By Batko Milacic for the Saker Blog
Ukrainian forces have threatened civilians by setting up bases and operating weapons systems in populated areas, including schools and hospitals, as they battled the Russian intervention that began in February, Amnesty International said in a statement.
“Such a tactic violates international humanitarian law and endangers civilians, as it turns civilian objects into military targets. The Russian strikes that followed in populated areas killed civilians and destroyed civilian infrastructure,” the statement said.
– Amnesty International has documented a pattern of Ukrainian forces putting civilians at risk and violating the laws of war when conducting operations in populated areas – said Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
He pointed out that the defensive position does not free the Ukrainian army from respecting international humanitarian law.
The organization’s researchers spent several weeks from April to July investigating Russian attacks in Kharkiv, Donbass and the Mykolaiv region.
The organization inspected the attacked sites, interviewed survivors, eyewitnesses, relatives of the victims of the attack, and carried out remote detection and analysis of weapons. During those investigations, evidence was found that Ukrainian forces were firing from heavily populated areas and were themselves inside civilian buildings in 19 towns and villages in these regions. The organization analyzed satellite images to further confirm some of these incidents – it is emphasized.
According to Amnesty International, most of the residential areas where the soldiers were located were kilometers away from the front.
– Viable alternatives were available that would not endanger civilians, such as military bases or densely wooded areas nearby, or other structures further away from residential areas. In the cases it has documented, Amnesty International is not aware that the Ukrainian military, located in civilian structures in residential areas, asked or helped civilians to evacuate, which is a failure to take all feasible precautions to protect civilians. announcement.
Directed shooting from populated areas
Amnesty says survivors and eyewitnesses of Russian attacks in Donbass, Kharkiv and the Mykolaiv region told researchers that the Ukrainian military was conducting operations near their homes at the time of the attacks, exposing the areas to counterfire from Russian forces. Amnesty International researchers have witnessed such behavior in numerous locations.
International humanitarian law requires all parties to a conflict to avoid locating, to the greatest extent possible, military targets within or near densely populated areas. Other obligations to protect civilians from the effects of attacks include removing civilians from the vicinity of military targets and providing effective warning of attacks that may affect the civilian population.
– The army was stationed in the house next to ours and my son often brought food to the soldiers. I begged him several times to stay away, because I feared for his safety. That afternoon, when the attack happened, my son was in our yard and I was in the house. He died on the spot. His body was mutilated. Our house was partially destroyed – said the mother of a man (50), who was killed in a rocket attack on June 10 in a village south of Nikolaev.
Amnesty International found military equipment and uniforms in the house next to hers.
Nikola, who lives in the block in Lisichansk in Donbass, which the Russians regularly targeted and killed at least one person, said that it is not clear to him “why our army fires from the cities and not from the fields”.
Another resident said that “there is definitely military activity in the neighborhood.”
– We hear “outgoing” and then “incoming” fire” – he said.
Amnesty International teams saw soldiers using residential buildings located 20 meters from the entrance to the underground shelter, which was used by residents and where an elderly man was killed.
In one Donbas town on May 6, Russian forces used cluster munitions over a neighborhood of mostly one- or two-story houses where Ukrainian forces were manning artillery. Shrapnel damaged the walls of the house where Ana (70) lives with her son and 95-year-old mother.
In early July, a farm worker was injured when Russian forces attacked an agricultural warehouse in the Nikolayev area. Hours after the attack, Amnesty International researchers witnessed the presence of Ukrainian military personnel and vehicles in the grain storage area, and witnesses confirmed that the military was using the warehouse, which is located across from a farm where civilians live and work.
As researchers surveyed damage to residential and public buildings in Kharkiv and villages in the Donbass and east of Mykolaiv, they heard gunfire from nearby Ukrainian military positions.
In Bakhmut, several residents said the Ukrainian military was using a building barely 20 meters across the street from the high-rise. On May 18, a Russian rocket hit the front of the building, partially destroying five apartments and damaging nearby buildings.
Military bases in hospitals
Amnesty International researchers witnessed Ukrainian forces using hospitals as de facto military bases in five locations. In the two cities, dozens of soldiers rested and ate in hospitals. In another town, soldiers fired from near a hospital.
A Russian airstrike on April 28 injured two workers at a medical laboratory in the suburbs of Kharkiv after Ukrainian forces set up a base in the compound.Using hospitals for military purposes is a clear violation of international humanitarian law.
Military bases in schools
The Ukrainian army routinely set up bases in schools in the cities and villages of the Donbass and in the Mykolaiv region. Schools have been temporarily closed to students since the beginning of the conflict, but in most cases the buildings were located near civilian settlements.
In 22 of the 29 schools visited, researchers either found soldiers using the premises or found evidence of current or previous military activity – including the presence of military equipment, ammunition, military ration packs and military vehicles.
Russian forces attacked many schools used by Ukrainian forces. In at least three cities, after Russian bombing of schools, Ukrainian soldiers moved to other schools nearby, putting surrounding neighborhoods at risk of similar attacks.
In a city east of Odessa, Amnesty witnessed Ukrainian soldiers using civilian areas for accommodation and staging areas, including basing armored vehicles under trees in residential areas and using two schools located in densely populated residential areas.
