Archivi categoria: English

Former Italian intelligence analyst: “US intelligence knows Kiev cannot win. The war will end with a Korean scenario.”

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Alfredo Mantici: “US 007 dossier is a message to Ukraine. Intelligence presses for mediation.”

A bath in reality and a change of strategy, coming through 007’s “tips” to the media. Messages directed on the one hand to the White House, on the other to Western public opinion. This is how Alfredo Mantici, former Sisde chief of analysts and now professor of intelligence at Unint in Rome, interprets the latest releases in the U.S. press regarding the war scenarios in Ukraine, from the mistrust of the U.S. intelligence services in the effectiveness of Kiev’s counteroffensive to the exorbitant number (half a million) of Russian and Ukrainian dead and wounded, passing through the proposal made by the NATO chief of staff to grant Ukraine entry into the Alliance in exchange for a cease-fire and the start of negotiations with Moscow. “The problem,” Mantici says, “is that we live in a condition of war information.

What does this mean?

“That information on the one hand is functional to support the cause of the good guys against the bad guys, and on the other hand is functional to support the politics of those who support the good guys against the bad guys.

Every day, however, the intelligence and military structures, and then also the media, are also confronted with reality. For more than a year and a half we have been hearing that the Russian army was boiled and that Putin was a fool and was finished, as if Ukraine had now brought home the victory. I have already won a dinner with a distinguished historian who on the day of Wagner and Prigozhin’s march on Moscow phoned me to say that Putin was at the end of the line.”

What about instead?

“Instead, the time has come to confront reality, the reality that the intelligence community is familiar with, and to test public reactions to a truth that is not the one told by propaganda. The chief of staff of the NATO secretary general days ago said what he said, about the start of negotiations. The reaction with official denial was immediate, the poor guy was cornered and forced into an embarrassing backtrack, for a technician of that level.”

What is the reality?

“The Ukrainians will never win the war, they will never regain all the lost territories, and this feeling is beginning to take hold not only at the technical level, but also at the political level. So you phone your journalist friend who is willing to divulge so-called plausible deniability (the ability to deny something that has been said or done by a third party for which you are responsible, ed.). Through anonymous sources, the idea that this war will not end with the fall of Putin or the triumphant march of the Ukrainian army into Red Square is beginning to be digested by the Western public.”

And how will it end?

“With a Korean scenario, a frozen war along a cease-fire strip, maybe for 70-80 years. In my opinion, Putin did not want to invade all of Ukraine, he would not have deployed 160,000 men if for Berlin alone Stalin deployed 200,000 and for Czechoslovakia in ’68 it was 800,000. Putin wanted the Donbass and Mariupol, the land link to Crimea. It is time to be realistic. Ukraine does not have enough men to regain what it has lost. Resisting to the last man makes no sense, just as dogging Bakhmut did not, as U.S. intelligence has pointed out. To attack, the ratio must be not even but, as everyone knows, at least 3 to 1. The reality of a war is like pregnancy, beyond a certain limit you cannot hide it.”

Apart from public opinion, to whom are these intelligence indiscretions directed?

“To President Biden. This is a way for the intelligence community to ‘explain’ to the White House how things really are. Then to the Ukrainians themselves. The first one to talk about peace in Zelensky’s entourage is finished, unless advisor Podoljak or Minister Kuleba does it. And the two of them will only talk about peace when the Americans say to do so. Just as in Ferragosto three years ago they told the Afghans: thank you and goodbye.”

English translation of Marco Ventura’s article, published in Il Messaggero. 18 August 2023

Russian Communists call for closure of the ‘Yeltsin Center’ museum

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Duma deputy Anastasia Udaltsova proposes to close the ‘Yeltsin Center’ and remove Yeltsin’s name from the names of libraries, museums and other facilities.

