by Stephen Lendman

US Big Lies proliferate with disturbing regularity. Obama is a notorious serial liar. His January 20 State of the Union address the latest example.

A previous article said it combined demagogic rubbish, duplicitous boilerplate, pure fantasy, colossal arrogance, and a contemptible assertion of US supremacy.

Boastful empty rhetoric substitutes for responsible leadership. Obama's legacy reflects permanent wars on humanity at home and abroad.

More murders by drones than all his predecessors combined. Death squad diplomacy worldwide.

Policies benefitting monied interests only. Force-fed austerity during harder than ever hard times since the Great Depression.

Overall unprecedented abuse of power. Obama calls it leading "with persistent, steady resolve."

Including using Kiev's military as a proxy force against Donbas self-defense forces fighting for democratic rights everyone deserves.

Subordinating Europe to America's imperial agenda. Controlling NATO's killing machine. Risking the unthinkable.

Possible nuclear war. Washington bears full responsibility. Blaming Russia for its own crimes. Donbas freedom fighters for defending against Kiev aggression.

On Monday, Security Council members discussed Ukraine. US neocon envoy Samantha Power recited a litany of Big Lies.

Outrageously accused Russia of "supporting, training and fighting alongside (Donbas) separatist forces."

Providing no corroborating evidence whatever. None exists. "Russia's end goal remains the same," she claimed.

"(T)o seize more territory and move the line of Russian-controlled territory deeper and deeper into Ukraine."

Russia's "end goal" is peaceful conflict resolution. No territorial ambitions whatever,

Plenty of evidence proves it. Plenty more shows Washington wants war without mercy continued.

Supplying Kiev with heavy weapons covertly. Training its military. Directing its war on Donbas.

Increasing numbers of US forces deployed near Russia's borders. US combat troops operating in Ukraine.

Evidence shows direct US involvement in Donbas fighting. Don't expect Power to explain.

Instead she blamed area self-defense forces for Kiev's Saturday false flag Mariupol attack. Killing 30. Injuring scores of others.

Ludicrously claiming Moscow wants control of Mariupol. A port city. To "provide Russia with another means of supplying separatists."

"And controlling the city would be another step toward creating a land bridge to 'illegally' occupied Crimea."

"Russia continues to try to play the international community for the fool, and blame the violence on the Ukrainians."

Power consistently substitutes Big Lies for hard truths. She mocked Sergey Lavrov's candor days earlier saying "(t)he worsening situation in Ukraine was the result of constant attacks conducted by the Ukrainian government troops, which breached the Minsk agreement."

Power lied claiming otherwise. So does John Kerry. Blaming Russia and rebels for Kiev crimes.

Including its Saturday Mariupol false flag. Kerry calling the incident part of "(t)he separatists' new offensive, not just in Mariupol…but along the ceasefire line."

Ignoring Kiev's Sunday launched aggression. Washington's direct involvement. Kerry reciting a litany of Big Lies claiming otherwise.

Russia's UN envoy Vitaly Churkin countered Power effectively. Kiev wants war, not peace, he explained.

Criticized Western Security Council members for "unscrupulous diplomacy." Said Russia "condemns all attacks on civilians, and we grieve for all civilian casualties."

"In contrast to Kiev, where (Poroshenko) once announced mourning or grieving for some civilian casualties" while systematically slaughtering them.

"Along the frontline they deployed forces and equipment, including heavy weaponry."

"New mobilizations were announced. They put in new orders to military factories."

"At the same time, instead of measures for the economic reconstruction of Donbass, a policy of suppress(ion)" remains ongoing.

Churkin denounced Washington and rogue Western powers for "egging on the Ukrainian hawks and covering (up) their inhuman deeds."

"The only thing that will lead to is an even greater catastrophe," he warned.

It's unfolding in plain sight. Because of Washington's hegemonic ambitions.

Waging global wars. Ravaging and destroying one country after another. Ukraine very much in the eye of the storm.

War without end continues. Kiev has done nothing to engage Donbas freedom fighters in "inclusive national dialogue," said Churkin.

Instead, it uses "military means." Aiming to subjugate millions of Donbas residents wanting to live free.

