Sy Hersh: Biden ordered German pipeline sabotage

[Jon Banks]

Most people have concluded at this point that it wasn't Russia. Including the investigators in Europe.

The investigators in Europe have concluded nothing of the kind (yet). The investigation is still ongoing. In fact, in European media this isn't even a big story.

In case you missed this:

Feb. 2023 - German top official says no evidence of Russian sabotage of Nord Stream pipeline

German top official says no evidence of Russian sabotage of Nord Stream pipeline. German investigators currently have no evidence that Russia is behind the explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, German Attorney General Peter Frank told Die Welt.'

https://kyivindependent.com/news-feed/german-top-official-says-no-evidence-of-russian-sabotage-of-nord-stream-pipeline


Washington Post last year:

…after months of investigation, numerous officials privately say that Russia may not be to blame after all for the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines.
“There is no evidence at this point that Russia was behind the sabotage,” said one European official, echoing the assessment of 23 diplomatic and intelligence officials in nine countries interviewed in recent weeks.

Some went so far as to say they didn’t think Russia was responsible. Others who still consider Russia a prime suspect said positively attributing the attack — to any country — may be impossible...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/12/21/russia-nord-stream-explosions/


Sy Hersh makes a convincing case for why the US did it but he only provided circumstantial evidence.

[Martin Weidmann]

In case you missed this:

Feb. 2023 - German top official says no evidence of Russian sabotage of Nord Stream pipeline

German top official says no evidence of Russian sabotage of Nord Stream pipeline. German investigators currently have no evidence that Russia is behind the explosions on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, German Attorney General Peter Frank told Die Welt.'

https://kyivindependent.com/news-feed/german-top-official-says-no-evidence-of-russian-sabotage-of-nord-stream-pipeline


Washington Post last year:

…after months of investigation, numerous officials privately say that Russia may not be to blame after all for the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines.
“There is no evidence at this point that Russia was behind the sabotage,” said one European official, echoing the assessment of 23 diplomatic and intelligence officials in nine countries interviewed in recent weeks.

Some went so far as to say they didn’t think Russia was responsible. Others who still consider Russia a prime suspect said positively attributing the attack — to any country — may be impossible...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/12/21/russia-nord-stream-explosions/


Sy Hersh makes a convincing case for why the US did it but he only provided circumstantial evidence.

I'm not really impressed by the opinion of a "German top official". Having no evidence, to date, that Russia is behind the explosions does not justify the conclusion that Russia isn't behind it.

The same applies to what officials say privately. It's all nothing more than opinions. The bottom line is that there is no official report, to date, and there may never be.

[Jon Banks]

I'm not really impressed by the opinion of a "German top official". Having no evidence, to date, that Russia is behind the explosions does not justify the conclusion that Russia isn't behind it.

The same applies to what officials say privately. It's all nothing more than opinions. The bottom line is that there is no official report, to date, and there may never be.

To date, there’s no evidence that Russia did it nor does Russia have a ‘realistic’ motive for sabotaging their own pipelines that cost billions to construct.

Investigators have expressed both publicly and in private that there’s no evidence that Russia was involved.

[Steve M. Galbraith]

Latest report is that evidence "suggests" it may have been a pro-Ukrainian group/groups: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/07/us/politics/nord-stream-pipeline-sabotage-ukraine.html

[Jon Banks]

Latest report is that evidence "suggests" it may have been a pro-Ukrainian group/groups: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/07/us/politics/nord-stream-pipeline-sabotage-ukraine.html

Kind of funny to see anonymous intelligence officials throwing Ukraine under the bus again. It’s not the first time they’ve distanced themselves from illegal or terroristic acts committed by Ukraine.

But given the lack of details in the article and anonymous sources, it smells like a diversion or limited hangout.

The Ukrainians clearly had a motive for sabotaging the German-Russian pipelines but given that they don’t have a real navy, I can’t see them committing a sabotage act on that scale without help from a state actor.

[Jon Banks]

A German newspaper is also implying a Ukraine connection to the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage:

The German investigative authorities have apparently achieved a breakthrough in the investigation of the attack on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines. After a joint research by ARD-Hauptstadtstudio, the ARD political magazine Kontraste, the SWR and the ZEIT, it was possible to largely reconstruct how and when the explosive attack was prepared in the course of the investigation. According to this, traces lead towards Ukraine. However, the investigators have so far found no evidence of who commissioned the destruction. On the night of the 26th In September 2022, three of the total of four strands of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines at the bottom of the Baltic Sea had been destroyed by explosions.

https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2023-03/nordstream-2-ukraine-anschlag

Interesting how these stories are breaking on the same day. Almost seems like a coordinated leak of raw intelligence.

[Steve M. Galbraith]

A German newspaper is also implying a Ukraine connection to the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage:
https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2023-03/nordstream-2-ukraine-anschlag

Interesting how these stories are breaking on the same day. Almost seems like a coordinated leak of raw intelligence.

This German report seems to be the work of four newspapers/news organization based, as far as I can tell, on their own investigation. I don't see any sources from any intelligence agency in the story, any leaks.

Key graft (google translation): "Specifically, according to information from the ARD capital studio, the investigators are contrasts [??], SWR and ZEIT managed to identify the boat that was allegedly used for the secret operation. It is said to be a yacht rented from a company based in Poland, apparently owned by two Ukrainians. According to the investigation, the secret operation at sea was carried out by a team of six people. It is said to have been five men and one woman. Accordingly, the group consisted of a captain, two divers, two diving assistants and a doctor, who are said to have transported the explosives to the crime scenes and placed them there. The nationality of the perpetrators is apparently unclear. The assassins used professionally forged passports, which are said to have been used, among other things, to rent the boat."

Hell, it could have been Polish intelligence?

[Jon Banks]

This German report seems to be the work of four newspapers/news organization based, as far as I can tell, on their own investigation. I don't see any sources from any intelligence agency in the story, any leaks.

That doesn’t mean that they didn’t get some tips from intelligence officials.

The fact that both the NY Times and this German publication published similar articles on the same day a few days after Biden met with Germany’s head of state is either a huge coincidence, or coordinated.

Perhaps both Biden and Germany’s leader, Scholz agreed to leak some of the intelligence that they have on the Nord Stream issue? I wouldn’t rule it out. Alternatively, US intelligence officials might’ve leaked the same info to both the NY Times and the German news outlet although the German article provides more details than the NY Times so maybe it’s not the same sources.

Lastly, I’ve long considered the possibility that it may have been the Poles or Ukrainians or both. However, blowing up multiple pipelines that are 200ft underwater in an area patrolled by NATO countries seems too sophisticated for Ukraine or Poland to accomplish without the help or support of the major players in NATO.