by Eric Arthur Blair for the Saker blog
There have been several excellent articles (none in the mainstream media however), forensically examining who was responsible for the sabotage of Nordstream 1 & 2.
Pepe Escobar was first off the bat with his usual brilliant analysis https://thecradle.co/Article/Columns/16307
Ben Norton conducted meticulous research and employed flawless logic
https://multipolarista.com/2022/10/06/sabotage-nord-stream-pipelines-us-russia-cia/
Bryce Greene described how the MSM, with virtually all their sewer outlets acting in unison, immediately accused Russia in mindless knee-jerk fashion
https://fair.org/home/us-medias-intellectual-no-fly-zone-on-us-culpability-in-nord-stream-attack/
Here is a paraphrased example of one of the most bat shit crazy absurd MSM declarations: “Look how wild and unpredictable Putin is to shoot himself in the foot! Maybe he will shoot you next! Therefore we need to regime change him!”
My aim here is not to rehash all previous information, but to re-organize the main points in a more digestible, coherent summary. It is best to use the well established method of considering Motive, Means and Opportunity to make the optimal judgment:
Motive: The aphorisms of cui bono? and follow the money apply here. The USA from even before Nordstream 2 was built, repeatedly voiced and demonstrated their rabid opposition to it (Obama, Trump, Sleepy Joe, Ned Price, Stinkin’ Blinken, Droolin’ Nuland etc). The crash-test-dummy-in-chief himself is on the record of saying with a smirk that no matter what (even though it was a Russian-German project which had nothing to do with the USA), one way or another it would be stopped…nudge, nudge, wink, wink. The West forced Russia to invade Ukraine in February 2022 (in response to the massive buildup of Ukronazi forces on the border and the >30x ramp-up of Ukronazi shelling of Donbass), just before Nordstream 2 was due to come online. This gave the new oafish Scholz sin-cojones government (possessing less balls than the previous Merkel government) the excuse to refuse pipeline certification. Hardly coincidental timing. In September, just prior to the pipeline explosions, there were widespread public protests in numerous German cities demanding that sanctions against Russia be revoked and that cheap pipeline gas again be bought from Russia. The pipeline explosions seemed to eliminate such a future option. The USA has defacto received a massive financial windfall from the pipeline sabotage (witness Stinkin’ Blinken’s nauseous crowing about this “tremendous opportunity”). Such despicable skulduggery was the ONLY way that super expensive US LNG could be EVER be exported to Europe, because it could NEVER be economically (nor environmentally) competitive with super cheap Russian gas. So much for the USA’s much vaunted practice of “free market” competition, another Orwellian term spewed out like projectile vomitus by them, which is better translated as “rigged Mafioso thuggery” or as Putin called it, “terrorism”.
Russia had zero motive to bomb the pipelines. On the contrary, it was hugely detrimental to their interests, representing the multi-billion dollar loss of built infrastructure, the several hundred million dollar loss of natural gas and the loss of a future bargaining chip which could entice Europe to overturn the anti-Russia sanctions and buy cheap Russian gas again. The fact that the Russians offered to repair the pipes proves that it continues to be in their interest to keep them. Any pundits who claim that Russians had any motive whatsoever to destroy the pipelines are stupid and insane and mendacious beyond belief.
Means: Ukraine probably did not have the means or ability to conduct such an elaborate operation. The USA and Russia both possess the means and expertise to conduct such technically demanding sabotage of an extremely robust pipeline.
Opportunity: Pepe Escobar’s article on this was extremely useful. The explosions occurred in shallow water (~60m) near a Baltic narrow geopolitical “choke point”, a location which probably has the greatest density of sophisticated underwater electronic surveillance sensors anywhere in the world. The idea that any Russian drones or subs could be deployed there without the knowledge of the Danes and Swedes (both being US allies, who are now preventing both the Nordstream AG company and Russia from inspecting the site) is not credible. The US however had ample prior opportunity, including previous underwater military “exercises” conducted nearby, in which drones were deployed supposedly for mine detection practice (can obviously also be used for mine deployment). Even if the Russians did have the opportunity, why would they bother to pursue such a politically risky and expensive and complex task, if all they had to do to stop the gas flowing was to turn off the taps, which they in fact had already done? Blaming Russia makes no sense at all, however far be it from me to accuse the AngloEuroZionist Mainstream Media of making any sense, nor the dumbass consumers of the AEZ MSM of having any sense.