Conclusion
Amnesty International’s report was not a surprise to me as an analyst. Since the beginning of the conflict, all of us who follow the behavior and tactics of the Ukrainian army have witnessed such tactics of the Ukrainian army, which are strictly prohibited by international law. Also, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned about the behavior of the Ukrainian army that threatens innocent civilians. However, the fact that the respected Amnesty International writes about it in its report represents a strategic turn. Bearing in mind that this is an extremely respected Western non-governmental organization, we can safely say that even in the West, the opinion is slowly growing that the criminal behavior of the Ukrainian army will no longer be tolerated.
A welcome suprise indeed!!
I saw lot of comments in Western media insulting International Amnesty.
Saying that they are pro Putin and insulting them, even justifying that is normal that Ukrainian army is doing what is doing.
Once you set the primary mark that Russia is evil with months of constant propaganda, then people is not easy of change opinion and will just attack the messenger.
Radical pro ukranians will never recognise that they were justifying a criminal state because it’s mean that they are criminal themselves
No, it is not a welcome surprise. Amnesty International is part of USA’s information/disinformation. It proves again that both USA and Russia are in cahoots. When Russia walked in without firing a shot and captured Crimea, at that time, I said on this forum that both Obama (USA) and Putin (Russia) are in cahoots. People thought that I didn’t know what cahoots meant.
Today, I will go ahead and claim that all USA, Russia, KSA and Iran are in cahoots too. This is what I have believed since I spoke about Crimea. People underestimate both Muslims and Christians, especially when they are working together. People think that all USA Politicians, Military Brass and those in powers are triators and sold out, including Brandon and Trump.
Mohamed (Shia)
This is US/ Nato’s Nazi heart towards civilians, no right to live, no value for human life, see Vietnam, iraq, Syria ect totally satanic.
Ukraine (the Kaganat of Nuland) has become a European Israel with the US Ziocons in charge.
The Ziocons’ mentality precludes the sentiments of honor and mercy. Thus, the current union between Ziocons and Banderites (self-proclaimed neo-Nazis) is not surprising from a moral point of view.
No wonder the ADL & Simon Wiesenthal Center produced apologetic papers to whitewash the Banderites’ atrocities. Astonishingly, not a single Jewish member of the US Congress (there are 37 Jewish congresspeople) supports the de-Nazification of Ukraine. The American Jewish Community at large stands shoulder to shoulder with Banderites. So much for Elie Wiesel’s & Otto Frank’s opuses.
Elie wiesal is fake his book was fake and he was an aggressive pro war element against iraq
I was quite surprised by this report considering that for many years Amnesty has been part of the West’s general information/disinformation campaign and that it’s best years are unfortunately long past . Then I remembered that there have been a series of critical articles in the American Media and now also in the German Media . So it makes sense ; the West is preparing to through Zelensky under a bus so that Ukraine doesn’t effect the American Mid-Term Elections .
Nope. Those “critical” articles are like the way you might criticize your three-year-old. “I love you, and I’m really disappointed.” They get no prominent placement and never grow legs because the MSM complex allows them to die in darkness. Like this AA story — it’s already out of the headlines.
I would love to be wrong. Please post links to those “critical” German media stories in mainstream outlets.
Please note AA has been advocating for due process for Julian Assange for many years and as a consequence does not enjoy the A list NGO status it once did. Saint Z is not getting thrown under anything until after the midterms.
“Amnesty regrets ‘distress’ caused by report rebuking Ukraine.”
“KYIV, Aug 7 (Reuters) – Amnesty International apologised on Sunday for “distress and anger” caused by a report accusing Ukraine of endangering civilians which infuriated President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and triggered the resignation of its Kyiv office head.”
More: https://www-reuters-com.translate.goog/world/europe/amnesty-regrets-distress-caused-by-report-rebuking-ukraine-2022-08-07/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB
Reuters! Don’t you EVER trust Reuters. You quote their front-page headline correctly. But Lo, when we click “Read more”, Reuter done change its tune: “Head of Amnesty’s Ukraine office quits after group accuses Kyiv”.
So who are we going to believe, Reuter, or Reuter?
Amnesty boosted the totally fabricated “babies from incubators” lie about the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait,that was 1991 so I don’t know when it was Amnesty had any credibility.
How about this from the Washington Post on March 28 (over 4 months ago):
“Over the past month, Washington Post journalists have witnessed Ukrainian antitank rockets, antiaircraft guns and armored personnel carriers placed near apartment buildings.” and
“On Monday, Ukrainian forces showed a group of journalists a military fortification in a northern residential neighborhood of the capital, near tall apartment buildings, a subway station and shops.” and
One Ukrainian blogger uploaded a TikTok post of a Ukrainian tank and other military vehicles positioned at a shopping mall. The mall was later destroyed March 20 in a Russian strike that killed eight people. etc
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/28/ukraine-kyiv-russia-civilians/
Sadly this feels about right David. Also Amnesty now offering grovelling apologies for having upset the ukro-nazis by issuing the report, the conclusions of which they still stand by however! Grimly surreal times.
And so why is this report in any way surprising?? It’s a pretty open secret that Zelensky has been an expensive failure for the West for quite time now. So why *not* craft such a “report” in the event the West wishes to (sometime down the line) officially disown him?
