Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
March 14, 2022
Ukraine – Officials Announce False Flag Attack – Sanctions Hit Back

There is significant danger that the Ukraine, the UK or the U.S. will launch a false flag attack in Ukraine.

People have started to take note of the directional fear mongering that is coming from various 'western' officials.

The Sirius Report @thesiriusreport – 23:36 UTC · Mar 12, 2022

Setting the scene for a false flag?

Polish President:
If Putin uses weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine, NATO will have to think seriously about what to do.

You would have to be sub 100 IQ not to see what is going on.

To which I responded:

Moon of Alabama @MoonofA – 17:56 UTC · Mar 13, 2022

They are indeed doing this on all channels.
IMHO an upcoming false flag attempt to get NATO into the fight.

Historian and Russia expert Gilbert Doctorow points into the same direction:

Warning: it is “highly likely” the United States is now about to carry out a ‘false flag’ operation in Ukraine in which it will accuse the Russians of using chemical weapons.

The caption which yahoo.com is now carrying reads as follows:

USA Today: Russia could be preparing for chemical weapons attack; 35 killed in strike on base near Lviv: Live updates

Now why would Russia stage a chemical weapons attack in Ukraine? The idea defies all reason. Russia has vast possibilities of destroying Ukraine that it has not deployed to date precisely to avoid civilian casualties. These include cyber attack, electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and more intense use of its airpower which has been restrained due to shortage of smart bombs and reluctance to use munitions that might cause greater collateral damage.

Given these manifest signs of Russian caution in staging the war, even at the cost of greater casualties among its own troops and slower progress in a campaign that is very time sensitive, one would have to be utterly mad to consider using universally banned chemical weapons. I rest my case: any so-called chemical attack which may be staged in Ukraine in coming days can only be the dirty work of the United States and its agents.

Having seen how easy it was to deceive the 'western' media by staging a fake hospital attack one can easily understand how a fake 'chemical attack by Russia' would lead to a public stampede that would push NATO into the Ukraine war.

Meanwhile Patrick Lancaster reports from Donetsk:

Patrick Lancaster @PLnewstoday – 10:47 UTC · Mar 14, 2022

#BREAKING Dozens Killed By Ukrainian Cluster Bomb Attack On Center Donetsk. Full report coming soon
video

The U.S. is trying to pressure China to join their anti-Russian campaign. Yesterday 'anonymous officials' claimed, without evidence, that Russia had asked China for military and economic aid.

Moon of Alabama @MoonofA – 20:21 UTC · Mar 13, 2022

"U.S. officials said .." equals "Guaranteed to be a lie .."

Quoted Tweet:

Michael Birnbaum @michaelbirnbaum · 17h
NEW, and BIG -> Russia has turned to China for military equipment and aid in the weeks since it began its invasion of Ukraine, U.S. officials said. @nakashimae scoop. https://washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/..

"Scoop" now means picking up the phone when some official calls you to plant a lie.

Russia is exporting weapons to China, not importing weapons from it. China has now confirmed that there were no such Russian requests:

Beijing blasted Washington’s recent allegations as disinformation that Russia sought military assistance from China to conduct its special operation in Ukraine, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a briefing on Monday.

"The allegations on the matter disseminated by the US are false information," the diplomat specified.

The first story on this also includes this lie:

In recent days, Chinese diplomats, state media organizations and government agencies have used a range of platforms and official social media accounts to amplify a conspiracy theory that says the Pentagon has been financing biological and chemical weapons labs in Ukraine.

That is not a conspiracy theory but, as Tulsi Gabbard points out, a hard fact which even the U.S. government now admits.

The British press took note of it:

Vladimir Putin could unleash biological weapon from seized Ukraine lab, experts fear

The U.S. is delusional in its attempts to deter China from working with Russia:

Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, is scheduled to meet on Monday in Rome with Yang Jiechi, a member of the Chinese Communist Party’s elite Politburo and director of the party’s Central Foreign Affairs Commission.

Mr. Sullivan intends to warn Mr. Yang about any future Chinese efforts to bolster Russia in its war or undercut Ukraine, the United States and their partners.

“We are communicating directly, privately to Beijing that there will absolutely be consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them,” Mr. Sullivan said on CNN on Sunday.

“We will not allow that to go forward and allow there to be a lifeline to Russia from these economic sanctions from any country, anywhere in the world,” he said.

China will of course continue to have good relations with Russia. It is not for the U.S. 'to allow' or disallow China to trade with Russia. The Biden administration has nothing it could do about it. It should stop its campaign and think about how it can dig itself out of the huge hole it has jumped into.

Reviewing the trade shock 'western' societies will now experience because of their extensive sanctions campaign against Russia Yves Smith concludes:

Although the complexity of this situation makes it impossible to make any forecasts, consider: a worst case scenario is much much worse than stagflation. Just wrap your mind around the consequences the merely the two outcomes described above: a fair bit of famine and supply shortfalls, even potentially problems with maintaining some critical infrastructure due to chip scarcity. Some of that productive capacity loss could become permanent due to business failures.

And let us remind you … so far we are discussing only what the West has done to itself. What happens if Russia goes full Smoot-Hawley and retaliates, or engages in the passive aggressive version, as in no formal pronunciations, just supplies go to friendlies and the West gets chocked down, not 100% but enough to feel like that.

The Democratic Party is in the process of executing a controlled flight into terrain. Too bad that we are along for the ride.

Yesterday and today there seemed to be only minor Russian movement on the battlefield. Presumably Russia is regrouping its forces for the next steps. What those are going to be is for anyone to guess. They will come as soon as the current negotiations between Kiev and Moscow fail. The U.S. will see for that to happen.

Comments

Paco @182–
Thanks for your reply and input! I’ve yet to read Ischenko at the Saker’s, but that’s next.

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 14 2022 22:08 utc | 201

This today from Global Times of China:
Exclusive: China captures powerful US NSA cyberspy tool
‘Trojan horse’ controls global equipment
By GT staff reporters Published: Mar 14, 2022 09:55 PM
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202203/1254856.shtml

Posted by: Thomas Prentice | Mar 14 2022 22:09 utc | 202

Arts is above politics….
https://ria.ru/20220313/morozovy-1777852673.html
https://inosmi.ru/20220311/konfiskatsii-253362326.html
MAcron gov’t uses Ukrainain pretext to “temporarily” steal Russian paintings

Posted by: Arioch | Mar 14 2022 22:12 utc | 203

I tried putting my thoughts together about the collective suicide of the West, focusing in on the Tweedledum and Tweedldee man-boys act of Blinken and Sullivan, but it was a little long for a past – so its here if anyone wants to read it.
Looks like the terrible twins are even pushing India into the arms of China and Russia. Perhaps they are Manchurian candidates, set to crater US influence from the inside?
Posted by: Roger | Mar 14 2022 19:29 utc | 135
They’re just the latest in a long line of Manchurian candidates set to crater not US influence from the inside, but Global neocon/neolib influence from the inside. The Dems and Reps are both imploding due to the Long Line. The national socialist Tulsi Gabbard will step into the breach and make the Nobel committee rescind Obomba’s peace prize before she accepts hers.

Posted by: reante | Mar 14 2022 22:16 utc | 204

The Saudis are doubling down on their re-orientation towards China. The US-Saudi alliance is as old as modern KSA itself, Standard Oil received drilling rights in the early 1930ies. The invitation in itself at this particular time is a political earthquake.
Posted by: Arne Hartmann | Mar 14 2022 19:49 utc | 142
It’s a setup. A misdirection play. Like you referenced with Standard Oil, that crude belongs to the MOTU, obviously. It just happens to be under someone else’s feet. MbS is just engaging in cosplay.

Posted by: reante | Mar 14 2022 22:20 utc | 205

BHL in Odessa?There’s a date on the photograph,14 december.

Posted by: willie | Mar 14 2022 22:26 utc | 206

Bernard Henri Levi – how full of shit is that sphincter? If he should receive a sniper shot or ordnance/mine/shrapnel or other such injury, that leaves him alive but permanently deformed and crippled and in 24/7 pain it would be his due/jew reward.
Posted by: tucenz | Mar 14 2022 21:47 utc | 189
He poses as a philosopher, that’s a blatant lie, he’s a self aggrandizing and thoroughly selfish bullshitter who will do anything to curry favor with the elite and fill his pockets with pieces of silver, whenever he can.

Posted by: bubbles | Mar 14 2022 22:27 utc | 207

i am sure there are plenty of propaganda artists headed, or already in ukraine… the jig is up… the shit is flowing over the top and there is no more need for any more..

Posted by: james | Mar 14 2022 22:28 utc | 208

Posted by: reante | Mar 14 2022 22:20 utc | 200
Can you stop spamming with your mental farts? Too much noise to signal in your posts.

Posted by: Boo | Mar 14 2022 22:28 utc | 209

CBC didn’t say a word about the strike on the Donetsk city center today Can’t believe CBC has become this bad.
Posted by: Calgary Guy | Mar 14 2022 21:49 utc | 191
The Harper Gov’t tm, polished off the CBC by stacking it’s board with Con donors/ cronies. No dissent allowed by order of the Ober Fuhrer’s.
Clearly the New so called Liberal Party are on board with that. Like in the US where they pass the likes of Victoria Nuland from one admin to the next.
Thus the Girls all look prettier at closing time… I’m still hoping against hope that ian hanomansing fella can cast off the chains tho, I knew his Dad and he was a good man.

