Evidence That an Israeli Jet Dropped an Air Burst Bomb on the al-Ahli Hospital Courtyard
Joe Quinn, Sott.net, Sat, 21 Oct 2023
It’s true that Israel didn’t “bomb the al-Ahli hospital” in Gaza on the night of Oct. 17th 2023. The evidence suggests it did something much worse.
As is the case with all other hospitals in Gaza, al-Ahli hospital had become a refuge for the thousands of people internally displaced in Gaza due to Israel’s massive bombing campaign that began on Oct. 7th. On the night of Oct. 17th, hundreds of Palestinian men, women and children had congregated in the courtyard of the hospital (the hospital itself being already full) because they believed it to be a relatively safe haven from Israeli bombs.
Canon Richard Sewell, the dean of St George’s College in Jerusalem, told the BBC that about 1,000 displaced people were sheltering in the courtyard when it was hit, and about 600 patients and staff were inside the building.
Not only had the IDF already warned this hospital in the three consecutive days before the explosion that it would be attacked, they actually attacked it on Oct. 14th, hitting the cancer ward. Since Oct. 7th, the WHO has reported 59 attacks on healthcare establishments in Gaza City and 137 across the entire territory of the GazaStrip.
Note also that, in the past week, Israeli political and military elite have publicly stated that they view all Palestinian resistance groups as “literal Nazis” and by implication the Palestinian people as “Nazi sympathizers”, and therefore “subhuman” and not entitled to the same rights as “normal” human beings.
Initially, and based on claims by Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and hospital staff, the media reported that Israel had bombed the hospital, “killing hundreds of people.” Within a day however, the IDF claimed that the explosion was in fact a result of a PIJ rocket that “misfired” and hit the area, and provided evidence to “prove” it.
Since then, both the UK’s Channel 4 and Al Jazeera (video below) have convincingly debunked this IDF claim, showing that the PIJ rocket in question was fully destroyed by the Iron Dome missile defense system about 7 seconds before the explosion at the hospital, and therefore could not have been responsible for the damage to the courtyard and the deaths of 471 people…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… https://www.sott.net/article/485298-Evidence-That-an-Israeli-Jet-Dropped-an-Air-Burst-Bomb-on-the-al-Ahli-Hospital-Courtyard
Nuclear companies sign up for space technology missions
WNN, 20 October 2023
With nuclear technology set to underpin new developments in space travel, NASA has awarded Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation a contract to manufacture and test fuel and develop the design of a nuclear thermal propulsion engine for near-term missions. Separately, Space Nuclear Power Corporation has partnered with Lockheed Martin Corporation and BWX Technologies for the US Space Force/Air Force’s JETSON nuclear electric propulsion demonstration project, while Framatome has announced the creation of a new brand, Framatome Space.
……………………………………………………………………..The JETSON – Joint Emergent Technology Supplying On-orbit Nuclear Power – nuclear electric propulsion demonstration project was launched in January when the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)/Space Vehicle Directorate issued solicitations to industry for high and low-power spacecraft concepts and designs using nuclear fission, rather than solar panels, for propulsion. On 3 October, the AFRL awarded Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse Government Services and Intuitive Machines LLC separate contracts totalling over USD53 million to develop the technologies and spacecraft concepts.
………………………………………………………………………………The JETSON – Joint Emergent Technology Supplying On-orbit Nuclear Power – nuclear electric propulsion demonstration project was launched in January when the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)/Space Vehicle Directorate issued solicitations to industry for high and low-power spacecraft concepts and designs using nuclear fission, rather than solar panels, for propulsion. On 3 October, the AFRL awarded Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse Government Services and Intuitive Machines LLC separate contracts totalling over USD53 million to develop the technologies and spacecraft concepts.
………………………….Framatome joins space race
Framatome has announced the creation of Framatome Space, which it said is putting the French company’s 65 years of nuclear and industrial expertise at the service of the space industry. The company is already supporting the French Alternative Energies & Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and Ariane Group with a feasibility study on an nuclear thermal propulsion engine and earlier this year announced plans with USNC to form a joint venture to manufacture TRISO particles on a commercial scale………………………………………………………… https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Nuclear-companies-sign-up-for-space-technology-mis #nuclear #antinuclear #nuclearfree #NoNukes
Many years before floating nuclear power plants could become viable.
