Category Archives: Military Affairs

Military Confrontation

The USA Needs a War to Survive

By Lacyon Days:

The USA needs a War to survive, if they can’t force in a single world currency (their plan all along) they’ll collapse into never-ending debt with never-ending inflation rendering them hopelessly bankrupt.

They’ve had a plan for well over sixty years that if they can gain full world military dominance they can then introduce/force a single world currency (What this is ALL about) …The effect as such would see the US overnight become completely debt free (explains the enormous military overspending and explains their willingness to allow China to purchase so many US bonds) and would see them achieve full global military control as well as full global financial control (a very nice achievement many might argue – in other words for those people that don’t know). That effectively means ‘American Tyranny’ and that’s no different from Nazi tyranny.

The trick is that the US dollar is the world ‘reserve currency’ and is currently used by most other countries to purchase their oil/gas/energy etc, meaning that billions if not trillions of dollars are kept by countries for their energy purchasing, which allowed the US to print more and more dollars without showing the true rate of Inflation that would normally arise from such massive currency printing. Now, because so much of the US currency sits in vaults all over the world as a reserve currency in order to purchase countries’ energy, it would never find its way into the actual US economy meaning the US could hold their level of Inflation right down from what it really should be.

Here’s the huge problem we’re now seeing: countries like Russia, China, Iran, lots of Europe and many more now want to sell/buy their energy in different currencies not just the US dollar, meaning that each country who now trades in other currencies, whether it be the Yuan, the Ruble or the Euro will start to dump the dollars they held for energy purchasing and will replace them with the currency they’re going to use. The problem for the US is when those billions if not trillions of dollars start to filter back into the US economy (as is now happening) the Inflation now explodes as it can’t be hidden anymore. It would see the likes of a loaf of bread skyrocket to over $200 and would bankrupt them United States overnight. This is exactly why we’re seeing this attempt to drag Russia into a war because obviously, they didn’t believe Russia could become a threat to them again and they can’t force a single currency with the likes of Russia and her nuclear threat saying get lost.

They nearly had it done with the collapse of the USSR…What a bonus that was, it meant they could do it without war!!

But they messed that right up because they took their eye off one man – Putin.
The United States REALLY believed they had finished off Russia after the collapse of the USSR to the point Russia could never be a threat to them again, they helped keep Russia in a state of pandemonium through Yeltsin’s reign believing they had sealed Russia’s fate to the toilet.

When Putin came to power the US could not work him out, but when they invaded Iraq and Putin (craftily as it bought him time) did not veto them they believed they had Russia under their control and Putin was just a pushover like Yeltsin. (History will see Putin’s tactic of not vetoing the Iraq invasion as genius as it really fooled the US and that really damaged their plans).

Because while the US was invading countries all over the world with no one to stop them, Putin was quietly building Russia an extremely effective military defence and upgraded all Russian weaponry to a level able to hold its own if not beat any nation on the planet.

The US blind to this, carried on as they used NATO to murder Gadaffi, as they kept Iraq destabilised by transferring known terrorist commanders into Iraq from Guantanamo Bay in the hundreds to help keep it in chaos.

They then set their sights on Syria, and were preparing for a ground invasion as with Iraq when all of a sudden Putin vetoed that action! That stunned the US, stopped them in their tracks and they then took a close look at Russia again.

When the US understood how they misread Putin they then set out to demonise him in the West and globally the propaganda got so bad it could have been written by a spotty American teenager going through puberty.

But it left the US unable to use ground troops in Syria.

This is when we saw the US and the EU start in Ukraine, we saw the US CIA and their neo-nazi recruited thugs start the marches and protests in Ukraine.

America, if you all remember were all upbeat about Yanukovich winning the Presidency because he had shown an interest in joining the EU, it was only when he decided to go to Russia and ask for a loan, and stated he was trying to work on a closer relationship with Russia, did all this really kick off, then these CIA-led thugs murdered people, started murdering random people at will, they bombed Kiev while claiming Yanukovich was a thief a tyrant and Putin’s puppet (yet they said none of this when he showed an interest in the EU, all these accusations only started after he asked Russia for support) they forced Yanukovich to flee to Russia in fear of his life.

They then got the parliament to impeach him/Yanukovich (who were obviously under threat to do so, as the vote came back 300+ to zero).

The West who have caused all the trouble in Ukraine (knowingly and purposely, as Victoria Nuland’s phone call revealed to the world) blame Russia and in effect Illegally issue sanctions against Russia for something they have not been able to prove or even attempted to prove as in reality it’s just a financial tool used many times by the US and its vassals but it shows Russia how far they’re prepared to go to force war.

In Syria the US decided to use proxy’s in the form of terrorists, they recruited, trained, armed, paid and then sent these terrorists into Syria to murder people, everyday normal people, working people, people just like you or I, they murdered people in the streets, they took over towns and cities through Syria by murder and butchery. I remember seeing them stood on street corners dressed in black standing around burnt out cars with their rifles at their sides, there were bodies of naked raped women and their children just lying murdered on the side of the roads.

They were the Free Syria Army, only at that time nobody knew they were recruited, trained, armed and very well paid by the US, we only found that out after Russia went into Syria three years after.

Yes, that’s right, the US is responsible for all the devastation, murder, rape, and terrorism of people just like us, they caused it purposely, and don’t forget this was all long before the so-called ISIS crossed over in from Iraq!

This is ALL about America’s attempt at global military and financial dominance. And with this insane EU/NATO stance, it seems that if the US collapses then so does the Euro and maybe the Pound.

Things have dramatically changed and changed to such an extent it sees us becoming exactly what we fought two worlds wars to prevent.
That’s the bottom line of what we’re really facing.

Putin knows all he needs is time, he must avoid getting into a war with the US but never lay down to them. He knows sooner rather than later it’s all got to start to collapse, so he’ll try to avoid war and let them crumble (After all Russia had to start again, they did not cause a war, they just collapsed) but the US know that’s what he’s doing, so we see them provoke and provoke Russia, they’ve non-stop encroached further and further towards Russia’s borders using NATO’s ridiculous excuse of protecting the Baltic’s from Russian aggression.

Putin knows exactly what the US wants and has always known this was coming, everything he’s done shows this very clearly. If not for his wisdom the US would have already provoked WW3.

If any of this had happened at any other time In history you can be positive the former USSR would have fired nuclear weapons at the US already, and with every damn right to do so.

We’ve witnessed Putin three times clearly warn them to stop this nonsense and the US have purposely ignored him every time. Because the US doesn’t want compromise, they don’t want talks, they don’t want peace, they must have war or collapse!

This is the truth no one wants to admit! You only need to remember … For all Western governments and media to be following the same scripted lies (unprecedented in history) you simply must know the reason is huge! …It Is!

The Avangar Glider

‘…RE: The Avangar glider.

