Changes

During the [[Donbas war]] crisis of 2022, German chancellor [[Olaf Scholz]] was forced to stand mutely at his visit to the White House while Biden “promised” that he would unilaterally shut down the [[NordStream 2]] pipeline, even though the U.S. played no role in its construction and administration.  Germany, Biden effectively said, is little more than a subject of U.S. [[colonialism|colonial]] hegemony.

During the [[Donbas war]] crisis of 2022, German chancellor [[Olaf Scholz]] was forced to stand mutely at his visit to the White House while Biden “promised” that he would unilaterally shut down the [[NordStream 2]] pipeline, even though the U.S. played no role in its construction and administration.  Germany, Biden effectively said, is little more than a subject of U.S. [[colonialism|colonial]] hegemony.

=====Terrorist attack on Nordstream pipeline=====

====Terrorist attack on Nordstream pipeline====

{{See also|Nord Stream pipeline#Morganthau Plan 2.0}}

[[File:Nord Stream II Lubmin.jpg|left|300px|thumb|German protest against Russian sanctions and for opening the Nord Stream pipeline on the morning before the U.S. environmental terrorist attack on the pipeline.<ref>https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-blew-russian-gas-pipelines-nord-stream-1-2-says-former-polish-defense-minister</ref>]]{{See also|Nord Stream pipeline#Morganthau Plan 2.0}}

Biden and his foreign policy team—National Security Adviser [[Jake Sullivan]], Secretary of State [[Tony Blinken]], and [[Victoria Nuland]] had been vocal and consistent in their hostility to the two pipelines, which ran side by side for 750 miles under the [[Baltic Sea]] from two different ports in northeastern Russia near the [[Estonia]]n border, passing close to the [[Danish]] island of Bornholm before ending in northern [[Germany]].

Biden and his foreign policy team—National Security Adviser [[Jake Sullivan]], Secretary of State [[Tony Blinken]], and [[Victoria Nuland]] had been vocal and consistent in their hostility to the two pipelines, which ran side by side for 750 miles under the [[Baltic Sea]] from two different ports in northeastern Russia near the [[Estonia]]n border, passing close to the [[Danish]] island of Bornholm before ending in northern [[Germany]].

What came next was stunning. On February 7, 2022 less than three weeks before the seemingly inevitable [[Special military operation|Russian invasion of Ukraine]], Biden met in his White House office with German Chancellor [[Olaf Scholz]], who, after some wobbling, was now firmly on the American team. At the press briefing that followed, Biden defiantly said, “If Russia invades . . . there will be no longer a [[Nord Stream 2]]. We will bring an end to it.”

What came next was stunning. On February 7, 2022 less than three weeks before the seemingly inevitable [[Special military operation|Russian invasion of Ukraine]], Biden met in his White House office with German Chancellor [[Olaf Scholz]], who, after some wobbling, was now firmly on the American team. At the press briefing that followed, Biden defiantly said, “If Russia invades . . . there will be no longer a [[Nord Stream 2]]. We will bring an end to it.”

 

Twenty days earlier, Nuland had delivered essentially the same message at a State Department briefing, with little press coverage. “I want to be very clear to you today,” she said in response to a question. “If Russia invades Ukraine, one way or another Nord Stream 2 will not move forward.”

Twenty days earlier, Nuland had delivered essentially the same message at a State Department briefing, with little press coverage. “I want to be very clear to you today,” she said in response to a question. “If Russia invades Ukraine, one way or another Nord Stream 2 will not move forward.”

“It was like putting an [[atomic bomb]] on the ground in [[Tokyo]] and telling the [[Japan]]ese that we are going to detonate it.  The plan was for the options to be executed post invasion and not advertised publicly. Biden simply didn’t get it or ignored it.”

“It was like putting an [[atomic bomb]] on the ground in [[Tokyo]] and telling the [[Japan]]ese that we are going to detonate it.  The plan was for the options to be executed post invasion and not advertised publicly. Biden simply didn’t get it or ignored it.”

 

Biden’s and Nuland’s indiscretion, if that is what it was, might have frustrated some of the planners. But it also created an opportunity. According to the source, some of the senior officials of the CIA determined that blowing up the pipeline “no longer could be considered a covert option because the President just announced that we knew how to do it.”

Biden’s and Nuland’s indiscretion, if that is what it was, might have frustrated some of the planners. But it also created an opportunity. According to the source, some of the senior officials of the CIA determined that blowing up the pipeline “no longer could be considered a covert option because the President just announced that we knew how to do it.”

Back in Washington, planners knew they had to go to Norway. “They hated the Russians, and the Norwegian navy was full of superb sailors and divers who had generations of experience in highly profitable 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, planners knew they had to go to Norway. “They hated the Russians, and the Norwegian navy was full of superb sailors and divers who had generations of experience in highly profitable 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 NATO P8 surveillance plane made a seemingly routine flight and dropped a sonar buoy. The signal spread underwater, initially to Nord Stream 2 and then on to Nord Stream 1. A few hours later, the high-powered C4 explosives were triggered and 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 NATO P8 surveillance plane made a seemingly routine flight and dropped a sonar buoy. The signal spread underwater, initially to Nord Stream 2 and then on to Nord Stream 1. A few hours later, the high-powered C4 explosives were triggered and 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.