US trying to ‘cover up’ Nord Stream sabotage role – Seymour Hersh

FILE PHOTO. A gas leak from the Nord Stream 2 pipeline
©Getty Images / Swedish Coast Guard

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh claims the US intentionally provided false stories to the media to cover up Washington’s involvement in the destruction of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

In a post on his Substack blog, the veteran reporter claims the CIA was tasked with preparing a cover story in collaboration with German intelligence to provide the American and German press with an “alternative version” of the Nord Stream 2 explosions.

“In the words of the intelligence community, the agency was ‘to pulse the system’ in an effort to discount the claim that Biden had ordered the pipeline’s destruction,” Hersh wrote, citing an anonymous source with access to diplomatic intelligence.

He noted that the CIA had completed its task and, with the help of Germany, planted stories in the New York Times and German weekly Die Zeit. These referred to a supposed “ad hoc ‘off the books’ operation” carried out by a “pro-Ukrainian group,” which allegedly used a luxury sailing yacht to plant explosives on the Nord Stream pipelines.

“It was a total fabrication by American intelligence that was passed along to the Germans, and aimed at discrediting your story,” a source within the American intelligence community reportedly told Hersh.

“The disinformation professionals inside the CIA understand that a propaganda gambit can only work if those on receiving are desperate for a story that can diminish or displace an unwanted truth. And the truth in question is that President Joe Biden authorized the destruction of the pipelines,” he added.

In February, Hersh published a bombshell report on last September’s Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipeline blasts, accusing Washington of orchestrating the attack. The White House denied responsibility. Last week, several Western media outlets claimed the culprits may have been linked to Ukraine. Moscow dismissed the reports as “a coordinated media hoax campaign.”

Danish Navy present near Nord Stream 2 – media

The Royal Danish Navy is believed to be conducting a diving operation to the east of the island of Bornholm, not far from the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline damaged by a blast. Newspaper Berlingske reported on Tuesday that a Flyvefisken-class patrol vessel used by military divers had been seen there along with two other military ships. The Danish military confirmed its presence east of Bornholm but would not comment on the ships’ mission, Berlingske said.

Last week, Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen announced that his government could corroborate a report by the Russian gas giant Gazprom, the operator of the undersea pipeline, about a strange object found near Nord Stream 2.

The company sent pictures of the item to Danish authorities, while the Russian government made a formal inquiry through its embassy, the minister said. Copenhagen treats the discovery seriously and will investigate further, Rasmussen pledged at the time.

The object was mentioned last week by Russian President Vladimir Putin in a TV interview. He said it was found during a Gazprom survey about 30 kilometers away from where the pipeline was breached. The device may be an antenna used in remotely detonating a charge, the president suggested, citing experts.

Moscow asked for permission to explore further, Putin added, necessary because the object is located in Denmark's exclusive zone. Russia could organize a mission “on its own, jointly with [the Danes], or, better yet, with an international group of experts in explosives who are trained to work at such depth.”

Rasmussen said such permission would not be granted, triggering a rebuke from the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The sabotage of the two Nord Stream pipelines, which mostly run next to each other but divert a bit near Bornholm, involved explosions in two different general locations, one in Danish waters, the other in the Swedish zone. Three of the four strings comprising the key energy links were ruptured.

According to a report by veteran investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, the operation was ordered by US President Joe Biden, with the militaries of the US and Norway planting the charges. Both nations have denied any responsibility.

US Increasing Military Presence in Asia-Pacific Region to Deter Russia, China, Shoigu Says

©Flickr/COMSEVENTHFLT

The US is significantly increasing its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region and strengthening ties with its allies to deter Russia and China, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday.

"To deter Russia and China, the US is significantly increasing its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region, strengthening political and military ties with its allies," Shoigu said at a ministry meeting.

Shoigu added that the modernization of Moscow's missile defense system will be completed this year. He stressed that "one of the priorities of the Russian Aerospace Forces development direction is equipping troops with advanced air and missile defense systems."

Military officials also discussed the recent attack attempt on Sevastopol by Ukrainian naval drones. Shoigu stressed that all UAVs were taken down.

"Today, from 4 a.m. to 5:56 a.m. [local time, 01:00-02:56 GMT], an attempt was made to hit our facilities in the Crimea in Sevastopol with unmanned aerial vehicles. All three UAVs have been destroyed," Shoigu said at a ministry meeting.

Earlier in the day, Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said that Russia's Black Sea Fleet repulsed an attack by surface drones in Sevastopol.