Think of this whole “report” as a little “kick” from the West to Zelensky to get him to “shape up and stop losing to the Russians!!” (while demanding billions $$$ in the process)
And should this gentle kick not get Zelensky to produce the desired results — we have a convenient “AI report” for public consumption should the West seek “another” change in Ukrainian leadership…………
@ James K on August 07, 2022 · at 11:41 pm EST/EDT
That’s the name of the game.
AI, unfortunately, is part and parcel of the Collective West’s political structure, and they use it at will as a pressure tool for whatever purposes.
In this case, they are sending a message to clown Ze to perk up. One too many materiel losses, not delivering enough, stop begging, get off your permanent “high” and do something.
Scott Ritter read the signs and predicted clown Ze’s future is compromised, he won’t last long.
Lone Wolf
MSM should be exposed and sued!
Difficult to do when the sheep are addicted to the MSM output and will not believe anything until the pretty little spokesthingy utters the words.
It would be an interesting arguement to make in a courtroom, claim their output is a product, and that their product does not do what is claimed as it does not accurately inform the viewer. That line of arguement fails at that point because, except in the case of the UK, the viewer is no paying for the product, that task falls to advertisers who are unlikely to take action against their advertising mouthpiece.
The Ukraine is losing and the west wants to distance itself from any possible charges of war crimes. It won’t work.
Nobody wants to be hitched to a loser…
Bingo!
Charges work against weak and pathetic, because enforcers are big bullies.
If I ran a country, I would exit ALL international agreements.
The Guardian, selectively editing Reuters, led with “Human rights group Amnesty International apologised for the “distress and anger” caused by a report accusing Ukraine of endangering civilians”. Unlike an earlier report, which mentioned that Amnesty apologised for causing distress but stood by its findings, this one suggests only that Amnesty was admitting error.
No surprise to those who still dabble in MSM BS, of course. The Guardian also blames Russian forces for shelling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (without giving any rationale, plausible or otherwise) and for the HMARS attack on Olenivka POW jail.
Also, The Guardian would like readers to fund its brand of independent journalism.
I’d rather wait and see what further development there will be, if any at all.
I don’t trust Amnesty International and their good intentions at all.
If they were really concerned about the civilian population on both sides, by now they should have made big noise about the mass usage of prohibited by convention anti-personnel land mines called “Lepestok” (Leaf). A bit larger than an ordinary cigarette lighter, hardly noticeable on the ground until someone steps on it. Hundreds of thousands of them are being dropped over the Donbass cities and villages with cassette warheads by the Ukrainian forces. Deep behind the front line.
Lepestok means a petal, not a leaf
Amnesty International only makes reports like this to give a veneer of fairness. They did do some reports like this in Kosovo of the Albanians kidnapping and torturing Serbs, Roma, Montenegrins, etc. after the NATO bombing, yet nothing really came of it.
Amnesty is a tool of Empire, always has been.
The Question is why this reports comes out now ? Although it is a good sign, i speculate.
1. Is the NGO trying to save their ass and remaining credibility 5 months into the conflict ?
2. Are they being used to justify a drawdown in support of the regime ?
3. Is it a sign of fractures in the united front of the Empire ?
“A whorehouse filled with former spooks” is Amnesty as Smoothiex puts it. I almost took a path back around 1974 in joining Amnesty, running macro analysis seminars, and studying Gene Sharps four volume tome on non violent action. The thing that hung me up was Sharp’s insistence (or an inference I drew) from his writing that the overall paradigm was not amenable to or necessary to change. I think this was a mistake developed into a conscious following of the wrong path. I think Gene Sharp was overtaken by the brilliance of the tools he developed.
Amnesty report was suprising because organization has been deep on pocket of US State Department and very pro DNC. It looks like report was leaked to give little room for those in Deep State searching for ending whole war in Ukraine.
As usual, Amnesia International cherry picking who’s the human rights violator. Not a single word about how the collective West is pouring weapons in the Ukraine.
Or about how Ukraine has been shelling Donbas for 8 years …
This is nothing new, it’s been going on for years in the Donbass by the shit ukrainian military. Far worse is that they deliberately fire at hospitals, kindergartens, schools, etc and more recently people standing waiting for humanitarian aid – all fully approved by the cursed usg.
We knew very soon during SMO that Ukrainian forces were fighting just like Al Qaeda and ISIS in Syria. Shame on you.
No surprise here. To be honest “The Rule of Law” (international or otherwise), no longer exists anywhere. If Russia feels that they must rid the Ukraine of all Ukrainian Nazis then they will not, cannot, stop at the Polish border after taking all of the Ukraine. Ultimately, Russia will still have to face the task of bringing the Ukrainian Nazi’s masters — the United States, the British Empire, the EU, Europe (specifically Germany), and NATO — to account.
US is ready to discard Zel. This is the “only” reason why we are getting “the truth”. US has to find a way out of its own web of lies, and the best way is to point to the “criminal” man in charge who “lied” to the world. He is the one who said that Ukraine was winning, but instead it is defeated.
“US is ready to discard Zel.”
The 40 billions have been distributed to the respective overlords and MIC et al…the extra billion here and 900 million here and 40 million here go to the pols who threaten to spill the beans who didn’t get their cut.