King’s College leads workshops on floating nuclear power plant challenges
in Southeast Asia. King’s staff joined nuclear leaders in Indonesia, the
Philippines and Thailand to explore why it will be many years before these
technologies will be viable.
Kings College London 19th Oct 2023
https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/kings-leads-workshops-on-floating-nuclear-power-plant-challenges-in-southeast-asia #nuclear #antinuclear #nuclearfree #NoNukes
China rejects Pentagon report that claimed China was starting a nuclear arms race
US says China likely to have 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030 China said the report is ‘filled with prejudice and distorts face’
Namita Singh https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/china/china-nuclear-weapons-pentagon-report-india-b2433066.html 21 Oct 23
China has rejected a US Pentagon report claiming that the Asian country has more than 500 operational nuclear warheads in its arsenal and will probably have over 1,000 by 2030.
China said the report was “filled with prejudice and distorts face”, as it clarified that it has no intention of indulging in a nuclear arms race.
The statement came a day after the Pentagon released its annual report on the Beijing military. In the wide-ranging report, the Pentagon said China’s more than 500 warheads as of May 2023 were on track to exceed projections.
In a previous report, the Pentagon estimated that Beijing had more than 400 operational nuclear warheads in 2021.
“We see the PRC (People’s Republic of China) continuing to quite rapidly modernize and diversify and expand its nuclear forces,” a senior US official told reporters during a briefing on the report.
However, on Friday, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson issued a statement rejecting the US claims.
“First of all, the United States report, like similar reports before it, ignores the facts, is full of prejudice and spreads the theory of the threat posed by China,” ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a press briefing in response to a question about the US report.
“China firmly adheres to a nuclear strategy of self-defence and defence, we have always maintained our nuclear forces at the lowest level required for national security, and we have no intention of engaging in a nuclear arms race with any country,” Mr Mao said.
The report reiterated concern about pressure by Beijing on self-ruled Taiwan, an island China sees as a breakaway province.
“As long as any country does not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against China, it will not be threatened by China’s nuclear weapons,” Mr Mao said.
Relations between China and the United States have been tense, with friction between the world’s two largest economies over everything from Taiwan and China’s human rights record to its military activity in the South China Sea.
But Washington has been eager to revive military-to-military communications with China.
Last week the Pentagon said it had accepted an invitation to attend China’s top annual security forum in late October, the latest sign of potentially warming ties between the two countries’ militaries. #nuclear #antinuclear #nuclearfree #NoNukes
Dunkelflaute (or… can we keep the lights on when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine?)
Prof. Andrew Blowers tackles this question in the BANNG column for Regional Life, October, 2023 https://www.banng.info/news/dunkelflaute/—
The Blackwater estuary is a place where sea, land and sky meet. It is a vast natural environment where wind and sun provide unlimited resources that are transforming our energy supply as we shift from fossil fuels to low carbon renewables, in the desperate race to avert impending climate catastrophe.
There is one problem with a carbon free energy future built on wind and sun. That problem is Dunkelflaute, a German word meaning ‘dark doldrums’, times when there is little wind and sunlight. Think of those short, dark and windless days in mid-winter when lights and heating are on all day and the demand for power rises and the energy supply system is fully stretched. As we become more dependent on intermittent sources of electricity supply can we keep the lights on?