German Media Says Kiev Planning to Cut Russia's Land Bridge to Crimea in May Offensive

Ukraine is preparing to launch a counter offensive in May, focusing on the Lugansk People's Republic and Zaporozhye region, with the goal to cut off Russia's land connection to Crimea, German newspaper reported Tuesday, citing an unnamed NATO official.

According to the NATO source, Russia "fairly" believes that the main Ukrainian offensive will take place in "Lugansk and Zaporozhye regions," news outlet reported. The goal of the attack is to "destroy the land bridge to Crimea," the newspaper reported, citing the official.

The NATO official was confident that the weapons the West has been supplying to Kiev will be used in the counteroffensive as early as May, according to media. NATO and other Western countries are currently supplying Ukraine with about 500 tanks and armored personnel carriers, which will be used in the operation, according to the newspaper.

On March 16, the American newspaper reported that US officials expected Ukraine to launch a major offensive by May.

In February, the Ukrainian government started negotiations with its allies on the supplies of longer-range missiles and jets, as well as additional ammunition to prepare for an offensive this spring. The Kremlin has repeatedly warned against continued arms supplies to Kiev and further escalation that could lead to the direct involvement of the US and NATO in the conflict.

Polisi Larang Sahur On The Road di Bogor

Kapolres Bogor AKBP Iman Imanuddin (Rizky/detikcom)

Kapolres Bogor, AKBP Iman Imanuddin melarang pelaksaan sahur on the road (sotr) seperti banyak dilakukan masyarakat, selama bulan ramadan. Hal ini dilakukan demi menjaga ketertiban dan keamanan selama bulan suci ramadan 1444 H.

“Larangan tersebut karena akan mengganggu kamtibmas karena banyak kerumunan, perkumpilan, gerombolan yang dikhawatirkan menimbulkan keributan atau kriminalitas di jalan raya,” kata Iman, pada hari Rabu, 22/03/2023.

Polres Bogor akan melakukan langkah-langkah pencegahan dengan menggelar patroli skala besar dan langsung melakukan pembubaran.

Iman telah memerintahkan jajaran Polres Bogor hingga polsek-polsek meningkatkan monitoring untuk mencegah aktivitas SOTR di seluruh wilayah Kabupaten Bogor.

"Apabila tetap dilaksanakan kegiatan tersebut karena melanggar ketertiban masyarakat akan ditindak tegas," ujarnya.

Iman mengatakan, dalam pelaksanaan patroli skala besar akan dilakukan sejumlah pemeriksaan, seperti pemeriksaan kelengkapan surat surat kelengkapan kendaraan bermotor, pemeriksaan barang barang bawaan

“Kita juga melibatkan rekan TNI, Satpol PP, Dishub, kecamatan, kepala desa hingga tokoh masyarakat lainnya. Jadi kami gelar patroli skala besar. Jika ditemukan SOTR bubarkan,” tegas Iman.

Pelaksanaan patroli juga meliputi pemeriksaan kelengkapan surat surat kelengkapan kendaraan bermotor, pemeriksaan barang bawaan, termasuk senjata tajam.

“Jika ditemukan akan langsung diamankan dan kegiatan ini akan terus dilaksanakan untuk keamanan bersama Agar khusyuknya menjalankan ibadah di bulan suci ini dengan lancar, aman, dan nyaman,” kata Iman.

Hasil Sidang Isbat Pemerintah Tetapkan 1 Ramadan 1444 H Jatuh pada Kamis 23 Maret 2023

Pemerintah melalui Kementerian Agama menetapkan awal puasa atau 1 Ramadhan 1444 Hijriah/2023 Masehi jatuh pada Kamis ini, usai diputuskan melalui sidang isbat di Gedung Kemenag RI, Jakarta, Rabu.

Sidang Isbat itu dihadiri oleh Kementerian Agama, Komisi VIII DPR, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), BMKG, Badan Informasi Geospasial, ahli falak, hingga sejumlah ormas agama Islam.

Berbeda dengan penetapan saat pandemi COVID-19 dua tahun lalu, kini sidang isbat digelar tanpa ada pembatasan peserta.

Pengumuman penetapan dilakukan secara daring dan luring. Dengan demikian, masyarakat sama-sama bisa langsung menyaksikannya melalui tayangan di laman media sosial resmi Kemenag.

Sidang isbat sendiri digelar Rabu sejak pukul 17.00 WIB sampai ditutup dengan penetapan awal puasa tahun. Kegiatan diawali paparan secara terbuka mengenai posisi bulan sabit baru (hilal) berdasarkan data astronomi oleh para pakar.

Sidang Isbat mempertimbangkan informasi awal berdasarkan hasil perhitungan secara astronomis (hisab) dan hasil konfirmasi lapangan melalui mekanisme pemantauan (rukyatul) hilal.