Posted by: bubbles | Mar 14 2022 22:43 utc | 210

False flag better be better than this
#BREAKING
🇺🇦🇵🇱❌🇷🇺❗️ — Ukrainian Media claims that a Russian Army UAV crossed from the Ukrainian side of Polish-Ukrainian border into Poland and was shot down by Ukrainian air defenses!

Posted by: WJ | Mar 14 2022 22:44 utc | 211

Misotheist @185
Thanks for the replies. If I sound a bit shrill its because I’m just about as baffled as one can be by all this. I’ve been following b for some time but only occasionally. I’ve generally found him to be a nice counterpoint to other sources, but I could not wrap my head around the attack on Ukraine. Still working on it, clearly.
I actually understood, or felt I understood, why Russia (to remove Putin from the equation for a bit, since my shrillness seems to have been too focused on him) went into Crimea. I was begrudgingly impressed by how it was handled. Of course Russia needs at least one warm water port, and there are lots of other reasons. Heaven knows the tsars have made it a priority for centuries. I thought I got it.
I thought the initial build up of forces recently was to put a bit of pressure on the west. Then I thought Russian forces would quietly enter the Donbas and pull another Crimea. I thought it would all be on the low down, and that they would, as a consequence, largely obtain their goals, as they did before.
So I’m gathering the reactionary forces (will that work as a term?) were so much more pervasive that a full scale assault was needed? I’m still not understanding the need for the scope of the operation. Peeling off hostile areas made sense. Attacking the entire country still does not, or at least it does not to me. But I’m listening. Why this? Wouldn’t something a bit more subtle have better served the purpose?
At this point it seems to me the invasion has truncated the overarching goals Russia has had recently. Why make yourself a pariah state to many other states? Why invite the kind of response being seen? It seems counterintuitive and counterproductive to me, but mebbe I’m still missing something here.
I have some knowledge of the effects of empire, both our own and others. Not that it makes it right, but these sorts of power politics just seem to be part of the way the world works. It is certainly a dirty business, but the west is not the first, and if we avoid a climate catastrophe, won’t be the last to engage in this sort of behavior.
The full scale invasion is still not making sense to me. Why not just muscle out the reactionaries from the Donbas? There are lots of Russian-speaking folks there, as in Crimea. It would have been difficult, but given the demographics I would have certainly thought it possible.
No?

Posted by: Tom Herrera | Mar 14 2022 22:45 utc | 212

C1ue, whoever wrote Payback time is a partisan hack Trump supporting fool; Trump’s little deal is nothing next to the deal Jimmy Carter struck and the Carter Doctrine; it’s really hard to get past that moronic oversight. Indeed we’ve exhaustively covered the isolation of the US; as I said, Saudi and OPEC production will quickly adapt to these prices and leak; they don’t have to radically alter production so sell out of reserves; while also ramping up production in the interim. Are we sure anyone wants F35s other than Congress?
WJ NO, no one wants a nuclear war in Europe as “best case scenario” that is insane. You need to rein it back a bit; you’re hysterical, breathe deeply, understand that not everything is orchestrated top to bottom, there are many actors here all with different motivations; they’re not all coordinated. Neo-cons aren’t in control of anything (thankfully) but PR and think tanks, they’ve dominated our State Dept but that doesn’t mean the Foreign Service officers are bought in. Nor asset in total control of the CIA agents working them. The neo-cons have the microphone in the media, the Pentagon isn’t really accustomed to talking, but all evidence suggests they’re in charge. Not to be outdone, James says what the US “obviously wants” NO, there is no single US, the talkers in the press obviously aren’t dictating shit on the ground, ignoring these factions, speaking of the US as a single entity is false
NO Jared, NATO is NOT getting involved; they’re throwing a few mercenaries a few weapons in; this is Bay of Pigs redux. Look at what’s actually happening, NATO is offering thoughts and prayers. PTB, I think it’s dawning on them that NATO isn’t coming to the rescue, hence the Ukrainian army is set to collapse, in the East at least.
Critiques are not insults, I like what you guys have to say, but am simply pointing to where you get off into prognosticating rather than reading the tea leaves as it were.

Posted by: ScottinDallas | Mar 14 2022 22:46 utc | 213

Fox reporter Benjamin Hall was injured this morning outside Kyiv. Hope this is not a false flag operation to put pressure on the US to finally join the fray after Zelensky’s Wednesday virtual performance.

Posted by: KitaySupporter | Mar 14 2022 22:51 utc | 214

Karlof1 78
“On escalation to nuclear war … Russia long ago announced what it would target first in such an eventuality–Washington DC, London and Brussels and other known Outlaw hideouts–they will not be allowed to escape the consequences of their actions.”

Posted by: Doug Hillman | Mar 14 2022 22:55 utc | 215

@ bubbles | Mar 14 2022 22:43 utc | 205
cbc is overseen by csis – that is the canuck version of the cia… only certain presentations are allowed unfortunately..
@ : Tom Herrera | Mar 14 2022 22:45 utc | 207
tom, do more reading off the many links provided here at moa, and you will be much further ahead in terms of understanding.. start with the link that grieved posted @Grieved | Mar 14 2022 17:48 utc | 102 and if you are truly interested, you will be able to understand… you are not going to get this quickly and it requires an open mind… good luck..

Posted by: james | Mar 14 2022 22:59 utc | 216

“…Why not just muscle out the reactionaries from the Donbas? There are lots of Russian-speaking folks there, as in Crimea. It would have been difficult, but given the demographics I would have certainly thought it possible.” Tom Herrera@207
The problem, Tom is that the Nazis are armed to the teeth and any sign of resistance is crushed. Just as in Colombia or Guatemala. The occupied eastern oblasts- which have always been Russian and were only given to Ukraine as part of an attempt to build the Ukraine SSR into a credible voice in the UN and other fora- have been ruthlessly ruled by gangs and death squads, armed and trained by the US since 2014. Remember the Odessa massacre, where a group of petitioners calling on the Rada to stop discriminating against Russian speakers were cornered and burned to death? Look at what has been going on in Mariupol.
Russia had no alternative but to act. Except of course pretending not to notice while the Ukrainians brutalised the Donbas. And Russian public opinion- excepting the 5th Column, latest iteration of the ‘westerners’ who used to speak French and lamented the crudity and ignorance of the ‘dark people’ of the peasantry- insisted.
In fact Putin is the most conservative and cautious statesman anywhere. He never acts until it is almost too late.

Posted by: bevin | Mar 14 2022 23:01 utc | 217

@203 james – Sean Penn. Need we say more? El Chapo Guzman must be annoyed.

Posted by: lex talionis | Mar 14 2022 23:03 utc | 218

“2014” is perhaps the most succinct argument one can use which completely destroys the entire western narrative on Ukraine. People can do the legwork themselves or one can add “this has been going on since…”.
Earlier dates also apply but one can start with 2014.
– – – –
If the US thinks it can gain from setting off nuclear weapons in Europe it will 100% do so. No doubt about it. Have no illusions about the kind of people they are.
– – – –
The two new drones and the news about them are very suspicious and likely staged to muddle as much as possible about the drone in Croatia (which is nowhere near either Romania or Poland) and which was a 6 ton large drone and not small drones. NATO is attempting some kind of cover-up.
– – – –
On the drone in Zagreb it is claimed that NATO claims they tracked the drone for hours which is curious as the drone most likely wasn’t (and perhaps couldn’t) be airborne for that long. It’s a very fast drone doing a top speed of round about mach 1 and I don’t think it has enough fuel to loiter much; according to Wikipedia this kind of drone is/was intended to get to wherever it is needed (primarily for scouting) and then back to land so that the information can be retrieved (yes it is a very old kind of drone).

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Mar 14 2022 23:04 utc | 219

Germany will again (after stopping NS2) suck up to the US and buy 35 F-35s, a crappy, expensive airplane still in development after twenty years, with no authority to go into full production any time soon. . .here

Posted by: Don Bacon | Mar 14 2022 23:07 utc | 220

@207 I had you down as a drive by but maybe you are trying to understand. The Ukrainians were given plenty of opportunity to recognize Donbass autonomy. They chose not to. The Russians asked, then told, them to forget about joining NATO. They didn’t listen. Zelensky starting to talking about nuclear weapons was one poke too many.

