OPEC+ menyetujui pengurangan produksi minyak yang dalam, Biden menyebutnya picik

Menteri Energi Arab Saudi Pangeran Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud dan Sekretaris Jenderal OPEC Haitham al-Ghais berjabat tangan di markas Organisasi Negara Pengekspor Minyak (OPEC) di Wina, Austria, 5 Oktober 2022. REUTERS/Lisa Leutner

OPEC+ setuju untuk memangkas produksi minyak secara tajam pada hari Rabu, membatasi pasokan di pasar yang sudah ketat, menyebabkan salah satu bentrokan terbesarnya dengan Barat karena pemerintah AS menyebut keputusan mengejutkan itu picik.

Pemimpin de facto OPEC Arab Saudi mengatakan pemotongan 2 juta barel per hari (bph) output – sama dengan 2 persen dari pasokan global – diperlukan untuk menanggapi kenaikan suku bunga di Barat dan ekonomi global yang lebih lemah.

Kerajaan itu menolak kritik bahwa mereka berkolusi dengan Rusia, yang termasuk dalam kelompok OPEC+, untuk mendorong harga lebih tinggi dan mengatakan Barat sering didorong oleh “arogansi kekayaan” ketika mengkritik kelompok tersebut.

Gedung Putih mengatakan Presiden Joe Biden akan terus menilai apakah akan merilis stok minyak strategis lebih lanjut untuk menurunkan harga.

“Presiden kecewa dengan keputusan picik OPEC+ untuk memangkas kuota produksi sementara ekonomi global menghadapi dampak negatif lanjutan dari invasi (Presiden Rusia Vladimir) Putin ke Ukraina,” kata Gedung Putih.

Biden menghadapi peringkat persetujuan yang rendah menjelang pemilihan paruh waktu karena inflasi yang melonjak dan telah meminta Arab Saudi, sekutu jangka panjang AS, untuk membantu menurunkan harga.

Para pejabat AS mengatakan sebagian alasan Washington menginginkan harga minyak yang lebih rendah adalah untuk menghilangkan pendapatan minyak Moskow. Biden melakukan perjalanan ke Riyadh tahun ini tetapi gagal mendapatkan komitmen kerja sama yang kuat tentang energi. Hubungan semakin tegang karena Arab Saudi tidak mengutuk tindakan Moskow di Ukraina.

Pengurangan pasokan minyak yang diputuskan di Wina pada hari Rabu dapat memacu pemulihan harga minyak yang telah turun menjadi sekitar $90 dari $120 tiga bulan lalu di tengah kekhawatiran resesi ekonomi global, kenaikan suku bunga AS dan dolar yang lebih kuat.

Menteri Energi Saudi Abdulaziz bin Salman mengatakan OPEC+ perlu proaktif karena bank sentral di seluruh dunia bergerak untuk “terlambat” mengatasi inflasi yang melonjak dengan suku bunga yang lebih tinggi.

Pemotongan nyata yang lebih rendah

Pemotongan produksi hari Rabu sebesar 2 juta barel per hari didasarkan pada angka dasar yang ada, yang berarti pemotongan tersebut tidak akan terlalu dalam karena OPEC+ turun sekitar 3,6 juta barel per hari dari target produksinya pada bulan Agustus.

Kurangnya produksi terjadi karena sanksi Barat terhadap negara-negara seperti Rusia, Venezuela, dan Iran serta masalah produksi dengan produsen seperti Nigeria dan Angola.

Pangeran Abdulaziz mengatakan pemotongan sebenarnya adalah 1,0-1,1 juta barel per hari.

Analis dari Jefferies mengatakan mereka memperkirakan angka tersebut sebesar 0,9 juta barel per hari, sementara Goldman Sachs memperkirakannya pada 0,4-0,6 juta barel per hari dengan mengatakan bahwa pemotongan tersebut terutama akan datang dari produsen Teluk OPEC seperti Arab Saudi, Irak, Uni Emirat Arab, dan Kuwait.

Benchmark minyak mentah Brent naik di atas $93 per barel pada hari Rabu.

Barat menuduh Rusia mempersenjatai energi, dengan melonjaknya harga gas dan perebutan untuk menemukan alternatif menciptakan krisis di Eropa yang dapat memicu penjatahan gas dan listrik musim dingin ini. Moskow, sementara itu, menuduh Barat mempersenjatai dolar dan sistem keuangan seperti mekanisme pembayaran internasional SWIFT sebagai pembalasan atas pengiriman pasukan Rusia ke Ukraina pada Februari.