The answer must be ‘yes’, since not to have light is unthinkable in our modern society. But, how? For some, the answer lies in nuclear power which provides ‘firm power’, continuous generation able to meet baseload whenever Dunkelflaute persists. The Government recently proclaimed that ‘Nuclear is the critical baseload of the future energy system’. But, even if it were true, it hardly justifies the plans for massive investment in outmoded, dangerous and costly nuclear power plants that cannot conceivably be delivered until well into the next decade – if then. Installing big, inflexible nuclear will just get in the way of the flexible supply and demand management system for the future
‘Firm power which cannot be switched off when you don’t need it will be as much of a problem as variable power which cannot be switched on when you do. What is called for is flexibility, in huge quantities and of all types’. (Michael Liebreich quoted in Carbon Brief)
That future lies in wind and solar backed up by green power and by long duration storage (including battery, hydrogen and pumped hydro-electric). Distributed local heat and power systems, interconnectors with other countries and reducing and managing demand through energy efficiency and smart metering will all contribute to an energy system that meets net zero by the middle of the century.
It is already happening. At its present moment of hubris nuclear is already doomed. On the Blackwater estuary, the hulk of Bradwell A provides a forlorn epitaph to a bygone era. #nuclear #antinuclear #nuclearfree #NoNukes
Burned-up space junk pollutes Earth’s upper atmosphere, NASA planes find
Space.com, By Tereza Pultarova, 19 Oct 23
Chemicals created by fiery satellite re-entries could affect Earth’s climate.
Scientists have long thought that the burning up of space junk in Earth’s atmosphere creates air pollution that can affect the planet’s climate. Now, for the first time, they’ve managed to detect the presence of these pollutants in the air high above our planet.
A team of researchers flew high-altitude NASA aircraft over Alaska and the U.S. mainland to sample the chemical composition of the thin air in the stratosphere, the second-lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere, which extends from about 6 miles to 30 miles (10 to 50 kilometers) above the planet’s surface.
The planes, NASA’s WB-57 and ER-2 aircraft, allowed the researchers to reach altitudes of up to 11.8 miles (19 km), which is about five miles (9 km) above the cruising altitude of commercial airliners.
Sensitive sensors in the nosecones of the planes analyzed the chemical compounds diluted in the thin, pristine stratospheric air, which is out of reach of Earth-based air pollution sources. The researchers found traces of lithium, aluminum, copper and lead in the sampled air. The detected concentrations of these compounds were much higher than what could be caused by natural sources, such as the evaporation of cosmic dust and meteorites upon their encounter with the atmosphere. In fact, the concentrations of these pollutants reflected the ratio of chemical compounds present in alloys used in satellite manufacturing, the researchers said in a statement.
“We are finding this human-made material in what we consider a pristine area of the atmosphere,” Dan Cziczo, a professor of Earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences at Purdue University in Indiana and one of the authors of the study, said in the statement. “And if something is changing in the stratosphere — this stable region of the atmosphere — that deserves a closer look.”
In recent years, scientists have been sounding alarm bells about the possible effects of the rising number of rocket launches and satellite re-entries on the upper layers of Earth’s atmosphere. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday (Oct. 16). https://www.space.com/air-pollution-reentering-space-junk-detected #nuclear #antinuclear #nuclearfree #NoNukes
‘Nuclear power, weapons inextricably linked’
Beth Suttle Estelle, Oct 22, 2023 https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/nuclear-power-weapons-inextricably-linked/
I recently gave a copy of “American Ground Zero: The Secret Nuclear War” (1993) by Carole Gallagher to the Durango Public Library. It includes more than 70 personal narratives from individuals and families harmed by nuclear fallout from the Cold War Nevada tests.
It is important that testing stops permanently. And if the U.S. honors the test ban, it’s more likely Russia would, too.
Monies should go to cleaner and safer energies. Our power grid is in bad need of strengthening. A sun flare of electromagnetic pulse from our enemies could instantly put us back in the Stone Age.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could broaden our definition of “defense” and use our monies accordingly?
Nuclear power and nuclear weapons are inextricably linked. Our old plants need to be shut down and cleaned up, as many are far beyond their expected life span, becoming more and more brittle and dangerous.
Historian Peter Kuznick Warns of WW3, Nuclear War If Conflicts Don’t De-Escalate
HISTORIAN PETER KUZNICK: HEADING FOR WWIII, NUCLEAR WINTER …Must De-Escalate Conflicts!!!