Posted by: dh | Mar 14 2022 23:08 utc | 221

Tom Herrera | Mar 14 2022 22:45 utc | 207
Zelensky’s threat of nuclear weapons.
And no doubt Russian intel would have had some information o the biolabs and the upcoming attack on Donbass

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Mar 14 2022 23:09 utc | 222

I wonder what song and dance number Zelensky would put on for the U S Congress. Maybe something with top hat and cane like “Putting On The Ritz”. Frankenstein and Monster style

Posted by: Copeland | Mar 14 2022 23:11 utc | 223

Posted by: Tom Herrera | Mar 14 2022 22:45 utc | 207
Based on the possibility you are not a troll I will reply sensibly to what was a sensible post.
I think many of us including myself thought much along the same lines and I suspect so did Putin and most of those in Russia. However firstly I think that the discussion of nukes led to the decision to do some “shock and awe” by taking out airfields in day 1. This would normally be a sensible strategy if you want to sue for peace. ie weaken the enemy. Make them understand that if they start to build missile bases they will not be allowed to complete them.
Secondly i think that Russia expected Z to come to the negotiating table. Just think that at first even into day 3/4 Minsk II was still possible. Ukraine need only to ask NATO to leave, remove the very worst of the crazies from government and agree to give autonomy to the two Donbass republics. ie they could use Russian, for government and education but would otherwise participate in a Ukrainian government. This was hardly a big concession. All the industry, trade etc of the regions would still be Ukrainian. In other words Ukraine would keep Stalin’s gift ie the Donbass (This region was always part of Russia but was gifted to Ukraine by Stalin to give Ukraine a more solid industrial base) The only significant loss to Ukraine would be accepting the reality that Crimea was lost. Given Crimea had not really ever been part of Ukraine, this was hardly a loss. I think that Russia is still reeling from the utterly inexplicable decision of Z not to negotiate.
Third I think that the unexpectedly intense reaction of the west has confounded Russia, and has forced a change of plan. It is bizarre that Germany would shoot itself in the foot by losing secure energy supply but so it seems. Russia must now be aware it has no friends in Europe. This means they NOW have nothing to lose by going all the way. Back on 22/2/22 I think Russia fully expected Germany and France to bluster a bit but return to normal. This is not longer possible (at least for Germany) and this has changed the whole equation. it is now a fight to the bitter end.
So while I think your assessment and mine and Bs and I suspect Putin’s was perfectly valid on 22/2/22, it is no longer the case and anything could happen. The bioweapons stuff adds another confusing dimension. While Russia (and China) have long been accusing the USA of such efforts, it may now be that they have more evidence that may make taking greater control essential.
Also think that just as the reaction on the west has been unexpectedly strong, I imagine that the reaction in Russia is also strong- for the war. This always happens in a conflict as people take sides.

Posted by: watcher | Mar 14 2022 23:12 utc | 224

From point of view of ability to produce dramatic footage, bio-weapons don’t work, especially if they entail the relatively slow process of getting sick then being hospitalized/diagnosed then dying. And this has to occur in mass. Sort of like the current Covid madness in a battlefield scale. Chemical weapons are easier, no different than watching insects die with a spray. You can hear the cue’s being switched from bio to chemical and it is ridiculously transparent. All through this the motive for the use of chemical is never on a practical need basis in tactical terms, it is only because Putin is bad. Are the masses that stupid? (this is not a rhetorical question)

Posted by: YY | Mar 14 2022 23:19 utc | 225

Bernard Henri Levi – how full of…
Posted by: tucenz | Mar 14 2022 21:47 utc | 189
He poses as a philosopher, that’s a blatant lie…
Posted by: bubbles | Mar 14 2022 22:27 utc | 202
Well, kind of…
https://scribd.com/document/267005042/S-N-U-F-F-by-Victor-Pelevin
Informational support for the revolutionary movement in
Orkland is provided by sommeliers from a different department,and I’m responsible solely and exclusively for the video footage.
Which is substantially more important, from both the artistic and religious points of view. Especially at the very beginning of the war, when the high tide of the initial headlines has already receded (‘THE WORLD HAS WARNED THE ORKS . . .’), but there isn’t any decent feedback as yet.
For the last few wars I’ve worked as a team with Bernard-Henri Montaigne Montesquieu – a name that you’ve probably heard. In fact, Bernard-Henri was my neighbour (the rumours
of his lavish lifestyle are greatly exaggerated). We didn’t become
friends, because I didn’t approve of some of his habits, but we were close acquaintances, and in the professional sense we made a good, solid team. I doubled as trailing wingman and
cameraman and he was the frontman-gunlayer (or, as he himself once dubbed it in some esoteric mix of Church English and Old French, the aimer d’aimer ).
Page 15
He preferred to call himself a philosopher. That was how he was presented in the news. But in the payroll register, which is kept in Church English, his job title is given unambiguously as ‘crack discoursemonger first grade’. In actual fact he’s another military man, just like me. But there’s no contradiction in this. We’re not children after all; we understand that the power of contemporary philosophy lies not in syllogisms, but in close air support. And that’s the reason why the Orks frighten their children with that word ‘discoursemonger’.
Just as every genuine philosopher is supposed to do, Bernard-
Henri wrote an obscure book in Old French. It’s called
Les Feuilles Mortes, which means ‘Dead Leaves’ (he himself translated
it slightly differently, as Dead Pages
). Crack discoursemongers pride themselves on their knowledge of this language and trace their family trees back to Old French thinkers, inventing similar
names for themselves.

Posted by: Arioch | Mar 14 2022 23:27 utc | 226

Paco @182–
Ischenko is right to worry about Poland, but IMO for the wrong reasons. Another reason why the wait is Belarus, which was omitted from his talk. Overall, he’s correct to be concerned, particularly about the war after the war as much remains to be done to secure the “aims” of this entire operation.

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 14 2022 23:27 utc | 227

How many times did western citizens fall for the “Assad is killing his own people with chemical weapons” line?
You can’t fix stupid.
I have no doubt the US will use this plot again.

Posted by: wagelaborer | Mar 14 2022 23:31 utc | 229

cbc is overseen by csis – that is the canuck version of the cia… only certain presentations are allowed unfortunately..
Posted by: james | Mar 14 2022 22:59 utc | 211
Is that why it’s script reading diversity hires are so eager to please the boss? Frankly the only person in their stable who’s opinion I value is that old girl Chantal Hebert who apparently works for the Toronto Star. She’s a sharp cookie who imo is out of place with the rest of the current fake Liberal cabal. That Coyne fella is the quintessential juke box commentator, put your money in and he will sing any song the party in power wants to hear. He’s riding on his Dad’s coat tails like little Justie.
“James Coyne was appointed Governor of the Bank of Canada and President of the Industrial Development Bank on 1 January 1955.”
It’s the old Nobles sort of thing I suppose.

Posted by: bubbles | Mar 14 2022 23:32 utc | 230

@ my 223; Lots of maps. Notice the encirclement of Russia anyone?

Posted by: vetinLA | Mar 14 2022 23:33 utc | 231

YY | Mar 14 2022 23:19 utc | 220 (this is not a rhetorical question)
Most are. Generally dumbed down to headlines and slogans.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Mar 14 2022 23:36 utc | 232

220
The reactions physical to the “Covid” bioweapon was markedly different in China vs. other places. While video from China showed people collapsing dead in the streets, other places had no such speedy & dramatic deaths. Instead, a severe, sometimes fatal flu like disease was experienced. And then other effects were relatively mild. Perhaps two or four different aerosol pathogens were involved.
210 ….sufficient panic to make a strategic first-strike on Russia thinkable? I wonder if they could stage a credible nuclear false-flag event, much worse than 9-11, in US or Europe and pin it on Russia. The manifest criminal insanity of US leadership is rather scary.
Leaders like Kagan Nuland Blinken Kissinger seem to believe a first nuke strike from Ukraine (assuming system is in place) would prevail over a retaliatory strike from Russia.
It’s all gamed out in “Dr. Strangelove”.
And don’t forget, the elite have DUMBS for the fallout.

Posted by: Chaka Khagan | Mar 14 2022 23:37 utc | 233

Possible that chem attack production is already in the can or is currently in production. Matching the situation to context is probably going to be very awkward. But then it is sunk costs, that need to be exploited.
The leadership is “Weekend at Bernie’s”, the quality of policy drivers is “Idiocracy”. The leadrole is on cocaine, the prop guns are full of live ammo, the end result is going to be like Dr. Strangelove?

Posted by: YY | Mar 14 2022 23:43 utc | 234

Posted by: WJ | Mar 14 2022 22:44 utc | 206
Great. So allmighty Ukrianian army has carte blanche to shoot into Polish airspace and destroy airrcrafts over Poland? oh, my… I wish that was true…

Posted by: Arioch | Mar 14 2022 23:43 utc | 235

I will take my leave of all you good people now, but before I go, will offer this for your consideration.
Sgt.Joseph Kilna McKenzie
Lay me doon in the caul caul groon
Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun
When they come a wull staun ma groon
Staun ma groon al nae be afraid
Thoughts awe hame tak awa ma fear
Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears
Ains a year say a prayer faur me
Close yir een an remember me
Nair mair shall a see the sun
For a fell tae a Germans gun
When Elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers most.
Wise old Swahili Chief,

Posted by: bubbles | Mar 14 2022 23:45 utc | 236

Ukraine does not actually have to do any false flag attack, all they have to do is say:, “the russians did such and such”, there does not actually have to be a fals flag attack an actual release of chemical for example, like there was in Syria all the Ukranian state has to do is announce it and the entire western NATO media will right it down as stenographers.
So much for all the false flag talk

Posted by: jimmy | Mar 14 2022 23:49 utc | 237

@ lex talionis | Mar 14 2022 23:03 utc | 213 – indeed!
@ Sunny Runny Burger | Mar 14 2022 23:04 utc | 214 – quote ” NATO is attempting some kind of cover-up.” or greasing the skids for a different type of false flag involving a drone…
@ bubbles | Mar 14 2022 23:32 utc | 225… you must be in canada…. i know andrew coynes name – writes for the globe and mail and is involved with the cbc too… that is his dad who was the 2nd governor of the bank of canada… yes – maybe is it – the old nobles sort of thing… i have completely given up on the cbc when it comes to anything resembling journalism or actual reporting… as you say – they are all happy to write whatever shit the csis is okay with.. it is truly pathetic and nowhere more obvious then on the coverage over ukraine…
i have been posting too much today.. i don’t want to have to change my name to richard steven hack, lol… i got all excited earlier, lol..