I don’t think the engineering is that difficult…’

Oh my…

Here is a little more coherent explanation…

Ceramic composites…the primary challenge is the heat load generated by skin friction heating…

Let’s put some numbers to those temperatures…

A plasma is by definition a gas with an electric charge…for air, which is composed of mostly nitrogen [~3/4] and oxygen [~1/4]…the temperature at which ionization occurs is about 9000 C…

The process happens by first N2 and O2 molecules separating [dissociating] into O an N atoms…

ie O2 —> 2 O at 2000 4000…

Then those N and O atoms begin to lose an electron at even higher temps…

ie O —> O+ & e-…T > 9000…

This is an incredibly high temperature that no known material can withstand…reinforced carbon carbon is used on spacecraft and is good to about 2000 C…

Now spacecraft re-entering the atmosphere are designed to slow down as they begin encountering air drag at the upper atmosphere [where the air is still quite thin…]

They do this by using blunt leading edge shapes…here is how a typical capsule looks like…

Shock_Layer.jpg

The Space Shuttle similarly uses its blunt underbody to slow down…

B001729.jpg

An ICBM warhead also inevitably slows down somewhat…but not because it is designed to…it is designed to plummet right in…but still retains a lot of speed as it approaches the ground [it is not designed to hit the ground but to air-burst…]

But it spends a lot less time going that fast…giving the heat less time to transfer into its surface… and even then the heat load is a major challenge…

Now with a gliding warhead…you obviously do not want to slow it down like you would the space shuttle…which comes down to land at airplane like speeds…it would be easy to shoot down…

But the glider is also going to spend a lot more time flying through the thick air down low…so the heat transfer will have more time to build up…

So here we bring in the other big part of the puzzle…which is the shockwave…in that illustration of the capsule above…the shock wave is seen just in front of the convex blunt curvature of the body…

Fortunately…that shock wave also shields the heat…the temps behind the shockwave are much lower…a serendipitous fact of the physical world without which space travel…or at least the re-entry part…would be impossible…

Even so…those heat loads are truly huge…

Now the shockwave geometry clearly mimics the body shape…as seen in that capsule…with a glider you are still going to have a shockwave…but because it is designed to glide it must be more aerodynamic…ie its lift must be greater than its drag…

That means the shape of the shockwave…and its proximity to the body…which is very important…may not be so ideal…

This is a very large challenge in terms of aerodynamics and thermodynamics…

Then you have other issues…how are you going to control the flight path…having a gyro is fine…but you need actual control surfaces on the craft…ie movable ‘flippers’ if you will…

Those will require some kind of mechanical or hydro-mechanical actuation…where does the power for that come from…?

What about shielding those mechanical pieces from the heat…?

As you can see it gets complicated pretty fast…

The Implications of Russia’s New Weapon Systems

FB says:

I would note that there is a lot of shock and anger in the US media…not only the aspect of ‘Russian Aggression’…but also the idea that the Russians have made a major technology leapfrog over the US…

This is because for decades the US media and govt have loudly touted US and Western technology as far superior to that of the Soviet Union and Russia…

As with any propaganda theme of the West…this canard was eagerly accepted by all…the media…the public…the so-called ‘experts’ etc…

In a culture and at a historical time where ‘technology’ is fascinating to people…[despite the fact that they do not understand even the basic physical and technical side of it]… it is seen as a source of national power…

We have arrived at this point in time where it’s all about the technology…and the corollary…

‘…Our technology is the best in the world…especially our military technology…’

Of course…those who are technically literate and do in fact understand from a professional perspective the aerospace technology in particular…and will have likely been exposed to Russian and Soviet technical circles [such is the nature of science…it is and has always been an interactive, multinational field…]

…So for those people the Putin announcement of March 1, really does not come as a big surprise at all…many would who are familiar with the vast scientific and technical potential of this nation…are not shocked to see some very significant technical breakthroughs…

Still, speaking as one such individual, who has long taken the view that the Russians have the people and institutional tradition to pull of some amazing technological advances in aerospace, in particular…the magnitude of the leap described in the Putin address is still difficult to process…

If these technologies are as mature as Putin has implied…then this is massive news in the aerospace domain…

I will only highlight one of the new weapons systems here…the Kinzhal air-launched, hypersonic anti-ship missile…

What we know so far…it is an air-launched, maneuvering missile with an unprecedented range of 2,000 km [1,080 nautical miles]…and an unprecedented speed of Mach 10…[7,600 mph at sea level]…

If true…this is an astounding leap in cruise missile technology…ie if we consider here that ‘cruise’ means a maneuverable missile as opposed to one that flies on a simple ballistic trajectory like any piece of artillery…

Let us compare to what is out there now…the Kh22 anti-ship missile was put into service in 1962…56 years ago…

Like the Kinzhal it is air-launched…carried by the Tupolev Tu22M supersonic long-range bomber…

The missile weighs 5,800 kg and has a range of 600 km [324 nm]…with a maximum speed of M4.6 [3,500 mph]…

This was the original Soviet carrier-killer…there is nothing remotely similar in the West…the updated version that entered service in 2016… the Kh32 boasts an increased range of 1,000 km [540 nm]…and a slight increase in speed to M5…

So clearly the groundwork for a ‘super-sized’ version of this kind of anti-ship missile has been in place for a long time…

Both the Kh models are powered by liquid fuel rocket engines and employ a flight trajectory where the missile first climbs to a high altitude…27 km [90,000 ft] for the KH22…and 40 km [130,000 ft] for the Kh32…

…then either dives at the target to achieve its maximum M4.6 speed [M5 for Kh32]…maneuvering all the way to the target to make it harder to knock out with air defenses…

…or, alternately, making a shallow dive at M3.5 and then approaches the target flying close to the water surface at a height of 500 ft…

Below is a picture of the KH22 carried by a Tu22M3

X-22_under_Tu-22M3.jpg

We see one Kh under the starboard wing and another in a conformal [ie half-buried] position under the fuselage…the port wing would carry a third Kh…

The below graphic shows the two flight profiles of the Kh…

000-Kh-22-Backfire-C-CONOPS-1.png

And here we see a ‘friendly’ cockpit tour of the Tu22M by USN Admiral Charles R. Larson…Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet…during the Cold War…

Backfire-Cockpit-DN-SC-91-02246-1S.jpg

So we see that the new Kinzhal missile claims twice the range and twice the speed of the existing Kh32…

We know nothing about the propulsion system of this missile nor its flight characteristics…ie how high does it go…and how does it make its final approach to the target…?