Historian Peter Kuznick fears for the fate of humanity … warning of a third world war and a nuclear winter if conflicts across the globe continue to escalate.
The author and American University professor joined us on “TMZ Live” Thursday, and we asked him just how close we are to World War III, given the war in the Middle East.
Peter says things were already trending towards a doomsday scenario as a result of the war between Ukraine and Russia and the situation in Taiwan … and he fears recent developments in Gaza may push things over the edge.
The way Peter sees a nightmare situation unfolding — Israel invades Palestine, forcing Hezbollah to join the war — and then other countries are drawn into battle.
From there, Peter says it’s an all-out world war … and it’s pretty much guaranteed nuclear warheads will be used.
Peter explains how even a small number of nukes would create a nuclear winter capable of killing 2 billion people across the globe … telling us it would be worse than ever imagined.
With the United States mobilizing warships, aircraft and troops to help Israel, Peter says humanity is sitting on the proverbial powder keg … but he’s got some solutions to avoid cataclysm. #nuclear #antinuclear #nuclearfree #NoNukes
Holy See urges renewed efforts to advance nuclear disarmament
Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, the Vatican’s Permanent Observer to the UN in New York, says that despite the “dark clouds” of growing conflict and “escalatory rhetoric”, there is still space for hope that progress in nuclear disarmament can be achieved.
Vatican News, By Lisa Zengarini 20 Oct 23
The Holy See has decried the current “downward spiral of arms control and disarmament policies”, urging for “renewed efforts to advance progress on nuclear disarmament at a time when the risk of nuclear war becomes again a reality.”
Speaking on 17 October at the First Committee of the UN 78th General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, which addresses disarmament and international security matters, Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia lamented that the international community “has collectively moved in the wrong direction, discarding important treaties on arms control, disarmament and transparency”, with “the international disarmament machinery remaining in deadlock.”
Stall in talks on the review of the NPT
Since 2010, periodic talks for the review of the landmark 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) have stalled, as international tensions have increased.
Following the failure of the 2015 Review Conference, the 2022 review conference ended again without agreement as Russia blocked consensus on the negotiated outcome document.
This poses significant risks for the global non-proliferation regime with some states, including Iran, increasing their interest in acquiring nuclear weapons.
Increased polarization and distrust between States
In his statement, Archbishop Caccia expressed the Holy See’s disappointment “at the increased levels of polarization and mistrust at the First Session of the Preparatory Commission for the 11th Review Conference of on NPT due to take place in 2026.
“At a time when flexibility is most needed, the lack of a chair’s summary will be detrimental in working towards consensus” in 2026, the Vatican Permanent Observer to the UN said. …………………………………………………………………….
Condemnation of rhetoric that threatens use of nuclear weapons and nuclear testing
Archbishop Caccia furher relayed the Holy See’s unequivocal condemnation of all rhetoric that threatens the use of nuclear weapons, recalling that such threats “increase tensions and elevate the risk of both intentional and unintentional use, placing humanity at the precipice of calamity.”……………………………
Archbishop Caccia concluded his intervention by saying that despite the “dark clouds of growing conflict and escalatory rhetoric there is ample space for hope.”
In this regard, he said the Holy See looks forward to the convening of the Second meeting of States Parties of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). It also welcomes the deliberations of the NPT Working Group on Further Strengthening the Review Process.
Listen to our report https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2023-10/holy-see-urges-renewed-efforts-to-advance-nuclear-disarmament.html #nuclear #antinuclear #nuclearfree #NoNukes
Antipodean Nuclear Free Zones: Testing Times for Antarctica and the South Pacific
October 19, 2023 https://nonproliferation.org/antipodean-nuclear-free-zones-testing-times-for-antarctica-and-the-south-pacific/
Australia and New Zealand have historically promoted strong anti-nuclear policies at both a global, regional, and sub-regional level. They joined with the United States and the other original parties to the 1959 Antarctic Treaty to make Antarctica nuclear free.