Posted by: james | Mar 14 2022 23:52 utc | 238

The situation in Ukraine in 2014 was worse than many here know. I highly suggest watching/reading the translated captioning of Ischenko’s talk, which is @36 min long. I also suggest reading this essay, “The Great Russian Restoration III: Draining the Ukrainian Political Swamp” as well as the other three parts. The software currently prevents me from including the URL but it can be found by copy/pasting the title into a search engine box or by retracing this discourse thread to Grieved’s post @102.
Most here are casual observers from afar and not well versed on the intricacies and finer dynamics of what’s occurring within Ukraine and Russia, although we do have a few commentators that are within it. This is no ordinary war; it’s very similar to the Liberation of Syria intervention that’s still incomplete for a set of complicated reasons. IMO, most here do understand the stakes and risks involved.
Some fool on Facebook commented that we’ve experienced the entire 20th Century over the past 21+ years. I’ve got news for that creature–it hasn’t seen anything yet, and it better hope we avoid using nukes.

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 14 2022 23:58 utc | 239

A perspective from a war zone.
Another 60% spike in reported Covid infections – thousands more hospitalised. Deaths trending up again.
How many of the 40 new hospitals promised by Bozo and Hancock at last election?
How many new nurses and doctors since then too?
NHS privatisation proceeds as revealed during the election.
How many extra icu beds per capita?
How is the social care of elderly going? Promised even earlier.
Starmer and co ignore it as he did during the election.
Petrol , electric and gas through the roof – which guarantees inflation- which excuses the interest rates going up – which guarantees mortgage failures.
Media and Starmer ignore it.
Never mind. Let’s send lots of manpads anti aircraft missiles proudly made in U.K. to a war zone with lots of mercenaries/jihadists/nazis who are going to ship them off for use elsewhere later.
Watch as our made in U.K. weapons bring down airlines here there and everywhere – ‘no blame on us we just make them. We do no wrong! ‘
Starmer joins the government and media and academia and religious leaders as they spew daily hate towards the unmentionables vowing to fight them to the last …Ukrainian.
Who cares about Covid now? Who cares about vaccine efficacy now? Who cares that actual data is no longer being published anymore that would answer these questions now? Why are we still bothering with vaccine passports? What pandemic? What lockdown? What clapping for the nurses and NHS?
There are hundreds of thousand dead in the U.K. millions more hospitalised. Over the last two years.
As the numbers today and yesterday reveal we are taking massive casualties in our Covid war which we have never been on the wining side.
Yet the Ukraine civil war goes back to 2014. It has had many fewer casualties daily.
Right now I suddenly worry about Odessa as there are reports that one of the Angels of Death has been strutting around there. Levy has been seen there.

Posted by: DunGroanin | Mar 15 2022 0:17 utc | 240

@ScottinDallas #208
Thank you for your opinion.
I have zero respect for, or agreement with it.

Posted by: c1ue | Mar 15 2022 0:23 utc | 241

Tom Herrera @207–
The full scale invasion is still not making sense to me. Why not just muscle out the reactionaries from the Donbas? There are lots of Russian-speaking folks there, as in Crimea. It would have been difficult, but given the demographics I would have certainly thought it possible.
I highly suggest you read this analysis for an answer to your question. It’s the best explanation I know of.

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 15 2022 0:24 utc | 242

well, I guess Mad Vlad must be shaking in his boots, and raging around the Kremlin… like a drunk Nixon….. lmao :):):)
this militarists in nato are going to blow up the f*ckng world, folks
consider the source of this ‘news’ – the UK and the US are both crazy as loons….
https://www.the-sun.com/news/4890360/nato-masses-troops-warships-war-games-border/
BATTLEFRONT Nato masses 30,000 troops & 50 warships for huge war games on Russia’s border risking Putin’s ‘roid rage’ wrath
NATO has amassed 30,000 troops and 50 warships near Russia’s border for military exercises, risking Mad Vlad’s rage.
The drill, named Cold Response, has kicked off today in Norway amid escalating tensions between Russia and the West over the invasion of Ukraine.
The exercise includes 30,000 troops from more than 25 countries from Europe and North America, 200 aircraft, and 50 vessels.
The largest Nato exercise which is held just a few miles from the Russian border was planned long before Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine but its significance has now been heightened…..

Posted by: michaelj72 | Mar 15 2022 0:27 utc | 243

James (Mar 14 2022 23:52 utc | 233):
that’s a very good point, I didn’t think of that. They might want to make it a common occurrence (whether real or not) and use it to argue that it shows/”proves” that the war has already spread to such an extent that NATO “has to” respond directly in “defense”.
That sounds like an easy sell from their point of view.

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Mar 15 2022 0:32 utc | 244

Notice the highlighted statements! They know where the mercs are.
Briefing by Russian Defence Ministry
Units of the Russian Armed Forces, continuing the offensive, captured Stepnoye.
The grouping of troops of the Lugansk People’s Republic is continuing the offensive in the north-eastern districts of Severodonetsk city.
On the morning of March 14, high-precision long-range weapons attacked Ukraine’s military infrastructure.
As a result of the strike, communication, retransmission and switching hubs were disabled in Fedorovka, Vinarovka, Antopol. In addition, a large ammunition depot for multiple launch rocket systems was destroyed on the territory of Antonov plant near Kiev, from the sites of which Russian troops were fired at.
On the afternoon of March 14, the air defence of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down, 2 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, including 1 Bayraktar TB-2.
Operational-tactical, army and unmanned aviation hit 86 military infrastructure assets of Ukraine, including: 4 command posts and communication centres, 3 anti-aircraft missile systems, 1 radar station, 1 electronic warfare station, 3 ammunition and fuel depots and 68 areas of military equipment concentration.
In total, 145 unmanned aerial vehicles, 1,298 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 124 multiple launch rocket systems, 469 field artillery and mortars, as well as 1,047 units of special military vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed during the operation.
The Kiev regime continues to use terror tactics, using the most destructive types of weapons against civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Earlier, we brought information about the consequences of today’s strike of the Ukrainian tactical missile Tochka-U with cluster munitions on a densely populated block of Donetsk.
In response to these actions, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will take prompt measures to disable the enterprises of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine engaged in the production, repair and restoration of weapons that nationalists use to commit war crimes.
We urge Ukrainian citizens working at these enterprises, as well as residents of nearby residential buildings, to leave potentially dangerous areas.

A number of Western countries at the state level encourage the participation of their citizens as mercenaries of Ukraine in hostilities against units of the Russian troops. All responsibility for the death of this category of foreign citizens in Ukraine lies on just the leadership of these countries.
We know all the locations of foreign mercenaries in Ukraine. They will continue to be targeted, similar to the destruction of training centres at Yavorovsky training ground in Starichi on March 13.
I want to warn you again – there will be no mercy for mercenaries, no matter where they are on the territory of Ukraine.

#MoD #Russia #Ukraine #Briefing
@mod_russia_en

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Mar 15 2022 0:35 utc | 245

My catch-up post for today:
Posted by: Micron | Mar 14 2022 15:52 utc | 34
Scott Ritter made the same point in that video I referenced in the last thread. Armies can seem to be resisting successfully – until they don’t. When the collapse comes, it’s very sudden and frequently disastrous. Ukraine is in this position. There is simply no way they can hold against the Russian army. If worst came to worst and Russia is forced to bring up the heavy artillery, which they don’t want to do, it will be over in a matter of hours.
Posted by: WJ | Mar 14 2022 16:03 utc | 42
“I do believe that, at some level, the neocons desire to stoke a NATO war with Russia but hope to contain this war to Europe. I think the Pentagon generals think this is a bad idea.”
Agreed. It’s very clear that the Pentagon stomped on the no-fly zone idea. The fact that any public statement was made at all makes that clear.
Posted by: Milos | Mar 14 2022 16:23 utc | 50
As I mentioned in another thread, a no-fly zone means US cruise missiles attacking Russian AD in Ukraine and inside Russia. No other option. And that means Russia eliminating the sources of those cruise missiles, be they on land or sea. No other option. That means US ships sunk and NATO installations destroyed. The US then has only two options: 1) stop; 2) escalate to nuclear weapons. The Pentagon is well aware of this progression, while the neocons don’t know and don’t care.
So the only meaningful question is: Does Biden control the neocons or vice versa? That’s what worries me. Because so far Biden hasn’t.
Posted by: Nutter | Mar 14 2022 16:26 utc | 53
It’s not clear there would have been an invasion had the diplomacy specific to Ukraine worked out – and had Zelensky not talked about a nation run by neo-Nazis getting nukes. There’s also the question of how much the invasion was predicated on the US/NATO response to the treaty proposals.
Posted by: WJ | Mar 14 2022 16:30 utc | 57
Agreed. See above. The question is who has the most influence in Washington – the neocons or the Pentagon in this case. And where does Biden sit?
Posted by: Milos | Mar 14 2022 16:40 utc | 64
He’s not saying it’s feasible. He’s saying they will try it. Big difference.
Posted by: WJ | Mar 14 2022 17:04 utc | 84
Good clarification. Some people don’t comprehend the difference between saying someone will try something and whether it will actually work.
Posted by: mastameta | Mar 14 2022 18:44 utc | 117
Agreed. There’s also simply maliciousness on the part of the people behind these false flags. As Pennyworth said, “Some people just like to watch the world burn.”
Posted by: hamstak | Mar 14 2022 20:03 utc | 147
Scott Ritter points out in the CS video that part of this propaganda campaign is directly aimed at the Russian population, especially the “liberals” and other pro-Western factions. The idea is to emphasize all the “pain” the sanctions will allegedly impose and then suggest that getting rid of Putin is the only solution. Of course, as I like to say, “That Ain’t Gonna Happen.” Because those factions of the population in Russia don’t have sufficient mass to do that. All they have as alternatives is losers like Navalny.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Mar 15 2022 0:47 utc | 246

