EU / Ukraine Agreement a NATO Trojan Horse

 

Article: Is NATO’s Trojan Horse Riding Towards the “Ukraine Spring”? 

By: Dennis Kucinich

News Source: Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dennis-j-kucinich/ukraine-nato_b_4435637.html

Ukrainian citizens have rallied in the bitter cold at Independence Square in Kiev to demand a better economic future and to protest President Viktor Yanukovych's failure to sign an economic agreement with the EU.

But while the draft of the EU "Association Agreement" is being sold as an economic boon for Ukrainian citizens, in reality it appears to be NATO's Trojan Horse: a massive expansion of NATO's military position in the region. What's more, the Agreement occurs under the cover of nebulous economic promises for a beset population hungering for better wages.

In a country where the average monthly minimum wage stands at about $150 USD, it's not hard to understand why Ukrainians are in the streets. They do not want to be in Russia's orbit, nor do they want to be pawns of NATO.

But is the plight of Ukrainians being exploited to usher in a new military agreement under the guise of economic reform?

For NATO, the goal is expansion. The prize is access to a country that shares a 1,426-mile border with Russia. The geopolitical map would be dramatically reshaped by the Agreement, with Ukraine serving as the new front for Western missile defense at the doorstep of Russia. Should the U.S. nuclear deal with Iran fall apart, Ukraine could be employed in larger regional disputes, too.

As an EU deal appears imminent, few people are asking questions about NATO's role in the deal, which was meant to facilitate jobs and trade. Economic conditions in Ukraine are dire: $15 billion in IMF loans suspended, danger of default and a zero growth forecast.

While NATO is not specifically mentioned in the draft of the "Association Agreement," the proposal, which was posted online (and translated to English here) by the Ukrainian cabinet in August, pledges convergence of foreign and security policy.

Read: NATO expansion.

For instance, in the draft of the Agreement, foreign and security policy mandates:

“The Parties shall explore the potential of military and technological cooperation. Ukraine and the European Defence Agency (EDA) will establish close contacts to discuss military capability improvement, including technological issues.”

The draft of the Agreement's preamble links Ukraine to "ever closer convergence of positions on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest" including the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) of the European Union and the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) -- which underscores the military nature of the agreement.

Since 22 of 28 members of the EU have NATO membership, there is little doubt that Ukraine is being drawn into the broad military arrangement with EU nations.

If the EU Agreement is ratified, Ukraine will inevitably spend a higher percentage of its GDP for military purposes, steering critical resources from social programs and job opportunities. In 2012, Ukraine's military budget already increased 30 percent to $2 billion, representing a comparatively low 1.1 percent of GDP. NATO members agree to spend at least 2 percent of GDP on defense.

NATO members are also under pressure to contribute more and more of their GDP to military expenditures. "It is time to move beyond the '2 percent rule,'" says the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Ivo Daalder, in his farewell remarks in June, 2013, described the sentiment:

"The gap between American and European contributions to the Alliance is widening to an unsustainable level. Something must be done. The trends need to be reversed."

When military spending goes up, domestic spending goes down. The winners are unlikely to be the people of Ukraine, but instead the "people" of Lockheed-Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing and other defense interests. The Ukrainians didn't go to Independence Square to rally for NATO. Yet NATO's benefit is clear. Less clear is whether Ukrainians will receive key economic benefits they seek.

To wit, the preamble to the Agreement is hazy on the implementation of visa-free travel for citizens of Ukraine, a crucial incentive for struggling workers seeking better jobs. The draft of the Agreement is vague, calling for the visa issue to be introduced "in due course." It also asserts that EU nations could block the movement of self-employed Ukrainians to other job markets.

For Greece, Spain and others, EU membership hasn't turned out to be a shining economic savior. The return of austerity policies reminds one of Naomi Klein's warning about the perils of disaster capitalism, in which instability opens the door for exploitation from outside forces.

For the protesters in Kiev, standing tall for democracy and economic opportunity, there's suddenly a new worry: Disaster Militarism. Ukrainians may be pro-EU, but are the EU and NATO pro-Ukrainian?
---------------------------------

Dennis J. Kucinich is a former 16-year member of Congress and two-time U.S. presidential candidate.
Visit his Official website: www.kucinichaction.com

Dennis J. Kucinich - Facebook:

www.facebook.com/denniskucinich
Dennis J. Kucinich - Twitter:
www.twitter.com/Dennis_Kucinich

Links:

EU / Ukraine Association Agreement (PDF)(English)

http://glavcom.ua/pub/2012_11_19_EU_Ukraine_Association_Agreement_English.pdf
Draft of the EU Association Agreement (PDF)
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/docs_autres_institutions/commission_europeenne/com/2013/0290/COM_COM(2013)0290(PAR2)_EN.pdf
IMF Repeats Loan Demands on Ukraine
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-31/ukraine-vows-to-curb-reserves-plunge-as-imf-repeats-loan-demands.html

 

Is Erdogan’s political honeymoon nearing its end?

