The US is keeping a close eye on the deployment of peacekeeping troops from the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Kazakhstan, the White House said Thursday.
The CSTO sent peacekeepers to Kazakhstan to help President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to deal with massive violent protests that have swept the country. But White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said she wasn’t sure if the invitation was “legitimate.”
“We are closely monitoring reports that the Collective Security Treaty Organization have dispatched its collective peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan,” Psaki said. “We have questions about the nature of this request and whether it has — it was a legitimate invitation or not. We don’t know at this point.”
Kazakhstan is a member of the CSTO, and Tokayev made the request for the alliance’s assistance. So the US has no reason to think the invitation wasn’t legitimate unless Washington doesn’t view the Kazakh government as legitimate.
The protests started on January 2nd and quickly escalated into violence. The Kazakh Interior Ministry said Thursday that 18 police officers and national guard members had been killed, and over 700 wounded, Russia’s Tass news agency reported. The Kazakh police said they have killed dozens of protesters who tried to storm government buildings. “The dozens of attackers were eliminated, their identities are being established,” a police official said.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi about the violence on Thursday. According to the State Department, Blinken reiterated “the United States’ full support for Kazakhstan’s constitutional institutions and media freedom and advocated for a peaceful, rights-respecting resolution to the crisis.”
Considering Washington’s history of meddling in countries near Russia and supporting uprisings around the world, there is reason to suspect US involvement in Kazakhstan’s unrest.
I think the pretext of the questioning of the legitimacy is based on the fact (as I understand it) that a CSTO member can only ask for such assistance if the threat to the asking government is from an external source.
The US, not being a member regime of CSTO, has no standing in the matter. It’s up to the CSTO regimes to interpret and act on the terms of the CSTO agreement.
You are right. And that is why Tokayev, before asking for the help from CSTO, informed everyone that his country is attacked by the international terrorist organisations which are coordinated from one centre.
Correct. And I’m sure both the Khazakstan and Russian governments have determined that is the case. As Alexander Mercouris has said, we don’t have direct evidence that is the case – but he said someone definitely organized this. It was not spontaneous. He’s simply not sure whether it was the US, MI6 (as Pepe Escobar was told by his sources) or some of the local clans, or whether it is part of a power struggle by the former President with the current President – or all of the above.
To the posters, stop being ridiculous!!!! Us with it’s 700 billion military budget got chased out of Afghanistan by the the taliban. Start practicing what u preach and stop seeing American hands in everything.
A country like Bangladesh, a small country that’s a kleptocratic autocracy with a gazillion people, that is running out of it’s indigenous supply of natural gas, never had oil, currently buying both lng and oil at spot can provide electricity, lng and petrol at subsidized rate, yet Kazakhstan that is a huge country with a small population that EXPORTS natural gas can’t?!!!!
This is just pent up frustration boiling over, these people r disorganized and just going crazy.
Sometimes the elite in the wholesale need to stand in front of the wall facing the business end of guns. They elite r probably making powerplay even during this!!!
Us just trying to take advantage of the situation.
Russia should play it smart because this will end because the protesters have no leadership but the Russians must see to it that it’s not too bloody.
Because they can in all likelihood crush them but if it’s to bloody then the minority Russians will be equated with the regime and aq boys and the animals from isis will start coming in soon.
The purchase they will find within Kazakhstan will depend on Russian action.
“stop seeing American hands in everything” – what about more than 20000 nonprofit organisations which are acting in Kazakhstan and which are financed from abroad?
Yes us is everywhere but us has very little ability to influence things now. The us tried to manipulate the protests that occurred in the majority Shia neighborhoods in Iraq which in turn resulted in them being discredited and the ones conversing with us embassy were hunted out to the man and us couldn’t do anything.
Doesn’t mean they’ve given up on the idea and didn’t have anything to do with this.
Us has every inclination to do this but the way it came out of the blue, how fast it evolved and how fast it is fizzling out i sincerely doubt us had a hand in it. Us now a days is spending efforts(and failing) at manipulating events that r occurring not initiating events.
Everyone here up in arms against the msm narrative of finding Russians under every rock so it’s kinda odd people at this site doing the same with regards to us machinations.
“Everyone here up in arms against the msm narrative of finding Russians under every rock so it’s kinda odd people at this site doing the same with regards to us machinations.”
