« Threatening Jeremy CorbynGreeks Without Choice in Sunday Election »

Russia to Add Its 203rd Air Force Base — Its First Outside Russia

September 22nd, 2015

Eric Zuesse

According to GlobalSecurity.org, Russia has 202 Air Force Bases, all in Russia’s various “Military Districts"; but now there is to be a 203rd one, and it will be in Belarus. If this actually happens, it will be a historic expansion of Russia’s armed forces abroad — something that for the U.S. to do would be inconsequential since the U.S. already has 41 Air Force Bases in foreign countries, surrounding Russia, East West and South. (Belarus isn’t even anywhere near the U.S.; it’s instead bordering Russia itself.)

On September 19th at 112.international (and then on 20 September at the subscription-only Financial Times), was reported (as headlined at 112), “Russia to Establish Air Base in Belarus.” Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Friday the 18th had signed a document, "To intrust the Ministry of Defense with the participation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to carry out the negotiations with the Belarusian side and upon coming to an accommodation, to sign the agreement on behalf of Russian Federation.”

The anti-Russian Financial Times pretends that this is part of Russia’s aggression encircling NATO, instead of a response to NATO’s aggression encircling Russia, by the FT’s saying: "Belarus, which borders Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia [they don’t even mention that it borders Russia], would give Russia a new asset right on Nato’s borders. The Russian military already has a radar station and some fighter aircraft stationed in Belarus, but the new base would be the first to be built there since the end of the Soviet Union.”

The FT then says: "News that the air base would be built comes after the US and its allies were struggling to respond to what Washington says is a Russian military build-up in Syria. Russian involvement in Syria complicates existing international operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the jihadi group known as Isis.” This statement pretends that Russia is pro-ISIS and anti-Assad, while the U.S. is anti-ISIS and pro-Assad, but the FT thinks they’ve got lots of suckers (subscribers) and will exploit that asset for their aristocratic masters, who as advertisers are buying those suckers’ minds. The reality is that — as the people of Syria are well-aware Assad and Russia are anti-ISIS, and the U.S. is the one that’s bombing the anti-ISIS forces (while the U.S. pretends to be focusing on bombing the pro-ISIS forces).

UPDATE: The FT’s online readership evidently isn’t as gullible as the FT’s editors expect. Though there was a bit of reader-comment in the nature of “They are building military bases around NATO, while Russia's revenues are going down the tubes. Another stupid strategy from the Kremlin,” far more was in the nature of the following:

“How can more forces fighting ISIS be a negative?”“Kathrin [addressing the newspaper’s Moscow correspondent, Kathrin Hille], please spare us this US propaganda drivel. We've really had enough. Start complaining again when Russia builds an air force base in Mexico. Until then………shhhhh.”
“The extraordinary thing of all is that NATO, the biggest and most powerful military alliance in history with bases essential surrounding Russia, is never reported to be ‘flying close’ to Russia's borders. They are undoubtedly the most scrupulous pilots on earth.”]

“1. This is terrible news; how dare Mr Putin do this! Mr GWB must be recalled from his retirement to bomb Belarus back into the Stone Age. These Belarus guys learnt nothing from all that ‘Shock and Awe’.

2. Thank you FT/Nikkei, and the ever vigilant Ms Hille, for this timely warning.”
“The growing military and and economic relationship between Russia and China and the expansion of Russian presence, and presumably bases, in Syria is also a result of western policy, specifically American policy, that includes economic sanctions. In Ukraine and in the Middle East, neocon-Washington-driven policy has been a catastrophe.”

But, if the FT’s readers are really so smart, why do they then subscribe? Why do they subsidize propaganda, when there are a few authentic news sites (you’re reading one of them now) that are free? Readers can get the facts, and the honest and relevant context, without needing to subscribe to anything.

-###-

Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author, most recently, of They're Not Even Close: The Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records, 1910-2010, and of CHRIST’S VENTRILOQUISTS: The Event that Created Christianity, and of Feudalism, Fascism, Libertarianism and Economics.
.

No feedback yet

Voices

Voices

  • Fred Gransville In 2025, globally, corporations will continue milking the rising tide of environmental awareness. By publicizing green projects and declaring themselves sustainable, many firms portray themselves as saviors of the planet. However, all…
  • By David Swanson An imperial presidency, a cult of idiocracy, and a team of hateful oligarchs is the problem. A salute is just a symbol. If you do a web search for images of “Bellamy salute” you find countless black-and-white photographs of U.S.…
  • Chris Spencer Draining the Swamp? Is that even possible? An Analysis of Dwight Eisenhower's and Joe Biden's Ominous Warnings, Assassinations of JFK, MLK, and RFK Eisenhower's farewell address was less a goodbye and more a dire warning wrapped in a…
  • Fred Gransville The More It Changes, the More It Stays the Same. "Rebellion" of Status Quo. Social Justice via Corporate Hegemony, Neoliberalism, Global Elites, Political Rhetoric, Think Tanks, Corporate State, Faux Democracy, Anti-Human Rights, Empire…
  • Janet Campbell Image via Freepic Starting a business in your community offers the unique opportunity to create something meaningful while building connections with those around you. It begins with understanding the needs of your area and aligning your…
  • Tracy Turner Modern Feminism Chants Equality Ad infinitum While Promoting Misandry A Cultural Revolution at the Hands of Covert Influence The very fabric of modern civilization is inculcated with the contributions of legions of people, mostly men, whose…
  • by Tracy Turner January 17 Update: Eaton/Palisades Fires $390+ Billion in Damage Do their red ties blind these politicians (Listed below), or are they not just enemies of California? Are they purveyors of a globalist agenda, a term used to describe a…
  • Paul Craig Roberts Dear Friends, I am as tired of challenging and distressing news as you. Today there is a treat instead. The treat is “the Tall Texan,” the American pianist Van Cliburn playing Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto at the first Soviet…
  • by Ellen Brown North Dakota is staunchly conservative, having voted Republican in every presidential election since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. So how is it that the state boasts the only state-owned bank in the nation? Has it secretly gone socialist? No.…
  • Dr. Althea Mentes An Exposé of The Brain Police Mental health care has always been in conflict and dispute, struggling with deep-seated cultural perceptions, changing medical practices, and a growing tide of mighty industry profit. What is often…
January 2025
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
 << <   > >>
      1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31  

  XML Feeds

Photo gallery software
FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted articles and information about environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. This news and information is displayed without profit for educational purposes, in accordance with, Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of the US Copyright Law. Thepeoplesvoice.org is a non-advocacy internet web site, edited by non-affiliated U.S. citizens. editor
ozlu Sozler GereksizGercek Hava Durumu Firma Rehberi Hava Durumu Firma Rehberi E-okul Veli Firma Rehberi