by Stephen Lendman

Washington dominates NATO. It makes policy decisions. Other members march in lockstep, often harming their own self-interest. Imposing sanctions on Russia hurting their own economies is as good an example as any.

So is acting belligerently against an important neighbor threatening no one, wanting mutual cooperation - risking another European war.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is a convenient US stooge - taking orders from Washington. He supports its likely intention to deploy nuclear weapons targeting Russia on the phony pretext of its nonexistent Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) violations - a policy only lunatics would endorse.

On Monday, he said NATO defense ministers will meet on June 24 and 25 - discussing how Alliance members will adapt "to a new and more challenging security environment" at a time no threats exist except ones Washington and rogue partners invent.

Stoltenberg lied claiming things today are "more demanding" than they have been "for a long time."

NATO is responding "with solidarity and resolve," he blustered. He witnessed a Polish Spearhead Force exercise - saying it signals NATO's presence and readiness to act. More on it below.

He blustered about the Alliance's "strengthened presence in the air, at sea and on the ground." He indicated new steps in prospect to respond "faster and more effectively" to (nonexistent) challenges.

NATO's Response Force will increase to up to 40,000 troops - tenfold from its year ago 4,000. The decision will be formally announced later this week in Brussels.

Most forces will be deployed in Eastern Europe close to Russia's borders. Imagine if Moscow stationed contingents of its troops along America's northern and/or southern borders. WW III might follow.

Six European commands in Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania will manage NATO troops in their countries. They'll include special forces, rapid response teams, as well as marine and air contingents - ready to be deployed in 48 hours.

A so-called Spearhead Force held Noble Jump exercises in Poland - "the biggest reinforcement" of military strength since Cold War years to meet the nonexistent challenge of "a more assertive" Russia, said Stoltenberg.

NATO commander General Philip Breedlove calls it "(e)nhancing our response forces…a key part of NATO’s overall effort to adapt to emerging security challenges."

"Exercise Nobel Jump has been designed to test NATO's high readiness troops under battlefield conditions and to ensure that our concepts and procedures will work in the event of a real crisis. I hope that day never comes, but our job is to always be prepared to defend the people, territory, and values of this Alliance."

Ignoring Washington's plan to spend $1 trillion over the next 30 years upgrading its nuclear arsenal along with increasing US-led NATO provocative actions near Russia's borders, Stoltenberg ludicrously criticized Moscow's "nuclear saber-rattling" - its plan to increase its ICBM arsenal by 40 new missiles this year.

It's entirely for defense in light of belligerent NATO actions. Not according to Stoltenberg calling it "destabilizing and…dangerous. This is something we are addressing, and it's also one of the reasons we are now increasing the readiness and preparedness of our forces."

Hard truths are polar opposite Stoltenberg's Big Lies. The more US-dominated NATO increases its belligerence toward Russia, the greater the chance for eventual direct confrontation. All bets are off if it happens.

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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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