Changes

<!--[[Norway]] was the perfect place to base the mission.  In the past few years of East-West crisis, the U.S. military has vastly expanded its presence inside Norway, whose western border runs 1,400 miles along the north [[Atlantic Ocean]] and merges above the [[Arctic Circle]] with Russia. The [[Pentagon]] has created high paying jobs and contracts, amid some local controversy, by investing hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade and expand American Navy and Air Force facilities in Norway. The new works included, most importantly, an advanced synthetic aperture radar far up north that was capable of penetrating deep into Russia and came online just as the American intelligence community lost access to a series of long-range listening sites inside China.

<!--[[Norway]] was the perfect place to base the mission.  In the past few years of East-West crisis, the U.S. military has vastly expanded its presence inside Norway, whose western border runs 1,400 miles along the north [[Atlantic Ocean]] and merges above the [[Arctic Circle]] with Russia. The [[Pentagon]] has created high paying jobs and contracts, amid some local controversy, by investing hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade and expand American Navy and Air Force facilities in Norway. The new works included, most importantly, an advanced synthetic aperture radar far up north that was capable of penetrating deep into Russia and came online just as the American intelligence community lost access to a series of long-range listening sites inside China.

A newly refurbished American submarine base, which had been under construction for years, had become operational and more American submarines were now able to work closely with their Norwegian colleagues to monitor and spy on a major Russian nuclear redoubt 250 miles to the east, on the Kola Peninsula. America also has vastly expanded a Norwegian air base in the north and delivered to the Norwegian air force a fleet of Boeing-built P8 Poseidon patrol planes to bolster its long-range spying on all things Russia.

A newly refurbished American submarine base, which had been under construction for years, had become operational and more American submarines were now able to work closely with their Norwegian colleagues to monitor and spy on a major Russian nuclear redoubt 250 miles to the east, on the Kola Peninsula. America also has vastly expanded a Norwegian air base in the north and delivered to the Norwegian air force a fleet of Boeing-built [[P8 Poseidon]] patrol planes to bolster its long-range spying on all things Russia.

In return, the Norwegian government angered liberals and some moderates in its parliament last November by passing the Supplementary Defense Cooperation Agreement (SDCA). Under the new deal, the U.S. legal system would have jurisdiction in certain “agreed areas” in the North over American soldiers accused of crimes off base, as well as over those Norwegian citizens accused or suspected of interfering with the work at the base.

In return, the Norwegian government angered liberals and some moderates in its parliament last November by passing the Supplementary Defense Cooperation Agreement (SDCA). Under the new deal, the U.S. legal system would have jurisdiction in certain “agreed areas” in the North over American soldiers accused of crimes off base, as well as over those Norwegian citizens accused or suspected of interfering with the work at the base.

On September 7, 2022 Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] said the Nord Stream II pipeline could be reopened "tomorrow" to alleviate Europe's impending winter heating fuel crisis.<ref>https://www.aa.com.tr/en/russia-ukraine-war/russia-ready-to-switch-on-nord-stream-ii-pipeline-tomorrow-if-europe-gives-green-light/2678820</ref>

On September 7, 2022 Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] said the Nord Stream II pipeline could be reopened "tomorrow" to alleviate Europe's impending winter heating fuel crisis.<ref>https://www.aa.com.tr/en/russia-ukraine-war/russia-ready-to-switch-on-nord-stream-ii-pipeline-tomorrow-if-europe-gives-green-light/2678820</ref>

[[File:P8+Weapons+Release.png|left|400px|thumb|Air traffic control monitoring of [[P8]] run on the Nordstream pipeline, early morning hours of September 26, 2022.<ref>https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/independent-evidence-video-confirms-key-part-sy-hershs-report-attack-nord-stream-2/</ref>]]

[[File:P8+Weapons+Release.png|left|400px|thumb|Air traffic control monitoring of [[P8]] run on the Nordstream pipeline, early morning hours of September 26, 2022.<ref>https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/independent-evidence-video-confirms-key-part-sy-hershs-report-attack-nord-stream-2/</ref>]]

On September 26, 2022, a NATO P8 surveillance plane made a seemingly routine flight and made a dropped over the pipelines. 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.  The detachment of US Navy ships led by the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge announced the completion of work in the area of the sabotaged pipelines. US ships in the Baltic Sea and were spotted heading to the Baltic Straits into the North Sea.  

On September 26, 2022, a NATO [[P8 Poseidon]] surveillance plane made a seemingly routine flight and made a dropped over the pipelines. 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.  The detachment of US Navy ships led by the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge announced the completion of work in the area of the sabotaged pipelines. US ships in the Baltic Sea and were spotted heading to the Baltic Straits into the North Sea.  

Asked at a press conference days later about the consequences of the worsening energy crisis in Western Europe, Blinken called destruction of the pipeline a "tremendous opportunity" for the United States.<ref>https://mate.substack.com/p/in-nord-stream-attack-us-sees-a-tremendous</ref>  President Putin said while speaking at Russia Energy Week in Moscow, “Those who benefit the most from the damage caused to the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea are the ones responsible for it...Everybody understands who is behind this and who is the beneficiary...One can now force the liquefied natural gas from the United States on to European countries on a much larger scale."<ref>https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Putin-Suggests-Creation-Of-European-Gas-Hub-In-Turkey.html</ref>  ''Politico'' reported that French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told the French National Assembly, "We must not allow the conflict in Ukraine to result in American economic domination and a weakening of Europe...We cannot accept that our American partner sells its LNG at four times the price at which it sells it to its own companies."<ref>https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2022/10/frances-le-maire-warns-against-american-gas-domination-00061111</ref>

Asked at a press conference days later about the consequences of the worsening energy crisis in Western Europe, Blinken called destruction of the pipeline a "tremendous opportunity" for the United States.<ref>https://mate.substack.com/p/in-nord-stream-attack-us-sees-a-tremendous</ref>  President Putin said while speaking at Russia Energy Week in Moscow, “Those who benefit the most from the damage caused to the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea are the ones responsible for it...Everybody understands who is behind this and who is the beneficiary...One can now force the liquefied natural gas from the United States on to European countries on a much larger scale."<ref>https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Putin-Suggests-Creation-Of-European-Gas-Hub-In-Turkey.html</ref>  ''Politico'' reported that French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told the French National Assembly, "We must not allow the conflict in Ukraine to result in American economic domination and a weakening of Europe...We cannot accept that our American partner sells its LNG at four times the price at which it sells it to its own companies."<ref>https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2022/10/frances-le-maire-warns-against-american-gas-domination-00061111</ref>