More on that in a bit…but first let’s look at the overall picture…

The primary target for this missile would not be USN aircraft carriers but Aegis missile cruisers and destroyers carrying the SM3 ballistic missile defense interceptors [BMD]…as Andrei has pointed out…

This is the real concern for Russia…the US already has over 64 Arleigh-Burke class destroyers in service plus 22 Ticonderoga class cruisers…for a total of 86 large Aegis-equipped warships in service…

According to the US Missile Defense Agency…five of those cruisers and 28 destroyers are BMD capable…for a total of 33 ships as of 2017…the plan is to bring that number to over 70…

There is also the Aegis Ashore installation in Romania [operational] and Poland which will soon be operational…

Clearly that is a very large missile defense infrastructure that could pose an existential threat to Russia…

The other side of this equation is the US’ longstanding drive for nuclear first-strike capability against Russia…

The scenario would unfold like this…the USN Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines would launch a surprise strike against Russian silo-based ICBMs…strategic bomber bases…and any Russian ballistic missile subs in port…with the Trident 2 sub-launched ICBM…

The retaliatory strike by Russia would be neutralized by the US missile defense…relying largely on the Aegis SM3 interceptor…which can be located on ships close to Russia’s coast…[as well as the Aegis Ashore installations in Eastern Europe]…

This kind of first-strike has been openly discussed in US policy circles for more than a decade…

‘…According to our model, such a simplified surprise attack would have a good chance of destroying every Russian bomber base, submarine, and ICBM…’

—Foreign Affairs, Volume 85, number 2…

That from 2006…and this from 2013…

‘…On March 1, the Strategic Studies Quarterly, a journal published by the U.S. Air Force’s Air University, published an article admitting what…the Russians, have long been warning against: that U.S. strategic policy under the Obama Administration is seeking to create the capability to launch a first strike against Russia and/or China, without fear of nuclear retaliation..’

Clearly Putin’s announcement of these new weapons is to bring a reality check to such unhinged individuals…who may in fact represent the consensus in Washington to this day…

The threat as outlined in the above scenario is very real…the Trident 2 can cover 1,850 km [1,000 nm] in just 12.5 minutes…

That’s with what is called a minimum energy trajectory or MET…which is the trajectory angle for maximum range for a given amount of rocket energy…

The US has been exploring depressed trajectory [DT] ICBM flights which would reduce the 1,850 km flight time to just 7.2 minutes…

The Trident 2 ICBM has a much greater maximum range [up to 10,000 km] but the obvious advantage is to get as close as possible before launching…it is estimated that a US sub several hundred km offshore in international waters could hit the most inland Russian missile silos and bomber bases with a maximum range of about 3,000 km…

A 3,000 km DT launch would have a flight time of only 10 minutes…

It is not clear whether the US has achieved the depressed trajectory capability, as this type of flight path results in increased heat loading [due to atmospheric friction]…and also reduced accuracy…due to unpredictable atmospheric effects like air density and winds aloft…

It is also unclear just how well the SM3 interceptor actually works…prominent critics like MIT’s Prof. Ted Postol, a weapons expert and former science adviser to the pentagon…have pointed out that the SM3 flight test ‘success’ has been overstated and doubts that the system is actually capable of bringing down an enemy missile in an actual combat scenario…

We also note that out of the 33 Aegis BMD equipped warships…17 are in the Pacific Fleet [plus five more such Japanese navy ships…yet the US has not attempted to shoot down a North Korean missile…many of which have overflown Japan…

However…whatever the failings of the current system may or may not be…the rational assumption is that sooner or later this capability will in fact be functional…the same assumption can be made for the depressed trajectory launch of Trident 2 submarine ICBMs…

Here is how the Aegis SM3 is supposed to work…

This shows that the SM3 is designed to intercept a ballistic missile two distinct phases of flight…the ascent portion of the target flight…starting right after rocket burnout and as the target is ascending in space on its ballistic trajectory…

And secondly…the descent portion of the flight…where the target missile has passed its midpoint apogee and is descending toward the target…

Now here is the important part that somehow got lost in the original post…

We see here that intercepting the target ballistic missile in the ascent phase requires the placement of the Aegis SM3 interceptors close to where the target missile is launched…

In the case of Russia…that would mean getting those Aegis ships near to Russia’s coast or the Aegis Ashore installations in Eastern Europe…

If the intent was to intercept those target missiles on the descent part of the flight…the Aegis ships would be placed near the US…and Aegis Ashore would be placed right in the US…not Eastern Europe…

So by understanding how midcourse missile defense works we see also the intent of those ballistic missile interceptors…they are aimed squarely at Russia…

The other part that got lost in my original post was my introductory remarks about the Iskander ground-launched missile…which is suggested by Andrei as the possible building block for the Kinzhal…

To briefly recap about what is known about the Iskander…it weighs 3,800 kg…two tons less than the Kh22 and has about the same range…500 km…

This range limitation as noted already is likely artificial in order to meet the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty [INF] which limits intermediate range missiles to 500 km maximum range…

Which means adding a longer fuel section…it is a solid-fuel rocket so can be modular…can increase the range…

The missile carries a warhead of up to 800 kg…so it is definitely able to sink a large warship with a direct hit…the Kh22 used a 1,000 kg warhead…which is said to have made a quite massive hole…

‘…Soviet Tests showed that a Kh-22MA equipped with 1,000 kg (2,205 lb) RDX warhead and with an approach speed of 800 m/s (Mach 2.4), used against an aircraft carrier, will make a 22 m2 (240 sq ft) hole, and the warhead’s cumulative jet will burn through internal ship compartments up to a depth of 12 m…’

That’s with an approach speed of just M2.4…with a higher approach speed the kinetic energy itself would be greater…kinetic energy increases by the square of speed…so just doubling impact speed to ~M5 would quadruple the kinetic energy…M10 would mean 16 times the kinetic energy on impact…[in comparison to the Kh22 impacting at M2.4…

Although it should be noted here that the likely impact speed would certainly be less than M10…perhaps half that I would estimate…due to drag in the thick air down low…we see the same with the Kh22…[the M5 is a top speed…not impact speed…which is not actually given]…

In any case…it means a smaller warhead than that used on the Kh22 would actually be adequate…freeing up more fuel payload…

As I noted already…the Iskander is fully maneuverable throughout its flight…suing both gas dynamic [ie thrust vector by means of paddles in the exhaust gas stream]…and aerodynamic control…ie by means of control surfaces like movable fins…

Also as noted the MiG31 is the ideal platform for this missile…the Tu22 is bigger and can carry three Kh22/32…which is 18 tons…but it does not have the speed or altitude capability of the MiG31…

Also important is that the MiG31 is designed to cruise at M2.4…it is the only aircraft in existence…since demise of the Concorde to cruise supersonically at high Mach number…neither the Tu22 nor the bigger Tu160 heavy bomber is designed for sustained supersonic…only dashes…

This is true of all combat aircraft…

For instance the F22 is designed for only a 100 nm sprint in its supercruise at M1.8…

F-22range.jpeg

So the bottom line as far as the Kinzhal is concerned is that this is probably the most likely of the weapons mentioned by Putin that is closest to actual use…all the pieces are definitely there…the Iskander technology is well proven and has seen combat…2008 Georgia war…

The MiG31 has been a uniquely powerful aircraft for three decades now and is a perfect match for this type of missile…

As for the other weapons…certainly the nuclear powered cruise missile is intriguing…but we will leave that for another day…lots to unpack there…

NEO – Trump’s Bosses Pushing for Nuclear War with Russia

by Gordon Duff, VT Sr. Editor, … with New Eastern Outlook, Moscow

– First published … March 02, 2018 –

For the second time in a month, combined Syrian and Russian forces came under air attack. February 2018 is a turning point in US policy as Trump policies, “stated policies,” such as cooperation with Russia against terrorism and respect for Syria’s territorial integrity, have fallen away.