Kegiatan dilanjutkan dengan Shalat Maghrib berjamaah kemudian dilakukan sidang tertutup. Setelahnya, sidang isbat diumumkan melalui konferensi pers.

Anggota Tim Hisab Rukyat Kementerian Agama (Kemenag) RI Asadurrahman memastikan bahwa 1 Ramadan 1444 H jatuh pada hari Kamis besok, 23/03/2023.

Hal tersebut berdasarkan hasil pemantauan Tim Falakiyah dan Badan Meterologi Klimatologi dan Geofisika (BMKG) di ratusan titik di Indonesia pada hari Rabu ini, 22/03/2023.

"Insya Allah malam ini mulai tarawih dan besok mulai puasa. Insya Allah," ujar Asadurrahman saat ditemui di Kantor Kemenag RI, Jakarta, hari Rabu, 22/03/2023.

Dengan demikian, malam ini umat Islam Indonesia sudah bisa melakukan ibadah tarawih, dan besok pagi sudah mulai berpuasa.

LIVE UPDATES - Approaches to Artyomovsk under Russian artillery control, says DPR

©AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka

Artyomovsk (called Bakhmut in Ukraine) has been fully sealed off by Russian forces and all the approaches to the city are under artillery control, Yan Gagin, military-political expert and adviser to the acting head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), said on Wednesday.

"The city is in operational encirclement, which means that all the approaches and all the transportation arteries leading to it are under the control of our artillery. In principle, it can be said that the city has been actually sealed off," he said in a live broadcast on the Rossiya-1 television channel.

Currently, Russian forces control about 70% of the Artyomovsk area. The Ukrainian garrison positioned in the city numbers about 10,000-strong personnel, he added.

Artyomovsk is located on the Kiev-controlled part of the Donetsk People’s Republic and is a major transportation hub for the Ukrainian army’s supplies in Donbass. Fierce fighting for the city is underway. Acting DPR Head Denis Pushilin has repeatedly said that there is no evidence of the Ukrainian army’s plans to leave Artyomovsk. Meanwhile, Kiev claims that the city’s defense will be bolstered.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky earlier said that Ukrainian troops would not surrender Artyomovsk and would fight for it as long as they could.

Most of Russian military pilots gain combat experience in Ukraine operation — Shoigu

Up to 90% of the crews of Russian operational/tactical aviation and 85% of drone operators have gained combat experience in Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Minister Army General Sergey Shoigu said at a meeting with military commanders on Wednesday.

"At our last year’s enlarged board meeting of the Defense Ministry, the supreme commander-in-chief noted the important role of this branch of the armed forces in the special military operation and set the task of further raising its combat capabilities and the level of the personnel’s preparedness," the defense chief said.

"During the special military operation, up to 90% of the crews of operational/tactical and army aviation, 60% of strategic and long-range aviation and 85% of the personnel operating unmanned aerial vehicles gained combat experience," Shoigu said.

In addition, pilots of the Russian Aerospace Forces have flown over 140,000 sorties in the special military operation in Ukraine, destroying more than 20,000 enemy sites, he added.

Russian defense chief praises Eastern Military District’s role in maintaining stability

The forces of Russia’s Eastern Military District play an important role in maintaining stability in the area under their purview, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said at a meeting of the ministry’s board on Wednesday.

"The Eastern Military District’s forces play an important role in maintaining stability in the area they are responsible for, and are actively participating in efforts to boost defense cooperation with friendly countries," he pointed out.

He also noted that the military and political situation in the area covered by the district remained difficult.

According to the defense chief, the Eastern Military District’s troops are undergoing intensive combat training. In particular, three joint military drills - Selenga, Laros and Naval Interaction - were held last year. In addition, the Vostok command and staff strategic exercise took place in the region in 2022.

American biolabs intended for military purposes among other things — senator

The Russian parliamentary commission probing into the activities of biological laboratories in Ukraine has established that the American biological programs are intended for military purposes, among other things, Russian Federation Council Deputy Speaker and co-chair of the commission Konstantin Kosachev said on Wednesday.

"Taking into account all the circumstances established during the parliamentary investigation, we can draw an unambiguous conclusion that the United States’ biological programs have an obvious dual purpose and are intended, among other things, for military purposes," the senator said during a final commission meeting.

Kosachev stressed that the parliamentary investigation, under the law, was not a substitute for inquiry, preliminary investigation and trial. According to him, the purpose of the investigation was not to establish the guilt of specific individuals in the corresponding crimes; this is the prerogative of the investigative and judicial bodies.

