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`Blackwater' in Ukraine: The etiology of a conspiracy theory
On March 2, a post appeared on a livejournal page belonging to "stbcaptain" which claimed, "According to our Ukrainian friends," ("По информации наших украинских друзей") up to 300 people employed by "Greystone Limited" had arrived at Kiev's international airport that night, noting Greystone's connection to Xe Services, formerly known as Blackwater. Two days later, Voltaire Network, a favorite watering hole for conspiracy theorists, ran the headline, "US mercenaries deployed in Southern Ukraine." The source for their brief report: Russian political scientist Alexander Dugin. That Dugin's name was linked to this story so early in its creation, is probably quite significant. While Voltaire refers to him simply as a political scientist, he is also the leading ideologist behind the Eurasia Movement seeking the restoration of the Russian Empire. "Rather than rejecting totalitarian ideologies, Eurasianism calls upon politicians of the twenty-first century to draw what is useful from both fascism and Stalinism," writes Timothy Snyder from Yale. Dugin is committed to the break up of Ukraine. In a "letter to the American people on Ukraine" published on the website Open Revolt, which is affiliate with the white supremacist American Front, Dugin wrote on March 8: Ukraine as it was during the 23 years of its history has ceased to exist. It is irreversible. Russia has integrated Crimea and declared herself the guarantor of the liberty of the freedom of choice of the East and South of Ukraine (Novorossia). The same day that Voltaire posted its Dugan-sourced "U.S. mercenaries" story, a strange video appeared on YouTube, "USA military mercenary BlackWater in Ukraine (Donetsk)," posted on the obscure iRusTV channel. The video shows a group of men dressed in paramilitary gear, supposedly on the streets of the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, running around in confusion.
On March 2, a post appeared on a livejournal page belonging to "stbcaptain" which claimed, "According to our Ukrainian friends," ("По информации наших украинских друзей") up to 300 people employed by "Greystone Limited" had arrived at Kiev's international airport that night, noting Greystone's connection to Xe Services, formerly known as Blackwater.
Two days later, Voltaire Network, a favorite watering hole for conspiracy theorists, ran the headline, "US mercenaries deployed in Southern Ukraine." The source for their brief report: Russian political scientist Alexander Dugin.
That Dugin's name was linked to this story so early in its creation, is probably quite significant. While Voltaire refers to him simply as a political scientist, he is also the leading ideologist behind the Eurasia Movement seeking the restoration of the Russian Empire.
"Rather than rejecting totalitarian ideologies, Eurasianism calls upon politicians of the twenty-first century to draw what is useful from both fascism and Stalinism," writes Timothy Snyder from Yale.
Dugin is committed to the break up of Ukraine. In a "letter to the American people on Ukraine" published on the website Open Revolt, which is affiliate with the white supremacist American Front, Dugin wrote on March 8:
Ukraine as it was during the 23 years of its history has ceased to exist. It is irreversible. Russia has integrated Crimea and declared herself the guarantor of the liberty of the freedom of choice of the East and South of Ukraine (Novorossia).
The same day that Voltaire posted its Dugan-sourced "U.S. mercenaries" story, a strange video appeared on YouTube, "USA military mercenary BlackWater in Ukraine (Donetsk)," posted on the obscure iRusTV channel. The video shows a group of men dressed in paramilitary gear, supposedly on the streets of the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, running around in confusion.
The video was posted on ET here. Your response, based on a secret tip from an anonymous informer and on The Daily Beast (see Woodward for a takedown of the latter), was to say Blackwater (Academi) was not in Donetsk but in Crimea, paid by Russia (as if Russia needed to use security operatives rather than its own armed forces present in Crimea).
The thing is, the Internet buzz around "Blackwater" served to confirm the impression (beloved of CT-minded Western lefties) that Ukrainian events were manipulated by American operatives or their hires. By now it should be clear that the buzz was based on nothing at all.
Just more fog from the propaganda machines - and it comes from both sides.
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