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s prime minister

By: Anthony Mathew Jacob

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/06/09/307954/erdogans-political-honeymoon-ending/

Turkey has been protesting for over a week now, thousands have gathered in huge numbers in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Mugla, Antalya, and many other cities and towns.

According to initial media reports the protests were in reaction to a planned demolition of Gezi Park, a traditional gathering point for rallies and demonstrations, the park is also a popular tourist destination and Istanbul’s last green public space.

The number of protesters has only increased with each passing day and Istanbul’s Taksim Square has become the center of protests. What started as a peaceful sit-in protest soon turned violent when the police force; under direct orders from the government, started using violence to disperse the protesters. Amnesty International observers at the protests witnessed the use of water cannon and tear gas against peaceful protestors. Later in the week, two major trade union members with a huge strength of 600,000 went on a strike to express their support for the protesters facing police brutality.

Testimonies of protesters, lawyers, civil society observers and medical professionals at the scene and video evidence confirm the use of widespread brutal tactics employed by the police at demonstrations continuing across central Istanbul.

Reports suggest that thousands of protesters have been injured and at least three have succumbed to their injuries. According to a press release by Amnesty International on 3 June 2013, “The Turkish Medical Association has said that as many as 4,100 people injured during the police response to protests have been treated in hospitals across Istanbul over the past two days. Two of them had life threatening injuries and five remain in intensive care as a result of injuries sustained at demonstrations in the city.”

For what are the people protesting?

At the face value the protests look like a reaction to save the last green public space in Istanbul, however the causes are more than what meets the eye. According to reports in the Turkish media, the demolition of Gezi Park is to pave way for a Mega Shopping Mall and the Mayor of Turkey, Kadir Topbas from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), is the owner of a retail chain that will have an important presence in the mall. Moreover, Erdogan’s son-in-law, Berat Albayrak is believed to have bagged the contract for the development of the mall. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), is severely criticized for widespread cronyism and support for those who fund their electoral campaigns. The rising politician-businessman nexus in Turkey has eroded the people’s trust in the government.

Additionally, Ankara’s economy has witnessed a steep fall for the last two years. According to the Wall Street Journal, “Turkey's rate of economic growth slowed sharply to 2.2% in 2012, as weak domestic demand and spillover from the European debt crisis took its toll after two years of rapid expansion that rivaled China.”

Turkish economy’s meteoric fall has brought along with it the perils of inflation, unemployment and a troubled market. The very economy that was hailed for its pace of growth is now experiencing a downward slump, thanks to the spillover of the European debt crisis.

Suppression of journalists and rights activists

Another important factor that has resulted in widespread discontent is the blatant suppression of journalists, human rights activists and lawyers. Turkey tops the list of countries known for brutal suppression of freedom of press and is the first country in the world that has the largest number of journalists imprisoned.

Hundreds of Turkish journalists are languishing in jails and more than a thousand face charges of supporting terrorists and other unspecified charges. Any journalistic activity that criticizes the government, its policy, scandals, etc. is dealt with an iron fist. Several journalists had to leave their jobs or got fired because of pressure from the Turkish government. One of Turkey’s famous journalists, Ertugrul Mavioglu, once said: “You can write anything, but only under constant threats of unemployment, fines, arrest or worse.”

Erdogan’s mischief in Syria backfires

Erdogan’s lust for power and position has blinded him to atrocities towards his own people and the neighboring Syrians. Despite his claims of supporting the Syrians, his real intentions in Syria are not a secret anymore.

One of the biggest allies of the Western-led, Arab-funded and Israel-directed sabotage and regime change operation in Syria is the Erdogan-led Turkish government. Since the beginning of the bloody terrorist insurgency in Syria, the Turkish authorities have done their level best to support terrorism and sabotage across the border.

Ankara has taken the lead in providing training, logistical support and a safe transit way to the terrorists fighting against Damascus. Furthermore, Ankara has hosted numerous conferences in support of the so-called Syrian opposition groups. Naturally, the Turks are opposed to their government’s role in the merciless bloodshed across the border. According to opinion polls, “some 70.8 percent of respondents think the AKP’s policy on Syria is wrong.”

Erdogan’s policy towards Syria has backfired on him in the worst possible way; today he seems to be falling in the same grave that he’s been digging for Assad. He dreams of becoming the most powerful leader in the Middle East but given the current situations in Turkey it looks like he is soon going to fall off his bed very soon…

It may be too early to predict Erdogan’s fall, but a careful observation of the recent events in the Middle East makes one wonder whether Taksim Square will turn out to be another Tahrir Square.

I wish Erdogan and others like him learn from Egypt’s Mubarak, Yemen’s Saleh and Tunisia’s Zine Al-Abedine before they end up like Libya’s Gaddafi…