At the same time, the senator pointed out that the information established by the commission has been brought to the attention of the relevant investigative bodies "to take measures of procedural reaction."

Ukrainians left for dead after failed offensive near Kupyansk, LPR officer reports

Ukrainian troops did not rescue their wounded fellow soldiers and left them for dead after failing to counterattack Russian forces on the front near Kupyansk, Andrey Marochko, a retired lieutenant-colonel of the People’s Militia of the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), told TASS on Wednesday.

"The bodies of eliminated militants were found near Ukrainian positions between Novosyolovskoye and Stelmakhovka (the Kupyansk sector of the frontlines - TASS). The enemy sustained losses after yet another attempt at a counteroffensive in that sector of the frontline two days ago, but the bodies were never retrieved," he said, citing Russian recon data.

According to Marochko, several Ukrainian soldiers sustained wounds in the battle but were still alive, however, "they died after a while because no assistance was rendered to them."

On Monday, Colonel Sergey Zybinsky, the spokesman for Russia’s Western group of forces, said that the Russian army had thwarted an attempt by Ukrainian forces to attack Russian positions in the area of Kupyansk.

Storm-weary California lashed with 12th 'atmospheric river' cloudbursts

Cars sit abandoned on roads as floodwaters from the Tule River inundate the area after days of heavy rain in Corcoran, California, U.S., March 21, 2023.
REUTERS/David Swanson

California state emergency officials have deployed crews across the state to respond to the potentially damaging impacts of yet another atmospheric river slamming the storm-fatigued state.

The latest burst of heavy, wind-blown rain and snow churned out of the Pacific into California on Tuesday, triggering scattered floods and mudslides, uprooting trees and leaving thousands of storm-weary residents under evacuation orders.

More than 35 million Californians -- most of the state's population -- were under some kind of weather alert Tuesday -- with heavy rain, powerful winds and mountain snow pummeling the state.

The newest onslaught, arriving early on the second official day of spring, was concentrated mostly in Southern California, the state's central coast and its agricultural heartland, still sodden from a relentless string of storms that began in late December.

High-wind warnings and advisories were posted for a vast area stretching from the Mexico border through Los Angeles to the San Francisco Bay area. Winter storm warnings were in effect for high mountains, with several feet of snowfall forecast

The San Francisco International Airport reported a ground delay of more than four hours on average because of high winds, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The storm brought hurricane-force winds to multiple areas Tuesday, including 102 mph winds at Magic Mountain Truck Trail, 83 mph at Palomar Mountain Lookout, both in southern California, and farther north, 74 mph winds in Oakland.

Five people were injured -- four of them critically -- by falling trees at various locations across San Francisco during the storm Tuesday afternoon, San Francisco Fire Department spokesperson Johnathan Baxter said.

Heavy rain and wind gusts in central and southern California reaching up to 70 mph could down trees and cut power, the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center had warned. More than 259,000 customers across the state were without power Tuesday evening, according to PowerOutage.us.

State transportation officials reported snow and windy conditions in the mountains of Southern California's Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Officials recommended residents in the area maintain at least a two-week supply of food, water, medication and fuel ahead of the rapidly strengthening storm's arrival.

Della Parsley cleans up on March 19 as evacuated mobile homes sit underwater at the Haven Acres Mobile Home Park after the San Joaquin River overflowed in Lathrop, California
Fred Greaves/Reuters

High-wind warnings and advisories were posted for a vast area stretching from the Mexico border through Los Angeles to the San Francisco Bay area. Winter storm warnings were in effect for high mountains, with several feet of snowfall forecast.

The National Weather Service (NWS) also issued flood watches across a region of more than 17 million people, including most of greater Los Angeles and a large swath of western and central Arizona.

Gusty, gale-force conditions posed a bigger hazard around Santa Cruz and the Bay area, with sustained winds of 60 to 70 miles per hour (97 to 113 kilometers per hour) toppling trees and power lines, according to Frank Pereira of the NWS Weather Prediction Center.

There was at least one wind-related fatality: a person killed in a vehicle by a fallen tree in Sonoma County, north of San Francisco, Pereira said.

More than 14,000 people statewide were under orders to seek higher ground because of flooding, with evacuation warnings issued for another 47,000 residents, said Diana Crofts-Pelayo, a spokesperson for the California Office of Emergency Services.

The bulk of evacuation orders, covering some 12,000 people, were in Tulare County, a flood-stricken region in the San Joaquin Valley where high water from recent levee breaches has inundated a number of communities, Crofts-Pelayo said.

Otherwise, flooding on Tuesday was scattered mostly to the south. They included the rescue of a motorist whose vehicle was swept away in a flooded stream and an SUV pulled from a mudslide in San Diego County, Pereira said.