Wakil Perdana Menteri Rusia Alexander Novak, yang dimasukkan dalam daftar sanksi khusus warga negara AS minggu lalu, juga melakukan perjalanan ke Wina untuk berpartisipasi dalam pertemuan.

Novak tidak berada di bawah sanksi Uni Eropa. Dia dan anggota OPEC+ lainnya setuju untuk memperpanjang kesepakatan kerja sama dengan OPEC selama satu tahun lagi hingga akhir 2023.

Rapat OPEC+ berikutnya akan berlangsung pada 4 Desember OPEC+ akan beralih ke rapat setiap enam bulan, bukan rapat bulanan.

Biden called it Shorsighted when OPEC Agrees Deep Oil Production Cuts

TOPSHOT - US President Joe Biden (C-L) and Saudi[+]
POOL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

The response from the Biden administration and the domestic oil and gas industry was swift after OPEC+ ministers announced on Wednesday an agreement to further reduce the cartel’s oil exports by two million barrels of oil per day (bopd).

The reductions double the one million barrel cut that had been anticipated over the previous week. The agreement came despite pre-meeting warnings from the Biden administration that the U.S. would consider deep production cuts a “total disaster” and a “hostile act,” according to CBS News.

Such pushback from the U.S. administration is unprecedented during the 6-year history of the OPEC+ group.

Since its formation in November, 2016, the cartel has made no secret that its purpose is to exert influence over oil markets to ensure a robust price for crude.

When OPEC+ started, then-President Barack Obama, made no similar statements despite the fact that he and his Vice President, Joe Biden, fully understood that more robust crude oil prices would inevitably mean U.S. consumers would pay higher prices for gasoline at the pump.

Similarly, then-President Donald Trump also avoided any similar aggressive language in response to the announcement by OPEC+ in mid-2020 that it would implement a massive cut of eight million barrels of oil in response to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump officials remained restrained despite the fact that Trump was then in the midst of a bitter re-election campaign, and so did his opponent that year, Joe Biden.

But today, with the mid-term elections barely a month away and with Democrats fighting to hold onto their razor-thin majorities in both houses of congress, U.S. restraint in the face of a cut that is a fraction of the 2020 reduction has suddenly disappeared.

White House and Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told Fox News said in response to the OPEC+ announcement, the U.S. needs to become less dependent on foreign oil.

"We absolutely do agree that we need to be less dependent on OPEC+ and foreign producers of resources like oil," Kirby said.

Kirby speaks for a President and administration that have spent the last 21 months doing everything in their power to inhibit domestic U.S. oil production.

At the same time, the President and his advisors have repeatedly pleaded with foreign producers like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and even Venezuela to put more of their own crude onto the open market whenever U.S. gasoline prices have spiked.

But the irony of today’s remarks appears to be lost on the White House. In a statement in response to the OPEC+ announcement, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and NEC Director Brian Deese said the President is “disappointed” in what they called a “shortsighted decision by OPEC+ to cut production quotas.”

Both of Biden advisors also promised that “the Biden Administration will...consult with Congress on additional tools and authorities to reduce OPEC’s control over energy prices.”

But the irony of the administration’s self-created predicament was not lost on fossil fuel advocate Alex Epstein, author of the best-selling book “Fossil Future,” who tweeted that “The Biden Administration is calling an OPEC production cut a ‘hostile act.’ But if it hadn’t been been for the hundred+ ‘hostile acts’ toward the US oil industry of President Joe ‘I guarantee you, we’re going to end fossil fuel’ Biden we wouldn’t be so vulnerable to OPEC.”

Nor was the irony of the situation lost on Dan Kish, Senior Vice President at the pro-fossil fuels Institute for Energy Research.

"President Biden and his administration have done everything within their power from day one to unilaterally disarm American energy production and he now wants to blame everyone else for his dangerous policies,” says Kish. “His routine is well past getting old, and Americans are going to pay the price for his continuing assault on American energy."

In an email, Tim Stewart, President of the U.S. Oil and Gas Association, said “The White House has one option left and it is the one option they should have never turned away from in the first place - the U.S. based oil and gas industry. Life comes at you pretty fast. Unfortunately, the Administration's colossal energy policy failure now constitutes our industry's emergency.”

Other industry leaders expressed similar thoughts.

“OPEC’s decision to cut production is not good news for American families and business who are already struggling with record high inflation, and it reinforces the need for American energy in the world,” said Anne Bradbury, the CEO of the American Exploration and Production Council, an organization representing the nation’s large independent producers.