Who cares about the Ukraine and their citizens…not the avg Americans who are starting to see the effects of higher energy, fuel and food prices. School is starting and !!Monkeypox… start dancin rubes.
That’s all they’re going to be able to shake out of the Americans pockets. Too much alternative media shining the light on UkiNazis and the rats. And H Biden. And Pelosis crimes.
Time to ditch this shitshow and get it totally off the msm. Now up – the Insurrectionists channel and Ghislaine’s escape ( er…suicide?) from minimum security prison and more other nonsense. Where’s a Johnny Depp trial when you need one?
Zel will be lucky to escape with half a billion.
Otoh, hows that reserve currency status looking?
I’m glad this crime against humanity and war crime is getting some print. According to the YouTube “Military Summary” channel, two days ago the Ukrainian/NATO forces were forcing civilians out of their apartments, ostensibly to use their homes as military bases (in line with their tactics over the past 8 years), and when some residents refused, they were murdered. Let me pose the question, what military tactic does it serve to declare martial law in a city, and impose house arrest on each resident? This is what occurred on Friday in Nikolaev, according to a friend I have there. Not only is the city locked down, but residents were given no advance warning yesterday morning that they are not to be seen outside their homes “for their protection”. Protection from whom, I may ask? Yesterday this resident and her elderly mother witnessed a Ukrainian soldier going from house to house, interviewing all the residents. They were afraid to answer the door, knowing of the war crimes being committed by their own military. What purpose does it serve to enforce a house arrest order on the civilian population? Whose houses are expected to be given up so the military can use them as bases? What will happen to these innocent civilians when they refuse? We already know the answers to these questions, as is evident by what happened yesterday in Kharkov. May the Lord protect these innocent lives, because international law will not!
We are waiting for Amnesty International to tell the truth about how the Ukrainian military first robbed stores and apartments of citizens, and then shot at these houses to cover up the thefts, or simply shelled the houses of residents, since everyone there is a Coloradoan and a separatist.
A UKN tactic deliberately designed to make it look like Russian SMO forces attacked civilians, when in substance it is not true.
A cowardly tactic indeed. Typical of those behind the Zelensky regime.
Although any military force would need some buildings to operate from.
It’s said that history is written by the winner.
War is fundamentally about killing to win, by any means.
“Law” is never a real obstacle.
US doesnt recognize Amnesty International interference in American soil under US jurisdiction.
US and its Allies has the right to defend themselves against aggression and invasion in whatever manner they deem fit for the situation.
US soldiers are professionals and try always to win hearts in all its wars by giving kids bubble gum, and give local natives who are in the way a minimum of minutes to gtf out the way as this is war for our way of living, and not a Saturday night party.
Hey Tommy, nice to see you.
It is the same crap as Syria, just less head chopping by US sponsored forces.
Yes, exactly the same procedure as in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Vietnam, m.m. Same attack and exploitation of all vulnerable, poor and defenceless.
I guess they like it and enjoy it since they continue under the same concept decade after decade after decade.
AI are UK-US spooks, a Five Eyes front. Their proclamations mean nothing, are now and always have been misdirection, false-hope generators for UK-US spook-dom.
Amen good sir!
I would say they try to pretend to show both sides short before reporting a major false flag
so these reports will be seen as more credible.
Amnesty, by and large, is a tool of empire (its inaction in the Assange case proves it) but it has enough bureaucratic momentum in it for this investigation to have slipped through the cracks. Somebody, at some
level, may also have wanted to get some cover for himself since the Ukrainian war crimes are just to widespread and obvious. People found themselves between the rock of being a tool of empire and the hard place of not wanting to loose all credibility. So they carried out the investigation. It’s counterproductive to dismiss the result out of hand as some kind of devious sleight of hand – There is too much factual information in it. If, just if, some longer term thinking is at work, then perhaps in the sense of trying to push the Ukrainians to changing their approach to warfare somewhat so that it makes a better sell to Western audiences. It’s all based on lies, lies and lies at present, and that cannot be held up indefinitely. It remains to be seen whether it will work.
Revelations of war crimes and genocide perpetrated by the West need to include the 8 years of persecution of the Donbass civilians and the economic plundering of Russians during the 1990’s. With such an admission there might be a recognition of systematic dehumanization for profit.
It seems a lot of people do not trust AI for various reasons. That being said what independent news organization or NGO that is trusted could or would desire to go into Ukraine and spend the time and effort to verify what AI is reporting? Maybe there is one I don’t know, but I know it takes a lot of leg work and time to get the facts straight especially in a war zone. I personally believe this report.
Welcome to the party Amnesty, it is about time. I think it is also a very safe bet, they only scratched the vey surface of what has been going on.
The question is: Why is the Anglo-American spook organization, Amnesty International, suddenly issuing this report?
The USA is preparing public opinion to throw Zelensky and even Ukraine under the bus.
The Anglo American Empire is now pivoting to other areas of the world where it wants to provoke conflict.
Like Taiwan…..
U.S. empire preparing to discard Zelensky regime, pivoting to Taiwan to make up for its losses
https://seeyouin2020.blogspot.com/2022/08/us-empire-preparing-to-discard-zelensky.html
Amnesty are as fake as the US government.