250,000 homes and businesses were without electricity statewide, according to utility tracking service PowerOutage.us.

Emergency teams throughout the state patrolled rain-swollen streams, repaired damaged levees and cleared debris from storm drains and culverts to minimize flooding of populated areas.

Crews were in San Luis Obispo County were on alert for Lopez Reservoir to reach full capacity for the first time in 25 years and spill over into an adjacent creek that runs to the seaside town of Oceano, bounded by a weakened levee, said Rachel Monte Dion, a county emergency services coordinator.

If the levee is overtopped to the north, instead of the south as designed, it could flood the homes of about 1,500 Oceano residents, she said.

PARADE OF STORMS

The mix of high winds, heavy showers and snow was expected to spread across the Southwestern U.S. into the central Great Basin and Rockies by late on Tuesday and persist through Wednesday night, the NWS said.

The storm marked the 12th so-called atmospheric river since December to sweep the U.S. West Coast, formed from an immense airborne current of dense water vapor carried aloft from the ocean and flowing overland in bouts of heavy rain and snow.

A Pacific cyclone swirling around an intense low-pressure system off San Francisco was driving the latest system, drawing up vast quantities of moisture and channeling it to the coast.

Unlike earlier atmospheric rivers this season, the latest packed a cooler load of moisture, meaning more snow falling in the coastal mountains and Sierra Nevada range.

As much as 3 to 4 feet (1-1.2 meters) were forecast at elevations above 6,000 feet, where some areas remain blanketed in snow left last month.

Up to 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) of rain were expected in coastal regions and valleys of Southern California, and as much as 6 inches in lower mountains and foothills, the NWS said.

The rapid succession of Pacific storms during the past three months has come as an abrupt reversal of fortunes for a state preoccupied for the past few years by drought and wildfires - a swing in weather extremes that experts say is symptomatic of human-induced climate change.

Californin's harsh winter has caused widespread property damage and upheaval for thousands of residents, with more than 20 deaths attributed to the storms.

But the glut of precipitation has also replenished sorely depleted reservoirs and the state's mountain snowpack, both providing a critical source for drinking supplies, irrigation, and sustenance for fish and wildlife.

Success of Russian-Chinese talks not US’ business, Lavrov says

Wang Yi (L), director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of the Chinese Communist Party, and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are seen before Russian-Chinese talks at the Moscow Kremlin
©Sergei Karpukhin/TASS

The success of the Russian-Chinese talks in Moscow is not the US’ business, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Russian TV Tuesday.

"Look, this is none of their business, none of the Americans’ business," he said, commenting on a question from a reporter about the reaction of Western states. He added that the negotiations are relations of Russia and China.

On Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, commenting on Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s state visit to Russia that the Chinese leader went there mere days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to the US diplomat, China "'feels no responsibility to hold the Kremlin accountable" and provides "diplomatic cover" to Russia.

Earlier on Tuesday, Putin said that "the negotiations yesterday and today, both tete-a-tete, in limited attendance and with participation of delegations, took place in a warm, companionate and constructive atmosphere."

Xi Jinping thanked Putin for "traditional hospitality and warm welcome." He called the negotiations "forthright, friendly and productive.".

Russia, China set far-reaching, ambitious goals — Putin

During the state dinner in honor of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow and Beijing have set far-reaching and ambitions goals for the future.

"We have just signed an agreement on boosting bilateral relations that are entering a new era, and on developing economic cooperation until 2030, we outlined the horizons of our partnership and set goals and tasks for the future that are daring in the finest sense of this word," the president said.

Addressing the Chinese president, the Russian leader emphasized that he appreciates Xi’s decision to pay a state visit to Russia shortly after re-election.

"This is a clear proof of the special nature of the Russian-Chinese partnership, which is based on mutual respect and recognition of each other’s interests," Putin said, adding that Russia and China have strong ties of neighborliness, cooperation and friendship.

China's President Xi Jinping (L) and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin shake hands during a meeting at the Moscow Kremlin
©Sergei Karpukhin/TASS

In his words, Moscow is seeking to further develop its bilateral relations with China and notes similar attitude on the part of Beijing.

The Russian leader noted that Tuesday’s talks between Russia and China have produced good results.

"The progress in bilateral relations, reached over the past decade, is truly impressive," Putin said, adding that ties between Russia and China are at the highest level of all times.

"As I have already said many times before, the Russian-Chinese relations are now at their highest level in all our history and quite literally can serve as a model. This is an example of cooperation between global powers, who bear special responsibility for maintaining global stability and security as permanent members of the UN Security Council," he said.