With Syria firing missiles at US planes for the first time in response to an unprovoked US attack on a Syrian Arab Army base near Deir Ezzor, we see only the beginning. Next, the New York Times has accused Syria of working with North Korea to build poison gas producing facilities, an outrageous charge.

This, of course, is timed to coincide with staged chlorine gas attacks in the Ghouta pocket outside Damascus as Russia threatens to retaliate against an artillery attack from US backed forces there. This points to the Russian Embassy in Damascus.

Sighting for such a target would require access to US military satellite systems and specialized artillery shells available only through the US or NATO partners.

The question of course is why Trump is allowing the military a free hand or is he behind it? Secretary of Defense Mattis and Secretary of State Tillerson are nowhere to be seen, “disappeared” as it were, no longer part of the equation. America’s Congress is fully engaged in a blame game, Russia, the “liberal,” or gun manufacturers, anything but governing.

Then again, America had another mass school shooting and Americans have learned that local police sat outside a school while a demented killer, who had announced for months exactly what he planned, murdered 17 students and teachers.

The police who sat on their “fat behinds” worked for a local sheriff who had a long history as a Trump “asset.” Sheriff Scott Israel of Broward County, Florida was assisted in his campaign in 2014 by famed Trump “dirty trickster” Roger Stone.

Trump blamed the FBI. The “fake news” blames the US Secret Service. The real seeming culprit, the corrupt local sheriff, a regular visitor at Mara Lago and other Trump properties, co-owned with gang boss Felix Sater, is being lauded a national hero, while Americans stand by aghast.

According to reports, Sheriff Israel ignored dozens of reports warning of the school shooting and ordered his deputies to stand down, allowing the shooting to continue, then allowed the shooter to escape, passing right past his deputies, to be later arrested by the town police of sleepy Coral Gables, a nearby retirement community.

These incidents, happening at a staccato rate, have finally alerted the American public that their government might well have a hand in such things, something once easily pushed aside under the broad use of the term “conspiracy theory.” That protection for government game playing, also known as “false flag terrorism,” is no longer working in America.

The question today is this, can America continue fabricating stories of Syrian government “atrocities,” as they did with Saddam and the debunked “baby and incubator” stories from Kuwait from 1990 that led to the Desert Storm debacle and three decades of war?

The next question is simply this, who is behind Trump? Who rigged the election?

It is safe to assume, for political insiders at least, that all American elections are rigged to some extent. “Ballot box stuffing” has been a long tradition in America. Moreover, the American Constitution was written to limit democracy, not encourage it. Nobody really knows what the “electoral college” does or why states with no population can have more US Senators than residents.

Then in 2005, the US Supreme Court, in a case commonly called “Citizens United v. the United States,” legalized corporate bribery of US officials, tearing the heart out of the American political system and allowing world organized crime a free hand.

With the media and many in government focusing on Russia and election meddling, while Trump and his cohorts seem to be pushing for a war with Russia, or North Korea or China or bullying smaller nations like Cuba or Venezuela or Iraq, just part of a seemingly endless list of targets we clearly note an unseen hand at work.

Deeply involved as well is the United Nations. With its Human Rights Council, dominated by Saudi Arabia and the statements condemning real terrorism falling on deaf ears, with the US veto protecting not only Israel’s attacks on its own “citizens,” the 6 million “gulag” prisoners, the Palestinian people, with Israel’s continual attacks on its neighbors, Lebanon and Syria, that organization has proven less than useless, more complicit than helpful.

A recent statement by a military spokesman in Washington decrying the threat of Russian Aerospace forces is a telling one. According to the Pentagon, the US is entitled, if that word could ever apply, to maintain “global aerospace dominance” in order to support what is termed “US global policy.” What is that policy?

With Russian air defense systems the best in the world, and Russian aircraft, including the now deployed in Syria Su 57 5th generation stealth fighters, the equal or better of their American counterparts, the history of carpet bombing the world into submission that began in Vietnam is threatened.

American bombing campaigns in Afghanistan using B52 heavy bombers at high altitude are unreported, a daily occurrence, just like the Nixon “mad bomber” operation of 1970 that led to a public uprising against the government that ended, temporarily, the idea of “permanent war” to stimulate America’s flagging economic regime.

Perhaps we need to assess global events and the idea of permanent war as it exists, an economic tool to enslave. What is the endgame here? The analysis is inexorable, permanent war, total surveillance, a world “police state” and a capability to reduce world population in support of a broader agenda.

What we now recognize is that Trump, as with so many other politicians around the “free world,” has “handlers” and serves an agenda. That agenda clearly threatens human survival. Who profits by this?

Gordon Duff is a Marine combat veteran of the Vietnam War that has worked on veterans and POW issues for decades and consulted with governments challenged by security issues. He’s a senior editor and chairman of the board of Veterans Today, especially for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook.”

PUTIN UNVEALS RUSSIA’S NEW WEAPONS: HYPERSONIC MISSILES, NUCLEAR UNMANNED UNDERWATER VEHICLES AND LA SER WEAPONS (VIDEOS)

via Southfront

On March 1, President Vladimir Putin gave his annual state-of-the-nation address to Russia’s Federal Assembly unvealing the country’s priorities and state of the art weapon systems.

Kinzhal high-precision hypersonic aircraft missile system

Countries with high research potential and advanced technology are known to be actively developing so-called hypersonic weapons. The speed of sound is usually measured in Mach numbers in honour of Austrian scientist Ernst Mach who is known for his research in this field. One Mach is equal to 1,062 kilometres per hour at an altitude of 11 kilometres. The speed of sound is Mach 1, speeds between Mach 1 and Mach 5 is called supersonic, and hypersonic is above Mach 5. Of course, this kind of weapon provides substantial advantages in an armed conflict. Military experts believe that it would be extremely powerful, and that its speed makes it invulnerable to current missile and air defence systems, since interceptor missiles are, simply put, not fast enough. In this regard, it is quite understandable why the leading armies of the world seek to possess such an ideal weapon.

Friends, Russia already has such a weapon.

The most important stage in the development of modern weapons systems was the creation of a high-precision hypersonic aircraft missile system; as you already know for sure, it is the only one of its kind in the world. Its tests have been successfully completed, and, moreover, on December 1 of last year, these systems began their trial service at the airfields of the Southern Military District.