"Apparently peace…is not in (the) interest of Kiev's 'party of war,' " he stressed.

"Official Kiev is sabotaging another" Minsk contact group meeting. Proving it wants war, not peace.

Russia fully complies with Minsk terms, said Churkin. It's "in contact with the sides, the leadership of Ukraine, and the rebels and representatives of interested countries, including in the Normandy format."

Kiev's military bears full responsibility for mass slaughter through "indiscriminate shelling" of civilian areas," Churkin stressed.

"We always condemn all attacks on civilians. And we mourn all civilian victims."

"Unlike Kiev, which declares mourning and commemorations for civilian victims while picking which civilian victims in which regions to mourn."

"Are the people of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk Republics some kind of second-class citizens?"

"It is impossible to ignore the fact that the tragedies of last few days are quite traditionally being used by Kiev to fan the flames of hysteria."

"The accusations against militias pop up instantaneously, giving an impression they are being 'prepared in advance.' "

"But as soon as the propaganda trick has come to an end, the interest in it falls very rapidly."

"After some time has passed, very often one finds that the (truth) is very far from what was said initially."

Putin's Friday comments suggests he considers Kiev's regime illegitimate. Largely avoiding calling it a government.

Referring to "official Kiev." "Those responsible." "Kiev authorities." At the same time, calling Kiev's military "not an army, but a (US-controlled) foreign legion, which, of course, doesn't pursue the national interests of Ukraine."

Churkin's comments were similar. Kiev putschists have no legitimacy whatever. Russia perhaps heads closer to saying so explicitly.

Especially with dangerously escalating Donbas conflict. On Tuesday, Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) Defense Ministry spokesman Eduard Basurin reported over 50 shelling incidents in the last 24 hours.

Largely indiscriminately targeting civilian areas. Destroying or damaging dozens of buildings.

On Tuesday, RT International cited Russia's Defense Ministry exposing a "low-quality fake" video.

Showing the confession of a man calling himself a spotter for Saturday's Mariupol shelling.

Close examination of available evidence proves Kiev responsibility for the attack. Wrongfully blamed on rebels.

The video conveniently showed up the day after Mariupol's shelling. According to Russia's Defense Ministry:

"The SBU (Kiev's security service) needed 24 hours to force this story out of a man, which - as we see in the clip - is read by the detainee from a piece of paper located left to the screen."

Kiev's SBU identified him as Valery Kirsnov. Saying he was a DPR rebel spotter. Supposedly sending them locations of Ukrainian military checkpoint positions to attack.

His account was fabricated. Kiev propaganda. "The whole story would be more in place in a spy novel," Russia's Defense Ministry said.

His statement was "notabl(y)" inconsistent, it added. In other words, a Big Lie.

"At 1:42 of his ‘confession’ video, Kirsanov said that he sent his contacts the coordinates of a stationary checkpoint of Ukrainian troops in Vinogradnoe village," Russia's Defense Ministry explained.

"At 2:22 of the clip, when answering the question: 'From where did the fire come?' Kirsanov said with confidence: 'From the direction of Vinogradnoe.' "

"In other words, from the direction where the Ukrainian military checkpoint was stationed."

Vinogradnoe is 3.5km from Mariupol's shelled area. The minimum Grad rocket range. The weapons used in Saturday's attack.

A previous article called it Kiev's latest false flag. Three in January. Likely more to come. Perhaps a Ukrainian 9/11 wrongfully blamed on Russia and Donbas rebels.

Kiev wants US-dominated NATO more heavily involved. Perhaps something big is planned to turn Donbas into more of a killing field than already.

Will large numbers of US combat troops get involved? Will Obama bomb Donbas like Syria and Iraq?

Target area freedom fighters with drones? America didn't initiate war through its Kiev proxy to quit.

Odds favor escalated fighting ahead. The reliable Colonel Cassad site calls war in Ukraine "an armed insurgency against the fascist regime in Kiev and the regime's subsequent attempts to suppress it."

With full US support and encouragement. Including funding, training, heavy weapons and direct US involvement on the ground.

Heading perhaps dangerously closer to Russia's border. If conflict crosses the line, all bets are off.

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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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