In my mind, I guess the fact that the US has 800 to 1000 bases spread across the globe and are sanctioning several countries into economic devastation while threatening them with military action daily puts the US under more rocks than Russia + the world combined.
Research in America on these topics are rarely done by the mass population, which is why the infrastructure and entire society is decaying faster every year. When all the money goes to foreign puppet states and the MIC, the taxpayers who pay the taxes (since corporations are shielded from taxes by their purchased politicians) never get the things they want and need in a supposed democracy.
The U.S./western countries are NOT democracies… They are shells for corporations and billionaires to continue pillaging the world under the false guise of human rights and freedom… Things they don’t understand.
The history is clear on the lack of intelligence required to trust the U.S. or the UK. The color revolutions happened because of weak leadership and INACTION. These countries are learning that lesson through the history you seem to miss.
To assume that if the U.S. wanted to succeed it would do so unequivocally ignores the long history of intervention/coup failures over the last 6 decades. Blowing up buildings, killing citizens and and destroying economies because the “target country” doesn’t comply isn’t a success… It’s petulant, and that designation fits the UK/US Anglo axis perfectly. Plenty of resources to research this further, like “Overthrow!” and “All The Shah’s Men” by Steven Kinzer, “Mass Media: Mass Propaganda” by Anthony DiMaggio, and any non-Anglo controlled media outlet.
America and Britain are NEVER the good guys. This should be clear to anyone who’s done even a passive amount of actual research and doesn’t rely on steady, heavy doses of billionaire funded propaganda outlets. Stay away from US media outlets, because they’re only selling YOU on lies so their profit wars can continue. ALL WARS ARE BANKER WARS!
The only one I needed to understand the evils of us was the book killing hope. But thank u I will look out for those books
The only thing we know to be out of the blue is our media noticing it. The US has been thrashing around in Central Asia since getting run out of Afghanistan, looking for a new host. Hence, a color revolution is tried.
Nuh man this came out of the blue. What u said is a genuine possibility but the us Intel setup simply lack the ability to do something this big this fast. If us was this good in generating crisis they wouldn’t have done such poor job recently in Latin America where have been at it for years.
the empire is in decay, it simply isn’t developing talent who can evolve and the old plays don’t work that well
You make one correct point (only). The US, by its repetitive use of “color revolutions”, is losing its ability to do so. As Andrei Martyanov and Alexander Mercouris have both pointed out, the US is a “one trick pony”. With the failure of color revolutions in Belarus last year, and now this one, Russia and China are securing the Central Asian nations against US interference.
Nicely and concisely stated.-peace chic
And each of the non-profits employs ten “activists”, and they in turn organize hundreds of volunteers, supply them with standard back-pack protest gear. Among them are Eric Prince specialists. He recently gave an extensive interview in Asia Times, arguing for private sector (like his srmy) being best suited for undercover operations.
The fuel price issue is ridiculous. The “un-subsidized” price is still very low, far from
global market prices. Still bellow a dollarr. In Barbados today people pay 8 US$ per gallon. And the pay check of majority of populace? Right.
There are now so many sources of information that point to the Western meddling. And US interjecting itself into CSTO decisions is stunning.
It will for sure be interesting. It will test Khazakhstan’s elites capabilities as seldom before.
Non profit is a funny word really!!
The US boogeyman unfortunately can be abused by local politicians to cover for their own corruption.
Removing the gas cap in the middle of winter, was just a suspiciously tone deaf thing to do.
Raise your hand if you believe in spontaneous, leaderless, unplanned, completely domestic fuel price protests that suddenly arm themselves, seize key govt buildings and institutions, beat, behead, and shoot dozens of police, and then demand ending all relations with Russia
I know right?
I have ben trying to explain to people just how improbable this all is without US interference.
I was wondering how long would it take for the MSM to label this as a “human rights” violation? It seems they were ready while the beheaded police officer’s body was still warm.
just as important talks arranged by Russia are to take place next week!!
The Kazakh government had the choice not to lift the cap on gas prices.
So far no indications that this is anything but a local corruption problem.
Actually there was huge demand for capped Kazakh LPG because it could be sold across the border in Russia for 30% more. The new regulations were cutting into the profits of arbitrageurs. The price increase was a pretext, just as the protests in Kiev when Yanukovich delayed signing the EU Association agreement.
With plenty of pre-stocked safehouses and warehouses.