In one Donbas town on May 6, Russian forces used cluster munitions over a neighborhood of mostly one- or two-story houses where Ukrainian forces were manning artillery. Shrapnel damaged the walls of the house where Ana (70) lives with her son and 95-year-old mother.
Wrong, Russia does not use cluster munitions, however, we here know who does in this war.
I recommend reading the book titled ‘Advance to Barbarism’ by F.J.P Veale for a glimpse into how warfare has changed, and how atrocity propaganda is created.
As punishment for these acts, Joey Diapers just gate ukrops another $1 billion. So we can see who trained them to use such tactics.
US his flushing Zelensky. Fist the NYT and then a offshoot of CIA :
Amnesty’s State Dept, CIA Links Make Report on Ukrainian Army Crimes All the More Damning: Observer
The observer recalled Amnesty Secretary General Agnes Callamard’s links to a group known as Article 19, which has taken Washington’s position on the Ukraine crisis from day one following the 2014 Maidan coup d’état, and which stated at the start of Russia’s military operation in February that it “stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine in the face of unprovoked acts of war by the Russian Federation.
https://sputniknews.com/20220806/amnestys-state-dept-cia-links-make-report-on-ukrainian-army-crimes-all-the-more-damning-observer-1098456816.html
It’s refreshing that a lot of commenters are skeptical of Amnesty International’s true nature. During the recent attempted coup in Venezuela, Amnesty International criticized the Venezuelan government and not the coup plotters: USA and their lackeys.
The phenomenon of “controlled opposition” is not new. Think of Goldstein in !984.
A lot of people look at certain individuals and groups as “sacred cows”, not to be doubted. In reality, 99% of the people YOU think are in opposition to government and the powers behind the government are controlled opposition. The list is endless.
Anton – i can only agree with you. It is refreshing. Surely the seemingly endless list of those who are controlled opposition has its cause in the fact that the savage nature of the Empire very successfully eliminates any real opposition. Who in the wide world of the Empire’s reach could hope to even survive manifesting any real opposition to it? Controlled opposition (in one manner or another) is the only form that can survive.
This is just a more extreme version of what we could call regulatory capture. The united Nations and most governments are captured and controlled. Hence the only real opposition can exist behind a solid wall of politically conscious military power. I can find little logic in condemning anyone who merits being called “controlled” opposition, for the simple reason that this is what it takes to survive inside the Empire.
It was the Romans who originally taught us all that the real art of Government was based upon the employment of Death Squads to eliminate all real opposition to oligarchic power. It has ever been the same. Consequently any real solution must come from combining Chinese abundance and Russian military technical powers.
Snow Leopard, After reading the first 1 & 1/2 parargraphs of your comment, I felt we were on the same page. But then you said “Hence the only real opposition can exist behind a solid wall of politically conscious military power. I can find little logic in condemning anyone who merits being called “controlled opposition”, for the simple reason that this is what it takes to survive inside the Empire.”
Let me address the second sentence first: Are you really saying that someone who is set up by US or British Intelligence as controlled opposition should not be condemned. Controlled opposition assets work for the benefit of the owners of the world and against the people. Are you really saying that controlled opposition assets could not survive by engaging in some other type of income producing work?
What does politically conscious military power mean? Does it mean a military power that is against the USA? Does it mean Russia? Does it mean a military power that that is for the working class? If so, there are no military powers that are for the working class,
Anton: I do agree with you about criticism of of propaganda agents intentionally in the pay of Empire intelligence agencies. Particularly those who know they are manufacturing lies that support the Empire, and who are set up to do just that. That far for sure we are on the same page. And again there are far more of them than we realize. I am sure you are right about that too. So condemnation is merited as you say.
What I was really trying to add is that, as far as I can see, in some cases, the label “controlled opposition” is sometimes used as an overly broad brush to include individuals who resist the empire to the extent that their practical reality permits. Some of these individuals still retain an integrity that I would want to honor. I consider Bernie Sanders in this category. Also Tulsi Gabbard and most likely a few Democrat politicians who have no realistic choice but to work within the limitations of the capitalist power structure. Also a lot of foreign politicians who feel that have precious little political operational space from which to oppose the empire – and survive. When judging such individuals I believe a grey area should exist for political people inside the Empire because they have little choice but to function inside the power structures of their respective nations. So I would tend to resist lumping some of these folks in with the ones that we agree do deserve solid condemnation. Some of them.
As to politically conscious military power It does exist. I am referring to national armies in states where the ruling forces see their military as a vital bulwark against the Empire. Holding this posture obliges an institutionalization of anti imperialist awareness. For sure In Venezuela. The legacy of Hugo Chavez makes that military power structure what i would call ripe with working class consciousness. Also to a meaningful degree Cuba, Iran, China, and increasingly, Russia. Syria is a good case in point. The Israelis are known to be very put out about the fact that High School education in Syria teaches its darling young children something resembling a Marxist version of anti imperialism as a fundamental of social education. This is called Zone B.
Basically I agree whole heartedly with the thrust of your post. I enjoy your posts as I generally agree with every thing you say.
Snow Leopard, I stand corrected: Cuba, China, Venezuela, Viet Nam, North Korea and to a degree a handful of other nations have militaries that are working class conscious.
