NATO GANGSTERISM

ERIC ZUESSE—From what has already been made public by the Dutch Government, even before the trial started, they have made clear that this trial will exclude from consideration a great deal of evidence, such as that on 7 August 2014, just weeks after the MH17 downing, a secret agreement was drawn up between four U.S. allies to serve together as constituting an official “Joint Investigation Team” about the event, the terms of which agreement have not been made public even to the present day.

Already since the 1940s the US has repeatedly attempted to install a pro-Western government in Syria, such as in 1949, 1956, 1957, after 1980 and after 2003, but without success so far. This makes Syria – since the fall of Libya – the last Mediterranean country independent of NATO.

MATTHEW EHRET—After 33 Turkish troops were killed in a Syrian army offensive on February 27 amidst the current Russia-backed campaign to liberate Idlib, Erdogan responded by laying the blame entirely on Russia and Syria – successfully avoiding all mention of the uncomfortable fact that Turkey has been protecting radical terror networks not only in Idlib but across Syria as a whole for years. During this time, Islamist forces within Turkey favorable to Assad’s overthrow have been attempting to play a complex game of geopolitics for which they are totally unqualified.

Turkey, which was among the supporters of anti-Assad fighters, has a sway among some of the armed groups in Idlib. Others, like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) — the major Syrian jihadist faction formerly pledging allegiance to Al Qaeda — are considered terrorists by Ankara. In reality, the extremists occasionally fight alongside the Turkey-backed groups against the approaching Syria armed forces and their allies.

NATYLIE BALDWIN—We’re constantly hearing U.S. politicians crow about NATO being so essential and how Trump was an apostate for even suggesting during one of his transitory moments of lucidity some time back that maybe NATO was no longer necessary. You’ve heard this shibboleth trotted out several times during the Democratic primary debates. It would be unthinkable to question NATO and the U.S. commitment to it – all for one and one for all – especially in light of that dastardly Putin who’s just waiting for the right moment to swallow up the Baltics, Poland, Germany, France and maybe the eastern seaboard of the United States for dessert.