by Stephen Lendman

Previous Kiev false flag attacks suggest Saturday's Mariupol shelling perhaps its latest. It remains to be seen what further evidence discloses.

Throughout months of fighting, Kiev sought to blame Donbas self-defense forces for its crimes of war and against humanity.

Including gruesome atrocities. Use of cluster bombs, chemical and other illegal weapons. Downing MH17.

Systematic shelling of residential and other non-military areas. Recent Volnovakha and Donetsk bus attacks. Willfully murdering civilian men, women and children.

On Saturday, shelling killed a reported 30 people in Mariupol. Rebels and Kiev exchanged blame.

A Donetsk region state administration statement said:

"A total of 23 people, including one child, died instantly. Ninety-three people, including eight children, were hurt."

"Seventy-five people were taken to hospitals. Seven, including one child, died of wounds in hospital."

A rebel spokesman said "(o)ur militias have no weapon systems near Mariupol that would be able to shell that region. Our positions are simply too far away."

"According to our intelligence, the artillery was fired from the Stariy Krim neighborhood (less than 10 kilometers from central Mariupol)."

"Ukrainian troops are stationed there. We believe it was a provocation committed by the Ukrainian troops."

Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) deputy parliamentary speaker Denis Pushilin called the incident "yet another (Kiev) provocation."

Saying "(i)t is all clear who shelled Mariupol: from which regions they are, from which spot and where the artillery was located."

"As far as I know, Grad multiple rocket launcher" fire was responsible. "Our militia units don't have artillery capable of reaching the location of the shelling."

Pushilin blamed Kiev for "doing everything possible" to suspend peace talks.

"How can we make agreements with people that aren't responsible either for their words, or signatures and have clearly showed their incapability to reach agreements,"

"They agree to meet in Minsk, but they don't come.” Earlier they accepted Minisk ceasefire protocol terms.

Then violated them straightaway. Rejecting peace. Continuing conflict.

DPR military commander Eduard Basurin said militia forces have no current operations in Mariupol.

Tass reported DPR Prime Minister Alexander Zakharchenko saying "(n)o one is going to attack the city. We are not beasts as they in Kiev."

"We have conducted no active combat operations near Mariupol until today."

"But now, after Kiev decided to place responsibility for erroneous fire from its Grads from Berdyanskogo on Mariupol's living quarters, I ordered to suppress the positions of Ukrainian troops east of Mariupol."

Kiev sent additional forces to Mariupol, said Zakharchenko. A strategically located Azov Sea port city in the southern Donetsk Oblast region. Its population around half a million.

"Our positions near Novoazovsk are shelled round-the-clock from Grad multiple rocket systems and large-calibre artillery," said Zakharchenko.

"Today, the 28th Ukrainian brigade was reinforced by armoured vehicles. It is being done to force us swing our forces to Mariupol from the Donetsk airport in a bid to drive us out of it."

Zakharchenko accused Kiev forces of using Mariupol residents as human shields. "They are our people," he stressed.

Western propaganda is relentless. Including disinformation on:

• US planned and implemented Maidan violence;


• last February's US-instigated coup;


• nstalling an illegitimate putschist regime controlled by neo-Nazi thugs;


• sham elections; and


• continuing Kiev aggression on Donbas.

John Kerry responded to Mariupol's shelling as expected. Automatically blaming "Russia-backed separatists."

Calling Mariupol "a peaceful city." Ignoring Kiev's military attacking it with Grad rockets.

Kerry's bluster and Big Lies wore thin long ago. Outrageously blaming rebels for "publicly glorifying (Mariupol's incident) and other offensives in blatant violation of the Minsk agreements they signed."

Calling Saturday's attack a "horrific assault by Russia-backed separatists."

Fact: Donbas freedom fighters scrupulously observed Minsk protocol ceasefire terms.

Fact: Kiev violated them straightaway.

Fact: Rebels responded in self-defense. Their international law guaranteed right.

Fact: Kerry consistently and diabolically blames them for Kiev crimes of war and against humanity.

Fact: Instigated at the behest of Washington. Ukraine's puppet master pulling the strings.

Western media march in lockstep. Propaganda substitutes for hard truths. Russia and Donbas freedom fighters are blamed for Kiev crimes.

The latest misreporting on Saturday's Mariupol shelling. The New York Times blamed rebels. Claiming Zakharchenko said "(w)e began our attack on Mariupol."

His above quote explained no offensive rebel attacks until Kiev shelling the area demanded a response.

The Times claimed rebels have "new tanks and other heavy weapons from Russia." No evidence whatever proves it.

The Washington Post claimed rebels "snub(bed) truce bids." Ignoring their consistent support for peaceful conflict resolution throughout months of conflict.

Zakharchenko on Saturday calling Minsk dead in response to repeated Kiev violations.

Western media irresponsibly accused Russia of blocking a US-backed Security Council resolution on developments in Mariupol.

Tass reported disagreement on text language. Because Britain's delegation "insisted that the Council discuss separate statements made by the militias."

Russia said they "made various statements" on Saturday. "…Western (SC) member states…refus(ed) throughout the conflict to denounce any statements and actions (often very aggressive) of the Kiev leadership."

Reports suggest Security Council members will continue discussing Ukraine's conflict on Monday. Expect no denunciation of Kiev war crimes forthcoming.

The Wall Street Journal accused rebels of Saturday's Mariupol incident. Calling it "a potentially dangerous escalation in the fighting in eastern Ukraine."

Consistently ignoring Kiev's aggression throughout months of conflict. UK media misreport on Ukraine like their US counterparts. Managed news misinformation substitutes for hard truths.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini irresponsibly blamed Moscow for escalated fighting.

Saying it'll "inevitably lead to a further grave deterioration of relations between the EU and Russia."

Neo-Nazi Kiev security/national defense council head Oleksandr Turchynov lied calling Saturday's incident "another bloody crime against humanity committed by the Russian military and the bands of terrorists under their complete control."

Ignoring horrific war crimes and atrocities committed by Ukrainian forces throughout months of conflict.

Western media consistently suppress them. Blaming victims for Kiev crimes too grave to ignore.

Fort Russ said US European commander General Ben Hodges "awarded medals to Ukrainian soldiers for genocide."

It reported at least one "uniformed, armed American caught on camera in Mariupol."

"Who is this individual," it asked? "A US white supremacist acquiring skills for the inevitable RAHOWA back home?"

A Blackwater/Academi mercenary? US military advisor? US special operations soldier?"

A previous article said highly trained US killer special forces operate in scores of countries worldwide. In over 150 during the past three years.

For sure in Ukraine. Infesting Donbas. Involved in Kiev's aggression.

Along with US supported mercenaries like Blackwater USA (now Academi) there for the same purpose.

Kiev deplores peace. Vows to crush Donbas resistance. Intense fighting continues. No end of conflict looms.

Key is whether Washington intends getting US combat troops involved.

Deploying them to Ukraine for so-called training exercises suggests perhaps something else may be planned. It remains to be seen what follows.

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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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