"Breed war!", say leaked emails from former NATO chief Breedlove

Philip Breedlove was Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO from 2013 through May 2016. After political infighting and extensive foreign meddling caused Ukraine to disintegrate into civil war, Breedlove enthusiastically joined the chorus of fear-mongering warhawks in support of further escalation of the Ukrainian conflict.

Just how enthusiastically Breedlove tried to drag the USA into a proxy war becomes clear from the release of emails from a hacked Breedlove Gmail account.

(Which is a story in itself really. This guy is in charge of NATO and doesn't apply basic opsec? With leaders like that we deserve to lose.)

The Intercept -- Hacked Emails Reveal NATO General Plotting Against Obama on Russia Policy

RETIRED U.S. AIR FORCE Gen. Philip Breedlove, until recently the supreme commander of NATO forces in Europe, plotted in private to overcome President Barack Obama’s reluctance to escalate military tensions with Russia over the war in Ukraine in 2014, according to apparently hacked emails from Breedlove’s Gmail account that were posted on a new website called DC Leaks.

Breedlove appears to just not understand why his President -- his Commander-in-Chief -- would want to avoid getting into a war with Russia. The confusion is palpable:

“I think POTUS sees us as a threat that must be minimized, … ie do not get me into a war????” Breedlove wrote in an email to Harlan Ullman, senior adviser to the Atlantic Council, describing his ongoing attempt to get Powell to help him influence Obama.

In his exasperation, Breedlove didn't mind making up figures:

Breedlove’s numbers were “significantly higher” than the figures known to NATO intelligence agencies and seemed exaggerated to German officials. The announcement appeared to be a provocation designed to disrupt mediation efforts led by Chancellor Angela Merkel.

In previous instances, German officials believed Breedlove overestimated Russian forces along the border with Ukraine by as many as 20,000 troops and found that the general had falsely claimed that several Russian military assets near the Ukrainian border were part of a special build-up in preparation for a large-scale invasion of the country.

Other bullshit artists making their appearance include Wesley Clark (NATO Europe Supreme Allied Commander from 1997 to 2000), and Victoria Nuland (of "Fuck the EU" fame):

“Phil, can’t we get a statement to counteract the Russians on use of force? what can I do to help? If the Ukrainians lose control of the narrative, the Russians will see it as an open door,” wrote retired Gen. Wesley Clark, who forwarded on his messages with Victoria Nuland, the assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs. He also passed along concerns from the Bulgarian president that Bulgaria might be Russia’s next target.

The meddling continues to this day, of course:

Radio Free Europe -- Kerry To Travel To Tbilisi, Kyiv Next Week

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. State Department says Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Georgia next week for talks on Tbilisi's push for closer ties with NATO and the European Union. [...]

Kirby also said Kerry will travel to Kyiv on the following day, July 7, to meet with Ukraine's president and prime minister, emphasizing the need for ongoing reforms and the implementation of the Minsk cease-fire agreement for eastern Ukraine.

Because the meddling is such a resounding success:

Radio Free Europe -- Ukraine Soldier Killed In Fresh Fighting In East

The conflict in eastern Ukraine has killed more than 9,300 people since April 2014 and NATO warned last week that the internationally monitored cease-fire there was barely holding.