Conclusion: the USA had massive motive, means and opportunity to do the dirty, much more so than any other party under consideration (although collusion with the Danes and Swedes to turn a blind eye was likely, as was possible Polish cooperation). Bombing the pipelines was completely and utterly AGAINST Russia’s interest.
We will never obtain hard evidence regarding this matter, because preventing the Russians from inspecting the site for the first 20 days (at least) post-explosion gives USA/NATO ample opportunity to remove any incriminating hard evidence and to plant false evidence blaming the Russians. Shades of MH17 !!!
Can a proper legal verdict be arrived at based on circumstantial evidence alone? Certainly it can if the evidence is consistent, strong and overwhelming. In any impartial court of law, it would be a slam dunk to conclude that the USA was guilty beyond any shadow of a doubt. The Anglo establishment have themselves not hesitated to condemn and imprison people based on flimsy or no evidence whatsoever, as in the case of Julian Assange. We have overwhelming robust objective evidence to condemn the USA for the pipeline sabotage. Only the most irredeemably stupid and deceitful moron could conclude otherwise (unfortunately the AEZ MSM is full of them – they are called supine presstitute stenographers). Any fake “evidence” planted post hoc by the USA/NATO on site, to try to incriminate Russia, should be thrown out of court.
After the gas had settled, so to speak, it turned out that Nordstream 2B was undamaged and can still potentially be used to deliver some gas to Germany. Furthermore the other three pipes may be potentially fixable, which Russia has offered to do. Needless to say the Euro-lapdogs of the USA are refusing those options.
Perhaps we may soon witness yet another mysterious pipeline explosion of NS2B by “parties unknown”…nudge, nudge, wink, wink.
EAB
well its the news today that Russia remembers a previous incident …a Nato device they claim they had lost in various Baltic exercises was in the run of one of the pipelines ….
MOSCOW, October 10. /TASS/. An incident with NATO explosive devices occurred earlier at the Nord Stream gas pipeline, official spokesman of Gazprom Sergey Kupriyanov said on the air with the Rossiya-24 TV Channel.
“It is necessary to remind about developments at the Nord Stream gas pipeline that were already registered earlier. This case is well known. On November 6, 2015, the NATO Seafox mine disposal unmanned underwater vehicle was found during the scheduled visual inspection of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline. It lay in space between gas pipelines, clearly near one of strings,” Kupriyanov said.
“NATO said the underwater mine disposal vehicle was lost during exercises. Such NATO exercises when the combat explosive device turned out to be exactly under our gas pipeline,” the spokesman said.
The explosive device was deactivated by Swedish Armed Forces at that time and gas transport halted due to the emergency resumed, he added.
“Any future fake evidence planted post hoc by the USA/NATO on site, to try to incriminate Russia, must be thrown out of
court.”
Addendum:
Perhaps a Russian passport may be found under some pipe debris by “independent” Danish or Swedish divers.
I am certain on 9/11 (2001) US security forces found
(1) a Russian Passport in the debris of WTC 1 on the streets of New York City,
(2) a copy of War and Peace in an abandoned car in the Logan Airport parking lot (Boston),
(3) a souvenir t-shirt of Vladimir Putin at the site of the remains of the plane in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and
(4) a signed hard copy of Marshal of Victory The WWII Memoirs of Soviet General Georgy Zhukov on the grounds of the Pentagon
All items were summarily burned except for the Memoirs of Marshal Zhukov, because they thought it might teach them how to win
Mr Braverman: tres drole
i like the going story that russia did it. it means they could sneak into where NATO is doing exercises with various equiptment and blow them up under their noses undetected and get away. thats some good logic ha
The ONLY slightly interesting theory for Russia’s staging the attacks i’ve heard but which still doesnt past Occams Razor:
If Germany thought it could last say 1 year without Russian energy (to placate Washington) but not TWO years….well now Russia forces Germany to commit to a repair regimen NOW that will takes 1-2 years to implement.
