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Russia Denies Violating INF Treaty Provisions


By Stephen Lendman
2-18-17

 
Historic US/Russia (Reagan/Gorbachev) 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty provisions required the elimination of all nuclear and conventional missiles with ranges of 310 - 620 miles (short-range) and 620 - 3,420 miles (intermediate range), along with their launchers.

Compliance is monitored by technical means, on site inspections and cooperative measures. The agreement was the first bilateral treaty designed to reduce nuclear arms. Previous ones only established ceilings.

Last Tuesday, acting State Department spokesman Mark Toner (an Obama holdover) wrongfully accused Russia of violating its INF Treaty obligations - alleging a 2014 violation.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov debunked Toner’s comments, saying “Russia has been and remains committed to its international commitments, including to the treaty in question. Nobody has formally accused Russia of violating the treaty.”

US media scoundrels accused Moscow of breaching the INF Treaty, citing no credible evidence proving it. None exists.

According to Russian upper house Federation Council International Relations chairman Konstantin Kosachev, “(t)he main objective of this campaign is to prevent (Trump) from making a U-turn over the Atlantic, I mean, to prevent him from reconsidering the transatlantic policies of the United States that are set at establishing the monopolar model of the world order.”

The aim is keeping Americans fearful over an imagined Russian threat. It doesn’t exist so must be invented.

Neocon, CIA-connected Washington Post editors hyped the nonexistent threat, falsely claiming a Russian INF violation, urging Trump to confront Moscow, “holding out the possibility of military countermeasures…”

WaPo deplores peace and stability, craves wars and other belligerent confrontations, promoting its agenda with fake news.

America and other Western nations need leadership courageous enough to go another way. Campaigning as a peace president, Obama later bragged about being at war throughout his entire tenure.

Trump complained about spending trillions of dollars on wasteful foreign wars instead of using the resources for vital homeland needs.

He also promised to “rebuild” America’s military, continuing wasteful spending if he follows through.

The nation needs lots more butter, far less guns. No leadership is willing to wage world peace and stability instead of endless imperial wars.

Russia has cause for concern. So does humanity.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He 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 WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.