The Duma deputy of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPFR) and the Left Front, Anastasia Udaltsova, has launched a broad public campaign to ‘de-eltsinise’ Russia, for which she proposes that citizens send a mass letter to the Duma at udaltsova@duma.gov.ru:

According to official information, a Yeltsin Center is scheduled to open in 2022 in Moscow’s Dolgorukov-Bobrinsky district, on Malaya Nikitskaya Street. Previously, in 2015, the Yeltsin Center was opened in Yekaterinburg. It should be remembered that the reign of President Boris Yeltsin is one of the most terrible pages in the history of our Motherland. Yeltsin was one of the main instigators of the destruction of the Soviet Union, which led to the total impoverishment of the population, bloody inter-ethnic conflicts (the conflict with Ukraine being a striking example), the destruction of a huge number of industrial and agricultural enterprises, and the colossal decline in all social spheres of our society.

As a result of liberal reforms during Yeltsin’s presidency, Russia suffered a demographic catastrophe, the so-called ‘natural’ population decline of 9.4 million people between 1992 and 2001, thousands of villages, towns and cities were wiped off the map.

However, despite all these terrible results of the Yeltsin period, hundreds of millions of rubles are allocated each year from the budget for the upkeep of the Yeltsin Center in Yekaterinburg, which means that the upkeep and maintenance of this center is done mainly at the expense of the taxpayers, i.e. you and me! At the same time, apart from the perverse praise of the Yeltsin period in our history, even in today’s difficult times for Russia, the Yeltsin Center is actively engaged in anti-Soviet and naturally anti-Russian activities. Ambassadors of hostile states hold meetings there and pro-Western personalities give lectures. In essence, a center promoting the ideas of nationalist treason now operates in Russia at the expense of the state, which is categorically unacceptable.

In view of all this, I call for parliamentary response measures to:

1. Block the opening of a branch of the ‘Yeltsin Center’ in Moscow.

2. Close the Yeltsin Center in Yekaterinburg, incorporating into the building a branch of the Russian History Museum or another cultural or social venue.

3. Removing Boris Yeltsin’s name from the names of state museums, libraries and other public and cultural facilities.

Contact name and telephone number’.

Together with other communist deputies, Anastasia Udaltsova intends to present these citizens’ appeals in the form of deputies’ requests to the federal executive authorities, and various social and political events (street actions, public discussions, etc.) are planned in support of the initiative. It is time to clean Russia of Yeltsin’s filth. The name of Yeltsin must not disgrace our country!

Translated from LeftFront.

Statement of the Russian Communist Workers Party (Bolshevik) on the Russo-Ukrainian war

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On the armed phase of the conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine

Statement of the Political Council of the Central Committee of the RKRP-CPSU

In our analysis and conclusions in these specific historical conditions, we rely on the analysis already made in the course of the development of the situation, incl. at a conference with the communists of Donbass, Ukraine, Russia in November 2019 in Lugansk.

Once again, returning to the fact of recognition of the republics of Donbass, we note that although it happened late, much later than it should have, but better late than never. The RCWP not only supported this step from the very beginning of the proclamation of these republics, but also demanded that the bourgeois authorities of the Russian Federation take this step as help in confronting the people’s republics of Donbass against fascist aggression by the Kiev Nazis.

Of course, the goals of the military intervention of the Russian Federation by the authorities and Putin are only declared as humanitarian – saving people from the reprisals of the Nazis. In fact, the source of the conflict is the inter-imperialist contradictions between the US, the EU and Russia, in which Ukraine is drawn. The goal of the most powerful US imperialism in the world is to weaken the Russian competitor and expand its influence in the European market space. Why did they purposefully work to pit not only the authorities, but also the peoples of Russia and Ukraine. To this end, imperialism even went so far as to encourage the revival and use for punitive purposes of ordinary fascism of the Bandera model of 1941-45. The imperialists are fulfilling their tasks – the conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine has entered a hot phase, and this suits them perfectly. No wonder the heads of the United States and England have already stated that they are not going to participate in the war with their armed forces. Let parts of the once united Soviet people fight among themselves.

By and large, i.e. from class positions, the Russian authorities, as well as the rulers of the US and the EU, do not care deeply about the working people – and Donbass, and Russia, and Ukraine. We have no doubts that the true aims of the Russian state in this war are quite imperialistic – to strengthen the position of imperialist Russia in world market competition. But, since this struggle today to some extent helps the people of Donbass to repulse Bandera fascism, the communists in this part of it do not deny, but allow and support as much as it is waged against fascism in the Donbass and Ukraine. And they categorically oppose the actions of their government, when, under the cover of the fight against fascism, the issues of expansion and strengthening of Russian imperialism and its allies will be resolved.