Tulsi Gabbard is a perfect example of the issue we are talking about. I think she is controlled opposition (for example, she voted for funding for Guantanamo) whereas you think that some of her motives are good.
Bernie Sanders voted for many wars including the bombing of Serbia. He criticized Venezuela during the most recent coup attempt.
My sense is that you (unlike most of the commenters on this blog) are pro working class and anti capitalist so I would agree that in essence we are on the same page.
Tulsi g is a prop and gets funded by pro Modi elements who are also neoliberals
More important than the damning AI report is this :
https://cpd.gov.ua/reports/%d1%81%d0%bf%d1%96%d0%ba%d0%b5%d1%80%d0%b8-%d1%8f%d0%ba%d1%96-%d0%bf%d1%80%d0%be%d1%81%d1%83%d0%b2%d0%b0%d1%8e%d1%82%d1%8c-%d1%81%d0%bf%d1%96%d0%b2%d0%b7%d0%b2%d1%83%d1%87%d0%bd%d1%96-%d1%80%d0%be/
Speakers promoting narratives consonant with Russian propaganda
From Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD).
Acting head of CCD, Shapovalov, charged that people who deliberately spread disinformation are “information terrorists,” subject to be tried as “war criminals.”
Scott Ritter on that list wrote to the State Dept, on whether his Constitutional right to free speech could be compromised by Kiev”c CCD, whose salaries are paid by the State Dept.?
The Kiev CCD has opened a door (gates of Kiev, anyone?) to blatant US State Dept. funding of attacks on the US Constitution – Schumer included.
As Scott Ritter on that US funded information terrorist list wrote :
SCOTT RITTER: Chuck Schumer’s War on Free Speech
https://consortiumnews.com/2022/08/03/scott-ritter-chuck-schumers-war-on-free-speech/
https://topcor.ru/27324-skott-ritter-zelenskij-mozhet-pogibnut-ot-ruk-samih-ukraincev.html
Scott Ritter: Zelensky may die at the hands of ukrainians themselves
Today
YouTube channel “Judge Napolitano – Judging Freedom”,
Deja-vu Saddam Hussein after the fabulous handshake :
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/38/Shakinghands_high.ogv/Shakinghands_high.ogv.240p.vp9.webm
Nazis and their supporters /enablers don’t care about things like civilian casualties.
Amnesty a présenté ses excuses à l’Ukraine pour avoir présenté ce rapport. Amnesty dit que son rapport contenait des erreurs
Très servile Amnesty.
Thank You,
Now if You could only describe the logistics in the camps.
Any of them.
I would be thankful.
Might help some others toooo…
From the United States of the hollycost…
Do any of ya see the parallels?
Ever think Ukraine is money laundering machine masquerading as a country?
I do know it to be that…a tragedy.
AI makes one little turn and we starting to celebrate because now they are on “our side”? Stalin did the same mistake when operation Barbarosa failed and allowed USA, only until recently appeasing Hitler, enter winning side and then reap and abuse benefits of Soviet victory by USA for decades. Like a good world parasite, USA will attempt again to insert itself to the winning side, Ukraine and WEF will be vilified and everyone should forget about the biolabs, Slavic DNA selective pathogens, outbreaks, war crimes and decades of global dominance abuse …
Even if they start supporting Russia against demons they created, we should never forgive West.
Amnesty has already issued an apology for “the hurt” that the report causes Ukraine,but does stand by the report. It should be noted that Amnesty has issued 40 reports on the conflict,this is the first to criticise Ukraine,although they have to have the obligatory go at Russia. Amnesty and babies from incubators remember?
Amnesty International’s report is welcome some of their reports in Syria have been questionable!
Dr Agnès Callamard is French, and a woman. The fourth paragraph refers to her as “He”.
To get something straight.
There is -nothing- prohibiting the use of a school, a hospital, a civilian building etc. for military purposes.
All that is absolutely fine and all those places are then absolutely legitimate targets. So far so good.
Was is *not* allowed it to use those estates WHILE CIVILIANS ARE STILL THERE.
So, story of soldiers being camped in a house *next to* one where civilians -chose- to stay, is absolutely OK. As long as the civilians were warned/advised to leave and refused – which is quite common especialy with older folks.
One more think about hospitals. In war, hospitals are NOT protected in any ways UNLESS marked witha red cross. And that marking can ONLY be used for an ACTIVE MEDICAL FACILITY. It cannot be used for a hospital building comendeered as an outpost.
And the ukrainians did not do this actually. They did NOT paint red cross on the roof of the buildings which they commandeered.
Thus far, all good. Right ?
Well. Not that fast. While the local units – mostly – follow the rules of war. On both sides.
The COMMAND in Kiev does not seem to – they purposely twist and turn around information by purposely talking about “hospitals” being atacked etc. which were NOT hospitals (aka medical facilities) as per the Geneva conventions. So it is a purposeful lie.
*) Sure, there are exception like the initial videos of soldiers using ambulances for transport etc. But on the grand scale of things most of the “civilian” “hospital” “school” etc. estates talked about (both sides) thus far were not marked as medical facilities with the requisite Red Cross symbols, hence all that war crimes talk is just pure bull. On the legal side.