US MSM is now claiming that the Russian warship which took Snake Island has now been sunk by the Ukrainian military.
Andrei Martyanov dismisses this obvious bullcrap:

They invent a “story” of some defiant ukie grunts (long since debunked), and now, by showing some MLRS (Grad most likely) salvo, they claim the sinking of Vasily Bykov patrol ship. By MLRS no less)). “In accordance to reports”, without mentioning, of course, that these are not “reports” but propaganda fake by ukies and their masters. Of course, no video or photographic evidence of sinking of Vasily Bykov is provided. Of course, it is not provided.
But this whole BS, together with hundreds of Russia’s combat aircraft “destroyed” and thousands upon thousands of Russkies killed on the battlefield, exists only in the inflamed imagination of the US “journalists”, who, apart from being whores (sorry, whores, for comparing you to US propaganda–I know, it is a huge insult to whores) and the brainwashed Western public which is utterly illiterate on such matters as operations of combat fleets and basic targeting. Obviously, the destruction of the moving target (ships do move in the sea and do not really stop during combat) by MLRS in the absence of targeting (most ukie radar, including those along the coast of the Black Sea are gone now) is something out of fantasy or cheap war-gaming on Commodore computer. Obviously for morons from ABC it is unknown that MLRS ukies have are classic “area impact” weapons designed only to work at the spread out ground targets based on accurate targeting.
No doubt, the United States may try to provide targeting to ukies (you see–I am going now into a full blown “what if” BS scenario), but the main issue here is that the Black Sea Fleet currently completely blocked the 404 coast and with it it also brought to bear some damn effective AD ranging from Fort at RKR Moskva to Shtil on pr. 11356 frigates for which slow ballistic MLRS rockets are an easy target and no ship of the Black Sea Fleet operates out of the AD areas of the task group. At this stage one can only do a facepalm and admit that the West cannot even provide a believable BS. Not surprising, once one looks at the “elites” Western “education” provide for this kind of psyops. Recall, I already discussed this issue before. They are simply that incompetent and have no grasp of modern warfare, especially involving issues of C4ISR.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Mar 15 2022 0:51 utc | 247

Note in regards to Facebook/Meta, Andrei posts a picture of eight Ukrainians who are “moderators” on the platform holding Ukrainian flags.
Tells you all you need to know.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Mar 15 2022 0:54 utc | 248

M.K. Bhadrakumar:

By the colour of our skin, our religion, our culture, our geography, our political economy, we will never be accepted by the West as ‘one of us’. Do not be mesmerised by promises of equal partnerships. Look at the US’ track record — selfish, cynical and ruthless in the pursuit of its interests.
History didn’t end with the eclipse of the Cold War. Fundamentally, what the Western powers are planning is a form of neo-colonialism borne out of the desperate need to arrest the decline of their economies through a massive transfer of wealth from the rest of the world inhabited by 88 percent of mankind — Asia, in particular. To that end, the West has unceremoniously buried ‘globalisation’ and turned its back on multilateralism.
Quintessentially, what is unfolding is no different from 19th century colonial era.

https://www.indianpunchline.com/india-should-quit-quad-now/

Posted by: kral | Mar 15 2022 0:58 utc | 249

If there are mines around the ports, as I assume there will be, it is possible that a Russian ship has been sunk. After all that is what mines in the sea are designed to do.

Posted by: watcher | Mar 15 2022 1:06 utc | 250

watcher | Mar 15 2022 1:06 utc | 245
Why do you think a Russian ship may have been sunk?

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Mar 15 2022 1:10 utc | 251

Posted by: watcher | Mar 15 2022 1:06 utc | 245
Uhm, no. That is not what was claimed. Read Martyanov’s statement. There’s also no evidence whatsoever that the ship has been sunk.
Meanwhile…
Three British ex-special forces troops feared dead in Russian attack near Polish border
It is believed three British ex-special forces died instantly in the Russian cruise missile blasts on a base close to the Polish border, the Mirror can reveal
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/breaking-three-british-ex-special-26464683
As someone at The Saker points out, these guys probably were not “ex-” anything. When sent on special missions, they are allowed to resign their commissions and operate “out of the box”. So these guys were likely there on British orders.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Mar 15 2022 1:11 utc | 252

Posted by: kral | Mar 15 2022 0:58 utc | 244
Thank you for that. Man can Bhadrakumar write!

Posted by: WJ | Mar 15 2022 1:17 utc | 253

Richard Steven Hack | Mar 15 2022 1:11 utc | 247
I had thought they were most likely sent there to train the mercenaries. Good riddance to em along with the rest of the clowns.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Mar 15 2022 1:18 utc | 254

This from ASB:
🇺🇸 The United States is considering to impose a full trade embargo and banning Russian ships from strategic international waterways – U.S Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo.
How is that going to work exactly?

Posted by: WJ | Mar 15 2022 1:23 utc | 255

I’ve read a couple of accounts of mercs going to ukraine then heading home like scalded cats. I guess they must have believed the propaganda bout how bad Russia’s military was.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Mar 15 2022 1:24 utc | 256

Posted by: WJ | Mar 15 2022 1:23 utc | 250
It’s called an act of war. It will result in the sinking of the entire US Navy fleet. In other words, WWIII.
It’s likely the Pentagon will stomp on that notion instantly, just like they stomped on the no-fly zone idea. They know what Russian hypersonic missiles can do to US carriers.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Mar 15 2022 1:29 utc | 257

The Western masses are dumber the a potatoes head it is almost beyond belief.
Like on the most popular main stream news site here in the Netherlands was literately 1 article that read: Zelensky “Kiev has been turned into a fortress, every window will shoot at the russian invaders, I will only turn over a devastated city to the russians”
Audience: “O he is so brave”
Next Article : Russians attacking, residential areas, trying to kill as many civilians as they can”
Audience: “Putin is so evil”
It is beyond belief really, I just tell these brainwashed folks, well you know fortresses are something from the past from before cannons were invented that can blow them up, when you choose to turn a city into a fortress in modern warfare, the fortress is gonna get blown away, then they just dumbfounded really.

Posted by: Jimmy | Mar 15 2022 1:33 utc | 258

Posted by: WJ | Mar 15 2022 1:23 utc | 250
ASB has got it wrong. Here is the interview with U.S Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo. He is asked that specific question – and dodges it. So no, they aren’t going to try a full trade embargo.
Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo Discusses Sanctions Against Russia
https://www.valuewalk.com/deputy-treasury-secretary-wally-adeyemo-discusses-sanctions-against-russia/

TAUSCHE: And what comes next from the West? President Zelenskyy has asked the US for blockage of international waterways for Russia. He’s asked for a full trade embargo. How likely are either of those things?
ADEYEMO: The first thing I have to say is that we are impressed and encouraged by the bravery of the Ukrainian people. The actions they’ve taken to stop Russia’s invasion have been remarkable and we continue to support them. And what we’ve decided to do and what the President’s directed us to do is to make sure that our actions are targeted at having an impact on Russia and minimizing the impact on our allies and partners going forward. That’s exactly what we’re going to do. So, you’re going to see us continue to put pressure on the Russian economy to stop their ability to project power. We’re going to continue to go after Russian elites in order to take away resources from President Putin. And then we’re going to use export controls to degrade their ability to project power into the future, all of which are consistent with what President Zelenskyy has been asking us to do.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Mar 15 2022 1:35 utc | 259

Posted by: watcher | Mar 14 2022 23:12 utc | 219
Stalin did not give the Donbas to the Ukraine. It was Lenin in 1922. And had nothing to do with the UN, that didn’t exist in 1922. If you want to help, be accurate. Misinformation is as bad as disinformation.
Posted by: Tom Herrera | Mar 14 2022 22:45 utc | 207
Why now, why so widespread? Ukrainian talks of a nuclear weapon, whether bomb or dirty nuke. Information supported by the SVR.
Ukrainian plans to attack the LDPR, supported by the SVR and confirmed by captured NATO computers.
US biolabs in the Ukraine, confirmed by captured documents.
Kristina and Kira, a mother and daughter killed by Ukrainian attacks on Gorlovka. Do a search on the Gorlovka Madonna. The West has purged the internet of most photos of this slaughter, but it is burned into the Russian psyche. My eldest daughter met a mother of a school friend. He’s a contract NCO in the VDV. Americans would say “Thank him for his service”. My daughter said “I hope he is not killed”. Russians are straightforward. The mother’s response was, “If my son dies, he dies defending Russians, his children, your children, and making sure that there will be no more Kristinas and Kiras”.
I suspect that 95% of the Russian population (Russian has one word for an ethnic Russian and another for a Russian citizen) wants to see the fascists in the Ukraine eliminated. Thus the Chechens (who are Россияне non-ethnic Russians) are more than happy to help the fascists meet their maker/master.

