by Stephen Lendman

He’s a despotic loose cannon, a close US imperial ally, one of 28 NATO members - part of its killing machine war on humanity.

Downing Russia’s aircraft was an act of war - Washington the likely orchestrator, both nations acting conspiratorially - part of longstanding US-led Putin-bashing, the one world leader above all others challenging America’s imperial agenda forthrightly, deserving universal praise and support.

On Thursday, Erdogan brashly, recklessly and defiantly said he’ll continue downing Russian aircraft on the phony pretext of Turkish airspace violations - bluster without proof. “If another violation of our aerial border happens, we(‘ll) respond in the same way,” he raved - lying by claiming Russia’s plane was shot down “within the rules of engagement announced earlier.”

Russia has proof its aircraft never entered Turkish airspace. Erdogan has none backing up his reckless bravado - a US imperial tool, his action an act of war along with shooting himself in the foot. He turned a valued ally into an adversary, having major political, economic and military implications for his country, the region and beyond.

Putin justifiably called him an “accomplice of terrorists” - aiding ISIS, Al Qaeda and other groups in cahoots with Washington, two rogue states supporting each other.

Turkish publication Cumhuriyet editor-in-chief Can Dundar faces imprisonment for publishing photos of Ankara intelligence smuggling weapons to ISIS and other terrorist groups in Syria - including artillery and mortar shells, along with heavy and regular machine gun rounds.

In court, he said he “came to defend journalism. We came here to defend the right of the public to obtain the news and their right to know if their government is feeding them lies. We came here to show and to prove that governments cannot engage in illegal activity and defend this.”

Dundar faces serious charges - treason and espionage for exposing Erdogan’s lawlessness - what the whole world needs to know.

Putin blasted him, saying he got no apology or proposed compensation for what happened - nor was anything said about holding state terrorists responsible for their crimes.

A Russian pilot was savagely killed by Ankara-supported terrorists after he parachuted to safety. So was a marine sent to rescue the downed crew. A helicopter dispatched was forced down, then destroyed by an anti-tank missile.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu repeats Big Lies emanating from Washington - outrageously claiming Russia is “attack(ing) civilians…under the guise of fighting IS. These attacks must be stopped,” he ranted.

Unlike Washington’s war on civilians in all its conflicts, Russian airstrikes target terrorist sites only - with photographic evidence proving it. Anti-Putin propaganda war disgracefully claims otherwise.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called Turkey’s actions “de facto protection of the Islamic State. This is no surprise, considering the information we have about the direct financial interest of some Turkish officials relating to the supply of oil products refined by plants controlled by ISIS.”

Erdogan’s reckless act seriously ruptured Turkish/Russian relations, not likely to heal any time soon.

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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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