Both countries also took France to the International Court of Justice in 1973 in order to bring about a halt to France’s nuclear testing program in the South Pacific, and actively promoted the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone in the 1985 Treaty of Rarotonga.
However, in 2021 Australia along with the UK and US announced the AUKUS initiative, which in March 2023 was finalized in San Diego. Australia will eventually acquire AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines during the 2030s.
This has placed a spotlight on Australia’s anti-nuclear credentials and its international law commitments and has attracted criticism from within the Asia Pacific, including from New Zealand, Pacific island states, and China. This seminar considers these issues through the lens of international law.
VIDEO – on original
Chapters:
00:00:00 Moderator: Avner Cohen, Professor, Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies, Middlebury Institute of International Studies
00:01:44 Speaker: Donald R. Rothwell, Professor of International Law, ANU College of Law, Australian National University
00:57:07 Q&A #nuclear #antinuclear #nuclearfree #NoNukes
NTI Releases New Paper on Global Effects of Nuclear Conflict: Implications for Nuclear Policymaking, Then and Now
Forty years ago, findings on the global climatic effects of nuclear war first introduced the prospect of “nuclear winter.” In the decades since, the consequences of nuclear use have remained only incidental to considerations of nuclear policy. A new paper from NTI, “Global Effects of Nuclear Conflict: Implications for Nuclear Policymaking, Then and Now,” highlights the need for renewed attention to the catastrophic effects of nuclear conflict as a crucial step toward reducing the risk of nuclear use.
The paper provides historical context and describes how the scientific revelation of “nuclear winter” was first received by the U.S. defense community in the 1980s. It sheds light on the debate that emerged over how U.S. nuclear policy should account for the implications of the global effects of nuclear use, as many of the questions posed then are even more important to consider in the context of today’s interconnected and economically interdependent world. The complexity of modern global systems creates new vulnerabilities and introduces risks of cascading societal, economic, industrial, and political failures that countries are dangerously unprepared to address.
Both a reflective analysis and a forward-looking call for renewed investigation into and consideration of the global effects of nuclear conflict, the paper outlines several critical questions for experts and policymakers to confront, including:
- How does the recognition of global nuclear effects change the role and perceived utility of nuclear weapons in national security strategies?
- How should the cascading effects of nuclear war shape nuclear planning?
- Why has research into cascading nuclear effects been neglected in nuclear policy discussions?
Without answers to these important questions, nuclear weapons policy will continue to be premised on an incomplete understanding of the consequences of nuclear use, risking catastrophic miscalculations and endangering national and global security.
Does Israel have effective nuclear weapons? Chinese military experts have doubts
- As Israel’s war with Hamas rages on in Gaza, international groups worry about potential for nuclear conflict
- Chinese defence contractor says reliability of Israeli nuclear strike capabilities is ‘questionable’
SCMP. Victoria Bela, 20 Oct, 2023
“……………………………………………………………….. the extent of Israel’s nuclear capabilities – and whether the country could use them effectively in battle – remains an open question
Many international organisations and countries – including China – believe that Israel has nuclear weapons. But Israel has conducted few, if any, tests. The mystery that surrounds its nuclear programme has sparked questions among military experts about the nation’s actual deterrence capabilities.
Israel has long maintained a policy of “nuclear ambiguity” – meaning it has never directly confirmed or denied the existence of a nuclear arsenal.
Israel is universally believed to possess nuclear arms stored in a partially disassembled state,” Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association (ACA), told the Post via email on Thursday.
The nation is “estimated to have 90 nuclear warheads”, with the fissile material stockpiles to have over 200, he said.
Kimball added that the use of nuclear weapons, and even the threat of use, would make Israel “an international pariah and a target of foreign, conventional military attack”.
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), a 2017 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, said in a statement on Monday that “Israel is a nuclear-armed state, the only such state in the Middle East”.
Alicia Sanders-Zakre, ICAN’s policy and research coordinator, told the Post via email that “Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons significantly increases the risks associated with the conflict and contributes to regional tensions”.
“Escalation is a real danger,” she said………………………………..