The White House says not sure if the invitation was ‘legitimate’!!!!!!!
Vietnam, Cambodia, all the Latin American “democracies”, Afganistan, Iraq? Syria…..
who else has the USA been invited in to help?
Libya, Serbia
Don’t forget removing legitimate democratic governments from power as well.
The US removed Mohammed Mossadegh from Iran in 53 and Gough Whitlam from Australia in 1975.
Just a photo of the Bidens meeting with Kazakh oligarchs:
https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1478805149426622467
Wow! Bernhard, over at Moon of Alabama, has, as is his wont, put together a theory about the source of these events which hangs together very well.
It involves a former Kazakh billionaire, British MI-6, and Turkey. Check it out. This is my new favorite theory about the origins of this event.
Mysteries Of The Failed Rebellion In Kazakhstan
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/01/mysteries-of-the-failed-rebellion-in-kazakhstan.html#more
The Kazakh government lifted caps on gas prices in the middle of winter.
Prices skyrocketed and people naturally got upset. Whether or not this is truly a broad populist uprising or just a violent significant minority isn’t clear.
Kind of an odd thing for the Kazakh to do, but whatever.
Russia risks being delegitmized to the Kazakh population if resentment is transferred from the government to the intervention.
The capped LPG was way below market prices which resulted in it being sold on black market at higher 30% higher. This is why the government deregulated the gas price.
Most ordinary people wouldn’t care about that; the price increases hit their pocketbook.
It would explain why the Russians were quick to intervene though; organized crime would not hesitate to, if not overthrow the government, attack key leaders and officials.
Also explains the government’s seemingly snap decision at the worst possible time; organized crime was caught completely off guard.
https://www.indianpunchline.com/csto-in-kazakhstan-annoys-us/
CSTO in Kazakhstan Annoys US.
“Washington is particularly apprehensive that no firm timeline has been given to the Russian deployment.
Kazakhstan has been a member of NATO’s Partnership for Peace since 1994. It was the only Central Asian country to depute a military contingent to fight the Afghan war under NATO banner. Kazakhstan was being groomed as a potential member of the NATO, like Ukraine and Georgia. All that now seems a pipe dream.”
How is it possible to be simultaneously a de facto member of NATO and the CSTO?
From a comment over at Moon of Alabama – meetings in the Kremlin with Kazakhstan heads and CIS heads just 12 days ago:
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/page/2
Meeting with Nursultan Nazarbayev December 28, 2021, 13:35 St Petersburg
Informal meeting of the CIS heads of state December 28, 2021, 14:50 St Petersburg
Meeting with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev December 28, 2021, 15:30 St Petersburg
An article on how much part the estimated 38,000 Western NGOs in Kazakhstan may have played in the events. 38,000? Amazing.
’Coincidence?’ US, Foreign NGOs May Have Played Key Role in Social Unrest in Kazakhstan, Expert Says
https://sputniknews.com/amp/20220107/coincidence-us-foreign-ngos-may-have-played-key-role-in-social-unrest-in-kazakhstan-expert-says-1092101738.html
Talking of peaceful protests, human rights. While media building are seized, torches snd axes used to demolish all gear., utilities, then set ablaze. Gruops have telecom equipment.
OSCE media protection advocacy office in Kazakhstan exerted itself as far as to post two twerts asking for “all sides”, bla, bla.
Blinken with deer in headlight look urges progection for protestors, while “protestors” behead policemen.
Whoever the organizer and whoever the perpetrators — it will take a well organized effort to stop them and restore public safety. Like in Syria, such groups have safe houses, have warehouses prestocked with weapons, explosives, vehicles, and chsnge their targets deending of what they percieve is a weak spot.
This reminds too much of an eatly militant shock attack groups in Syria, prior to ISIS. Like attacking post offices, local welfare ofices, etc.
While Blinken urges authorities to protect the rights of peaceful protestors. as vovernment buidings burn.
And we are horrified at what happened January six?!
Did the Kazakh government forget to ask Washington’s permission before requesting assistance from the CSTO? Shame!
The Saker has an excellent analysis of the outcome of the Kazakhstan events. Essentially this ends up being a big win for Russia and China. As Alexander Mercouris pointed out, essentially this means US “color revolutions” are now a dead issue.
Who “lost” Kazakhstan and to whom?
http://thesaker.is/who-lost-kazakhstan-and-to-whom/