The moral side, as usual, is a way more complicated matter so I prefer to not go there here. Suffice to say morals are subjective, so what will be fully justified for Ukrainian army can be and mostly will be unacceptable for Russians and vice versa.
Meanwhile in tiny Estonia 1.33 million people with 30% speaking Russian, the anti-Russian hysteria is increasing with severe criticism of this Amnesty report by the president and castrato-media:
a) **Amnesty International’s recent report that criticized Ukraine for putting civilians’ lives at risk has been called “grossly misguided” by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Claiming that forces are endangering civilians & violating the laws of war when they operate in populated areas.
“Russia has been deliberately targeting civilians from the very beginning in schools, kindergartens, hospitals, theaters have been systematically destroyed by Russian strikes in Ukraine.
“Ukrainian forces are fighting to defend their country and people. How could Amnesty International’s researchers overlook these facts?” a comment published on social media by the ministry said.
Estonia has plus 43,000 “grossly misguided” Ukrainian refugees..
Naturally, since February 2022 not a squeak regarding 10,000 plus civilians deaths in Donetsk-Luhansk regions from Ukraine terror attacks over the past 6 years OR the 18 plus US-NATO-German bio-weapons productions units in Ukraine. The fact that Uncle Sam owns over 30% of Ukraine*s best agricultural land is also a moot point – Hunter Biden what*s that – to boot!!!
b) Here in Narva, with a Russian speaking majority, separated from Russia by the beautiful Narva river and forests, the removal of a unique “grossly misguided” T-34 tank war memorial 3 km from the city centre is the HOT TOPIC.!!
Female PM, also member of Baron Klaus von Schultz*s WEF and other politicos NOW want this much revered and popular monument T-34 to be removed SAP and placed in a museum…where it rightfully belongs!!!
Local Round table discussion or referendum about this – NO WAY!!
Furthermore, the Minister of Education is most pissed off that Russian is still the most *popular foreign language* in the Estonian school system among these “grossly misguided” Russian speaking kids!!!! Why not French or German…..he laments..
Even kindergarten teachers in Russian speaking care centres have to pass these mandatory Estonian language exams – this applies for any job in the state-regional sector. Estonian has some similarities with Finnish but they cannot converse…compared to Germanic-Latin languages and even Chinese, Estonian is a real pain!! and confined to this country. Younger native Estonian speakers have excellent English – Tallinn is also a thriving international soft and e-business centre with many young Russian speakers from Narva heading there and speaking English!!!
Finally, yet again that useless parasitic non-elected Bruxelles Commission has strongly recommended the “grossly misguided” Finnish railway system STOPS using the Russian 1520-1524mm gauge (as in Belarus, other Baltics, Ukraine) – and adopts the 1435mm standard gauge of Western!! Europe.
Helsinki apparently politely replied … ”No thanks”
No sweat!! there are plus 1,700 English troops here with armour, US helicopter carriers sailing into harbours and with those spanking new 64 Finnish F-35s soon whizzing overhead or crashing on take-off – join the party!!!
It looks like Russia/China and the US are negotiating “nuclear” issues with threatening messages.
For the US (far from war zones), the “nuclear” threat is for countries to abandon the mighty USD for trade, in particular for petrol/gas. Russia and China are sending threatening messages of quickening the global dedollarisation.
In retaliation, the US is threatening Russia to blow up a nuclear power plant in their Ukraine SAR, and threatening China to make impossible a peaceful reunification with their Taiwan SAR.
Ah yes the old arab tactic
Hide in a school
Film when it gets bombed
Call your enemy a war criminal
Beg for international money
Repeat
“Ah yes the old illegal settlers on arab land tactic
Hide in a school
Film when it gets bombed
Call your enemy a war criminal
Beg for international money
Repeat”
There ya go; fixed it for ya. You’re welcome.
Also…
Was a time, and a people, when you got your ass kicked, you went home, worked out, got back into the fight if there was still one to have…
Now…jes call them names – racist, antisemite, homophobe-sorry, that one doesnt even carry any weight anymore(escalation) – transthingsomewhatever-disliker…and a comes the magic cavalry to take away the income of the offender – and hopefully incarcerate or preferably kill him as well.
We go back to history to come up with similar circumstances to ours to guide us as to how our ancestors have handled them.
When our history is fake, we get no guidance from our elders.
Now, where did we go wrong? What was the point in our recent history, that got us into this self-destructing feedback-loop?
The biggest lie of the twentieth century, that can not be questioned, examined, judged, or refuted.
What could that be?
I doubt this info was published without the tacit permission of the administration, which wants an excuse to stop supporting 404 and wants Ze as a scapegoat.
Pity, AI already apologized for the “distress” their report caused to the international community.
So, nowadays, instead to be proud to report the true, you get rewarded for hiding it or reporting lies that fit the Western agenda.
A mentally stable person with a basic IQ by now would have started to reconsider all the positions and statements came from the West in relation of international matters. And maybe also reconsider the real agenda against Russia and China (to mention few), but no. The general public seems relaxed and relieved to see AI called a “Putin ally”, better not to face the reality.
Why is anyone “surprised” by this report?? It’s a pretty open secret that Zelensky has been an expensive failure for the West already for quite time now. So why *not* craft such a “report” in the event the West wishes to (sometime down the line) officially disown him?