The unique flight characteristics of the high-speed carrier aircraft allow the missile to be delivered to the point of discharge within minutes. The missile flying at a hypersonic speed, 10 times faster than the speed of sound, can also manoeuvre at all phases of its flight trajectory, which also allows it to overcome all existing and, I think, prospective anti-aircraft and anti-missile defence systems, delivering nuclear and conventional warheads in a range of over 2,000 kilometres. We called this system Kinzhal (Dagger).

Avangard strategic hypersonic missile system

A real technological breakthrough is the development of a strategic missile system with fundamentally new combat equipment – a gliding wing unit, which has also been successfully tested.

…

Unlike existing types of combat equipment, this system is capable of intercontinental flight at supersonic speeds in excess of Mach 20.

As I said in 2004, in moving to its target, the missile’s gliding cruise bloc engages in intensive manoeuvring – both lateral (by several thousand km) and vertical. This is what makes it absolutely invulnerable to any air or missile defence system. The use of new composite materials has made it possible to enable the gliding cruise bloc to make a long-distance guided flight practically in conditions of plasma formation. It flies to its target like a meteorite, like a ball of fire. The temperature on its surface reaches 1,600–2,000 degrees Celsius but the cruise bloc is reliably guided.

….

For obvious reasons we cannot show the outer appearance of this system here. This is still very important. I hope everyone understands this. But let me assure you that we have all this and it is working well. Moreover, Russian industrial enterprises have embarked on the development of another new type of strategic weapon. We called it the Avangard.

X-101 air-launched missile carrying a nuclear warhead

Russia’s advanced arms are based on the cutting-edge, unique achievements of our scientists, designers and engineers. One of them is a small-scale heavy-duty nuclear energy unit that can be installed in a missile like our latest X-101 air-launched missile or the American Tomahawk missile – a similar type but with a range dozens of times longer, dozens, basically an unlimited range. It is a low-flying stealth missile carrying a nuclear warhead, with almost an unlimited range, unpredictable trajectory and ability to bypass interception boundaries. It is invincible against all existing and prospective missile defence and counter-air defence systems. I will repeat this several times today.

In late 2017, Russia successfully launched its latest nuclear-powered missile at the Central training ground. During its flight, the nuclear-powered engine reached its design capacity and provided the necessary propulsion.

Now that the missile launch and ground tests were successful, we can begin developing a completely new type of weapon, a strategic nuclear weapons system with a nuclear-powered missile.

Nuclear unmanned underwater vehicle

“Now, we all know that the design and development of unmanned weapon systems is another common trend in the world. As concerns Russia, we have developed unmanned submersible vehicles that can move at great depths (I would say extreme depths) intercontinentally, at a speed multiple times higher than the speed of submarines, cutting-edge torpedoes and all kinds of surface vessels, including some of the fastest. It is really fantastic. They are quiet, highly manoeuvrable and have hardly any vulnerabilities for the enemy to exploit. There is simply nothing in the world capable of withstanding them.

Unmanned underwater vehicles can carry either conventional or nuclear warheads, which enables them to engage various targets, including aircraft groups, coastal fortifications and infrastructure.

In December 2017, an innovative nuclear power unit for this unmanned underwater vehicle completed a test cycle that lasted many years. The nuclear power unit is unique for its small size while offering an amazing power-weight ratio. It is a hundred times smaller than the units that power modern submarines, but is still more powerful and can switch into combat mode, that is to say, reach maximum capacity, 200 times faster.

The tests that were conducted enabled us to begin developing a new type of strategic weapon that would carry massive nuclear ordnance.”

Sarmat ICBM

In addition, we have embarked on the development of the next generation of missiles. For example, the Defence Ministry and enterprises of the missile and aerospace industry are in the active phase of testing a new missile system with a heavy intercontinental missile. We called it Sarmat.

Sarmat will replace the Voevoda system made in the USSR. Its immense power was universally recognized. Our foreign colleagues even gave it a fairly threatening name.

That said, the capabilities of the Sarmat missile are much higher. Weighing over 200 tonnes, it has a short boost phase, which makes it more difficult to intercept for missile defence systems. The range of the new heavy missile, the number and power of its combat blocs is bigger than Voevoda’s. Sarmat will be equipped with a broad range of powerful nuclear warheads, including hypersonic, and the most modern means of evading missile defence. The high degree of protection of missile launchers and significant energy capabilities the system offers will make it possible to use it in any conditions.

…

Voevoda’s range is 11,000 km while Sarmat has practically no range restrictions.

As the video clips show, it can attack targets both via the North and South poles.

Sarmat is a formidable missile and, owing to its characteristics, is untroubled by even the most advanced missile defence systems.

Laser weapons

We are well aware that a number of other countries are developing advanced weapons with new physical properties. We have every reason to believe that we are one step ahead there as well – at any rate, in the most essential areas.

We have achieved significant progress in laser weapons. It is not just a concept or a plan any more. It is not even in the early production stages. Since last year, our troops have been armed with laser weapons.

I do not want to reveal more details. It is not the time yet. But experts will understand that with such weaponry, Russia’s defence capacity has multiplied.

…

Those interested in military equipment are welcome to suggest a name for this new weaponry, this cutting-edge system.

Of course, we will be refining this state-of-the-art technology. Obviously, there is far more in development than I have mentioned today. But this is enough for now.

Russia Creates Advanced Weapons Responding to US Scrapping Missile

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly at the Manezh Central Exhibition Hall

© Sputnik/ Michael Klimentyev

On March 1, President Vladimir Putin gave his annual state-of-the-nation address to the bicameral parliament, the Federal Assembly, in which he outlined the country’s domestic and foreign policy priorities. Here are the highlights of his speech: from missile defense to artificial intelligence and beyond.

Russia ‘Has Long Persuaded US Not to Violate ABM Treaty, Everything Was in Vain’

President Putin announced that Russia was creating new defense systems in response to the United States’ deployment of anti-missile defense systems “both in the US and outside its borders.” He proceeded to say that all of Russia’s suggestions on joint work have been rejected by the US, explaining that Moscow has tried to convince Washington not to violate the anti-missile defense treaty, but all this has been in vain.

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly at the Manezh Central Exhibition Hall

© SPUTNIK/ GRIGORIY SISOEV
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly at the Manezh Central Exhibition Hall

According to Putin, the US military build-up will eventually render Russia’s nuclear arsenal pointless unless Moscow acts, specifying that all agreements under the New Start Treaty are gradually being undermined and devalued.

“The implementation of plans on global missile defense system, which is currently ongoing, nullify all agreements within the framework of the SNV-III treaty [New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, START signed in 2009] since together with the reduction of number of warheads and their carriers one of the parties, the United States, is increasing the number of interceptors, improving their characteristics, creating new positioning spots, which, if we do not take action, will lead to full nullification of Russia’s nuclear potential, [all missiles] will be intercepted.”

“A uniform radar location field for a missile attack alert system has been deployed along the perimeter of Russia’s borders, which is very important. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, large holes had emerged in it, but everything has now been fixed,” Putin said.