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons considers the US, Britain, China, France and Russia to be “nuclear states”, because they built and tested nuclear explosives before 1967. Israel, Pakistan and India have never signed the treaty.
The five treaty-recognised nuclear powers “all have land, sea and air-based nuclear strike capabilities and maintain a higher level of nuclear combat readiness”, according to a paper published earlier this month in a journal run by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Limited, an aerospace defence contractor for the People’s Liberation Army.
But according to the paper, the effectiveness of nuclear strikes based solely on land-based capabilities, which is all the authors believe Israel possesses, is “questionable”.
The nuclear nations that have not signed on to the non-proliferation treaty have conducted fewer than 10 nuclear tests each, compared to nearly 50 conducted by China and over 1,000 conducted by the US, according to the United Nations……………………………
Sanders-Zakre noted that Israel was suspected of conducting a joint nuclear weapons test with South Africa in 1979, which was picked up as a flash by the US satellite Vela in waters close to South Africa.
Israel is not known to have conducted any other tests. However, the country did not build its nuclear programme alone.
n the 1960s, France helped Israel establish the Negev Nuclear Research Centre near the city of Dimona, which was capable of producing nuclear weapons. The US only discovered the facility after construction began, according to researchers at the Wilson Center, a Washington-based think tank.
Israel has US-made aircraft capable of delivering nuclear bombs and German-made submarines capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Israel’s own Jericho ballistic missiles are also capable of delivering nuclear warheads over 1,500km (932 miles) to nearby nations, according to an article written by Clive Williams, a visiting professor at the Australian National University’s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre.
While the exact details of Israel’s nuclear warheads and delivery methods are unknown, its US- and German-made vehicles could act as reliable delivery methods if fitted for nuclear warheads.
In August, the IAEA’s director general wrote in a report that there was a “long-standing and fundamental difference of views” between Israel and other Middle Eastern states regarding the regulation of nuclear activity.
Kimball pointed out that Israel only has agreements to allow the IAEA to inspect specific facilities and does not – unlike most non-nuclear states – have a comprehensive safeguard agreement “to ensure that civilian nuclear activities and materials are not being diverted for nuclear weapons use.”
Kimball said that while Israel had a nuclear arsenal, the country had “no justification nor any military need to employ nuclear weapons”.
The ACA is “deeply concerned about a further escalation of violence against civilian populations,” Kimball said. “But we are not concerned that this might involve the use of nuclear weapons.”
Although Israel has insisted that it has no interest in “introducing” nuclear weapons to the Middle East, it has continued to avoid signing comprehensive safeguard agreements with the IAEA.
In a vote at the UN General Assembly last year, a vast majority of member states called for Israel to place all of its nuclear sites under IAEA supervision and to get rid of any nuclear weapons it possessed.
more https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3238708/does-israel-have-effective-nuclear-weapons-chinese-military-experts-have-doubts #nuclear #antinuclear #nuclearfree #NoNukes
China highlights marine radiation monitoring in draft law revision
China Daily, Xinhua 2023-10-20
BEIJING — China is considering strengthening its monitoring of radiation in the marine environment in the latest draft revision to the Marine Environment Protection Law, a spokesperson said Thursday.
Scheduled for its third deliberation at a session of the country’s top legislature in late October, the draft revision states that departments of the State Council in charge of environmental issues should set out emergency plans for radiation monitoring and organize its implementation.
The draft stresses improving the capacity of monitoring and managing the marine environment by raising the technological and informatization level, and requires efforts to enhance comprehensive, coordinated and regular monitoring, according to Yang Heqing, a spokesperson for the Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, at a press briefing.
