by Arthur Foxake, 29 September 2022
The episode has highlighted the vulnerability of Europe´s
energy infrastructure and further heightened tensions in the continent
that has been rocked by t he seven-month war in Ukraine. It also exposes the vulnerability of all underwater assets and reveals the folly of politicians and their scientific advisers it putting all the world's business activity through the internet which could be disabled worldwide simply by taking out a few undersea cable trunks.
Seismologists in Sweden and Denmark reported that explosions strong enough to register in the Richter scake were recorded under the Baltic Sea before large leaks in both Nord Stream pipelines were discovered Tuesday. The blasts were so powerful that the Swedish National Seismic Network detected a 1.9 on the Richter scale and another one that registered 2.3. The two underwater natural gas pipelines run from Russia to Germany. The incidents came as the EU struggles to keep a lid on soaring gas and electricity prices while industrial and domestic consumers struggle to cope with gas shortages.
“All available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement on behalf of the bloc’s 27 members. “Any deliberate disruption of European energy infrastructure is utterly unacceptable and will be met with a robust and united response.”
Significantly, EU officials avoided any comment on which country or group might be responsible for the blasts although some national leaders and the cohorts of mainstream media wankerati were quick to blame Russia and Vladimir Putin, ignoring the fact that the pipelines are Russian owned assets and an important source of revenue for the Russian economy.
I hate to say this, but the United States has the most to gain from destruction of the pipelines and in every forum (except the Telegraph whose Colonel Blimpish readers were blaming Putin apparently before the pipelines were even blown,) Demented Joe Biden and his corrupt and crooked administration are emerging as red hot favourites The US will be a dedicated supplier of LGN. LGN tankers are now shipping supplies to Europe.
Below is from Zerohedge:
A Polish member of the European Parliament seems absolutely convinced that the United States was behind the attack…
A former Polish Defense Minister, Radek Sikorski, has attributed to the United States the sabotage of two pipelines, Nord Stream 1 and 2, which carry natural gas from Russia to Germany. “Thank you, USA,” Sikorski wrote on Twitter. Sikorski was Minister of National Defense from 2005 – 2007 and served as Deputy Minister of National Defense and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, previously. He is currently an elected member of the European parliament.
Nord Stream 1 and 2 lie on the bed of the Baltic Sea. Nord Stream 2 was finished last year but Germany never opened it because Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.
Joe Biden is on record threatenening to “end” the Nord Stream 2 pipeline if Russia invaded Ukraine: “If Russia invades…then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it. We have the means, Biden said in a video widely available online.”
The President of Ukraine even suggested sabotage to Russian assets though it is doubtful Ukraine has the means to carry out such an attack.
Zelenskyy calls for 'sabotage' as thousands of Russians flee after mobilization call
German newspaper Der Spiegel reported that German security officials believe "highly effective explosive devices" were used to blow up the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea.
According to SPIEGEL information, it was calculated that explosive devices with an effect comparable to that of 500 kilograms of TNT must have been used to destroy the tubes. The seismic signals registered by various measuring stations were also included in the estimate.
The previously unknown estimates support the assumption that only a state actor can be behind the action. So far, the federal government has held back with speculation about the background to the interruption of the pipelines.
There is a lot of speculation that Russia is behind the action. The Russian leadership, however, described the process as international terrorism directed against Russia.
The federal government is hoping for more information from a more detailed examination of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which are interrupted to the north-east and south-east of the Baltic Sea island of Bornholm. In security circles it was said that divers or a remote-controlled robot could possibly assess the damage at the weekend.
In the best-case scenario, one could then draw initial conclusions about the type of explosion under water and the explosives used, according to security circles. However, it is difficult to predict how many traces can still be found. -- Der Spiegel
Swedish coastguards confirmed a fourth leak was discovered on the damaged Nord Stream pipeline on Thursday, Reuters reported.
"Two of these four are in Sweden's exclusive economic zone," coast guard spokesperson Jenny Larsson told Svenska Dagbladet newspaper. He said the other two are situated in the Danish exclusive economic zone.
While neither NS1 nor NS2 was operational during the suspected undersea explosions earlier this week, they were filled with NatGas to Germany, with Denmark estimating the leaks would dissipate by Sunday.
