U.S. Mercenary Killers in Eastern UkraineStephen Lendman Putting lipstick on this pig doesnt help. Its no different than before. Jeremy Scahills book titled Blackwater: The Rise of the Worlds Most Powerful Mercenary Army called it: A shadowy mercenary company (employing) some of the most feared professional killers in the world accustomed to operating without worry of legal consequences (and) largely off the congressional radar. It has remarkable power and protection (within) the US war apparatus. Its well funded. It operates extrajudicially. Its unaccountable. Its licensed to kill, terrorize, destroy and destabilize. It takes full advantage. It does so wherever its deployed. On May 11,Voice of Russia (VOR) headlined 400 US commandos help Kiev in its military offensive in east Ukraine reports. They arrived to commit mayhem. Theyre from the notorious US private security firm Academi Bild am Sonntag is Germanys largest Sunday circulation broadsheet. It reported Academi operatives near Slavyansk. Its uncertain who hired them, it said. Its clear Washingtons dirty hands are involved. Russias Foreign Ministry said: Note: Greystone is a private company. It separated from Academi in 2010. Both firms maintain close ties. They operate the same way. They do so extrajudicially. It looks as though this practice, if it really is implemented, goes against the Ukrainian laws that ban foreign citizens from working with private security companies, said Russias Foreign Ministry. VOR cited Itar Tass saying Kiev putschists believe theyre unable to suppress Eastern resistance on their own. They cant eliminate activist leaders. Coup-appointed Kiev president Oleksandr Turchynov agreed, saying: Theyll operate extrajudicially. Theyll do so unaccountably. Theyre licensed to kill. VOR said coup-appointed governors Igor Kolomoisky and Sergei Taruta are involved. Theyre multi-billionaire oligarchs. Earlier Kolomoisky said: Theyre hired guns. Theyre unrestricted by US, international or local laws. Theyre free from civil or criminal accountability. Under Article 47 of the 1977 Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions: Washington uses them in conflict areas. They serve its imperial agenda. Theyre doing so in Ukraine. Perhaps hundreds more will be sent. Maybe theyre in Crimea. Perhaps covertly. Maybe elsewhere in Eastern Ukraine. Theyre not good will ambassadors. Theyre well-trained killers. Theyre experts. Theyre hired for their skills. Theyre licensed to use them. They take full advantage. On May 11, Itar Tass headlined Donetsk referendum organizers plan to begin civilized divorce with Kiev authorities. Theyll convene a regional congress of deputies. Central Election Commission head Boris Litvinov explained, saying: Sundays referendums were absolutely legal, he stressed. Claims otherwise are false. People (stood) in 300-400 meter lines. Doing so showed enormous interest in voting. Even in the Soviet times we never saw such queues, Litvinov added. Late afternoon Sunday reports said Lugansk turnout topped 75%. Earlier ones indicated Donetsk exceeded 50%. Later ones said over 70%. Preliminary results will be announced overnight Monday. Final ones will follow. Perhaps by Monday afternoon. Slavyansk activists reported Kiev military attacks. According to one named Vlad: RT Internationals Paula Slier tweeted #Slavyansk: Some polling stations (were) guarded by Cossacks. Roman #Lyagin, chair of central #election commission, This is will of people.The world can say this is bad idea but its idea of the people. People patiently wait(ed) outside voting stations in #Donetsk #referendum. Donetsk Peoples Governor Pavel Gubarev said his region and Lugansk will become new legal entities. The referendum(s) for us (are) about creating a new state paradigm, he explained. Kievs illegitimate foreign ministry issued a statement, saying: Kiev forces seized four Krasnoarmeisk schools. Polling stations were inside. Voters were ordered out. Ballots and voter rolls were confiscated. Krasnoarmeisks executive committee building was seized. It was blocked so no one could get in or out. Communication was lost with two Krasny Liman referendum committees. Kiev forces clashed with activists there. Donetsk Peoples Republic leader Denis Pushilin explained what happened. At the same time, Lugansk press spokesman Vasily Nikitin reported National Guard elements intimidating residents. They move(d) military hardware from one settlement to another. Note: Many polling stations remained open until 10PM local time. Others closed between 6 and 8PM. They did so for security reasons. Eastern Ukraine is a war zone. Voting under these conditions risked peoples lives. High numbers turned out anyway. Fundamental rights matter more. So does real democracy. On Saturday, Venezuelas Foreign Ministry issued a statement, saying: The Bolivarian Republic does not recognize and will not recognize as legal a government that emerged as a result of a state coup. RT International reported Kiev troops roll(ing) through E. Ukraine in bid to disrupt voting.' Fascists operate this way. Democracy is considered verboten. Attacks tried blocking its emergence. Efforts failed. Turnout was impressive. Voters want freedom most of all. Weeks earlier poll numbers showed Putins popularity topped 80%. Most Russians support him. They praised him. They believe hes governing responsibly. Last December, UK broadsheet The Times named him International Person of the Year. He succeeded in reestablishing Russia as a major international problem-solving country, it said. On Saturday, Henry Kissinger debunked notions about Putin initiating Eastern Ukrainian conflict conditions. He had nothing to do with whats ongoing, he said. (W)e ought to settle the Ukrainian issue first, and then have a discussion about relations with Russia, he added. On March 5, he headlined a Washington Post op-ed How the Ukraine crisis ends, saying: Russia cant force Ukraine into satellite status, he said. Western nations must understand that, to Russia, Ukraine can never be just a foreign country. It was part of Russia for centuries. Their histories are closely intertwined. The European Union must recognize that its bureaucratic dilatoriness and subordination of the strategic element to domestic politics in negotiating Ukraines relationship to Europe contributed to turning a negotiation into a crisis, said Kissinger. Western residents mostly speak Ukrainian. Eastern ones mostly Russian. Any attempt by either side to dominate the other (will) lead eventually to civil war or break up. Treating Ukraine as part of an East-West confrontation (will) scuttle for decades any prospect to bring Russia and the Westinto a cooperative international system. The politics of post-independence Ukraine clearly demonstrates that the root of the problem lies in efforts by Ukrainian politicians to impose their will on recalcitrant parts of the country A wise US policy would seek East/West cooperation. Demonizing Putin isnt sound policy, said Kissinger. Its an alibi for the absence of one. Understanding Russian tradition isnt Americas long suit, he explained. He laid out his notion of outcome compatibility representing interests of all sides, saying: Ukraine should freely choose its economic and political associations. It shouldnt join NATO. Its government should represent all its people. It should resolve East/West differences. Its incompatible with the rules of the existing order for Russia to annex Crimea. (I)t should be possible to put (its) relationship with Ukraine on a less fraught basis. Kiev should reinforce Crimeas autonomy in elections internationally monitored. Kissinger called his notions principles, not prescriptions. Key isnt absolute satisfaction but balanced dissatisfaction, he added. If differences arent resolved, confrontation will accelerate. Its happening in real time. It bears repeating. Fascist regimes operate this way. Washington and Kiev are two sides of the same coin. One decides. The other obeys. Kissinger omitted explaining whats most important. As Nixon/Ford National Security Advisor and Secretary of State, he was part of Washingtons dirty system. His rap sheet is bloodstained. He was an early architect of new world order lawlessness. Hes guilty of multiple crimes of war, against humanity and genocide. In late May, hell be 91. His op-eds or other actions cant undo enormous harm he caused. He remains unaccountable. At the same time, he largely addressed Ukraine sensibly. He foresaw whats unfolding. Its prelude to whats likely much worse to come. Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.His new book is titled How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War.Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/ 