Posted by: Cossack | Mar 15 2022 1:43 utc | 260

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Mar 15 2022 1:10 utc | 246
I have no reason other than the UA PR, however I am also wary of excessive hubris re the Russian side of things. It is going OK if not as fast as most would like, but i assume there have been losses. So if by chance a ship hit a mine, the UA will of course say it was their superheroes, not a mine.

Posted by: watcher | Mar 15 2022 1:50 utc | 261

@234 karlof1 — Re: video with Ischenko
Well that’s pretty grim… Agree with historical review but still don’t agree that there is any sense in RF attempting to occupy the country or even the territory that has recently been captured by RF in the course of this war. It isn’t 1950, Stalin isn’t running the show (which is good). Without the kind of Stalinist or Maoist total-lack-of-restraint, suppressing a well funded nationalist movement is exceptionally difficult for an outside power. Which is what Russia currently is to West Ukraine and to many people in central Ukraine. It would be hard enough for Russia to install a stable government in, say, Kharkov, where only like 20% might be sympathetic to UA-nationalist agitators or whatever you want to call it. Much of Ukraine is gone as far as Russia is concerned, many of those who may have been willing to fight for integration with Russia, left those parts since 2014. I don’t think this is news to anyone, including the gentleman in the video. SBU or whoever would continue to torment their citizens, but it would become EU’s problem until the next time they try to start WWIII. The guy in the video is taking a pretty extreme position suggesting a literal top-to-bottom Denazification scenario. It’s madness, I’m sorry.

Posted by: ptb | Mar 15 2022 1:51 utc | 262

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Mar 15 2022 1:35 utc | 254
That is very helpful. Let me clarify that it was not ASB, which I have found in general quite accurate, but a different telegram channel Quinta Aetas, which looks like it prefers sensationalism over accuracy.

Posted by: WJ | Mar 15 2022 1:58 utc | 263

Nothing we didn’t already know, but nice to have it confirmed directly.
Kremlin clarifies Russian forces’ strategy in Ukraine
Russia’s military “do not exclude” taking surrounded Ukrainian cities under their “full control”
https://www.rt.com/russia/551884-russia-peskov-ukraine-cities/

“At the beginning of the operation, the President of Russia did indeed instruct the Ministry of Defense to refrain from an immediate assault on large settlements, including Kyiv, since armed nationalist formations are equipping firing points, deploying heavy military equipment right in residential areas; and fighting in densely populated areas would inevitably lead to heavy losses among civilians,” Peskov said.
Putin’s press secretary revealed that the Russian Ministry of Defense “does not exclude” the possibility of placing those large settlements which are almost surrounded now, “under its full control” to ensure maximum security for the civilian population.
He refuted Western media reports, also denied by Beijing, that Moscow allegedly requested military assistance from China, saying that Russia “has the potential to carry out an operation in Ukraine,” that the operation is going “according to the plan” and will be completed “in time and in full.” When exactly the operation is due to end, Peskov did not say, explaining that such information “is not being revealed.”
Commenting on the reports that Chechnya’s head Ramzan Kadyrov, whose threats to the Ukrainian military have been widely publicized, is now at the war zone in Ukraine, Peskov said that “there is no such information” in the Kremlin. He also advised the reporters to address the questions about Kadyrov’s whereabouts to the Chechen leader’s office.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Mar 15 2022 1:59 utc | 264

It seems to me that Russia will definitely hang on to the coastline if they can. Odessa is still an unknown zone. They will set up all the east as independent countries, possibly in some sort of federation – perhaps 3/4 of them.
Kiev is the problem. Perhaps yet another “nation” with Kiev as capital. Then leave the rest to Europe but with VERY strict border controls. No crossing of the border by anyone from Europe/Galitsia without very good reason. This should stop infiltration of the rest of Ukraine by the NATOphiles.

Posted by: watcher | Mar 15 2022 2:01 utc | 265

About the ship: the Ukrainians are not saying that it hit a mine, but that it was lured to the shore by a smaller ship, then attacked by Ukrainian soldiers on the shore.

Posted by: Zina | Mar 15 2022 2:08 utc | 266

Concerning the latest neo-nazi atrocity in Donetsk, a missile attack against civilians – AND the coverup by the western media – see my post about it. The lies about Russian “false flag attacks” are easily debunked, but they continue to repeat these lies anyway. I am deeply concerned that this might lead to a biological or chemical attack of some sort, with the intent of blaming it on Russia.
https://readingjunkie.com/2022/03/15/russians-die-and-we-are-indifferent/

Posted by: Ian Kummer | Mar 15 2022 2:19 utc | 267

Everywhere I am reading about Russian sanctions I am also reading that there are exceptions.
It would be nice to have a list of the exceptions to the sanctions to get a perspective on what is happening under the media BS.
I am encouraged by the karlof1 comment reporting on the beginnings of an alternative to the God of Mammon system of Finance and see it as a very positive outcome of the current geo-political gyrations.
I continue to hope that any empire attempted false flag is discovered and nipped in the bud……..empire needs to not be allowed to start a conventional war and China/Russia are doing well at that with special kudos to Russia at this time.
========================
Will the LME market for nickel freeze back up when it is opened on Wednesday? stay tuned….

Posted by: psychohistorian | Mar 15 2022 2:27 utc | 268

I get regular articles from “Sidecar” at the New Left Review, as they do sometimes have good articles. The one today truly took my breath away with its delusional false consciousness in an article “The Russia Problem” by Tony Wood (who wrote not a bad book “Russia Without Putin: Money, Power and the Myth of the Cold War”). It starts with:
“For once, we find ourselves sharing the barely hidden wishes of the Pentagon, White House and entire Western establishment: if only a nice group of boyars could unite in an old-style plot to overthrow Putin and put an end to a war whose objectives remain difficult to comprehend”
Whose objectives are difficult to comprehend? Perhaps to stop the murderous shelling of the Donbass, the turning of Ukraine into a Western armed camp pointed at Russia, to stop the never-ending advance of NATO to Russia’s borders, and to remove the Nazi elements from their hold on the levers of power? He continues:
“Put simply, what place should Russia occupy in a more or less stable world order?”
A stable world order, where China is challenging US supremacy?
Then this utterly disgusting statement:
“Of course, Japan was lavished with two atomic bombs to inculcate an indelible lesson – whereas, despite everything, this wasn’t possible with the USSR”
Then this arrogant “intellectual” rubbish:
“The fact is that the French, English and Germans are, in their respective ways, healthy carriers of national exceptionalism (here I mean healthy carriers in the same sense as healthy carriers of HIV). Even the Chinese, who are beginning to dominate the world arena, have built a unique narrative of exceptionalism (which I previously analyzed in these pages). Russian exceptionalism also has a story of its own. With good – or more often bad – reason, every nation has monopolized a specific quality of the human spirit: the United States have appropriated dreams (‘the American dream’); the B”ritish, humour; France, refinement (l’esprit de finesse); Germany, order (‘German discipline’); Italy, creativity; Spain, pride…”
The vast majority of what is left of the Western “left” have truly jumped the shark, as Mr. Wood has done.
I have also experienced Canadian professors, so-called “intellectuals”, expressing rabid anti-Russian and pro-Ukrainian sentiments while bad-mouthing those that dare disagree (“Putin puppet” etc.), in meetings that were billed as academic discussions of the current situation. Amazing how easy it is to get the “left” and the “academics” to act like Cold War warriors, such a pathetic display ….

Posted by: Roger | Mar 15 2022 2:30 utc | 269

@Posted by: Roger | Mar 15 2022 2:30 utc | 262
Responding to myself, the piece was NOT written by Tony Wood (my apologies, especially to Mr. Wood!) but by a Marco d’Eramo who is an Italian journalist and social theorist. Perhaps he needs to reconnect with the real world and remove himself from the theoretical one for a while.

Posted by: Roger | Mar 15 2022 2:38 utc | 270

“Threats against Russia & China”, so numerous to mention, but when have they amounted to anything?. It is all talk. Zionist America is a war nation, but ultimately doomed to fail. Russia has not taken on the American people (clueless),but the people that control it; Zionists.
China & Russia stand together in this fight against humanity, and they have already won. The rest of the important world is already allinging themselves with this change, and the West will be out- looking in. Chaos in Zion Inc. will reign supreme, and I have to leave, looking for peace, not under Zion control.

Posted by: Karl luck | Mar 15 2022 2:49 utc | 271

Reading M. K. Bhadrakumar:

India Should Quit Quad Now!
The Modi government should refuse to comply with the American legislations regarding Russia. Period. In all likelihood, Americans are bluffing. Or, if there is going to be a price to pay, the leadership should take the nation into confidence and explain the long-term imperative of safeguarding the country’s core interests at whatever cost. Indians are a patriotic people.

Yes, there is a price to pay, $30 trillion!
In the next step of escalation the United States will freeze the reserves of any country that trades with Russia. The end result will be that the dollar will lose its status as a reserve currency along with most of value. The replacement will be commodity-based currencies, controlled by Russia and China. This was already spelled out by Zoltan Pozsar of Credit Suisse in this seminal paper.

The Bretton Woods III
We are witnessing the birth of Bretton Woods III – a new world (monetary) order centered around commodity-based currencies in the East that will likely weaken the Eurodollar system and also contribute to inflationary forces in the West.
A crisis is unfolding. A crisis of commodities. Commodities are collateral, and collateral is money, and this crisis is about the rising allure of outside money over inside money. Bretton Woods II was built on inside money, and its foundations crumbled a week ago when the G7 seized Russia’s FX reserves…

Posted by: Petri Krohn | Mar 15 2022 2:52 utc | 272

WJ #250

This from ASB:
🇺🇸 The United States is considering to impose a full trade embargo and banning Russian ships from strategic international waterways – U.S Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo.
How is that going to work exactly?