‘Nobody Listened to Russia Before We Created New Weapons Systems, They Will Listen Now’

“We have started development of new strategic arms that do not use ballistic flight paths, while moving to targets, which means that the missile defense systems are useless in struggle against them.”

In late 2017, Russia successfully tested a completely new type of armament “unmatched in the world” — a nuclear-powered missile, Putin said. Following this announcement, Putin declared the beginning of the active phase of SARMAT missile system tests, saying that the new weapons would be invulnerable to interception as its capabilities allow it to bypass any missile defense. SARMAT will be equipped with nuclear warheads. Moreover, Russia is developing a nuclear warhead small enough to be carried by cruise missiles. In addition, Moscow has developed underwater drones capable of operating at enormous depths and intercontinenal distances, as well as creating hypersonic weapons.

“No one listened to Russia before we created new armament systems, so listen to Russia now,” said President Putin, saying that the country is one step ahead of other states.

Putin underscored that he hadn’t revealed all the weapons Russia was working on, but this was “enough” for one day.

At the same time, the president clarified that all the work to enhance Russia’s defense capability has been conducted within the framework of international agreements, and does not violate any deals. Putin noted that the country was not threatening anyone and had no intention of attacking anyone despite the creation of a new array of arms, including high-precision strategic weapons, which purely serve Russia’s defensive needs.

Russian Operation in Syria Showed Russian Army’s Increased Capabilities

The Russian anti-terrorist operation in Syria has demonstrated the Russian Armed Forces’ enhanced capacities, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

Putin also noted the “enormous work” in strengthening the Russian army and fleet, which had been conducted over the past several years.

“The whole world now knows the names of Russia’s modern weapons,” he stated.

Russia Cannot Avoid Lagging Behind in Development of Modern Technology, AI

According to the President, the next few years will be crucial for technological changes in Russia, regardless of who wins the upcoming presidential election.

“The world is accumulating enormous technological potential which allows us to make a huge breakthroughs in improving people’s standard of living, modernization of economy, infrastructure and state governance… The efficiency of how we use the great potential of the technological revolution… depends on us only. In this context, the next few years will be decisive for the future of the country,” Putin said.

Having stressed that lagging behind was a serious problem that should be overcome, President Putin stated that Russia was ready for a technological breakthrough.

Putin called for removing all barriers hindering the development of robotics and artificial intelligence in Russia, adding that the legal framework for the work of foreign scientists and IT specialists should be formed in the country.

“Russia should become not only a key logistics hub of the planet, but, let me stress, one of the global centers of storage, processing, transmitting and protecting large information blocks, the so-called big data,” Putin stated, underscoring the urgent need to take into consideration global technological changes when developing the country’s infrastructure, the importance of adding such solutions as digital navigation, drones, artificial intelligence.

Russia Should Increase Life Expectancy From 73 to 80+ by End of Next Decade

Among the key issues of Russia’s internal policy, the president highlighted the need to improve the quality of people’s lives, boost the financing of maternal welfare and young families, as well as cuting in half the “unacceptable” poverty rate within six years.

He gradually went on to address demographic problems, saying that Russia should take measures to support elderly people and increase life expectancy, with a big screen behind him showing graphs to accrue to his words.

December 1, 2016. Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his Annual Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly at the Kremlin's St. George Hall.
© SPUTNIK/ GRIGORIY SISOEV
Russian President Putin Annual Address to Federal Assembly (VIDEO)

“The life expectancy has risen by more than seven years [since 2000] and amounts to 73 years but this is not enough. Today we must set a principally new goal: by the end of the next decade Russia must enter the 80+ group of states where life expectancy exceeds 80 years,” Putin said.

“We have to respond to [demographic] challenges and in the next decade ensure sustainable growth of the Russian population… Overall we have to allocate at least 3.4 trillion rubles to protect maternity and childhood in the next six years,” Putin said in his annual state-of-the-nation speech.

Russian Economy’s Growth Rate Should Exceed Pace of World Economy Development

“Russia should not only to shore up a position in the top five largest economies of the world, but increase the GDP per capita by 1.5 times by the middle of the next decade. It is a very complex issue. I am sure that we are ready to resolve this issue.”

“New technologies are to be introduced in the production, storage and transfer of energy. In the coming six years, it is planned to attract a total of 1.5 trillion rubles in private investment for the renewal of the power industry,” Putin said in his address to the Federal Assembly.said.

Also, Putin elaborated that Russia’s economy should boost its growth rate above the average world level, which, in his own words, was a complicated task and a key issue for the new government, insisting that the low inflation rate gave the country additional incentive for economic development. In addition, he noted that the growth of labor efficiency should be no less than 5% a year, in order to be at the level of the leading world economies in 10 years.

The 2018 address of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Federal Assembly, country’s parliament, has broken record in terms of duration and lasted for one hour and 57 minutes.

Concern in Israel that masses of E. Ghouta refugees will stream to its Golan border

Via Debka

A Russian promise on Monday, Feb. 26 to set an evacuation route for civilians to leave besieged Eastern Ghouta has sparked deep forebodings in Israel. This promise accompanied an announcement by Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu that President Vladimir Putin had ordered a daily five-hour “humanitarian pause” in the fighting, which has left hundreds dead. It is estimated in Israel that between 50,000 and a quarter of a million inhabitants of the embattled enclave near Damascus may be directed through this evacuation route to Quneitra opposite the Israeli Golan.

Israeli authorities are fearful on two counts: In the absence of Syrian facilities, Israel will be confronted with the sudden responsibility to supply their basic needs for food, water, medicines and shelter; but, most of all, the certainty that hostile entities will exploit this mass exodus to disguise the infiltration of terrorist networks right up to Israel’s northern doorstep. Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan are already contending with these threats to their security.

The Russian evacuation route will initially serve to bring urgent food and medical assistance to the 400,000 inhabitants of Eastern Ghouta, who have been besieged for weeks under savage Syrian government, Iranian and Hizballah bombardment. But the evacuation will equally serve the Assad regime for distancing a large Sunni population away from Damascus. And so, rather than allowing the refugees to reach such population centers as Homs or Hama, they will be permitted to exit through a single door, one heading south to Quneitra.

DEBKAfile reports that the Russian truce-cum-evacuation initiative was prompted by more than humanitarian concerns. It was based on the positive start in the truce negotiations that the Assad regime has secretly launched with the two main rebel groups fighting in Eastern Ghouta. They are the Faylaq al-Rahman organization, which is linked to the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, and Jaish al-Islam, a collection of Sunni Muslim Salafi extremists. Both groups have committed to evicting from the enclave the fighters of Saryat al Tahrir, most of whose members are affiliated to Al Qaeda.
However, seen from Israel, the immediate consequence of a Russian-guaranteed truce of this kind will be the opening of the floodgates for a new peril to reach its northern border. As matters stand now, there is nothing much Israel can do except hold on and hope for the best.