In an appearance on Fox News, American Petroleum Institute President, Mike Sommers was equally blunt, saying that “This is really bad news for American consumers. The truth of the matter is the dependency on foreign countries for American oil and gas is a choice and it's a choice this administration has made repeatedly.”

Indeed it is a choice, and, in the wake of the August passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, a bill laden with $349 billion in new subsidies for renewables, electric vehicles and other alternatives to oil and gas production, it’s a choice that appears destined to continue in the United States for the duration of Biden’s first term and likely beyond. It is a choice designed in part to raise the cost of energy of all kinds in order to make renewables and EVs more market competitive, consistent with the overarching goals of the energy transition.

If U.S. consumers are frustrated by the rising cost not just of energy, but of all consumer goods right now, they should try to understand that this is what they voted for in 2020, whether they realized it at the time or not. In that campaign, Biden was quite blunt about his plans to “end” U.S. reliance on oil, ban hydraulic fracturing, end offshore drilling and leasing for oil and gas exploration on federal lands and waters, and basically do whatever he can to inhibit domestic mineral energy production.

Biden has worked to keep those commitments made during his campaign, and here we are with the inevitable results. OPEC+ is not the cause of America’s energy situation; its actions are merely a response to it.

Video - Kain Putih Menyembul Keluar Tanah di Pemakaman Sirnaraga Bandung

Kirmir (tanggul penahan bibir sungai) di tempat pemakaman umum (TPU) Sirnaraga, Kota Bandung ambrol akibat hujan deras yang terjadi pada hari Selasa, 04/10/2022.

Kirmir yang ambrol di TPU Sirnaraga tersebut merupakan pembatas antara jalan setapak dan area pemakaman.

Akibatnya, ada kain kafan yang terlihat menyembul ke tanah di tujuh makam yang berada di lokasi kirmir yang ambrol. Total, ada 25 makam yang terdampak.

"Jadi sebetulnya yang tergerus itu adalah jalan setapak, nah lebarnya sekitar 1,25 meter dan panjangnya 30 meter dan tingginya 3,5 meter, itu lokasi yang longsornya," ujar Kepala UPT Pemakaman Wilayah 3 Dinas Cipta Bintar Kota Bandung, Saeful Iman, hari Rabu, 05/10/2022.

Saeful menyebutkan, akibat jebolnya kirmir di TPU Sirnaraga mengakibatkan 25 makam terdampak. Secara rinci, dari total makam terdampak ada 10 makam yang rusak dan perlu dilakukan penanganan lebih lanjut.

"Nah dari 10 yang rusak itu, ada 7 makam yang kita rencanakan akan kita pindahkan. Terdiri dari dua makam anak-anak dan 2 makam dewasa," jelasnya.

Berdasarkan hasil identifikasi bersama jajaran Polsek Cicendo, Saeful memastikan tidak ada jenazah yang hanyut dalam insiden kirmir jebol di TPU Sirnaraga.

"Yang ada hanyalah ada 3 makam yang bagian dari jenazah itu terlihat karena tanahnya tergerus, kain kafannya. Total Ada 3 makam," lanjutnya.

Selanjutnya, ia akan mendata dan menghubungi pihak keluarga dari 7 makam yang mengalami kerusakan. Menurutnya, pihaknya akan melakukan koordinasi untuk pemindahan jenazah dari lokasi makam saat ini.

"Kita sedang identifikasi makamnya satu-satu dan kita juga bekerja sama dengan warga yang mengetahui ahli warisnya untuk kita hubungi. Jadi kita perkirakan ada 7 makam yang harus kita pindahkan, karena yang 7 itu bisa dibilang cukup parah kerusakannya," tandasnya.

Poll: UK Prime Minister Liz Truss Less Popular Than Boris Johnson at His Lowest

©AP Photo / Alastair Grant

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss is supported by 14% of British citizens after the announcement of the government's new "mini-budget," making her less popular than former Conservative party leaders, including her predecessor, Boris Johnson, a YouGov poll showed on Wednesday.

The poll indicated that 73% of the respondents now have an unfavorable impression of Truss, with 55% seeing her very negatively. In comparison, the previous survey from September 21-22 showed that 26% of people had a positive impression of the new prime minister, while 57% did not like Truss.

A net favourability score of the country's leader decreased by 28 points to -59 in less than two weeks, while Johnson's net favourability was -53 at his lowest in July.

Truss is also less well-liked than the Conservative party as a whole, though it has lost some popularity as well. The party is seen in a positive way by 20% of the population, a decrease from 28% in September. A net favourability score of UK Conservatives also dropped from -33 last month to -50 in October.

