Afrasianet - The American ruling establishment, with its multiple political, security, intelligence and military circles, did not enjoy a calm from popular criticism, after a series of questions about its ability to take the appropriate decision at the right time, regarding the repercussions of the Chinese air balloon, until it was besieged by “semi-documented” accusations of committing a “crime.”
The bombing of the two northern torrent lines transporting Russian gas to the ports of Germany, last year, which it dealt with in its usual routine manner: denial and then denial until the other side presents compelling evidence, after which “some” confession is issued wrapped in a claim of innocence.
In the context of the details, the famous investigative journalist, Seymour Hersh, published, on February 8, a detailed report attached to it with facts, circumstances, details, and names of decision-makers in closed rooms, and identifies the responsibility for making the decision to bomb President Joe Biden, and the support of his mini-security team headed by the National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan; officials of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and representatives from the CIA, State and Treasury Departments.
The report, entitled "How America Decommissioned the North Stream Pipeline," was met with coordinated ignoring by the official media, both print and broadcast. A small number of its journalists were alone in narrating the news, focusing on the official "other party" and strongly denying these accusations, although the report mentioned with high accuracy the "historical and chronological sequence, implementation mechanisms and military units" that carried out the attack.
While the editorial board of the right-wing Washington Times dealt with the news briefly and commented on some of what was stated in the report, as well as the White House's denial that it was a "fabricated lie and a complete myth," saying: "In light of this time characterized by distrust in the government, the details of Mr. Hersh’s report seems more truthful than the official denials” (The Washington Times, February 13, 2023).
Among the main issues highlighted by Hirsch's report is the involvement of the Norwegian military forces with the American forces in "planting and detonating explosive devices" near the shores of the Danish island of Brunholm, which resulted in the destruction of the two pipelines at sea, and was consistent with the declared American goals of "severing Germany's relationship With Russia and ending its economic dependence on the supply of cheap Russian gas.
This "simple" part leads efforts to identify the actors to approach the classic question: who benefits or beneficiaries from that act, by reconsidering the factor of material profit.
Accordingly, the economic data for the immediate period after the bombing indicates an increase in the rates of income and profits for energy exports to both Norway and the United States.
Norway was able to replace the Russian supplier in exporting gas by about $40 billion annually. As for the United States, it has doubled its natural gas exports to European countries, especially after Germany opened two liquefied gas receiving terminals, about two months ago, and French President Macron's statements that Washington sells its gas to Europe at about 5 times the previous global price.
Classifying the bombing process, legally and judicially, and according to American sources, prompted some American elites to say that “the American people should demand (the government) to provide evidence regarding President Biden’s commission of an adventure in the depths of the sea, which requires the interpretation of a nuclear state (Russia) that the act is tantamount to a declaration of war.” (The Washington Times, February 13, 2023).
On the official side of US officials, Senator from the Republican Party, Mike Lee, unilaterally criticized the bombing, denying that he and some of his colleagues knew about that plan.
I am worried because I cannot immediately exclude the possibility of the United States blowing up the North Stream pipeline," he said. And he added, "If (Hersh's report) proves to be true, we are at the gates of a major dilemma" (Senator's comment on Twitter, February 8, 2023). What Senator Mike Lee meant was that the US administration violated the prevailing norm of dealing between the two authorities, the executive and the legislative, in highly sensitive matters, which requires informing the “Group of Eight” in Congress about the secret plans, consisting of: the leaders of the two parties in both houses of Congress, and the heads of the intelligence committees in both houses. and their deputies.
In this regard, it should be noted that a study prepared by the "Rand Corporation" for the benefit of the Pentagon focused on targeting Russia by adopting the best ways to exploit weaknesses "in its economy, as well as political and military gaps", in the context of the confrontation with Moscow, and called on the US administration to take urgent measures in order to “Reducing the volume of (Russia’s) gas exports and impeding efforts to expand the pipelines” carrying it (study entitled “Russia’s Expansion:
Competition on Favorable Grounds,” September 2022). Also, we draw attention to the German government's prior "knowledge" of the timing of the bombing and the identity of the perpetrator.
The major German newspaper, Der Spiegel, published a report on the day after the bombing, September 22, 2022, indicating that the German government had received a "written warning from the (US) Central Intelligence Agency of a possible attack targeting the gas pipeline."
Likewise, in the words of a "senior official" in the German government, in which he expresses the "extreme indignation" that its officials possessed "for excluding their participation in that information." Exploding the two gas pipelines is considered a "war crime" in international relations and the texts of international law.
The famous right-wing judge and former commentator on the "Fox News" network, Andrew Politano, was very clear in describing the operation, saying: "From a legal perspective (the operation) falls under the heading of a declaration of war against Russia and against Germany.
Whatever the identity of the perpetrator, and perhaps the only possibility is The American president himself, has caused harm to tens of millions of German citizens and continued their suffering through the winter." And he added, “It is a declaration of war that was not approved by Congress, and it is a completely immoral process, and it is unconstitutional in every sense of the word. It is probably a criminal process.”
(Interview by Politano with the Canadian network “The Post Millenia”, February 13, 2023 ). We cite this as a prelude to the conclusions reached by the Washington Times editorial board, in its published article, in which it sheds light on the White House's decision to plan and carry out the bombing operation in high secrecy, including: "Russia's energy revenues increased by 28% in 2022, despite loss of its European exports.
The editorial board sounded the alarm among decision-makers in Washington that their targeting of Russia prompted it to turn east and form a Eurasian alliance, which "threatening the West's hegemony over the global geopolitical situation."
And she added, "How can this be considered in the interest of the United States?" The right-wing newspaper added that "an investigation by Germany found no evidence of Russia's involvement in the disaster," accompanied by President Joe Biden's public statements that "if Russia invaded (Ukraine) there would be no more Northern Sil-2. And we will." by eliminating him” (The Washington Times, February 13, 2023). So, what is the nature of the Russian response, according to American calculations, to a secret bombing operation that lasted from 26 to 29 September 2022, without leaving any evidence identifying the perpetrator? Leave field evidence.
The US oil and gas refinery facilities will not be spared from the foreseeable reaction. Russia can also impede the flow of weapons sent to Ukraine and destroy them to impede their access to the field.
Perhaps, according to some, Moscow is penetrating European transport networks to influence efforts to deliver NATO military equipment overland to Kiev.
What Washington fears most, and with the extension of NATO, is the review of the credibility of its narrative that it is waging a “just war against an opponent or opponents who want it bad,” and shakes the conviction of its audience that it must “adhere” to the official narrative and reject everything that comes from the other side.
Perhaps Seymour Hersh's report lays the first building block in the wall of Western, and American in particular, hegemony over the media and public education, especially in light of the availability of other modest alternatives in comparison.