Africa -China Review Africa -China Cooperation and Transformation
Published: March 03,2023
By Gerald Mbanda
When US administration talks about all bad things happening around the world, Russia and China are mentioned as the cause. When they talk about democracy and authoritarian regimes, they classify their own country as democratic and others labeled authoritarian. Again with all evidence of past genocide of the indigenous Red Indians, the inhuman slave trade, racism and gun violence practiced in US, they rate themselves as champions of human rights and label Russia and China as gross violators of human rights. This is the world we are used to that apportions blame to others yet their record shows the contrary. In actual fact, what they blame others for, is exactly what they do but arrogantly assume that the accused are blind and deaf.
That aside, the story today is only about the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage. On 26 September 2022, a series of clandestine bombings and subsequent underwater gas leaks occurred on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipelines. Both pipelines were built to transport natural gas from Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea, and are majority owned by the Russian majority state-owned gas company, Gazprom. The perpetrators’ identities and the motives behind the sabotage remain unsettled but fingers have been pointed as the US administration as the prime suspect. Not Russia or China.
According to informed sources, prior to the leaks, the pipelines had not been operating due to disputes between Russia and the European Union in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but were filled with natural gas. On 26 September at 02:03 local time (CEST), an explosion was detected originating from Nord Stream 2; a pressure drop in the pipeline was reported and natural gas began escaping to the surface southeast of the Danish island of Bornholm. Seventeen hours later, the same occurred to Nord Stream 1, resulting in three separate leaks northeast of Bornholm.All three affected pipes were rendered inoperable.
The leaks occurred one day before Poland and Norway opened the Baltic Pipe running through Denmark, bringing in gas from the North Sea, rather than from Russia as the Nord Stream pipelines do. The leaks are located in international waters (not part of any nation’s territorial sea), but within the economic zones of Denmark and Sweden.
There are more questions than answers how such sabotage that needed highly trained divers who set explosives on the pipelines could take place without detection of Denmark and Sweden navy patrols. Renowned Columbia professor Jeffrey Sachs has revealed some clues pointing fingers at the US administration and Poland as prime suspects responsible for the sabotage of Nord Stream pipeline, an act that can be classified as international terrorismand represents a threat to the peace. “I would bet (the explosion) was a US action, perhaps US and Poland,” Professor Jeffrey Sachs said in an interview with Bloomberg by Tom Keene.
When Tom Keene pressed Professor Jeffrey Sachs to provide evidence by asking, “Why do you feel that was a US action? What evidence do you have of that?”Professor Sachs responded that, radars detecting US helicopters in the area, coupled with key statements made by the White House regarding Russia’s stranglehold on European energy supplies, led him to make the conclusion.
“Well, first, there is direct radar evidence that US military helicopters that are normally based in Gdansk were circling over this area,” Sachs said. “We also had the threat from (President Biden) earlier this year that ‘one way or another we are going to end Nord Stream.”
“We also had a remarkable statement from Secretary of State [Antony] Blinken last Friday in a press conference where he said ‘this is also a tremendous opportunity.” It’s a tremendous opportunity to once and for all remove the dependence on Russian energy”. In January 2023, Under-Secretary Nuland declared to Senator Ted Cruz, “I am, and I think the administration is, very gratified to know that Nord Stream 2 is now, as you like to say, a hunk of metal at the bottom of the sea.”
Commenting on the statement by Blinken, Professor Sachs said, “That’s a strange way to talk if you’re worried about piracy on international infrastructure of vital significance.”
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More clues linking US is the lead suspect on Nord Stream Russian gas pipeline
In February 2022, weeks before Russia sent troops to Ukraine, US president, Joe Biden promised that the US administration would “bring an end” to the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipelines if Russia crossed the border.
“If Russia invades — that means tanks or troops crossing the border of Ukraine — then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it,” Biden said at the time.
Professor Sachs who is an American said that his stand runs against the popular narrative in US and blamed the US media for keeping silent about such an important issue. His revelation also debunks another narrative that the US media exercises unlimited freedom, without being compromised by political interests.
“I know it runs counter to our narrative, you‘re not allowed to say these things in the West, but the fact of the matter is all over the world when I talk to people, they think the US did it,” Professor Sachs said.
“Even reporters on our papers that are involved tell me ‘of course’ (the US did it), but it doesn’t show up in our media.”
Sachs’ accusation came as Germany announced it will form a joint investigation unit with Denmark and Sweden to probe the apparent “sabotage” against the underwater pipelines from Russia.
Although German, Denmark and Sweden promised to carry out joint investigations, its highly likely that the findings will never be made public relating to who was responsible as they are close US allies affiliated to NATO. “The consequences of the destruction of Nord Stream 2 are enormous. They include not only the vast economic losses related to the pipelines themselves, but also the heightened threat to transboundaryinfrastructure of all kinds: submarine internet cables, international pipelines for gas and hydrogen, transboundary power transmission, offshore wind farms, and more, Sachs says.
A report by the Washington Post revealed that the intelligence agencies of the NATO countries privately came to a conclusion that there is no evidence whatsoever that Russia carried out this action. This also comports with the fact that Russia had no obvious motive to carry out this act of terrorism on its own critical infrastructure. Indeed, Russia is likely to bear considerable expenses to repair the pipelines.
Professor Sachs suggests that it is the responsibility of the UN Security Council to take up the question of who might have carried out the act, in order to bring the perpetrator to international justice, to pursue compensation for the damaged parties, and to prevent future such actions.
