Stephen Lendman
Nemtsov in 2013.
[dropcap]D[/dropcap]on’t mourn Nemtsov’s passing. He died rich. Likely murdered by a CIA false flag – a thinly veiled failed scheme to create anti-Putin sentiment. Nemtsov’s popular support was virtually nil. At around 1%, he was a political nobody. He was worth more to Washington dead than alive. He was a corrupt pro-Western darling – a US-funded self-serving opportunist. A former top Boris Yeltsin government official.
Part of his right-wing pro-Western rogue administration responsible for plundering the country, impoverishing its people and creating unspeakable human misery. Yeltsin, Nemtsov and like-minded officials ignored essential needs, human rights and civil liberties. They let corruption and criminality flourish. One scandal followed others. Money-laundering became sport. Tens of billions dollars in stolen wealth were hidden in Western banks and offshore tax havens.
Western-instituted “shock therapy” produced economic genocide. GDP plunged 50%. Life expectancy fell sharply. Democratic freedoms died. An oligarch class accumulated enormous wealth at the expense of millions of harmed Russians. Free-market gangsters ran things. Another generation may be needed to undo the damage done. Nemtsov shared blame with other political opportunists. Russians despised him for good reason.
Fort Russ discussed WikiLeaks cables showing Nemtsov wanted color revolution change in Russia. Komsomolskaya Pravda published them. They revealed meetings of fake human rights defenders and hard-right elements with US officials at America’s Moscow embassy. One cable, dated January 14, 2010, discussed US ambassador to Russia John Beyrle’s meeting with these elements.
Others like it took place – including on January 19, 2010 under the code name “Moscow 000305.” Attending were Nemtsov, Vladimir Milov, Vladimir Ryzhkov and “The Right Deed” party representative Georgy Goft.
Discussion focused on conditions needed to ensure new leadership replacing Putin. Beyrle wrote at the time:
“The Russian right opposition agreed that the goal of the opposition during the next two years should be the work to prevent the return of Vladimir Putin to the post of the president.”
Nemtsov said he envied the Ukrainians. “Thanks to the Orange Maidan, they…have democracy and happiness all around.”
“But according to their opinion, only an emergency situation would bring about his demise.” No other way is possible because Russian civil society “is still asleep,” said Beyrle. Most people support Putin. Beyrle covertly discussed regime change with Nemtsov and like-minded anti-Putin elements.
Talks focused on creating an emergency situation severe enough to generate anti-Putin sentiment. They wanted Russia returned to its bad old days under Yeltsin. They had color revolution change in mind. They wanted pro-Western stooge governance replacing sovereign Russian independence. They wanted democracy eliminated entirely. Western darling Nemtsov was part of a scheme against his own citizens – a traitor by any standard.
He envied Ukrainians, he said. “Thanks to the Orange Maidan, they…have democracy and happiness all around.”
“Only if we could have the same,” he added. He dreamed of removing Putin – replacing Russian democracy with fascist dictatorship.
In January 2012, Obama appointed Michael McFall ambassador to Russia to pursue “dePutinization.” Nemtsov was a key prop in his scheme. Under current US ambassador John Tefft, he was worth more dead than alive.
Komsomolskaya Pravda commented, saying:
“It is hard to imagine that the representatives of Democrats or Republicans would run to the Russian Embassy in Washington DC and tearfully beg: ‘Please be harder on our government’ and without blinking formulate the task: ‘In order to come to power we need a collapse!’ “
Russians aren’t stupid. They deeply resent Washington meddling in their internal affairs. They know America is their greatest threat – Putin their greatest hope to remain free from its dominance. It bears repeating. Washington’s long sought goal is regime change in Russia. It wants control over its vast territory. It wants it balkanized for easier control.
It wants its resources plundered. It wants its people exploited. It wants pro-Western stooge governance replacing a major rival. It’s part of Washington’s longstanding goal for unchallenged global dominance. Ukraine is a key piece on its grand chessboard. Russia and China its final frontier targets.
A Final Comment
On March 4, Putin “urged Interior Ministry officials…to focus on smothering (Western provoked) budding color revolution” destabilization efforts.
“We see attempts to use so-called ‘color revolution technology,’ ranging from organizing unlawful public protests to open propaganda of hatred and enmity on social networks,” he said during an Interior Ministry meeting.
“The aim is obvious – to provoke civil conflict and strike a blow at our country’s constitutional foundations, and ultimately even at our sovereignty,” he stressed. He urged “preventive work” to counter nefarious schemes. Color revolutions in post-Soviet states are warnings of potential Russian threats,” he explained.
“(E)verything necessary” should be undertaken to prevent them in Russia, he stressed.
With his approval rating topping 85%, they’re virtually impossible. Don’t expect Washington’s destabilizing to stop. A Levada Center survey shows only about 10% of Russians would participate in anti-Putin protests. The vast majority supports him for good reason. They want no part of repeating the human misery caused by US-manipulated 1990s.
A week before Nemtsov’s murder, thousands of Muscovites participated in an anti-Maidan rally – against Western-instigated color revolutionary change in Russia. Some protesters held signs calling Nemtsov a Ukraine Maidan organizer causing turmoil creating today’s crisis conditions. Putin reminded Russians to remain vigilant against similar internal threats. Kommersant newspaper said a research body associated with Moscow’s Security Council recommended adopting measures able to counter “destabilization of the internal political situation.”
One recommendation urged countering the “romanticization of (internal) revolution.” What Putin calls “extremists poison(ing) society with the venom of their belligerent nationalism, intolerance and aggression.” As long as he remains popular, US-instigated color revolutions won’t happen. Russians want no part of America’s dirty hands running their country.
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: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com
[printfriendly]