As long as Russia’s armed intervention helps save people in the Donbass from reprisals by punishers, we will not oppose this goal. In particular, we consider it acceptable if, due to circumstances, it is necessary to use force against the fascist Kiev regime, insofar as this will be in the interests of the working people.

At the same time, of course, the possibility of the military campaign of assistance to the Donbass from Russia, led by the anti-Soviet Putin, developing into a truly completely predatory war, when, under the pretext of helping the Donbass, the Russian authorities begin to resolve their issues, and the troops simply begin to occupy other regions of Ukraine, is not ruled out. We will regard this as a war of conquest, imperialism, and we will not support either one or the other imperialist. In any case, it will not be the masters who die on both sides, but the workers. To die for brothers in the class is worthy. And to die and kill for the interests of the masters is stupid, criminal and unacceptable.

In any case, we firmly reaffirm our common position with the communists of Donbass and Ukraine: to put an end to fratricidal conflicts, to the relapses of fascism, to the threat of a local war escalating into a full-scale world war, is possible only on the path of socialism. The common struggle of the working people against the bourgeoisie of all countries is the main strategic line of our parties.

Proletarians of all countries – unite!

Translated by Red Patriot from the original.

Ukrainian “fact checkers” censor information in the West

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We translated this article from Italian because we believe that, even after the case of StopFake.org, too many Ukrainian fact-checking organizations are working for Facebook, to censor negative information about Ukraine in the West.

On April 2, 2022, I posted on Facebook a video showing the woman, corresponding to the Ukrainian blogger “Marianna V.“, who appeared in all the media (pregnant) and described as a “survivor of the Russian bombing of the Mariupol hospital“.

The woman who speaks in Russian in the video (alternative link) says that in reality the story of the aerial bombing was a staged one.

In short, he explains how the hospital was actually occupied by Ukrainian troops and that it was not the subject of any deliberate aerial bombardment. Outside the building, says the woman, a grenade had exploded; this was used as an excuse to organize a show with photographers and cameramen, including an Associated Press employee. The woman clarifies that all this happened against her will, having expressly requested not to be taken back.

The day after publication, probably on the recommendation of some FB user, the preview of the video I posted was obscured with the words “False information – The same false information was checked in another post by fact-checkers. There may be small differences. Independent fact-checkers say that this information has no basis in fact“.

Let’s take a step back: that the woman in question was the blogger is indisputable and no one has ever been able to deny it. Indeed the Western media, on the sole basis of what was stated by the Ukrainian press agencies, claimed after the spread of the video that the woman (to be honest by many newspapers even died after giving birth), had been kidnapped by the Russians and the corollary it was that her statements were therefore not spontaneous.

Having made this necessary premise, no one, I repeat, can question the veracity of the video itself.

Now let’s go back to the dimmed preview. By clicking on the option “See why” I am aware of the fact that the aforementioned independent fact-checkers are actually a Ukrainian site called “Ukrainian.leadstories” which among other things as a motivation for the attribution of the wording “false information” reports a case that is not related to the post.

In a nutshell, this site mentions another Ukrainian girl and the story of the Mariupol theater: I add that the article is also embarrassing because it does not even have third-party sources, but it mentions the government authorities of Mariupol and a pro-govt telegram channel which in any case does not provide multimedia material and no evidence of the facts.

The site in question more specifically refers to a girl (in the image below) who is not the blogger but a completely different person, stating that she did not witness the detonation or the launch of a bomb on a theater in Mariupol on March 16. So reporting a story related to a character who has nothing to do with the blogger Marianna of “my” post, but by assimilation arguing that the video information posted by me, as by many on internet, is false.

And here is how a Tribunal without judges, lawyers or the possibility of appeal, even Ukrainian fact-chekers, who seem to have very little impartiality, in the role of “accusers/censors” issue final judgment by making Facebook declare a real video as false information, implicitly delegitimizing my person as well.

Translated article from L’Antidiplomatico. 5 April 2022.