Pollution prevention and control in rivers flowing into the sea should also be strengthened in coordinated efforts to ensure the water quality at the mouths of the rivers meets the relevant standards, Yang said citing the draft revision
The sixth session of the 14th NPC Standing Committee will be held from Oct. 20 to 24. The NPC Standing Committee completed two readings of previous versions of the draft revision to the Marine Environment Protection Law in December last year and June……..
https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202310/20/WS6531db77a31090682a5e9b28.html #nuclear #antinuclear #nuclearfree #NoNukes
Australia’s nuclear submarine plans in disarray as Albanese visits USA in the midst of a Republican Congressmen’s brawl
Congressional brawl threatens to overshadow Anthony Albanese’s US trip
The Age David Crowe. October 20, 2023
A political brawl in the United States is hurting Australian plans to persuade legislators to support the AUKUS pact on nuclear-powered submarines by casting doubt over whether Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will be able to meet senior Congressional leaders next week.
Albanese is due to fly to Washington DC on Sunday to hold talks with US President Joe Biden on the alliance and broader security issues as well as attending a state dinner at the White House on Wednesday night, the first for an Australian leader in four years.
The agenda for the state visit includes stronger cooperation on climate change, critical mineral supplies as well as the sharing of nuclear secrets for the AUKUS plan, which needs Congress to approve changes to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR, to allow the export of US knowledge and technology.
But the upheaval in the US capital, with the Republicans in disarray over whether Jim Jordan of Ohio should become Speaker of the House of Representatives, means there is no authority to approve an address to Congress and limited time for Albanese to meet top leaders…………..
Albanese is seeking meetings with Congressional leaders and the Australian ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd, is planning a formal opening of the new embassy on Scott Circle, with guests including political and corporate leaders, and a business delegation from Australia.
While former prime minister John Howard addressed a joint sitting of Congress in 2005 and Julia Gillard did the same in 2011, a similar event appears unlikely for Albanese given the challenges with the Republican leadership…………………………………………………………………………..
Albanese is also due to meet Biden in the Oval Office and join the president in a meeting with cabinet secretaries at the White House, as well as meeting Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department. https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/congressional-brawl-threatens-to-overshadow-anthony-albanese-s-us-trip-20231020-p5eds1.html
#nuclear #antinuclear #nuclearfree #NoNukes #auspol
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Large scale U.S. military buildup in the Middle East: Is America preparing to launch World War III?
Asad Ismi, Nick Allen. Global Research,Thu, 19 Oct 2023 https://www.sott.net/article/485270-Large-scale-U-S-military-buildup-in-the-Middle-East-Is-America-preparing-to-launch-World-War-III
Hawkeye spy plane launches from flight deck“With an Armada of 13 Warships, Over 100 Fighter Jets, Cruise Missiles, Spy Planes and 2,000 Amphibious Special Forces Massing in the Region”
An October 18 article by Nick Allen in London’s Daily Mail confirms that the U.S. had “foreknowledge” of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack directed against Israeli civilians.
The report acknowledges that:
“Within hours of the horrific onslaught on Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7 the U.S. began moving warships, jets and special forces to the region.”
Known to military analysts, such a deployment requires considerable advanced preparation and cannot be improvised “within hours.”
This fits in with the scenario that the Hamas attack initiated on October 7, 2023 was a“false flag” operationon behalf of Israel’s military and intelligence apparatus (which also coordinates such actions with the U.S.).
Amply documented, Hamas was created by Israel in 1987 and funded by hundreds of millions of dollars via Qatar, a transfer facilitated by Israel.
“The Hamas Partnership” is confirmed by Netanyahu
Netanyahu told a meeting of his Likud party’s Knesset members in March 2019:
“Anyone who wants to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state has to support bolstering Hamas and transferring money to Hamas. This is part of our strategy – to isolate the Palestinians in Gaza from the Palestinians in the West Bank.”
–Haaretz, October 9, 2023
“Transferring Money to Hamas” on behalf of Netanyahu is confirmed by a Times of Israel October 8, 2023 Report:
“Hamas was treated as a partner to the detriment of the Palestinian Authority to prevent Abbas from moving towards creating a Palestinian State. Hamas was promoted from a terrorist group to an organization with which Israel conducted negotiations through Egypt, and which was allowed to receive suitcases containing millions of dollars from Qatar through the Gaza crossings.”