Syria-Israel encounter – February 10, 2018

A long and overdue report regarding what happened on Feb 10, 2018 when the SyAAD engaged the Zionists; but we had to wait for a personal reason; and as always on this page, the blunt truth.

On 05:00 Feb 10, 2018 a formation of Zionist jets launched 16 Popeye Turbo ALCM (320km range) from Lebanese airspace toward Riyad Qayasa AFB (aka T4 AFB) which the SyAAD managed to detect and intercept the majority of. (we cannot disclose any more) after foiling their attack, SyAAD fired a single long range missile against the Zionist formation which after exploding the fragmented warhead hit a Zionist F-15 damaging it.

When the Zionist’s raid was foiled, a second Zionist formation took off to reattempt an attack on the SyAAF base; at 0600 few minutes after taking off, a Syrian S-200VE missile scored a direct hit against an enemy F-16I over the occupied Golan Heights and we all saw the aftermath. (The jet was downed while fully armed contradicting the Zionists’ media story that it was shot down after it “successfully” raided the Syrian airbase)

When their F-16I was shot down, the Zionist air force was put on full alert and attempted what is known as SEAD or “Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses” like they did back in 1982 in Southern Lebanon.

The first batch of long-range and anti-radiation missiles fired by the Zionists were completely shot down and non of it made it to its targets. They were hit with that surprise and for the first time in their history they Zionists attempted to overwhelm the Syrian Air Defenses by firing projectiles from outside of Syrian Airspace but most were without a specific target; and mainly to overwhelm the air defenses so that the projectiles and anti-radiation missiles might have a chance in hitting their attempted targets.

SyAAD also fired a short/medium range missile and destroyed an AH-64 Apache helicopter, while another one was damaged. The enemy claimed one of their choppers was out of services due to a mechanical error

After their miserable failure to hit anything significant, the enemy thinking that they had already overwhelmed the SyAAD, they sent an armed drone that entered the Syrian Airspace from the Lebanese airspace and was shot down over al-Zabadani

They only managed to hit a single air defenses guidance radar in the South, and a single launcher (we cannot specify but it was NOT an S-200 as they claimed)

An enemy F-15 formation attempted to target the Syrian Air Defenses from over Jordanian airspace, and again, an SyAAD S-200 scored a direct hit against another enemy F-15 near the Jordanian/Palestinian border line; parts of the missile and the F-15 were recovered in Jordan, but Zionist media and officials claimed that it belonged to the same F-16 that was downed in Occupied Golan Heights (So basically they are saying a jet that was hit with a 217kg warhead was still able to fly North where there are not airbases to land after being hit; this lie might work on civilians but not on us)

Syrian Air Defenses imposed what is known as A2/AD or Anti-Access/Area Denial that extended from Northern Damascus all the way over Southern Syria, Southern Lebanon, Northwestern Jordan and Northern Palestine; in which not a single enemy fighter was able to move freely and the enemy was going crazy trying to hit the Syrian Air Defenses batteries and failed. And you all saw SyAAD missiles and missile boosters over Lebanon and Jordan.

To give you an example of how the enemy lie regarding whether they hit their target or not; they claimed they hit all of their targets but wasn’t it few weeks ago when the Zionists claimed they have destroyed the S-200 regiment that fired a missile at one of their F-16s in Lebanon and we told you back then their claims are baseless and there was minor material damage?! Well evidently, the same battery they claimed they destroyed shot down one of their jets just few weeks after.

Finally, the Syrian Air Defenses put down the enemies “long hand” and showed the enemy again that just because Syrian command chooses not to move in certain occasions, it does not mean SyAAD is not capable of reacting; never mistake patience with weakness, and choice with inability. And we`ve always said that on this page way back since 2013.

This is what happened to the best of our ability to share in terms of details. Those who follow us know very well that we never share anything we are not sure of, and we never sell dreams nor sugarcoat events. Another post is coming regarding the aftermath and our personal thoughts.

Syrian Arab Army

The US is Executing a Global War Plan

Authored by Finian Cunningham via The Strategic Culture Foundation,

Washington is moving inevitably on a global war plan. That’s the grim conclusion one has to draw from three unfolding war scenarios.

Ultimately, it’s about American imperialism trying to assert hegemony over the international order for the benefit of US capitalism. Russia and China are prime targets for this global assault.

The three unfolding war scenarios are seen in Syria, North Korea and Ukraine. These are not disparate, disassociated conflicts. They are inter-related expressions of the American war plans. War plans which involve the moving of strategic military power into position.

Last week’s massacre of over 100 Syrian government forces by American warplanes near Deir ez-Zor was an audacious overt assault by the US on the Syrian state. The US, along with other NATO allies, have been up to now waging a seven-year proxy war for regime change against Russia’s ally, President Assad. The massacre last week was certainly not the first time that US forces, illegally present in Syria, have attacked the Syrian army. But it seems clearer than ever now that American forces are operating on the overt agenda for regime change. US troops are transparently acting like an occupation army, challenging Russia and its legally mandated support for the Syrian state.

Heightening international concerns are multiple reports that Russian military contractors were among the casualties in the US-led air strike near Deir ez-Zor last week.

Regarding North Korea, Washington is brazenly sabotaging diplomatic efforts underway between the respective Korean leaderships in Pyongyang and Seoul. While this inter-Korean dialogue has been picking up positive momentum, the US has all the while been positioning nuclear-capable B-52 and B-2 bombers in the region, along with at least three aircraft carriers. The B-2s are also reportedly armed with 14-tonne bunker-buster bombs – the largest non-nuclear warhead in the American arsenal, designed to destroy North Korean underground missile silos and “decapitate” the Pyongyang leadership of Kim Jong-un.

American vice-president Mike Pence, while attending the Winter Olympics in South Korea, opening last week, delivered a blunt war message. He said that the recent detente between North Korea and US ally South Korea will come to an end as “soon as the Olympic flame is extinguished” – when the games close later this month. This US policy of belligerence completely upends Russia and China’s efforts to facilitate inter-Korean peace diplomacy.

Meanwhile, the situation in Eastern Ukraine looks decidedly grim for an imminent US-led invasion of the breakaway Donbas region. Pentagon military inspectors have in the past week reportedly arrived along the Contact Zone that separates the US-backed Kiev regime forces and the pro-Russian separatists of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. Donetsk’s military commander Eduard Basurin warned that the arrival of Pentagon and other NATO military advisors from Britain and Canada indicate that US-armed Kiev forces are readying for a renewed assault on the Donbas ethnic Russian population.

Even the normally complacent observers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), charged with monitoring a nominal ceasefire along the Contact Zone, have lately begun reporting serious advancement of heavy weapons by the Kiev forces – in violation of the 2015 Minsk Peace Accord.

If the US-led Kiev forces proceed with the anticipated offensive next month in Donbas there are real fears for extreme civilian casualties. Such “ethnic cleansing” of Russian people by Kiev regime forces that openly espouse Neo-Nazi ideology would mostly likely precipitate a large-scale intervention by Moscow as a matter of humanitarian defense. Perhaps that is what the US planners are wagering on, which can then be portrayed by the dutiful Western news media as “another Russian aggression”.

