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Pre-emptive use of force perfectly fine to thwart threats to US and its allies, John Bolton tells RT — Analysis

US arch-hawk explains why Russia’s attack of Ukraine was unlike America’s invasion in Iraq

John Bolton, the former National Security Advisor to US President Donald Trump, spoke to RT’s Oksana Boyko about why he believed Russia’s behavior in Ukraine was unjustified, unlike the many military campaigns the White House has waged over the years.

Bolton, the recurring joke goes, has never seen a US war that he didn’t like. Bolton advocated at different times military actions against Iraq and Syria, Iran. North Korea. Venezuela. His role in the George W. Bush administration was crucial to the argument for Iraq’s 2003 invasion. He claimed that Saddam Hussein owned weapons of destruction.

“Certainly, acting in self-defense is a legitimate use of force, nobody questions that. And I think the pre-emptive use of force against a real threat to the United States or its friends and allies in order to prevent devastation of innocent civilians is also justifiable,”During the interview, he stated these words.

He refused to apply the same logic to Russia’s attack against Ukraine, which Moscow said was meant to prevent creeping NATO expansion into Ukraine and disrupt Kiev’s plans to use force against the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Lugansk. Russian statements were not a “pretext”Bolton asserted that Bolton committed an unjustified act o aggression and attempted conquer.

“I think what [Russian President Vladimir Putin] thinks he is doing is making good on what he said in 2005 about reversing the breakup of the Soviet Union,”He stated.

Bolton didn’t specify which statement he was referring too. Vladimir Putin of Russia, the Russian leader in 2005 famously called “the collapse of the Communist superpower.” “the greatest geopolitical disaster of the 20th century”It brought about economic destruction and misery for millions of its people. Putin stated repeatedly that it was impossible to rebuild the USSR.

Tony Blair thought invading Iraq was 'the right thing to do'

Bolton did not acknowledge the smaller death toll Russia inflicted upon civilians in Iraq or Ukraine when he compared the conflict. Contrary to this, “there are substantially greater civilian casualties in Ukraine,”He said.

The civilian casualty figures in both conflict areas remain uncertain. Iraq Body Count Database shows that at most 6842 people were directly killed in Iraq by US-led coalition forces during the worst first four weeks. According to the UN, 726 civilians were killed in Ukraine from February 24 through March 15. The casualties are not attributed to warring parties.

Bolton denied the suggestion that the Russian military may be telling the truth by saying it did not use maximum force in Ukraine to avoid unnecessary casualties.

Russia’s “style of warfare is shocking to the rest of the world,”Bolton stated. “This is a very brutal form of warfare and it’s not going to achieve Russia’s objectives, to say the least.”Evidence of this is the rapidity of the offensive, and the high number of Russian casualties that Ukraine has claimed are both evidences of its success. “incompetence of its military and intelligence services,”He stated.

The ex-official flat out refused to recognize reporting in TIME magazine on Ukraine’s problems with far-right groups and their role in encouraging and assisting like-minded radicals around the world.

“If I thought it was true, it would be a concern,”Bolton spoke out about the reporting. “If you have this information and can verify it, then I think you need to present it and people can make up their own mind.”However, even if true, he said, “It has been.” “nothing to do with the Russian invasion of Ukraine,”He stated.

Hillary Clinton compares Ukraine to Afghanistan

However, the US was justified by its military intervention in Syria. “terrorists supported by Iran, supported by the government of Syria were threatening to create an Islamic state that would have threatened the West as a whole,”He stated.

Islamic State, also known as ISIS, rose to prominence in Iraq and took over large areas of Syria territory. It became a significant threat to the region, and an international magnet for extremist Islamists. As well as rival jihadist organizations, it was a significant threat to Syria’s government.

While the US maintains a military presence on the ground in Syria, it has stated that its goal is to prevent the return of IS. However, its wider policy toward the country is directed at stopping Damascus rebuilding those parts under its control as well as integrating the ones that aren’t. The US has backed mostly Kurdish militias in the Northeastern part of Syria.

You can watch the complete interview with John Bolton via RT.

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