by Stephen Lendman

Madness drives US policy. Its provocative actions head things perilously closer to direct military confrontation with Russia.

Obama represents imperial lawlessness on steroids. He deplores peace and stability. He's waged multiple direct and proxy wars throughout his tenure.

He supports Israel's war machine and Palestinian persecution whatever regime holds power.

He risks the unthinkable - possible US initiated nuclear war with Russia.

At home, irresponsible anti-Russian propaganda rages. Buildup of US forces and military exercises in Eastern Europe ready America for war.

Thousands of US boots on the ground, tanks and other military hardware near Russia's borders represent Obama's latest affront.

Claiming it's to defend freedom doesn't wash. No nation in world history has done more to destroy it worldwide.

None more threaten humanity's survival. Operation Atlantic Resolve is a willful anti-Russian provocation.

Thousands of US combat troops, weapons and related equipment near its borders ready America for war.

On March 21, a provocative Dragoon Ride 1,100 show-of-force US convoy began moving through six Eastern European countries - en route to their Vilseck, Germany home base.

They'll continue through April 1. Along the way, they'll position US heavy weapons close to Russia's borders.

US Army European commander General Ben Hodges is involved in Kiev's war on Donbass. Earlier he lied claiming 12,000 Russian troops operate in Ukraine.

None crossed its borders any time during months of conflict. Hodges knows it. So do his Pentagon superiors, the White House, Congress and media scoundrels claiming otherwise.

Obama; Dragoon Ride and Atlantic Resolve show-of-force may be prelude for direct confrontation with Russia ahead.

Washington's so-called European Reassurance Initiative and related efforts support its NATO allies and partners.

It's part of ongoing US provocations confronting nonexistent "Russian aggression."

The Pentagon established six new front line command centers in Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania - all former Soviet republics or Warsaw Pact countries.

This and other US provocations risk direct confrontation with Russia. Will Obama launch WW III?

Increasing numbers of US combat troops and heavy weapons close to Russia's borders risk it.

On the one hand, Washington provocatively risks the unthinkable. On the other, it condemns defensive Russian military exercises on its own territory.

RT International asked State Department press office director Jeff Rathke to explain Washington's hypocritical double standard.

He lied claiming no US criticism exists. He ignored frequent anti-Russian comments expressed by department spokeswoman Jen Psaki.

Last August, she called Russian aviation exercises "provocative and only serve to escalate tensions." She hypes nonexistent "Russian aggression."

Last week, Washington pressured Vietnam to prevent Russian aircraft from refueling on its territory.

An unnamed State Department official said Washington "urged Vietnamese officials to ensure that Russia is not able to use its access to Cam Ranh Bay to conduct activities that could raise tensions in the region."

Last month, US surveillance aircraft provocatively flew over disputed South China Sea islands.

AP correspondent Matt Lee asked Rathke "(w)ouldn't US and NATO maneuvers on Russian borders, at a time when the West and Russia are at odds over the crisis in Ukraine, also raise tensions?"

Rathke lied saying "(w)e would disagree with that." US global military activities are hugely provocative.

Challenging Russia heads toward direct confrontation. US policy reflects madness.

Ukraine may be the flashpoint igniting the unthinkable. Washington replacing democrats with Nazis began things.

Followed by naked aggression against Donbass residents rejecting fascism for good reason.

Then Washington willfully sabotaging multiple Russian spearheaded ceasefire initiatives assured continued conflict.

Minsk II is dead. Washington killed it. The price of imperial arrogance is resumed full-scale war at Obama's discretion - perhaps heading toward setting the entire conflict ablaze.

Preventing it requires Western European leaders breaking with Washington on Ukraine policy - allying with Russia for regional peace and security.

The alternative is potentially devastating war on their soil. On Thursday, European Council President Martin Schulz called diplomacy "the only viable solution" to resolving Ukraine's conflict.

Minsk was agreed on to do it. Sergey Lavrov said it's "based on a philosophy…that the crisis in Ukraine is not a Russian-American problem, but a European one, and should be treated that way…"

"The EU (needs) to deal with problems at its borders in keeping with its own interests, rather than someone's across the ocean" trying to sabotage best efforts for peace and stability.

Kiev puppets take orders from Washington. Obama wants war, not peace.

Russia's Foreign Ministry accused Kiev of willful MInsk violations. It failed to withdraw heavy weapons from front line positions.

It repositioned them instead. "The claims of Ukrainian authorities that all of its heavy weapons have been withdrawn are once again proving to be bluff," the ministry said.

Poroshenko lied claiming otherwise. He reneged on granting Donbass autonomous self-rule status. He's maintaining economic blockade.

He's acting on orders from Washington. Russia alone keeps providing desperately needed humanitarian aid.

Donetsk People's Republic's Parliament Speaker Denis Pushilin warned about the likelihood of escalated conflict remaining "extremely high at any moment."

Lavrov called for more Normandy format four-party talks to try preventing what increasingly looks likely.

On Thursday, Russia submitted a draft Security Council resolution on full implementation of Minsk terms agreed on. It's unclear if Washington will block it.

Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) leader Igor Plotnisky said Kiev "tread(s) water employing all possible political tricks - by approving the laws nobody of them is going to fulfill and by making populist political statements about our territory which we have allegedly occupied."

Ceasefire is pure illusion. Kiev commits multiple daily shelling violations.

Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) Defense Ministry reported 34 shellings in the last 24 hours.

"The enemy attacked both positions of militias and residential areas," it said. Gorlovka, Donetsk and Lozovoye were shelled.

Washington wants conflict escalated, not ended. Expect its junta stooges to oblige.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and 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 World War III".

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

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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