Think of this whole “report” as a little “kick” from the West to Zelensky to get him to “shape up and stop losing to the Russians!!” (while demanding billions $$$ in the process)
And should this gentle kick not get Zelensky to produce the desired results — we have a convenient “AI report” for public consumption should the West seek yet “another” change in Ukrainian leadership…… ; )))
If that tactic was the worst of their crimes – I would condemn the Russian invasion right now…
Listen to me ukranians: repent and ask for forgivness.
That is your way out of this.
It is not, that the Russians are your elders, but you have comitted crimes against them and your time has arrived. I take as much pleasure witnessing the punishment as I did witnessing the crime.
Change your ways.
If I was VVP, holding hordes of the dark at bay – I would scower the web, choose the people, that are significant and throw resources at them.
For the price of financing a single battalion with the hardware alone – think about it!
Is it done? Because by the nature of it – it is a bottomless pit.
I know not.
I have not read a single Russian Ministry of Defense communique. Not one. EVER.
I should be glued to them every fokkin day. MAKE IT SO.
Hire OUR guys to do what they do best and what they do now for free! NOW!
Remember our doode – nightvision?
get him.
Get all us for fokks sake.
To OUR guys in the fields – I am in awe. That is the reality that makes men out us.
There is an other field of struggle though – and WE need to sharpen our use of it.
Facts alone are insufficient – apparently.
Russiagate? Give em one. Give em a thousand.
For the price of fielding a division.
It is indeed surprising for Amnesty International to publish a report that is (indirectly) critical of US and its vassals’ policies and behavior. In the past I have repeatedly tried to call AI’s attention to the inhumane treatment of dissidents by the Dutch government. To no avail, since for the AI people it is an axiom that human rights are duly being respected in the Netherlands and in the “West” in general.
I have always suspected AI of being a tool for big business especially US corporations, banks and investment firms), just like Greenpeace has always been.
The fact that AI is now critical of the Ukraine is, in my opinion, rather an indication that the US and its vassals are looking for ways to extricate themselves from the mess they have created in the Ukraine.
While all eyes were on the US mess in Ukraine, those USers have been busy working to split Asia in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
https://journal-neo.org/2022/08/06/us-is-actively-trying-to-transform-kyrgyzstan-into-anti-russia/
These reprehensible practices continue because Russia is slow-walking its military actions. Get on with the campaign, finish the job and the civilian-shielding will end.
The reason for taking their time, is to try to minimize the amound of the civilian shiields ending up dead.
Empire style this could have been over months ago, with collateral damage of 4 million civilians … of which 1 million kids. A bit hard to make up and be brothers again after that.
Question to the readers: Is there any Organization in West that is not corrupt and vassal from these evil Establishment? Probably not a single one.
[Removed by the moderator] May I suggest that perhaps all workers for amnesty are not subservient to US foreign policy and they often have reports that fall outside the narrative because of that. I had been a supporter then dropped support over obvious favoritism. Isn’t it dangerous to assume that the US intelligence communities control everything? Since I left of my modest contributions things seem to have improved a bit. I assume they were getting lots of complaints about coverage of Israel. I am not assured by those who apply blanket rejection without substantive evidence. Some Zelensky proxy war fans call AI a lefty Kremlin friendly organization. Maybe there are at least some degree to which they are actually doing what they say they do.
The thing is this is a clear and detailed report on a phenomenon covered by other reporters and it at least shakes up a false narrative. Seems unwise to despise or mistrust every ally.
Deception works like this : In every Great Lie, there is a grain of Truth.
Amnesty is now humbly inserting ONE Ukraine critical report, for 50 Russia critical ones so far. The boss for the Ukraine chapter have supposedly resigned in disgust (of the report).
Ok, well part of why I communicate on a few varied blogs I read is to ask honest questions, because I can only research so much and have other concerns with my time, but I decided to look again at AI and have to accept that my suggestions and thoughts are likely quite naive considering the degree t which it serves a western imperial agenda. I can’t explain the logic of AI publishing this condemnation of Ukrainian tactics. Maybe it was a warning about how quickly US support could change and a bargaining chip to rein in Zelensky. Maybe the Amnesty organization by nature attracts people with ideas that don’t fit with the purposes of its western intelligence allied leaders, and such a person was central to this investigation. S
NEVER forget that all politics these days for decades is about getting the stealing rights.
The horrific debacle that is Ukraine is a direct result of Biden & Obama using their neocon warmonger attack dog Victoria Nuland to do the regime change there in 2014.
It was done to then use it as a money laundering operation with the new head guy in charge to send the kickbacks to Obama / Biden out of the at least TWO BILLION sent there.
Recall the video still on the net of Biden stating on camera that “If you do not fire the prosecutor investigating,(the criminal activity of Hunter), I will not send you the next Billion). Of course they did and he did!!
Hunter was already grifting there for big bucks, so easy to send him the commission of 10-20%, is my guess), with “10% for the big guy”. $100,000,000 to $200,000,000.
When Obama and Valerie Jarrett loaded hundreds of pallets of paper money in Germany to take to Iran, do you want to believe that a few pallets did not get diverted??