Which politically, shows NOW that Germany had entered clearly into the Russian camp.
I guess it’s irony, but before some readers might think it’s serious:
The present German government shows for real that they are not in charge of this nation. Even the term ‘middle management’ might be too much of honor, ‘janitors’ at most. Let me pick a few:
-Our economy minister Habeck (Gruenen) cultivates some bohemian look with wild hair and permanently a 2 days beard. Reality is that he is a child book author which fits nicely to his party, because out in the open he doesn’t understand sh*t of economy. There are very painful interviews on this, but let me spare you that for now – you’d spill some coffee.
-Our foreign minister ‘Marie-Antoinette’ Baerbock is a project of the CFR and Davos, she has that dangerous mix of arrogance and naivity that you find often with ‘young global leaders’, dances with wolves (banks), and excels in one thing: she is a cynical liar.
-Our Kanzler Olaf Scholz whags a long smelly tail of corruption history behind him. One could describe him like in a corner of the German press, as someone ‘who’s lethargy is misunderstood for calculated cleverness’ (in German: ‘dessen Lethargie fuer souveraene Besonnenheit fehlinterpretiert wird’). I would describe him as a vending machine, just throw in the right amount of money and hit some buttons, and he’ll spit out what you want. (Maria Zakharova once put a picture of him and his wife on her Telegram channel, named them and added the remark ‘Kanzler Scholz is left in the picture’ – talking about cynicism.)
Poor us.
And don’t come with that ‘you voted for it’ – did we? More and more I very doubt the outcomes of elections here, and I’m not the only one.
On topic: I think the yankees will sabotage that B-line of NS2 too. And even then many people will believe ‘Ze Russians’ did it. What do you expect of a society that also tells that men can have babies?
Cheers and stay safe, Rob
@Rob D: in the UK there was former PM Bojo the clown who bore a remarkable resemblance to his cousin Bozo the clown, only with crazier hair. New PM is the astoundingly stupid Liz Truss, cousin of Herneeya Truss.
Proof that the ruling class of Blighty are alien lizards: outgoing monarch was named Lizzie and incoming PM is named Liz.
I rest my case.
Has anyone here seen this rationale for a US Navy P8 doing the deed? This is all gleaned from info available in the public domain. If true, I have to believe Russian military has way better intel than this.
https://www.monkeywerxus.com/blog/the-nord-stream-2-pipeline-sabotage
The most plausible: to put the whole of the EU before a “fait accompli” & make vanish a decades-long US nightmare of a rapprochement between Germany & Russia.
The terrorist style strike on the bridge to Crimea, clearly done by the West, is now another piece of evidence that the terrorist strike on the pipelines was done by them.
The West is establishing terrorist attacks as a modus operandi.
Given how good the US forces are carrying out these types of attacks, how is it that they messed up and left one of the NS2 pipelines with the capacity to pump gas through it? (After all, they had to do an extreme amount of planning to do so.) That doesn’t make sense if the point was to really cripple the EU economy and take the choice away from the protestors starting to see through govt elite policies. Does the US foresee a need for that pipeline and its gas supply after they swoop in and privatize a failed states economy and investors buy companies for pennies? Is that the goal or was it something else?
The attacks against Russia are planned and conducted by the Brits, either SAS or more likely SBS. They stole Crimea once before…… they are back, Global Brittain…… and until someone in the RF MOD acknowledges who they are really fighting and how to contain them, the Brits will bleed Russia dry as there is no shortage of Ukrainians dying to support the Crown.