Meanwhile, 60% of Conservative voters now see Truss very unfavorably, which is two times more than those who have a positive impression of her. In September, 55% of Conservative voters regarded the new prime minister in a positive way, while only 32% had a negative view of her.

The survey was conducted in the United Kingdom from October 1-2. In total, 1,751 people aged 18 and over were interviewed.

The so-called mini-budget was announced by UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng on September 23. It included, among other things, a reduction of taxes on incomes over 150,000 pounds ($168,000) a year from 45% to 40%. The announcement of the measures caused a wave of criticism in the the country and abroad, and led to severe market turbulence. As a result, the UK government made a U-turn on tax cuts for the rich due to public discontent, but it did not affect the administration's popularity.

The vast majority of voters (75%) said they thought the government has lost control of the economic situation, while only 18% think the government is in control. Even 71% of 2019 Conservative voters think the government has lost control. It comes with voters disapproving of the mini-budget, with 61% regarding it as a bad budget. Only 12% think it was a good budget, with 56% of 2019 Conservative voters regarding it as bad.

As a result, Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s personal ratings have also collapsed. While he was barely known by voters before his mini-budget, only 15% now approve of the chancellor, while 55% disapprove. It gives him a net rating of -40. Half (51%) want Kwarteng to resign. Almost half (48%) of the public want Truss to resign.

James Crouch, head of policy and public affairs at Opinium, said: “This is the worst poll result we have shown for a Conservative prime minister since the 2010 general election. Liz Truss has managed to reach the depths of the poor personal ratings of both Theresa May and Boris Johnson at the end of their tenure, within weeks of taking office and within days of her government’s first major action. While the prime minister’s own approval ratings have plummeted, she has also contributed to the Conservative government as a whole losing its political credibility and reputation for economic competence almost overnight. If Liz Truss can turn it around, all of us are waiting with bated breath to see how she can.”

Kuwait appointed Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf as Prime Minister

Sheikh Ahmed Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah attends a parliamentary session at the national assembly in Kuwait City, on March 15. AFP

An Emiri decree was issued Wednesday appointing Sheikh Ahmed Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the eldest son of Kuwait’s ruler, as prime minister of the State of Kuwait.

His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait, issued an Emiri order today, appointing His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah as Prime Minister and assigning him to nominate members of the new ministry. According to the Kuwait News Agency “KUNA”.

The Kuwaiti government had submitted its resignation to the political leadership, following the release of the results of the National Assembly elections, while an Emiri order was issued to accept the resignation last Sunday

Sheikh Ahmed’s appointment as the new prime minister paves the way for parliament to be dissolved ahead of new elections in a country plagued by political wrangling.

He must now form a new government before the Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah issues a decree disbanding the legislature.

The last council of ministers resigned in April to avert a push by elected lawmakers to unseat the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah.

Two months later, the emir announced parliament would be dissolved as the standoff deepened a paralysis in policy making.

The Emiri order said that "The Prime Minister should implement this order and submit it to the National Assembly. It is effective as of now and to be published in the official Gazette."

This is the second time that this position is assigned to Sheikh Ahmed Nawaf, as he was appointed prime minister for the first time on July 24, replacing his predecessor, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled, who fought a bitter struggle with opposition MPs.

Sheikh Ahmed Nawaf born in 1956, is retired Kuwaiti military with the rank of Lieutenant-General at the Ministry of Interior. He has been the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior since March 9, 2022.

Before that, Sheikh Ahmed held the position of Deputy Chief of the National Guard, and he is the eldest son of the Emir of the country, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad.

أمر أميري بتعيين سمو الشيخ أحمد نواف الأحمد الصباح رئيسا لمجلس الوزراء وتكليفه بترشيح أعضاء الوزارة الجديدة https://t.co/GX8eB34nGe#كونا #الكويت pic.twitter.com/CVRSsCesxt

— كـــــــــــونا KUNA (@kuna_ar) October 5, 2022

On Sunday, October 2, the Kuwait Agency reported the issuance of a decree calling for the National Assembly to convene for the first regular session of the 17th legislative term on October 11.

On Thursday, September 29, Kuwait held legislative elections to choose 50 members of the National Assembly to succeed the 2021 Assembly, which the Emir of the country decided to dissolve last June.

The elections, the results of which were announced on Friday, resulted in remarkable progress for those described as the “opposition”, who won 60 per cent of the seats and also brought women back to parliament, with the victory of two female deputies.

Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled resigned from his position on Tuesday, April 5, for the fourth time since assuming the leadership of the government for the first time in December 2020.

Sheikh Sabah handed his resignation ahead of a non-cooperation motion against him in the National Assembly.

On May 10, the Emir of Kuwait issued an Emiri decree declaring the acceptance of the resignation of the government headed by Sheikh Sabah Al Khaled Al Hamad.

Since 1985, 11 Kuwaiti governments have resigned and 16 ministers were relieved of their duties following 128 parliamentary questioning sessions.

Putin Approves Accession of DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions Into Russia

©Sputnik/Grigory Sysoyev/Go to the mediabank

The Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as Kherson region and Zaporozhye region, previously held referendums, with people showing overwhelming support for joining the Russian Federation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin approved accession treaties with the DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye region and Kherson region on Wednesday, signing constitutional laws that make them part of the country.

The treaties were previously approved by both chambers of the Russian parliament, the State Duma and Federation Council, as well as by the DPR and LPR legislatures.

The referendums on joining Russia started simultaneously on September 23 in the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions and ended on September 27.

The voter turnout proved to be high despite attacks by Ukraine, and most voters backed the idea of becoming part of Russia: 99.23% in the DPR, 98.42% in the LPR, 93.11% in Zaporozhye region and 87.05% in Kherson region.

The Russian president previously stated that the residents of the four territories "made their unequivocal choice", stressing that "the people living in Lugansk and Donetsk, in Kherson and Zaporozhye have become our citizens, forever." He also said that Moscow will use every means to protect them from any attacks.

Russia formally recognized the DPR and LPR this February, amid intensifying Ukrainian attacks against Donbass. Later that month, Moscow launched a special operation in Ukraine, in order to stop the eight-year-long war, waged by the Kiev regime, and liberated vast parts of territories in Donbass and Ukraine.

At the same time, Western countries have been supporting Ukraine with data and arm deliveries and imposed several rounds of sanctions against Moscow.

Hujan Deras Guyur Sore Ini, Banjir Terjang Jalan Pagarsih dan Cimahi: Arus Lalu Lintas Macet

Hujan deras mengguyur sejumlah titik di daerah Kota Bandung, Jawa Barat pada sore ini, Selasa (4/10/2022). Hujan disertai angin kencang menyebabkan sejumlah wilayah alami banjir.

Seperti pada kawasan Jalan Pagarsih, Kota Bandung. Dari tayangan video terlihat kondisi jalan yang tergenang banjir dengan debit air cukup deras.

"Kondisi sore ini di Jl. Pagarsih terpantau banjir dengan debit air cukup tinggi," tulis unggahan pada akun tersebut.

Sementara itu, dikutip dari AyoBandung--jaringan Suara.com, banjir cileuncang menerjang sejumlah ruas jalan di Kota Cimahi, pada Selasa 4 Oktober 2022, sore. Kondisi ini menyebabkan arus lalu lintas macet.

Salah lokasi banjir terletak di Jalan Raya Amir Mahmud, Kota Cimahi. Ketinggian muka air banjir mencapai 60 centimeter menyebabkan kendaraan dari dua arah mengalami perlambatan.

Algifari (35), salah satu pengendara roda dua asal Kota Bandung memilih menepi sementara untuk menghindari banjir. Berdasarkan pengalamannya, banjir di Jalan Amir Machmud, Cimahi, cepat surut tatkala hujan reda.

"Udah macet, banjir lagi. Jadi mending berhenti dulu. Karena biasanya cepat surut," katanya. Algifari juga memilih banjir agak surut lantaran takut motornya mogok jika memaksa menerobos air yang meluap dari saluran di sepanjang Jalan Raya Amir Mahmud tersebut.

"Tadi sempat melipir dulu, soalnya takut mogok kalau maksa lewat. Mobil sama motor lain juga tadi nggak ada yang berani menerobos," terangnya.

Banjir juga merendam Jalan Raya Cilember, dari arah Bandung menuju Cimahi tepatnya setelah Flyover Cimindi. Kendaraan memadati jalan karena tak banyak yang nekat menerjang banjir.

Kemudian terjadi di Jalan Kolonel Masturi dari arah Cisarua menuju Cimahi. Sama halnya dengan banjir di Jalan Amir Mahmud dan Jalan Cilember, di titik tersebut kendaraan tak berani menerjang genangan karena cukup dalam.

Namun saat ini banjir di sejumlah titik itu sudah mulai surut karena hujan juga sudah reda. Meskipun arus lalu lintas belum kembali normal.

