Changes

Norway was one of the original signatories of the NATO Treaty in 1949, in the early days of the [[Cold War]]. Today, the supreme commander of NATO is Jens Stoltenberg, a committed anti-communist, who served as Norway’s [[prime minister]] for eight years before moving to his high NATO post, with American backing, in 2014. He was a hardliner on all things Putin and Russia who had cooperated with the American intelligence community since the [[Vietnam War]]. He has been trusted completely since. “He is the glove that fits the American hand,” a source directly familiar with the matter said.

Norway was one of the original signatories of the NATO Treaty in 1949, in the early days of the [[Cold War]]. Today, the supreme commander of NATO is Jens Stoltenberg, a committed anti-communist, who served as Norway’s [[prime minister]] for eight years before moving to his high NATO post, with American backing, in 2014. He was a hardliner on all things Putin and Russia who had cooperated with the American intelligence community since the [[Vietnam War]]. He has been trusted completely since. “He is the glove that fits the American hand,” a source directly familiar with the matter said.

Back in [[Washington, D.C|Washington]], planners knew they had to go to Norway. “They [[Russophobia|hated the Russians]], and the Norwegian navy was full of superb sailors and divers who had generations of experience in highly [[profit]]able deep-sea oil and gas exploration,” the source said. They also could be trusted to keep the mission secret. (The Norwegians may have had other interests as well. The destruction of [[Nord Stream]]—if the Americans could pull it off—would allow Norway to sell vastly more of its own [[natural gas]] to [[Europe]].)

Back in [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]], planners knew they had to go to Norway. “They [[Russophobia|hated the Russians]], and the Norwegian navy was full of superb sailors and divers who had generations of experience in highly [[profit]]able deep-sea oil and gas exploration,” the source said. They also could be trusted to keep the mission secret. (The Norwegians may have had other interests as well. The destruction of [[Nord Stream]]—if the Americans could pull it off—would allow Norway to sell vastly more of its own [[natural gas]] to [[Europe]].)

On September 26, 2022, a Navy P8 surveillance plane made a seemingly routine flight. Three of the four pipelines were put out of commission. Within a few minutes, pools of [[methane gas]] that remained in the shuttered pipelines could be seen spreading on the water’s surface and the world learned that something irreversible had taken place.

On September 26, 2022, a Navy P8 surveillance plane made a seemingly routine flight. Three of the four pipelines were put out of commission. Within a few minutes, pools of [[methane gas]] that remained in the shuttered pipelines could be seen spreading on the water’s surface and the world learned that something irreversible had taken place.