Battle is raging between “anti-government rioters” and state military forces in “the large main city” of Almaty, Kazakhstan. Reinforcements just arrived in the form of Russian paratroopers. Official authorities “have labeled the massive fuel protests which have brought the country to the brink of collapse as fueled by ‘terrorists’ and manipulated by ‘outside interference.'”
This photo from Kazakhstan resembles the second day of the "Syrian Revolution" when the "peaceful protesters" burned down the palace of justice in Daraa. pic.twitter.com/qcLDWzYnrJ
— Kevork Almassian🇸🇾🇦🇲 (@KevorkAlmassian) January 6, 2022
Battle for control
What seems to be a battle between disgruntled citizens and local officials is raging in Central Asia. There is a lot more going on than the official press reports want to publish. At least, not all in one story. Vladimir Putin sent Russian troops into Kazakhstan on Thursday, apparently to protect his uranium interests. Thanks to the Clintons and the Uranium One deal, everybody learned that Kazatomprom is “the world’s biggest uranium producer.”
On Thursday, January 6, the company assured the Kremlin and other investors that “it was operating normally with no impact on output or exports despite unrest in Kazakhstan.” Profits are going through the roof though. “Spot prices hit $45.50 per pound on Wednesday, the highest since Nov. 30, according to a Platts assessment.”
Machine guns at work in Almaty, Kazakhstan where several footages of looting are also making rounds pic.twitter.com/DXweaIY9bO
— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) January 5, 2022
The latest battle reports note that security officials in Kazakhstan “admitted they’ve killed dozens of anti-government rioters.” They claim not to have a choice after “the protesters attempted to storm and take control of several police stations.” Sort of like Antifa in Seattle or Portland.
“The CSTO confirmed Russian paratroopers were being dispatched as peacekeepers, with advance units already deployed.” Now that the Russian reinforcements have arrived, “it’s looking like Kazakh authorities will intensify their crackdown.”
URGENT: Rioters or “foreign sponsored terrorists” as announced by the president of Kazakhstan — have made their way into the arsenal of the National Security Committee and acquired heavy weaponry such as mortars. pic.twitter.com/uMFLA5sgJO
— ASB News / MILITARY〽️ (@ASBMilitary) January 5, 2022
A statement by Kazakhstan’s Internal Affairs Ministry warns that it’s a battle to the death. “those who refuse to lay down their arms will be killed.” Videos of “running battles and large protests” are going viral.
Pundits are comparing the scenes with “the second day of the ‘Syrian Revolution’ when the ‘peaceful protesters’ burned down the palace of justice in Daraa.”
Banks being robbed. These are not just protests but generalized anarchy. One has to wonder how things reached this point
pic.twitter.com/85Ukq2n5Nl— Bruno Maçães (@MacaesBruno) January 6, 2022
A war zone
As more and more scenes are beamed out of Almaty, “city streets in Kazakhstan are beginning to resemble a war zone, with state military forces seen in central squares, including armored personnel carriers.”
Footage from Almaty, Kazakhstan that shows the ongoing military operation within the city. pic.twitter.com/8iSCOKFSRp
— Global: MilitaryInfo (@Global_Mil_Info) January 6, 2022
The pitched battle has been ongoing since “embattled President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev vowed the state would not fall, and that he would stay at his post no matter what.”
Videos of the “running street battle” show police “unleashing live fire” while “unconfirmed footage seems to show rioters breaching police armories to access weapons.”
🎥 Unmarked vehicles delivering weapons to rioters in Kazakhstan pic.twitter.com/GQsDtrTT5Q
— ASB News / MILITARY〽️ (@ASBMilitary) January 5, 2022
The troops are using machine guns. One video documents “machine guns at work in Almaty, Kazakhstan where several footages of looting are also making rounds.” Word on the street is that “rioters have breached and ransacked police stations.”
The official spin is trying to blame it all on Joe Biden. “Rioters or ‘foreign sponsored terrorists’ as announced by the president of Kazakhstan — have made their way into the arsenal of the National Security Committee and acquired heavy weaponry such as mortars.”
Опубликованы кадры вылета Коллективных миротворческих сил в Казахстан pic.twitter.com/RUJYRkDeI1
— zvezdanews (@zvezdanews) January 6, 2022
As long as the battle in the streets stays away from the uranium works, Vlad Putin will be happy. They can rob the banks all they want. “Without doubt the move is hugely controversial in the West, with a number of pundits already charging Putin with helping to expand ‘authoritarian’ rule in the Central Asian former Soviet Republic.”
