USA: Gas pipelines connecting Russia and Germany, Nord Stream 2 and Nord Stream 1, as well as their predecessor, Nord Stream 1, were destroyed in explosions in September of last year. As a result of significant natural gas leakage into the Baltic Sea, this was an attack on European infrastructure, energy security, and the environment as well.
Even though Nord Stream is a significant source of income and influence, the Western political-media class immediately argued that Moscow had probably attacked its own pipelines. They asserted it was a part of the fictitious "Russian playbook," without offering any supporting information or a convincing justification.
Even to suggest that the US would gain from the situation was considered Russian propaganda and conspiracy theory peddling throughout the West. The Americans were able to celebrate the destruction of the pipeline while the Western Europeans vehemently denounced any accusation against their ally as false information in the ultimate display of bloc discipline, or Stockholm syndrome.
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The political-media class has no interest in an open investigation, and the public's awareness of the incident has apparently faded.
The investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, known for exposing US cover-ups of the 1968 My Lai massacre in Vietnam and the 2004 Abu Ghraib prison scandal in Iraq, has now published a report attributing responsibility for the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines to the US. Will the report lead to the serious discussion and investigation the attack merits, or will they try to move on by labelling Hersh a senile, elderly "Putinist"?
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, which sent energy directly between the two European giants, allayed America's historical concerns about economic integration between Germany and Russia. The US was remarkably upfront about wanting to sabotage the German-Russian pipeline project and intending to do so. Years of opposition from Washington to Nord Stream 2's construction, criticism of Germany for its involvement, and even sanctions against European firms involved in the project.
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In 2019, the US Army requested a report from the RAND Corporation on how to encircle and degrade Russia. The report recommended that "A first step would involve stopping Nord Stream 2," which was identified as a major source of Russian economic revenue and influence in Europe. Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a warning in July 2020:
As the conflict in Ukraine grew more intense, the Nord Stream pipeline was frequently threatened. In May 2021, US Senator Tom Cotton said, "There is still time to stop it... Kill Nord Stream 2 right away and let it rust in the Baltic Sea. National Security Advisor for the United States Jake Sullivan stated on January 14, 2022, "We have made clear to the Russians that pipeline is at risk if they move further into Ukraine." Senator Ted Cruz demanded that Nord Stream be stopped on February 3: "This pipeline must be stopped and the only way to prevent its completion is to use all the tools available to do that."
The threat seemed to be realised on September 26, 2022, when an underwater explosion destroyed the German-Russian Nord Stream pipelines. The new Norway-Poland Baltic Pipe, which would replace the reliance on Nord Stream, was officially opened the following day, on September 27, 2022, in Poland at a ceremony attended by leaders from Poland, Norway, and Denmark.
Former Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski tweeted "Thank you, USA" along with a picture of the damaged pipeline following the Nord Stream attack. Then, in no uncertain terms, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken argued that the demise of Nord Stream presents "a tremendous opportunity. It's a fantastic chance to end our reliance on Russian energy once and for all. Blinken also offered to help Western Europe by importing much more expensive American fuel in place of Russian gas. As recently as last week, Nuland added her voice to the discussion, saying, "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."
The US has denied any involvement in the destruction of Nord Stream and has accused Moscow of being the most likely offender. In addition to the strange incident where Stockholm refused to even share its findings with Germany and Denmark because they are "too sensitive," Russia has not been given access to the Swedish investigation.
The media has worked very hard to support Washington's line of thinking. As an illustration, Professor Jeffrey Sachs was abruptly removed from the air when he claimed that the US had sabotaged the pipeline and cited radar evidence.
How America Took Out The Nord Stream Pipeline was the title of an article published this week by Seymour Hersh. Hersh cites a US intelligence source who provided very specific information about the decision-making and execution of the pipeline destruction operation. According to rumours, Norway helped the US attack the pipeline. Moscow's demands for transparency and its insistence that the offenders must be punished have been renewed in response to the Hersh report.
The claims made in Hersh's report are based on a single source and lack hard evidence, but the report is unquestionably worth debating and looking into.