The first person to ask is Sultan Erdogan. He seems to operating on both sides of the fence and it is the Russian acquisition of Black Sea ports that has infuriated the USA most. He will do anything for a price.
Just as UKUSA got what it imagined as ‘control’, Crimea slipped away. Then in another week or so, Odessa and regional ports. In a month perhaps the entirety of Ukraine has slipped away. A busted flush. Those Straussians sure are spitting the dummy and I look forward to Jake Sullivan being handed his genitals in a Chinese porcelain dish.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Mar 15 2022 2:55 utc | 273

psychohistorian | Mar 15 2022 2:27 utc | 261
China owns the LME

Posted by: Dadda | Mar 15 2022 2:55 utc | 274

Roger #263
Thank you for experiencing the pain of having to read that tosh and reporting back.
There is a lot of it about and it sure is taxing on the spirit. My nephew sent me something yesterday and I got five minutes in to a one hour BS Ozzie blather and sent him a firm retort. My BS detector is finely tuned these days and tolerance factor set at minimal.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Mar 15 2022 3:00 utc | 275

watcher | Mar 15 2022 1:50 utc | 255
Russia has no hubris. That is in the western media. As for mines Ukraine would require ships to lay them.
I’ve watched and studied the Russian military since 2014. They are very professional. One difference between Russian and current western militaries is that Russians sign up to if need be die for their country whereas western militaries expect to retire with a pension.
I hope I haven’t come across too blunt there watcher, its just that I have been studying Russian military for some time.
Russia has taken losses but Russian mindset is somewhat different to western current day faggotry. Chechen mindset is even further removed.

Posted by: Peter AU1 | Mar 15 2022 3:02 utc | 276

When I have something to say, I just say it.
At the moment, in the fog of war, I don’t know much, to say much.
Here is what I can say for sure: I am so yearning for the post-rules-based order.

Posted by: Sakineh Bagoom | Mar 15 2022 3:06 utc | 277

watcher #255

So if by chance a ship hit a mine, the UA will of course say it was their superheroes, not a mine.

Sure beats the ignominious embarrassment of bumping into an underwater mountain.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Mar 15 2022 3:07 utc | 278

i have an uneasy feeling that nukes are about to fly

Posted by: Himy Misra | Mar 15 2022 3:09 utc | 279

U.S Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo . . .doing naval operations? Come on.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Mar 15 2022 3:15 utc | 280

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkbPqG1XGIE&ab_channel=%D0%98%D0%B3%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%8C%D0%97%D0%B0%D0%B9%D1%86%D0%B5%D0%B2
Posted by: Thomas Prentice | Mar 14 2022 21:12 utc | 176
Wow, what a powerful video! Highly recommended.
TP, I hope that your friend is safe. Thanks for sharing!

Posted by: farm ecologist | Mar 15 2022 3:23 utc | 281

Is it true that Israeli special forces (current or past, but ‘volontary’) are taking part in Ukraine on the side of Ukraine national forces?
here is the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ55yoOJB1c

Posted by: bystander 04 | Mar 15 2022 3:25 utc | 282

There was an amusing observation about potential default on Russian debt. Pay it back in rubles. Then, they must be spent in Russia.
Posted by: Eighthman | Mar 14 2022 15:37 utc | 29

As I understand it, that is not quite correct. Yes, the firms owing debt to countries listed as hostile have no access to dollars to pay interest or capital, and have to make their payment in Rubles … but the payment is not paid to the creditors. The creditors receive nothing – not even rubles. Instead the rubles must be paid into a certain fund set up by the Russian government – nominally in the name of the creditor but the creditor can’t get his hands on it. This means the funds could hypothetically be paid to the creditors sometime in the future – but something else might happen in between (eg nationalised). The analysis I read claimed it was a perfectly legal workaround in response to illegal sanctions. A more brilliant solution could hardly exist!

Posted by: BM | Mar 15 2022 3:26 utc | 283

@ Dadda | Mar 15 2022 2:55 utc | 267 who corrected my characterization of the LME which was bought by China in 2012 evidently
Thanks for that. I got sideswiped by a SUV riding my bicycle in 2006 and haven’t kept up. When I was earlier exposed to LME it was characterized as very corrupt and seeing the ongoing control of other metals I assumed the God of Mammon folk still controlled the market centers like it.
I didn’t register to read the whole article and am curious now about the evolution of the resource markets. I am an advocate of requiring folks have “skin in the game” to be in those markets and wonder how China feels about in the running the LME? I am also an advocate of sovereign nations owning resources and not the inherited elite of our world…..and this is an issue that pertains to what is happening in Ukraine immensely……I call R2P Rape-to-Protect

Posted by: psychohistorian | Mar 15 2022 3:26 utc | 284

Speaking of BHL here is an insightful link:
https://bernard-henri-levy.com/en/activism/ukraine/
Posted by: the pessimist | Mar 14 2022 20:11 utc | 150
************
I’m glad you brought up that Zionist shill for Israel, Bernard Henri Levy (BHL). Wherever BHL deigns to interfere, deceipt, trickery, USNATO and chaos follow.
Who can forget this humanitarian bête noire flirting with Ansar al-Sharia in Libya and pressuring Sarkozy to involve France militarily in defence of the terrorist-infested rebels in Libya? Later, BHL was sniffing around Syria for shit he could disturb there too.
During Gaddafi’s regime, terrorists were completely driven underground and out of Libya.
Remember how Putin was deceived into abstaining on the UNSC Resolution allowing a NATO no-fly zone in Libya?
One of the reasons Putin went into Syria was to prevent another Libya happening there. Today, Syria would be a hot mess if Putin had not derailed USNATO’s planned regime-change redux.
Here’s an excerpt from a Special Hearing held by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, September 27, 2016 where most members admitted that Libya was about regime change and was an unmitigated disaster. (Read the bold, unless you can stomach some of the in between b.s.)
Speaker: Rep. Paul Cook (R) CA.

Since the U.S.-led NATO intervention in 2011, Libya has
completely spiraled out of control and has become a regional and international security threat.
Five years ago, the regime of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi helped us fight against international terrorism. This
is not to say that Gaddafi was a good guy. He was a ruthless dictator who sponsored terrorism in the 1980s.
But Gaddafi eventually realized that he was the target of terrorists himself and he changed course to side with us against the cancer of terrorism.
By 2008, U.S. military leaders were calling Libya a top U.S. ally in combating transnational terrorism. Fast forward to
today, and Libya is a virtual incubator of terrorist groups, hosting all stripes of jihadi organizations including ISIS and
al-Qaeda.
Unfortunately, it was U.S. policy that transformed Libya into the complete failure that it is today. 2011 we decided to
intervene in Libya and establish no-fly zones to aid Libyan rebels plotting against Gaddafi.
Under the safety of the no-fly zone we imposed, Islamic terrorist groups long subdued under Gaddafi’s regime sprung up,
amassed weapons, training and military experience.
Gaddafi was ultimately killed in October 2011.
Within days, NATO and U.S. forces packed up and left Libya to its own
devices.
It appears that our own Libyan policy at the time was to remove Gaddafi. There was little planning regarding what to do
the day after.
Gaddafi’s ouster unleashed chaos in the country. Long-simmering political, regional and ethnic divisions suddenly emerged and set Libya on a path toward disaster.
The country has never recovered.

So fast-forward to January 2020, and we again have none other than the original Zionist shit disturber extraordinaire, BHL, touring the Donbass region being photo-op’d with Ukronazi fighters and meeting with their command completely immune to the genocide his new partners-in-crime were committing there.
Fast-forward again to today and what we have is deceit and trickery working it’s way to get USNATO involed in Ukraine against Russia.
If USNATO gets involved, not only will Ukraine fall into chaos, but it might end up resembling 1945 Dresden.
And then we’ll be into WWIII and on the advent of mutual thermo-nuclear annihilation.
Bernard-Henri Levy is always a bad omen. He’s the Grim Reaper disguised in a suit and starched white shirt. I’m surprised he’s not being paid by the CIA…or Mossad.

Posted by: Circe | Mar 15 2022 3:30 utc | 285

@Posted by: Circe | Mar 15 2022 3:30 utc | 278
At the time of the UN vote on the Libyan no fly zone Putin was Prime Minister and Medvedev was President, so it was Medvedev who abstained on the no fly zone vote.
“Prime Minister Putin gave a scathing public condemnation of Medvedev’s Libya policy (Suchkov 2018). Whether the Putin-Medvedev disagreement was genuine or staged, it paved the way for Putin’s 2012 electoral bid, where Medvedev agreed to step aside for the former president. With the departure of Medvedev, any hope for increased Russian-Western cooperation quickly dissipated”
https://jpia.princeton.edu/news/echoes-abstention-russian-policy-libya-and-implications-regional-stability

Posted by: Roger | Mar 15 2022 3:40 utc | 286

Posted by: karlof1 | Mar 14 2022 23:58 utc | 234
The Guardian had a recension of Richard Sakwa’ book – may be good for historians.
It is a apparently a good source of the mayhem in Ukraine in those years before the Majdan. The author is not America-basher.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/feb/19/frontline-ukraine-crisis-in-borderlands-richard-sakwa-review-account

Posted by: bystander 04 | Mar 15 2022 3:45 utc | 287

So that’s it, then.
Majority of US Republican Senators Vow to Not Back New Nuclear Deal With Iran https://sputniknews.com/20220314/majority-of-us-republican-senators-vow-to-not-back-new-nuclear-deal-with-iran-1093873454.html

Posted by: Laurence | Mar 15 2022 3:54 utc | 288

@ robin | 163
Some of the things that strike me most about the Nuland-Pyatt conversation:
-the cocksure lingo “gain altitude”, “midwife this thing”;
-Pyatt’s obsequiousness;
-the presumptuous specificity (e.g. the number of times a week ‘Yats’ should talk with people);
-the implication of how manipulable the Ukrainians are (e.g. they will do things based on how much of a big shot tells them to do them); and
-the close involvement/naked self-interest of Biden.