Benedetta Sabene attacks “Freeda femminism”

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Today’s mainstream feminism is for the 90% about themes as bodyshaming, hair, self-acceptance, girl power, freedom to manage one’s own body. All better if seasoned with a few commercials, as many well-known FB pages do (as the italian Freeda, for example – link). In the capitalist system, anything that can make a profit must be squeezed as much as possible: just think about Beyoncè, a champion of feminist fights, who pays a few cents the women working in Sri Lanka to produce the items of her clothing line.

The reality that most women live every day, however, is very different from the on which this type of feminism puts the emphasis on: precariousness, layoffs, inability to have a family, exploitation. And in the rest of the world the situation is even worse. Yet, all this does not seem to interest us. Why is that?

Because it is much more convenient to artificially create a sort of “female solidarity”, rather than making women aware of the economic power relations existing in this society: a Sri Lankan female worker has NOTHING in common with her boss Beyoncè. But she has EVERYTHING in common with her fellow man, as much exploited and badly paid as she is.

The big paradox of commercial feminism is precisely this: fighting for gender equality without fighting for social equality. To fight, therefore, for an emancipation that can never be found in an economic system precisely based on exploitation and oppression. With the aggravating feature of transforming struggles into profit.

– Benedetta Sabene

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Mass censorship test? The case of InfoWars VS social media

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It’s not a ‘defense’ of Alex Jones to argue that we’re on a slippery slope of internet censorship.

The celebration on the Left at the quick-fire purge of Alex Jones and InfoWars from social media has been disturbing — not because Jones’ views deserve to be defended, but because his banning is a warning shot against dissent.

It’s important to note at the outset that I have no love for Jones whatsoever — lest this be read as some kind of endorsement or defense of InfoWars. It is not. Continua a leggere→

Peace will come to Donbass only after overthrow of Kiev regime: ‘Ghost’ militia woman

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Tatiana Rybalko, a native of Mariupol, did not throw up her hands after escaping Kiev’s torture chambers; she went to volunteer in the Ghost Brigade.

Alexey Albu: Tell us about yourself. Who were you before the war, what did you do?

Tatiana Rybalko: Before the war, I worked in the Mariupol steel plant, up to the very moment I was captured. Since 2010 I’d been a member of the Communist Party [of Ukraine, KPU], and was repeatedly re-elected to the post of Secretary of the Party cell, member of the District Committee, Assistant Secretary of the District Committee. Continua a leggere→

Those dancing on Fidel’s grave may soon be disappointed

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While the death of Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro caused grief and sorrow worldwide, many could not hide their joy. Political analysts told RT who has been “dancing on the lion’s grave” and why.

“Cuba was nothing more than a casino, a bordello before the Cuban Revolution led by the man who died yesterday,”former British MP and host of RT’s ‘Sputnik’, George Galloway, said. “And the people who fled Cuba for Miami, the Scarface generation, were the people disinherited by the Cuban revolution, when casinos were turned into schools and colleges, when bordellos were no more. And they are celebrating for the same reason [that] hundreds of millions of people around the world are mourning. The passing of someone, who … was the star, who made Cuba the coolest place on the planet.” Continua a leggere→

How the liberal and anarchist left became swept up in the surge of right-wing nationalism in Ukraine

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The serious flaws of our left and anarchist tactics in Ukraine (which resulted in its current weakness) can be traced to the early 2000’s and the wrong approach adopted by many of them that time. It is particularly expressed in their permanent, short-term approaches – the desire to get results immediately.

How did some of our left drift towards right-wing nationalists and middle-class liberals? It came from ideas of intervening in nationalist groups and hijacking their rallies (not yet numerous at the time). Instead of starting to work from the beginning with the working class (which takes more time), some of left and anarchists decided instead to try and influence pro-capitalist and nationalist movements. Continua a leggere→

Diary of Alexey Markov: «Zhelobok Is Ours»

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Once again about Zhelobok, or it’s better to see for yourself

June 9: In connection with the recent panicky rumors on social media that the Ghost Brigade has surrendered northern Zhelobok after heavy battles, I want to officially say: #ЖелобокНаш! [ZhelobokIsOurs!] Continua a leggere→