Two stories on the “bio-weapon” labs in Ukraine in the media:
- “Right-wing” media host Tucker Carlson discussing the statements from the US, asking questions and doing a little digging. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2cwGscanAg
- The Independent producing hysterical propaganda based on the State Department’s lies: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/russia-psaki-us-weapon-labs-b2033209.html
Comments
It appears as a result of journalistic investigation that the US has been running multiple labs in Ukraine. Some of these continued to work on Soviet Era bio-weapons. (Carlson focusses on certain implicit admissions made by the US official in charge of the programme – that some of these substances still exist. The State Department claimed that programme was working on “elimination” of the substances. As Carlson points out – 17 years is rather a long time to ‘eliminate’ some test tubes; it is clear that some of these substances were not eliminated [1]). The State Department is exposed as having tried to lie about this. Even without that startling fact (existence of Soviet Era bioweapons) we can ask – what on earth was the US doing conducting research on dangerous pathogens of any kind in an unstable country in a live border territorial dispute (in fact 2 live border disputes) with the nuclear armed Russian Federation? It is complete madness.
Apart from anything else it is a huge propaganda failure because they are exposed as liars and even if the research into Soviet era bioweapons was ‘defensive’ (in the same way one assumes that the UK’s Porton Down only does ‘defensive’ research into chemical weapons) they have allowed Russia to portray it as an active weapons programme and massively bolster their case for war.
The Independent piece does exactly what Carlson points out is not journalism – they simply repeat and defend the line from the State Department, while portraying anyone who has asked any questions about this story as a tool of Russia.
What is interesting for a media observer is that the state media regulator in Russia requires media outlets to report on the war in Ukraine only from official sources. (A law has been passed to this effect). In the US and UK the media does this (with a few exceptions) even without being told! Such is ‘freedom’ perhaps?
It would seem that the State Department is trying to throw some chafe out to distract from this story – talking about Russian chemical warfare programmes. The Western media reports the State Department misinformation with a straight face while joining in their denunciation of “Russian misinformation”. It is how they tell us the media is in North Korea.
Update
This piece in the Guardian is a sign of the level of propaganda these people will produce. So what if Russian state media picks up on a Western media personality who is critical of the Western position? Does that make what he is saying untrue? This is tribal level thinking.
Also notice the entirely fictitious claim that the US has no involvement in these bio-labs in Ukraine. The State Department has just admitted that they do.
The actual issue is how US involvement in handling old Soviet era chemical weapons in Ukraine is presented. The US says “in process of elimination”. Russia seems to be saying “active weapons programme”. A question of spin. That these substances exist and that there is US involvement has already been admitted by the US. So the Guardian’s story which is a direct replication of the State Department line trying to deflect onto Russia is simply a smokescreen. Meanwhile anyone who asks questions is portrayed as an enemy stooge.
This is war journalism. But this is what they normally do even without an active war.
Notes
The New Observer 