US-based political analyst Randy Martin says: “It is undeniable that Washington is on a war footing in three global scenarios. Preparation for war is in fact war.”

He added: “You have to also consider the latest Nuclear Posture Review published by the Pentagon earlier this month. The Pentagon is openly declaring that it views Russia and China as targets, and that it is willing to use nuclear force to contest conventional wars and what the Pentagon deems to be asymmetric aggression.”

Martin says that it is not clear at this stage what Washington wants exactly.

“It is of course all about seeking global domination which is long-consistent with American imperialism as expressed for example in the Wolfowitz Doctrine following the end of the Cold War,” says the analyst.

“But what does Washington want specifically from Russia and China is the question. It is evidently using the threat of war and aggression as a lever. But it is not clear what would placate Washington. Perhaps regime change in Russia where President Putin is ousted by a deferential pro-Western figure. Perhaps Russia and China giving up their plans of Eurasian economic integration and abandoning their plans to drop the American dollar in trade relations.”

One thing, however, seems abundantly clear. The US is embarking on a global war plan, as can be discerned from the grave developments unfolding in Syria, the Korean Peninsula and Ukraine. Each scenario can be understood as a pressure point on Moscow or China to in some way acquiesce to American ambitions for global dominance.

To be sure, Washington is being reckless and criminal in its conduct, violating the UN Charter and countless other international laws. It is brazenly acting like a rogue regime without the slightest hint of shame.

Still, Russia and China are hardly likely to capitulate. Simply because the US ambition of unipolar hegemony is impossible to achieve. The post-Second World War order, which Washington was able to dominate for nearly seven decades, is becoming obsolete as the international order naturally transforms into a multipolar configuration.

When Washington accuses Moscow and Beijing of “trying to alter the international order to their advantage” what the American rulers are tacitly admitting is their anxiety that the days of US hegemony are on the wane. Russia and China are not doing anything illegitimate. It is simply a fact of historical evolution.

So, ultimately, Washington’s war plans are futile in what they are trying to achieve by criminal coercion. Those plans cannot reverse history. But, demonically, those plans could obliterate the future of the planet.

The world is again on a precipice as it was before on the eve of the First and Second World Wars. Capitalism, imperialism and fascism are again center stage.

As analyst Randy Martin puts it: “The American rulers are coming out of the closet to show their true naked nature of wanting to wage war on the world. Their supremacist, militarist ideology is, incontrovertibly, fascism in action.”

The Israel-Lebanese oil dispute – part of US-Russian Mid-East energy battle

 

via debkafile

Instead of accepting a US-brokered deal for Block 9, Hizballah and Iran make Israel’s offshore gas and oil fields a fourth war front.

When six years ago, the US tried to mediate the dispute over Block 9, which straddles the maritime waters of Lebanon and Israel (offering 60 percent to Lebanon; 40 percent to Israel), Russia, Iran and Hizballah had not yet intervened militarily in that early stage of the Syrian civil war. At the time, too, the US controlled Middle East energy markets and Israel cherished the belief that its offshore gas and oil fields were rich enough to supply Europe’s annual consumption and make the Jewish state a Middle East energy power.

But Beirut flatly rejected the US compromise then – just as it does now, except that, today, Lebanon speaks with a stronger and more aggressive voice, backed since then by Hizballah’s and Iran’s victories in the Syrian war arena.

Israel, for its part, missed the train. Major international energy firms have since drawn away from investing in the development of Israel’s Mediterranean gas and oil fields, and it has fallen back on supplying its own needs and sales to neighbors, Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinians. Most of all, Israel has reason to rue its rejection of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s repeated offer to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for Russian state firms to develop those fields, finance a pipeline network to Europe and provide security for the project. Putin maintained that neither Iran nor Hizballah would venture to attack rigs and pipelines under Russian ownership and protection. This rationale worked effectively in October 2017, when Iraqi and Shiite militia forces seized the oil city of Kirkuk from the semiautonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, while refraining thus far from laying hands on the oil fields supplying Turkey, because the Kurds had earlier handed them over to the Russian Rosneft energy giant.
Netanyahu spurned Putin’s proposition at the time for the sake of Israel’s close ties with Washington.

In the present geo-strategic circumstances, DEBKAfile’s military and intelligence sources are strongly skeptical of the chances of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Acting Undersecretary David Satterfield pulling off their bid to broker a deal between Lebanon and Israel over Block 9. Even if a compromise is negotiated, Beirut will flout it before the ink is dry, just as it did UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which prohibited Hizballah from rearming after its 2006 war with Israel or positioning armed strength in South Lebanon.

Five compelling impediments stand in the way of the US mediation bid:

  1. The Block 9 issue has evolved from the latest turn in the Syrian war into part and parcel of a broader test: US controls the oil fields and gas plants of eastern Syria which the US-backed SDF seized from ISIS last year, including the Conoco natural gas facility. Against this, Iran, Hizballah and Syria are in position for holding Israel’s Mediterranean oil and gas facilities hostage.
  2. A resolution of this impasse is contingent on the US and Russia reaching understandings on Syria. In their absence, US forces on Feb. 7, for the first time attacked Russian “mercenaries” helping Syrian and pro-Iranian attempting to cross the Euphrates and seize control of the Tabiyeh oil fields on the eastern bank; and Moscow, for its part, will not lift a finger to stop the Iranian Al Qods commander, Qassem Soleimani, or Hizballah’s chief, Hassan Nasrallah, from continuing to threaten Israel’s offshore rigs. Nasrallah said explicitly on Friday, Feb. 16: The region has entered “the battle of oil and gas. No one should look at this as a separate dispute,” he said. If the Lebanese Defense Council so decides, we [Hezbollah] are ready to disable Israel’s offshore gas installations in a couple of hours.”
  3. The Israeli-Lebanese dispute is not the only energy-related quarrel in the region, which Secretary Tillerson is trying to tackle. For months he has been trying without success to settle the feud which oil-rich Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt are fighting with Qatar. Just as the former is tangled up in the Syrian crisis, the latter is caught up in the challenge the US and Saudi Arabia is presenting to Iran’s bid for control of the Red Sea and determination of the outcome of the Yemen war.
  4. The Trump administration’s perception of Lebanon’s government and mlitary structures is unrealistic. Its officials appear to believe that they are not fully under Iranian and Hizballah control and can still be rescued from those Shiite-imperialistic claws. Washington therefore continues to remit arms and funds to Beirut, although Hizballah takes the first cut.

For Israel, the dispute over Block 9 is a major handicap for its strategic position against its foes. Until now, Israel had to contend with three belligerent Iranian-Hizballah fronts building up from Quneitra on the Syrian Golan, southern Syria and southern Lebanon. Hizballah’s threat to its offshore gas and oil fields has added a fourth.