Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh just dropped a bombshell report on the September 26, 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage. His story, filed on his website, states that U.S. Navy divers conducted the operation with assistance from Norway.

Hersh presents a detailed blow by blow of the Washington’s planning and execution of the sabotage of the pipeline strands. He traces the Biden administration decision to attack the pipeline network which connects Russia to Germany.

He maintains that the Biden administration planned the sabotage well in advance over many months and then unleashed the operation with help from Norway. Several well-known officials including Secretary of State Tony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland were involved, he says.

President Biden himself would have had to approve the operation and, indeed, Biden openly threatened Russia on the matter in early February 2022 if it intervened in Ukraine. He said, at a Washington D.C. news conference that “there will no longer be a Nord Stream 2”. The German Chancellor, Olaf Sholtz, on a visit to Washington D.C. was present at the news conference.

Under the background of Russia-Ukraine war

The Russian military intervention in Ukraine started on February 24, 2022. Russia had warned that it would take action to protect Russian speaking citizens in the Donbass region from Ukrainian shelling and military operations.

Russia, in December 2021, presented the United States and NATO with proposals for a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis and for discussion about new security architecture for Europe. The U.S. and NATO rejected both of these proposals out of hand and declined to even discuss them.

Meanwhile, Ukraine increased its military pressure on the Donbass region and sharply increased artillery attacks mid-February 2022. Ukraine added forces to the already tens of thousands of troops that were positioned to confront the Donbass region. Russia assessed the intensified Ukrainian military activity and rate of artillery fire as a signal of impending attack.

Russia stated that under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter it was permissible to intervene to protect the Russian speaking population under siege in Donbass.

Western mainstream media suppresses story

It is extraordinary that the mainstream media in Europe and in the United States has suppressed the bombshell Hersh revelations. Of course, many suspected that the United States and NATO members had a role. But there was no detailed explanation of the sabotage.

Given the intensive global information warfare unleashed by the United States, the United Kingdom and NATO, it is no surprise that the Hersh report is being suppressed. Naturally, Western disinformation efforts were quick to pin the blame on Russia but Western publics are not that gullible.

For its part, Russia pointed to NATO as the culprit. NATO members such as Denmark and Poland were mentioned as well as Sweden, a non-NATO country.

The White House, naturally, dismissed the Hersh report. The U.S. Congress is silent.

Hersh accused of fabricating the story

Hersh, 85, is accused of fabricating the story but why would he need to? He is one of the most famous investigative journalists of our time. He is meticulous in his research. Over several decades, he has successfully broken major stories.

Hersh does not need to fabricate anything. He is well known for his extensive contacts and sources in Washington. These range from politicians and Capitol Hill staff, to State Department officials, to the Pentagon and military, as well as to the intelligence community.

In presenting his bombshell scoop, Hersh cites a single unnamed source. His critics jumped on this but the fact is that he did not say that this was the only source. In fact, known for his thorough research he no doubt has multiple sources for the all the data used to build the story.

Given the extraordinary detail in his report one might think that he is planning to release a follow up story or even a book. The story certainly reads like a spellbinder. In fact, his story makes for a cinema thriller.

German leaders’ cowardice

The level of incompetence and cowardice of the German leadership may be shocking but such is the state of European leaders in general it would seem. Instead of using diplomacy to avoid a destructive war in Europe, the leaders recklessly are stoking the fire. Will the Ukraine war expand into other areas of Europe?

The U.S. military attack on key German energy pipeline infrastructure, some would say, is an act of war against both Germany and Russia. The strategic effect of the sabotage has several dimensions. It was intended to separate Germany from Russia and to prevent any deepening economic and diplomatic cooperation. It was intended to be a blow to the Russian economy but Russia has shifted its hydrocarbon sales eastward to China, India, and elsewhere.

The U.S. and Norwegian sabotage by raising the cost of energy to Germany industry negatively impacts their short- and long-term prospects as an industrial power. German firms may be forced to relocate out of Germany to continue profitable operations.

Norway, as a willing participant in the pipeline sabotage operation, excludes Russia from the German energy market and thus can replace it profitably with Norway’s own hydrocarbon exports.

Dark clouds over Europe

The U.S. and NATO proxy war against Russia will not stop any time soon. There are no crystal balls but it appears that the war in Ukraine will take an increasing toll on the European economy and on social and political conditions.

Ukraine has lost the war. It is now partitioned. The question is how much more territory Russia will control and what will be left of Ukraine. Will Russia seek to extend its rule to the Odessa region and even to Transnistria? Will the war expand into Poland and Europe?

The U.S. attack on the Nord Stream pipeline system in the Baltic has, and will have, no effect on the far-removed battlefields of Ukraine. The consequences of the attack, however, may well impact Europe for decades to come. Irreversible damage may already have been done.

Meanwhile, the world can thank Seymour Hersh for his courageous journalism. His revelations must encourage the anti-war movement in Europe and in the United States to expand their campaign to end the Ukraine war.

The article reflects the author’s opinions, and not necessarily the views of China Focus.