Cheers M
if it was the USA’ns they would have blown up all 4 pipelines. It’s either the brits or mossad (probably the latter as they’ve been very quiet about the incident) all supported by US logistics that did the deed
their typical signature is to leave a little on the table (to come back for it another day — and provide a ray of hope)
Interesting comment. Why exactly did the UK break off from the EU? After all, the money and power has always resided there, starting with Mayer Rothschild and his five sons when they established the banking system. How many central banks really are controlled by the governments? The Federal Reserve system sure isn’t. Matthew Ehret’s(sp??) Books establishes the case that control of the US has always been subverted by ties to England. So once again the UK is the lever behind everything in the world, it’s just not as apparent. Money controls a lots of levers, aka political power.
@RMB:
I am waiting for the western mainstream media headline that says
“Russia bombs its own bridge. Why? Because Vlad the impaler Putin is just plain crazy (also a vampire)”
Gotta keep up those high MSM journalistic standards.
The cui bono question is way more interesting. It doesn’t actually reveil a clear winner. US LNG was already flowing to the EU to the maximum and there’s no clear evidence that Germany was in any stage of re-opening these pipelines.The risks involved with such operation compared to any hard, guaranteed, lasting benefits … dunno.
Alternative explanations do exist. The explosions do coincide with the many current unprecedented maintenance cycles. Some outside experts seem to believe such ruptures can arise with faulty decompression procedures in combination with the length and pressure involved. And why did the different pipes start exploding with a night between them? If that was the time needed to travel and prepare explosive, wouldn’t that make the operation even more vulnerable and insane with all the active monitoring for damage?
It doesn’t make sense. All parties can benefit one way or another but all parties lose equally. Besides Ukraine perhaps but the total risk of doing this without highest levels approvals from allies seems immense. Again, compared to all the limited gains. It doesn’t change the rapid destruction of Ukraine. Neither does it save the US economy in any way. Or that of the EU. So is it an act of insanity then? Misguided policy again?
I do believe in extra weird coincidences in times of crisis. Because people think and act worse than normal. Procedures changes suddenly. Politics prevent normality and professionalism. So I think a technical disaster is just as likely and I foresee more voices coming to the foreground explaining the details of the mechanism.
And don’t forget good reader, war breeds insanity and aborts clear thinking and examination on all sides. Always.
The net effect is more pressure on energy prices.
Who or what benefits from inflation?
The monetary system.
Their system for control over humanity is failing.
Qui bono?
The banksters.
Mind warp of citizens kneeling for emperor flour nose as he drives by in kiev.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/nyk3rTCwxAgY/
Unbelievable. It’s not like he descends from royalty. He was a comedian and twisted pervert by what I can see. He was groomed for this position to be a puppet and garnered the support of Soros through his oligarch friend (Kolominsky?) to be placed in office. Seriously, how do you respect a leader that wears a t-shirt to address heads of state! Blind allegiance by his subjects. Think Hitler. In the end, even he was defeated. So goes the way of Zelensky, except he has a backdoor to reside in another country with millions of our dollars supporting him.
“Bryce Greene described how the MSM, with virtually all their sewer outlets acting in unison, immediately accused Russia in mindless knee-jerk fashion”
They take fake news to the next level.
In fact, they have no hesitation in labeling themselves not “Fake News” but “Beyond Fake News”.
(And they admit to working in unison.)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/beyondfakenews/trusted-news-initiative/Information-warfare-russia-and-ukraine/
The amazing thing was that one of the NS2 pipelines wasn’t damaged. This makes spinning the “Russia did it to itself” story all the more unbelievable.
[Logical gems]
Blinken said: Nobody benefits.
So the answer to whodunit qui bono, is «Nobody did it» !!
Please, Saker, allow me to advance, more than dare, the similarity between Beirut´s port bombing and the Nordstream pipelines. Firstly, you pose, you lay ready the charges underhandedly, without the full knowledge of the EU lapdogs who would have had some legitimate objections, and then you send the US Navy P8 to perform the deed under full deniability by the US operators of the Nato surveillance networks who are there all over the region.