deepen and broaden our sanctions across Russia’s financial, energy and defense sectors," said Obama.

"At the same time, we strongly support President Poroshenko’s efforts to pursue a peaceful resolution to the conflict in his country."

"The cease-fire announced today can advance that goal, but only if there is follow-through on the ground."

"Pro-Russian separatists must keep their commitments and Russia must stop its violations of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Fact: Obama wants Russia weakened.

Fact: He wants its economy to scream.

Fact: He wants European nations in lock step with America against their own self-interest.

Fact: He wants war, not peace.

Kiev and Southeastern Ukrainian freedom fighters agreed on ceasefire terms. For now, hostilities ended effective Friday at 1,500 GMT.

According to OSCE ambassador Heidi Tagliavini, three key issues were agreed on - a ceasefire, "all to all" exchange of war prisoners, and humanitarian aid access.

"We continued consultation and agreed on other issues," said Tagliavini. They include withdrawal of troops from populated areas.

No agreement was reached on Southeastern Ukrainian local autonomy. It remains unresolved.

DPR Prime Minister Aleksandr Zakharcheko said stopping bloodshed matters most now.

Lugansk leader Igor Plotnitsky said ceasing hostilities "does not mean a shift from our course of breaking away from Ukraine."

"This is a compulsory measure." Today's agreement may be prologue for future conflict.

On the one hand, Kiev violated earlier agreed on peacemaking terms.

On the other, failure to give Southeastern Ukraine local democratic autonomy assures both sides at loggerheads again.

A false flag could restart conflict. Washington's longstanding plan to use Ukraine as a dagger against Russia hasn't changed.

America abhors peace and stability. Permanent war is official US policy. So is eliminating all sovereign independent countries.

Expect business as usual to continue. Expecting this time to be different is pure fantasy.

History has a way of repeating. It's just a matter of time. Maybe much sooner than most observers imagine. Maybe much worse ahead than so far.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

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

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

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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