By Stephen LENDMAN
Time and again when destabilizing events happen on the world stage, hegemon USA’s dirty hands are involved.
On January 2, violence erupted in Kazakh cities — including the country’s largest, Almaty, and its capital, Nur-Sultan.
Allegedly over high fuel prices, Kazakh President, Kassym-Jomart Tokaev, promised to lower gas prices.
On Wednesday, he accepted Prime Minister Askar Mamin’s resignation while saying the following:
“Calls to attack civilian and military offices are completely illegal.”
It’s “a crime! Power will not fall! We do not need conflict, but mutual trust and dialogue.”
According to Kazakh media, heads of the country’s Mangystau gas processing plant and electronic trading platform were detained over the issue of high prices.
On Wednesday, a state of emergency was declared — first in areas where protests began, then extended nationwide, 200 or more detained, according to Kazakhstan’s interior ministry.
A statement by Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the following:
“We are closely following the events in the fraternal neighboring state.”
“We are calling for a peaceful solution to all problems in the framework of the Constitution and the law, and dialogue, and not through street riots and the violation of laws.”
“(S)teps taken by the Kazakh President Tokayev seek to stabilize the situation, promptly solving existing problems.”
“We hope that the situation in the country, which has relations of strategic partnership and alliance, fraternal, human contacts with Russia, will stabilize as soon as possible,” adding:
“The situation near the buildings of our diplomatic and consular missions remains calm.”
“According to the latest data, no casualties on the Russian side were recorded.”
Both countries share a 4,750 mile-long border.
Kazakhstan is central Asia’s largest country territorially, the world 9th largest with a population of about 19 million.
A statement by head of the country’s law enforcement agencies said extremist elements are behind days of violence.
According to political analyst Mikhail Pogrebinsky, “(h)ardly anyone will dispute the fact that (violence in Kazakhstan came at a time of) escalation between Russia and the West.”
What’s happening is “advantageous (to the Biden regime for) at least three reasons.”
It “distract(s) attention” from endless Kiev aggression on Donbass.
It could possibly negatively affect Sino/Russian relations (sic).
It could “provoke Moscow to participate in suppressing protests with quite predictable consequences…”
It’s “impossible to believe that the Kazakh protests erupted spontaneously,” Pogrebinsky added.
On Thursday, a statement by the current head of Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) countries — Armenian PM Pashinyan — said the following:
“In view of the address of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and considering the threat to national security and sovereignty of the Republic of Kazakhstan, caused in particular by interference from the outside, the CSTO…in accordance with Article 4 of the Collective Security Treaty made the decision to send CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces to the Republic of Kazakhstan for a limited period with the aim of stabilization and normalization of the situation in this country.”
CSTO member states include Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.
At this time, Russian peacekeepers comprised of its aerospace forces arrived in Kazakhstan to “beg(in) performing their (assigned) tasks.”
According to the CSTO, peacekeepers from Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajilistan are involved in the operation — in response to a Kazakh request for help.
Russian media reported that a counter-terrorist operation is underway in Almaty where several hundred elements are occupying central areas of the city.
On Wednesday, Kazakh President Tokayev said the following:
“As the head of state and from now on as the chief of the Security Council, I intend to act as tough as possible” to restore law and order.
Blaming violence since January 2 on “financially motivated plotters,” he added:
“(H)ighly organized…hooligans” stormed administrative buildings — causing at least one death and numerous injuries so far.
According to head of Moscow’s Eurasian Analytical Club, Nikita Mendkovich:
Pro-Western elements in the country are trying to lead and use protests to further their own interests.
Over the past five days, violence has been larger in scale than anything earlier in what was known as a stable post-Soviet republic.
A Final Comment
Biden regime spokeswoman Psaki dismissed accusations of US involvement in Kazakhstan’s violence as “crazy Russian claims (sic).”
Since the 19th century — especially post-WW II — US dirty hands have been behind numerous destabilizing/disruptive actions worldwide.
It won’t surprise if Kazakh and Russian intelligence discover hard evidence to show that violence in the central Asian country was made-in-the USA.