Risky Precedent: US Could Be Behind Both Nord Stream Sabotage & COVID Outbreak, Publisher Says

Tom Keene, the Bloomberg host, interrupted when Sachs said he believed the US was responsible for the pipeline explosion

Renowned economist and Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs told Bloomberg TV on Monday that he believes that the US and Poland were behind the destruction of Nord Stream pipelines. He added that he is aware that his stance runs counter to the US narrative, and that western journalists "are not allowed to say these things."

"It was certainly a dramatic escalation of American lawlessness," explained Ron Unz, an US technology entrepreneur, political activist, writer and the publisher of the Unz Review, while commenting on the Nord Stream sabotage. "I think the American government was fearful that the Germans would politically crack in the next few months under the strain of the very difficult loss of Russian energy and decided to forestall that possibility. It was intended to cut off any German line of retreat, much like the 'blocking detachments' sometimes deployed during World War II."

In his recent op-ed Unz has drawn attention to large public demonstrations in Germany and the Czech Republic which demanded that anti-Russia energy sanctions be lifted. According to the publisher, "there was widespread speculation that such popular protests would eventually carry the day" but the sabotage attack on Nord Stream pipelines on September 26 brought an end to those aspirations.

Even though the blasts occurred near the coastal waters of Denmark and Sweden, in an area of the Baltic heavily monitored and patrolled by NATO warships, the mainstream press pointed the finger at Russia.

The publisher went on to guess that 70% of US citizens are unaware that the pipelines were attacked, 25% are sure that the Russians did it, and maybe 5% realize that it was probably NATO.

"Among relatively educated and knowledgeable Americans who follow the international news, watch CNN, and read the New York Times or the Washington Post, probably 90% are sure that the Russians did it because the media says so," Unz said. "The only small segments that think otherwise are those individuals who get their information from the Internet or a small handful of alternative media sources, plus America's own political elites, like government officials. Both these groups know that America probably did it, but the latter group would obviously never say so."

However, some US public figures from both sides of the US political aisle openly broke the "orthodox" media narrative and named Washington as the most probable culprit. Among them are Fox News host Tucker Carlson, retired US Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor, Columbia Professor Jeffrey Sachs, and Ron Unz.

In particular, Sachs cited several reasons to back his assumption. First, "direct radar evidence that US military helicopters that are normally based in Gdansk were circling over this area". Second, Biden's threat earlier this year that "one way or another, we are going to end Nord Stream". Third, "a remarkable statement from (US) Secretary (of State Antony) Blinken last Friday in a press conference where he said 'this is also a tremendous opportunity'."

The sabotage attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines "sets an extremely dangerous precedent," according to Unz.

"I think it might have been the single largest peacetime military attack on civilian infrastructure in world history, and the primary victim was Germany, America's own NATO ally," said the political activist. "There were stories in the papers that NATO was considering treating the attacks as an act of war, requiring military retaliation. So, I suppose that NATO would have to declare war against the United States and also Poland. Obviously, there's an enormous amount of vulnerable civilian infrastructure all across the world and if countries begin deploying their special forces to target it, everyone might suffer a tremendous amount of damage, America and the West most of all. The sheer recklessness of America's ruling elites is beyond understanding."

Was COVID a Sabotage?

It is not the first time that Professor Jeffrey Sachs called the US out. Previously, the former chairman of the Lancet Commission on COVID argued that the SARS CoV 2 virus was very likely artificial and probably came from a US bio-laboratory.

"The US government was sponsoring a lot of dangerous genetic manipulation of SARS-like viruses and has not yet honestly revealed the nature of that work," Sachs told the Tehran Times in July 2022, suggesting that it was a biotech "blunder," not the result of a biowarfare research.

For his part, Unz does not rule out that the SARS CoV 2 leak could be a plot aimed against China and Iran. The political activist suggested that this could be a "rogue operation" which was "probably orchestrated by a small handful of conspirators, perhaps including one or two national security officials."

Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) published a series of documents alleging biowarfare activities by the Pentagon in Ukrainian territory. Along with other dangerous pathogens, Ukrainian bio laboratories conducted experiments with bat coronaviruses, according to the Russian military. In early August 2022, the Russian MoD stated that the US Agency for International Development (USAID) could have been involved in the creation of the COVID-19 pathogen and orchestrating the pandemic.

Bio warfare attacks or the destruction of critical civilian infrastructure "set extremely dangerous precedents for the entire world," warned Unz.

