I’m also starting to think Russia isn’t 100% on board with all the U.S.’s deep-state biolabs creeping about its former Soviet-bloc countries. Now it’s Armenia:
On Monday, Armenian media reported Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan saying, “It is true that [Armenian biolabs] were created with the support of the United States, but they are owned by the Republic of Armenia. This topic was raised in 2018; our Russian partners expressed concern.”
Russia seems to be making progress. Earlier this month, Armenia announced it would modify its 2010 agreement with the United States, the loquaciously-titled “Cooperation in the Area of Prevention of Proliferation of Technology, Pathogens and Expertise that Could be Used in the Development of Biological Weapons.” In the announcement, the Armenian government noted that Article IV of the agreement obligates Armenia to “provide the U.S. Department of Defense with samples of dangerous pathogens discovered in Armenia.”
Uh huh. Dangerous pathogens discovered in Armenia. Like in a biolab?
On June 3rd, EurasiaNet ran a story headlined, “Armenia Limits Bioweapons Cooperation With U.S. Amid Russian Pressure.” The sub-headline reads, “Russia had again been complaining about U.S.-funded labs in Armenia. Now Yerevan is cutting off some biosecurity cooperation with the Americans.” The story explains how over the last several years the U.S. has funded the renovation and construction of “a series of biological laboratories across Armenia,” in regional centers linked to a central lab in the capital, Yerevan.
The U.S. corporate media has been completely silent about the story. Crickets.
The story helpfully includes this U.S. Embassy photo of American officials helping open a new Armenian biolab in 2017:
Now Armenia is working on a “Comprehensive Law on Biosafety,” in which “it will be clearly stated that the Armenian side is not obliged to provide samples of pathogens to any state.” Like the U.S.? EurasiaNet reported that “The U.S. Embassy in Yerevan had not responded to requests for comment by the time this piece was posted.“ Weird.
In a May 23rd interview, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov listed Armenia as one of several sites where U.S.-funded biological laboratories were objects of Russian concern. “What’s important is transparency that allows us to ensure that these programs do not have a military dimension, as this is prohibited by the Convention on the Prohibition of Biological and Toxin Weapons,” Lavrov said.
Get this. Lavrov then said that Russia was in the process of setting up agreements with several post-Soviet countries allowing for Russia to inspect the bio-facilities.
Uh oh. Inspections? That can’t be good for business.
It’s so odd that Russia would object to having a raft of U.S.-linked biolabs in countries along its borders. And after how well the U.S.-linked biolab in Wuhan performed during the pandemic. Stupid Putin. Always finding something to complain about.
I’m sure that the Department of Defense’s legitimate interest in all these community biolabs around the world is some kind of deep dark state secret. But now is the time for them to explain to us exactly what they’ve been up to. Open the books. Be transparent. Stop obfuscating and hiding behind word salad. Stop giving the Russians the ability to make us look like the bad guys, even if it sacrifices some nebulous strategic advantage.
Oh. And thanks corporate media, for keeping us informed!
☕️ Coffee & Covid ☙ Wednesday, June 29, 2022 ☙ COMMON SENSE 🦠
More good legal news from NY; incompetence in gov't; the January 6th Show jumps the shark; sudden and unexpected celebrity deaths and illnesses; even more problematic US biolabs; and much more...
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