Posted by: Figleaf23 | Mar 15 2022 3:55 utc | 289

@256 ptb | Mar 15 2022 1:51 utc
I don’t see cause for despair. Ishchenko is perhaps the leading expert on his homeland of Ukraine, but he was talking about the tactical difficulties of 8 years ago, not especially of today.
Recall that Russia doesn’t want or need to occupy Ukraine, or even necessarily to micromanage it, merely to have a solid government that steers a course of neutrality in the world and friendship with Russia. And all of this locked into Russian agreements that cannot be broken or weaseled around.
Recall also the massive and brutal propagandizing of the population in the last 8 years, and consider that those who have been propagandized can be re-propagandized. Russia has already seized the TV infrastructure, and this is only the beginning.
Also, the Chinese experience in Xinjiang shows that re-education programs do work. They’re not much different from taking a driver’s license or a gun safety course; one may laugh at the requirement but one also does retain the key points afterwards.
So I’m not too worried about the Ukraine populace. What matters is for Ukraine to have its true independence, free of the Nazis and the CIA – and Brussels, for that matter – and to get on with its life.
Ukrainians who don’t already know will come to see that the brotherly nation of Russia came to their aid in dire extremes. And they will see that their personal situations are improving over time – and all this will carry the day, over a generation.

Posted by: Grieved | Mar 15 2022 4:03 utc | 290

psychohistorian | Mar 15 2022 3:26 utc | 277
Tom Luongo just wrote a piece referring to the nickel trade that closed the LME and the Poszar article about financialisation vs commodity backed money (“inside money” vs “outside money”) here.
He asks:

Why would the LME allow this guy to amass this insane position in Nickel futures when he’s clearly not interested in taking delivery of the metal (the whole purpose of commodity futures trading in the first place). He’s just a speculator. So, position limits don’t matte all of a sudden? But, if I’m China I allow this to get out of control, knowing all it takes is the application of a pittance of newly-minted inside money to blow up the whole nickel market.
And with it the validity of the LME as a futures exchange.
I’m having a hard time not seeing this as China just fucked the West completely by destroying the validity of the LME.
It could just be, like Archegos, an initial round of financial system blackmail. Today nickel, tomorrow…. gold?
Regardless, tt just broke the confidence of the LME as a clearinghouse for commodity traders.

Posted by: Dadda | Mar 15 2022 4:19 utc | 291

@Posted by: Grieved | Mar 15 2022 4:03 utc | 283
I agree, once the Ukrainians see the Russians bringing them food, rebuilding and providing them with a better life, they will see the Ukie propaganda for the lies that it is. Plus, of course change the school curriculums to tell the truth about the scum Bandera and Maidan and the colour revolution. What works in Xinjiang can certainly work in Ukraine.
I just watched a documentary about the US invasion of the Mariana Islands in WW2 (on Netflix part of the series “WWII In Color”). The Japanese civilians were throwing themselves and their children off cliffs because what they had been told the US “devil” would do to them. One woman threw her child off a cliff but was stopped from killing herself by US troops. A little later she saw the US troops giving food to other civilians and treating their wounds, and “her brain broke” as one of the troops put it. Propaganda can be an awful thing, but it can be turned around pretty quickly when it is proven to be lies by what people see with their own eyes.

Posted by: Roger | Mar 15 2022 4:25 utc | 292

Apparently Trump’s excellent Vice President has announced he would pull out of any JCPOA arrived at with Biden.
So, why even bother?

Posted by: digital dinosaur | Mar 15 2022 4:26 utc | 293

These are the entrenched unique crooks Mother Russia is trying to destroy. https://www.winterwatch.net/2022/02/cabal-crime-syndicate-loots-ukraines-gold/

Posted by: Anon | Mar 15 2022 4:32 utc | 294

Well now I am really confused,lol
Latest update from Aljazeera!!!
1 hour ago (02:45 GMT)
War could be over by May: Ukraine official
An adviser to the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff says the war in Ukraine is likely to be over by early May when Russia runs out of resources to attack its neighbour.
“I think that no later than in May, early May, we should have a peace agreement, maybe much earlier, we will see, I am talking about the latest possible dates,” Oleksiy Arestovich said in a video published by several Ukrainian media.
“We are at a fork in the road now: there will either be a peace deal struck very quickly, within a week or two, with troop withdrawal and everything, or there will be an attempt to scrape together some, say, Syrians for a round two and, when we grind them too, an agreement by mid-April or late April.”
A “completely crazy” scenario could also involve Russia sending fresh conscripts after a month of training, he said.
Wow,unbelievable!!!

Posted by: Kim | Mar 15 2022 4:39 utc | 295

But, truly, these same whoreson devils do the
gods great harm in their women; for in every ten
that they make, the devils mar five. antony and cleopatra
very fitting of the Kaganite clan and that she-devil that they bred, V Nuland, that serpent at the national breast, which = the world’s = everyone’s. that whole brood and tribe needs “all the joy of the worm.” ie, death, the grave. cuz sex…what pleasure can compare with Nazis in Maidan sq?
lay the ax to the root and branch of that evil tree.

Posted by: rjb1.5 | Mar 15 2022 4:54 utc | 296

The USA is currently demonstrating to China exactly why they must stand firm with Russia. If Russia goes down, then China is next.

Posted by: Herv | Mar 15 2022 5:09 utc | 297

@284 Dadda | Mar 15 2022 4:19 utc et al
Thanks for the Luongo link – just started reading it, barely a paragraph in. Some of this material has been posted in the open thread – thanks to c1ue over there for the first hit on the Poszar note – but if it’s happening here, I should probably add the latest from Martyanov (linked from somewhere here, with thanks):
This Is Important. — And again about dedollarization.

Translation: YEREVAN, March 14 – Sputnik. The member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and China will develop a project for an independent international monetary and financial system. This was agreed upon by the participants in the economic dialogue “A New Stage of Monetary, Financial and Economic Cooperation between the EAEU and the PRC. Global Transformations: Challenges and Solutions”, which was held on March 11 via videoconference. It is envisaged that the system will be based on a new international currency, which will be calculated as an index of the national currencies of the participating countries and commodity prices. The first draft will be submitted for discussion by the end of March. As Sergei Glazyev, Minister for Integration and Macroeconomics of the EEC, emphasized, China was the first in the world to move to the stage of national economic recovery.

Posted by: Grieved | Mar 15 2022 5:11 utc | 298

the world’s nightmare song, the last thing anyone wants to hear Over There you’ll be begging for the last trumpet if the yanks or their hired hands come marching thru singing their war songs.
let’s not forget as recently reported even in the MSM that the US has killed tens of thousands remotely over the last 2 decades. real angels. hellfire angels, shooting on peasants. video game warfare. do we think russia, china, etc., don’t know about these things?
the herd instinct is strong in the US. everyone is fleeing into the safety of the beliefs of the herd, hiding behind the group, taking the masks off. how hard is it to understand this simple thing: if the US state doesn’t give a shit about the growing piles of homeless people and is locking hundreds of thousands of migrants in cages, and is in complete denial about the coronavirus (not all of us have forgotten about that cuz it’s been true since day 1), then we aren’t on some humanitarian endeavor in Ukraine.
Americans can’t admit that Russians know 10 billion percent more about the US and its policies than they do. We are too special. special ed.
that oil/gas are even a factor is difficult for most of us Americans to consider. cf iran, iraq, venezuela, syria, israel & lebanon to an extent, etc.
i’ve said this before, it’s like a goddam JJ Abrams Star Wars script. people cheer and enjoy the war as lifelessly, ie thoughtlessly, as they do NASCAR, the NFL, MCU. our foreskin of christ is the Snyder cut.

Posted by: rjb1.5 | Mar 15 2022 5:13 utc | 299

So, the more I research BHL, the more I suspect he just has to be on the CIA/Mossad payroll, because there he is turning up in every hot spot like where’s waldo!
In the Muslim world he’s known as the Chaos Maker.
Isn’t it ironic that when he visited the Donbass he was siding with the oppressor Ukronazis instead of the Russian-speaking Ukrainians being killed and oppressed?
Did you know that he was in Kurdistan trying to maneuver the creation of a second Israel when the Kurds attempted to challenge Iraq’s government for independence?
He also pulled some mischief in Afghanistan apparently involving himself in the Panjshir resistance against the Taliban.
Not to mention popping up in Yugoslavia, Tunisia, Libya, Syria…
This guy keeps showing up everywhere ready to instigate trouble on behalf of his bleeding heart for the oppressed, but one place he never turns up–Gaza.

Posted by: Circe | Mar 15 2022 5:27 utc | 300