Even if the US public is not interested much in the unfolding energy crisis in the EU, it should obviously demand answers about the pandemic which claimed the lives of over a million in the country, according to the publisher, who believes that both cases require thorough investigation.

"If large portions of the American people began to believe that the gigantic disaster they suffered had been caused by the blowback of an illegal biowarfare attack by their own government, they would be outraged and there might be enormous political consequences," Unz said.

At the same time, he doubts that the "international community" can impartially investigate either the COVID outbreak or the Nord Stream sabotage which have been immediately attributed by the West to China and Russia with zero evidence.

"My impression is that most of the UN machinery is under the control of America and the West, especially including the powerful influence of the western mainstream media," said the political activist.

"So I'm not sure they can really be trusted on this sort of thing. I think the key factor is the global media, which is almost totally under the control of America and its close Western allies. The media creates the reality that most ordinary people and even most elites accept, and if the media is skewed, their understanding of the world is similarly skewed."

Preseden Berisiko: AS Bisa Berada di Balik Sabotase Nord Stream & Wabah COVID, Kata Penerbit

©AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

Ekonom terkenal dan profesor Universitas Columbia Jeffrey Sachs mengatakan kepada Bloomberg TV pada hari Senin bahwa ia percaya bahwa AS dan Polandia berada di balik penghancuran jaringan pipa Nord Stream. Dia menambahkan bahwa dia sadar bahwa pendiriannya bertentangan dengan narasi AS, dan bahwa jurnalis barat ,nb"tidak diizinkan untuk mengatakan hal-hal ini."

"Itu jelas merupakan peningkatan dramatis pelanggaran hukum Amerika," jelas Ron Unz, seorang pengusaha teknologi AS, aktivis politik, penulis dan penerbit Unz Review, saat mengomentari sabotase Nord Stream. “Saya pikir pemerintah Amerika takut bahwa Jerman akan retak secara politik dalam beberapa bulan ke depan di bawah tekanan kehilangan energi Rusia yang sangat sulit dan memutuskan untuk mencegah kemungkinan itu. Itu dimaksudkan untuk memotong garis mundur Jerman, banyak seperti 'detasemen pemblokiran' yang terkadang dikerahkan selama Perang Dunia II."

Dalam op-ed baru-baru ini, Unz telah menarik perhatian pada demonstrasi publik besar-besaran di Jerman dan Republik Ceko yang menuntut agar sanksi energi anti-Rusia dicabut. Menurut penerbit, "ada spekulasi luas bahwa protes populer seperti itu pada akhirnya akan berlangsung" tetapi serangan sabotase pada jaringan pipa Nord Stream pada 26 September mengakhiri aspirasi tersebut.

Meskipun ledakan terjadi di dekat perairan pantai Denmark dan Swedia, di daerah Baltik yang diawasi ketat dan dipatroli oleh kapal perang NATO, pers arus utama menuding Rusia.

Penerbit kemudian menebak bahwa 70% warga AS tidak menyadari bahwa jaringan pipa diserang, 25% yakin bahwa Rusia melakukannya, dan mungkin 5% menyadari bahwa itu mungkin NATO.

"Di antara orang Amerika yang relatif berpendidikan dan berpengetahuan luas yang mengikuti berita internasional, menonton CNN, dan membaca New York Times atau Washington Post, mungkin 90% yakin bahwa Rusia melakukannya karena media mengatakan demikian," kata Unz.

"Satu-satunya segmen kecil yang berpikir sebaliknya adalah orang-orang yang mendapatkan informasi mereka dari Internet atau segelintir kecil sumber media alternatif, ditambah elit politik Amerika sendiri, seperti pejabat pemerintah. Kedua kelompok ini tahu bahwa Amerika mungkin melakukannya, tetapi yang terakhir kelompok jelas tidak akan pernah mengatakannya."

Namun, beberapa tokoh publik AS dari kedua sisi lorong politik AS secara terbuka mematahkan narasi media "ortodoks" dan menyebut Washington sebagai pelakunya yang paling mungkin. Di antara mereka adalah pembawa acara Fox News Tucker Carlson, pensiunan Kolonel Angkatan Darat AS Douglas Macgregor, Profesor Columbia Jeffrey Sachs, dan Ron Unz.

Secara khusus, Sachs mengutip beberapa alasan untuk mendukung asumsinya. Pertama, "bukti radar langsung bahwa helikopter militer AS yang biasanya berpangkalan di Gdansk berputar-putar di daerah ini". Kedua, ancaman Biden awal tahun ini bahwa "dengan satu atau lain cara, kita akan mengakhiri Nord Stream". Ketiga," pernyataan luar biasa dari Menteri AS Antony Blinken Jumat lalu dalam konferensi pers di mana dia mengatakan 'ini juga merupakan peluang luar biasa'."