These facts have been detailed in articles by Prof. Michel Chossudovsky, Dr. Philip Giraldi (former intelligence officer for the CIA) and veteran reporter Seymour Hersh:
An arrangement was made with Qatar, which began sending hundreds of millions of dollars to the Hamas leadership with Israeli approval. The insider told me that “Bibi was convinced that he would have more control over Hamas with the Qatari money” — let them occasionally fire rockets into southern Israel and have access to jobs inside Israel — than he would with the Palestinian Authority. He took that risk. – Seymour Hersh
The Daily Mail article is titled:
“How the U.S. is ramping up firepower in the Middle East to deter Iran from starting WW III – with an armada of 13 warships, over 100 fighter jets, cruise missiles, spy planes and 2,000 amphibious special forces massing in the region.”
The first sentence of the report reads:
“The United States is amassing a war machine in the Middle East in a clear message to Iran to stay on the sidelines as Israel prepares to launch a ground invasion into Gaza to destroy the terror group Hamas.”
So the very quick, dangerous and aggressive massive deployment of U.S. forces to the Israel area is presented in the DailyMail article as a defensive measure aimed at deterring Iran. Even for the obedient pro-imperialist Western mainstream media, this is an incredible stretch.
However, if one reads the body of the article carefully it becomes clear that it is the U.S. that is starting World War III not Iran. The content of the article contradicts the title which happens sometimes in the mainstream press given its well-known editorial restrictions on telling the truth.
Massive U.S. Military Deployment
The article details massive military escalation by the U.S. that is so extremely provocative as to almost guarantee World War III.
In contrast, the article fails to point out even one single deployment of troops or ships by Iran aimed at Israel or the U.S. after October 7.
The Daily Mail describes Washington’s war machine build-up and deployment as:
“Two aircraft carriers including the world’s largest – the USS Gerald R. Ford – have been sent to the eastern Mediterranean, along with scores of planes that could carry out air strikes.
The carrier, which has a nuclear reactor, is replete with an arsenal of weapons like Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles and the Mk-15 Phalanx Close-In Weapon System, which is used to fire armor piercing bullets.
Many more aircraft, including F-15 and F-16 fighter jet squadrons, have been dispatched to US military bases in the region, doubling the number available in the Persian Gulf.
Around 2,000 U.S. Marines trained in special operations and amphibious landings have also been redirected from an exercise in Kuwait, and are now on board two warships somewhere off the coast of Bahrain.
The Pentagon is also preparing an additional 2,000 Army and Air Force personnel as a potential rapid response force.
The main aim of the U.S. military ramp up is to deter Iran and its proxies from making any aggressive move.
A second aircraft carrier, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, will arrive in the eastern Mediterranean in about a week, also accompanied by four other warships.
The carrier, also known as the ‘Ike,’ has 5,000 sailors and can bring up to nine squadrons of aircraft including fighter jets and helicopters.
Even before the new influx of firepower the U.S. had over 30,000 troops in the region. That includes 13,000 in Qatar, 7,000 in Bahrain, at least 3,000 each in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait, 2,500 in Iraq, and 2,500 in Turkey.
Incirlik Air Base in Turkey is also home to 50 American B61 nuclear bombs.
Additonally, around 2,000 U.S Marines with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit had just arrived in Kuwait for an exercise when the Hamas attack in Israel happened.”
Who is Planning to Start World War III: America or Iran?
So which country is going to start World War III, the U.S. that is sending not one but two aircraft carriers bristling with attack aircraft and soldiers to the Israel area or Iran that is sending nothing significant to the same region presently?
Obviously, the alarming U.S. military escalation is aimed at starting a war not preventing one and the Orwellian language of the Daily Mail article fits in well with the standard CIA technique of blaming Washington’s enemies for “what it wants to do itself’.
About the Author:
Asad Ismi is an award-winning writer on international politics and an expert on U.S. imperialism. He has written on the politics of 70 countries including nine in the Middle East. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization CRG). For his publications and documentaries visit www.asadismi.info. #nuclear #antinuclear #nuclearfree #NoNukes
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