(Map via Zero Hedge)
There are two massive disturbances on the surface of the Baltic where gas is bubbling up above the damaged pipelines in Sweden's economic zone. One gas bubble measures a staggering 2,950 feet (almost 1 Km) in diameter, while the other is about 600 feet.
Several leaders of EU member states have called the incident "deliberate" and
"sabotage," with Finland stating that only a state actor was capable of
the pipeline attack. This is true but as usual the question we must ask is "Cui bono," (Who gains.) By any rational measure Russia and Germany do not, Russia loses revenue while Germany loses essential gas supplies. Ukraine has easier targets in the Russian pipelines running through its own territory. Naval powers Britain, France and Netherlands have nothing to gain and the last think Poland wants is to piss off The Kremlin. And among European states its unlikely any others except Spain and Italy would have the necessary expertise.
Which leaves only the USA which certainly has the technical ability, the motive in that it has wanted war with Russia for decades, and would boost its ailing economy if Europe had to buy gas from its fracking wells.
As a consensus is emerging among rational news outlets that the attack bears all the hallmarks of a CIA engineered false flag event, it will be interesting to see what the EU might decide to do about it.
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The Baltic region is getting more intense by the day as Norway, now Europe's top natural gas supplier (recently displaced Russia), increased security at energy infrastructure sites, land terminals, and platforms on the Norwegian continental shelf. There were reports of mysterious drones buzzing oil rigs.
The UN Security Council will meet Friday at Russia's request to review the damage to NS1 and NS2. Russia's US embassy asked for the meeting as it "insists on the need for a comprehensive and objective examination of the circumstances of the unprecedented attacks on Russian pipelines."
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The questions no doubt being asked in the boardrooms of energy intensive German companies is will either of these gas pipelines by repaired again?
Clearly the unique selling point of cheap Russian gas direct to Germany enjoyed by the metal bashers and chemical companies in Germany is gone, perhaps for many years. Certainly while Putin remains in power. Many of those German companies have plants in countries closer to Russia due to the German demographic problem of a rapidly ageing workforce in a country with full employment.
Take Volkswagen. Plants in Germany, Czech Republic and Slovakia in the Made by a German Company Brand. Not made anymore just in Germany. For those German Companies Board of Directors whose products are no longer competitive while high energy costs remain and so decide to cut costs by closing or mothballing plants which do they target first?
The whole strategic purpose of the Nord Stream Gas pipelines, both 1 & 2 was Germany would first in the queue for cheap Russian gas. Now it is reliant on market rates for any LNG from say Qatar and the USA from the kindness of its European neighbours in the Eurozone and indeed last in line for gas from Russia via the old Soviet pipelines thru Poland and Ukraine in the medium term.
Germany really should show a little more respect to both Poland and Ukraine in the interests of German industry. Perhaps a word to Brussels to tone down the threats to Poland over matters of sovereignty re Polish law. As for Ukraine the delivery of heavy weapons previously promised but witheld for no reason by Scholz makes little sense for German industry. The direct gas pipelines to Germany have been turn off perhaps permanently.
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Whodunnit? - Facts Related to The Sabotage Attack On The Nord Stream Pipelines
For decades the U.S. opposed European projects to receive energy from Russia. It wants Europe to buy more expensive U.S. oil and gas.
Europe's, and especially Germany's industry, depends on cheap energy from Russia. Without it Europe will be de-industrialized and go broke.
The U.S. had threatened to disable the pipelines connecting Europe to Russia.
Currently the U.S. is winning its war on Europe's, mainly Germany's, industries and people. Yesterday's sabotage attack on the Nord Stream I and II pipelines, which are supposed to bring Russian natural gas to Germany, mean that the the war on Germany has entered its hot phase.
A question remains: Whodunnit?
* Anyone could have blown up the pipelines. There is no way the pipeline can ever be protected. Russia, the US, Ukraine,...even Greepeace or some other extreme environmental group. The only rational way to move that much gas is thru LPG ships. At least that way, you only lose one ship, and it also allows you to store a lot of gas at your destination. I knew a guy who ran a coal burning plant...he pointed out he could store as many months of coal as the government would allow. Natural gas...about 30 seconds worth. *Cont. reading: Whodunnit? - Facts Related to The Sabotage Attack On The Nord Stream Pipelines