Serangan sabotase pada pipa gas Nord Stream "menetapkan preseden yang sangat berbahaya," menurut Unz.

"Saya pikir itu mungkin serangan militer terbesar di masa damai terhadap infrastruktur sipil dalam sejarah dunia, dan korban utamanya adalah Jerman, sekutu NATO Amerika sendiri," kata aktivis politik itu. “Ada cerita di surat kabar bahwa NATO sedang mempertimbangkan untuk memperlakukan serangan itu sebagai tindakan perang, yang membutuhkan pembalasan militer."

"Jadi, saya kira NATO harus menyatakan perang terhadap Amerika Serikat dan juga Polandia. Jelas, ada sejumlah besar infrastruktur sipil yang rentan di seluruh dunia dan jika negara-negara mulai mengerahkan pasukan khusus mereka untuk menargetkannya, semua orang mungkin menderita kerusakan yang luar biasa, terutama Amerika dan Barat. Kecerobohan elit penguasa Amerika di luar pemahaman."

Apakah COVID adalah Sabotase?

Ini bukan pertama kalinya Profesor Jeffrey Sachs menyebut AS. Sebelumnya, mantan ketua Lancet Commission on COVID berargumen bahwa virus SARS CoV 2 sangat mungkin buatan dan kemungkinan berasal dari bio-laboratorium AS.

"Pemerintah AS mensponsori banyak manipulasi genetik berbahaya dari virus mirip SARS dan belum secara jujur mengungkapkan sifat pekerjaan itu," kata Sachs kepada Tehran Times pada Juli 2022, menunjukkan bahwa itu adalah "kesalahan" biotek, hasil penelitian biowarfare.

Sementara itu, Unz tidak mengesampingkan bahwa kebocoran SARS CoV 2 bisa menjadi plot yang ditujukan terhadap China dan Iran. Aktivis politik menyarankan bahwa ini bisa menjadi "operasi jahat" yang "mungkin diatur oleh segelintir kecil konspirator, mungkin termasuk satu atau dua pejabat keamanan nasional."

Sebelumnya, Kementerian Pertahanan Rusia (MoD) menerbitkan serangkaian dokumen yang menuduh kegiatan biowarfare oleh Pentagon di wilayah Ukraina. Bersama dengan patogen berbahaya lainnya, laboratorium bio Ukraina melakukan eksperimen dengan virus corona kelelawar, menurut militer Rusia.

Pada awal Agustus 2022, Kementerian Pertahanan Rusia menyatakan bahwa Badan Pembangunan Internasional AS (USAID) dapat terlibat dalam penciptaan patogen COVID-19 dan mengatur pandemi. Serangan perang biologis atau penghancuran infrastruktur sipil penting "menjadi preseden yang sangat berbahaya bagi seluruh dunia," Unz memperingatkan.

Bahkan jika publik AS tidak terlalu tertarik dengan krisis energi yang sedang berlangsung di UE, itu jelas harus menuntut jawaban tentang pandemi yang merenggut nyawa lebih dari satu juta orang di negara itu, menurut penerbit, yang percaya bahwa kedua kasus tersebut memerlukan penanganan menyeluruh. penyelidikan.

"Jika sebagian besar rakyat Amerika mulai percaya bahwa bencana besar yang mereka derita disebabkan oleh serangan balik serangan biowarfare ilegal oleh pemerintah mereka sendiri, mereka akan marah dan mungkin ada konsekuensi politik yang sangat besar," kata Unz.

Pada saat yang sama, ia meragukan bahwa "komunitas internasional" dapat secara tidak memihak menyelidiki wabah COVID atau sabotase Nord Stream yang segera dikaitkan oleh Barat ke China dan Rusia tanpa bukti.

“Kesan saya sebagian besar mesin PBB berada di bawah kendali Amerika dan Barat, terutama termasuk pengaruh kuat dari media arus utama barat,” kata aktivis politik itu. "Jadi saya tidak yakin mereka benar-benar dapat dipercaya dalam hal semacam ini. Saya pikir faktor kuncinya adalah media global, yang hampir sepenuhnya berada di bawah kendali Amerika dan sekutu dekat Baratnya. Media menciptakan kenyataan bahwa sebagian besar orang biasa dan bahkan sebagian besar elit menerima, dan jika media miring, pemahaman mereka tentang dunia juga miring."