The US strategy to foment ‘colour revolutions’ in other countries to advance its geopolitical ambitions essentially involves discrediting the incumbent government, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer has told Sputnik India.
“It is designed to both attack the existing government, attack the existing power centre and then start building the narrative that this alternative is superior and always in the best interest of the country,” remarked Larry Johnson, who has also served at the US State Department.
Johnson underscored that that American regime change operations usually begin with “funding” groups and individuals and trying to take control of the narrative on media and social media through planted stories.
“And if necessary, provide some weapons or military training or even staged events… As we saw with the (anti-government) Maidan Protests (in Ukraine in 2014), where there were snipers brought in to shoot at police in order to undermine the credibility of the government,” recalled the ex-American official.
Johsnon was speaking against the backdrop of US’ perceived electoral interference in Bangladesh’s politics ahead of the 7 January federal vote.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has warned that the US could instigate an ‘Arab Spring’ in Bangladesh if the election outcome wasn’t in its favour.
Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has previously alleged that there was an attempt to trigger a regime change in the nation.
Senior members of the ruling Awami League have accused American Ambassador to Dhaka Peter Haas of tacitly supporting the violent protests by pro-Islamist opposition Bangladeshi Nationalist Party (BNP), which has boycotted the vote.
The BNP has warned that it would stage a series of strikes and blockades in coming days to try and enforce its demand about Hasina stepping down ahead of the election.
‘Foreign Support to Opposition is the Key’
Johnson said that a key part of the US regime-change tactic was to provide foreign support to the main opposition, which is the BNP in Bangladesh’s case.
“The foreign support is the key. Because we've seen a variety of avenues over the years that they've used,” he pointed out.
Johnson stated that the possibility of other foreign governments working “in concern” with the US couldn’t be ruled out either.
In fact, senior members of the Awami League, including federal Information Minister Hasan Mahmud have expressed concerns that the BNP was working at the instructions of its foreign masters in boycotting the 7 January election.