11 Apr, 2023 13:16

Ukraine grooming Russian youth for terror attacks – FSB

Kiev and Western special services are waging an aggressive brainwashing campaign, Alexander Bortnikov has claimed

Western and Ukrainian intelligence services are trying to recruit Russian youth to carry out terrorist attacks against their own country, Alexander Bortnikov, the head of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a session of the National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAK), over which he presides, Bortnikov claimed, according to the NAK statement, that amid the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kiev, “Ukraine and their Western sponsors’ special serviceshave launched an aggressive brainwashing and recruitment [campaign] on our citizens.”

One of the main tasks of Kiev and their Western backers is to target “especially the younger generation to involve them in sabotage, terrorist and extremist activities,” he added.

Since February 2022, when Moscow launched its operation against Ukraine,Russia has prevented 118 terrorist crimesbeing prepared byyoung people and minors, Bortnikov said.

The FSB director also pointed to “a serious threat” stemming from attempts bysome students, who are influenced by various “destructive subcultures,” to lay the groundwork forattacks on Russian schoolsand other educational institutions. “Some of [these subcultures] arecoordinated from Ukrainianterritory,” he added, according to the statement.

With this in mind, NAK members have discussed measures aimed to prevent terrorist activities. Such steps include awareness-building campaigns in educational institutions, with an emphasis on “countering terrorism and neo-Nazi ideology among the youth” in former Ukrainian regions that voted to join Russia last autumn.

The meeting of the committee came after prominent military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was murdered in a blast in a St. Petersburg cafe earlier this month. The explosion, which also injured several dozen people, was caused by a statuette brought to the event by Darya Trepova, 26, who is now in police custody.

However, Russian authorities have said that the bomb plot was orchestrated by Ukrainian special services using agents collaborating with opposition figure Alexey Navalny’s anti-corruption fund FBK, which was designated an extremist organization in 2021.

In late February, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that theWest had “never hesitatedto use both radicals and extremists for their own interests.” “They always use against us whatever is at hand,” he said at the time.

https://www.rt.com/russia/574530-ukraine-grooming-russian-youth-terrorism/

11 Apr, 2023 15:11

Kremlin responds to claim of secret rocket purchases

The report about a plan to receive weapons from Egypt is false, spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said

The Kremlin has rejected a claim that it was planning tosecretly acquire rocketsfrom Egypt. The allegations were said to have come fromleaked US intelligence files.

“This looks like yet another false story, as there are many of them today [in the media]. That is how one should treat such reports,”spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a phone call with journalists on Tuesday.

The Washington Post cited a US intelligence document on Monday that claimed Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi had ordered the production of up to 40,000 rockets so they could be discreetly shipped to Russia.

El-Sisi was quoted as telling officials that the operation should be secret “to avoid problems with the West.” He also reportedly mentioned plans to supply Moscow with artillery rounds and gunpowder.

According to the Post, the document was among alleged classified Pentagon files that were dumped online earlier this year and unearthed by news organizations last week.

Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid told the Post thatCairo remains committed to non-involvement in the Ukraineconflict and to “maintain equal distance with both sides.”

“We continue to urge both parties to cease hostilities and reach a political solution through negotiations,” Zeid said.

Al Qahera News, meanwhile, cited an Egyptian official who claimed that the Post’s story is “nonsense that is not based on truth.”

Egypt has maintained close ties with Moscow since Soviet times and is one of the top buyers of Russian weapons. At the same time, the country has good relations with the US, as the two states share a history of security cooperation. The US has also provided military assistance to Egypt.

The US and its allies have imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine conflict, aiming to cut its export revenues.

Sergey Chemezov – the head of state-run Russian company Rostec, which oversees the work of several defense manufacturers – said in January that the production of munitions has been substantially increased. He stated that “the talk… about Russia running out of rockets and rounds is complete nonsense.”

https://www.rt.com/russia/574533-kremlin-rockets-from-egypt/

Two videos from Bannon with Alex Jones, must watch. Really inspiring. I usually don’t watch Alex but this is very good

First video 13:03 minutes

1 hour ago.

Alex Jones: If You Believe In Humanity And God, You WILL WIN

https://rumble.com/embed/v2ezgb2/?pub=4

=Second videowith Bannon, Alex. Starts with a clip from his show

17:45 minutes

41 minutes ago

“This Is A War For The United States”: Alex Jones Warns Of Coordinated Attack On American Republic

https://rumble.com/embed/v2eznmk/?pub=4

11 Apr, 2023 16:38

Pentagon leaks suggest Russian hackers attacked Canadian pipeline – NYT

The documents do not specify which pipeline was infiltrated and Canadian operatorshave not confirmed any significant hacking incidents

A Russian government-connected hacktivist group has reportedly claimed to have breached the networks of a Canadian gas pipeline, according to a recent piece by the New York Times.

Citing the leaked Pentagon papers, the outlet claims that the classified documents contained an exchange betweenunspecified Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officers and a cybercriminal group called ‘Zarya’.

In their communications with the FSB, the hackers allegedly shared screenshots in February that showed they had the capability to increase valve pressure, disable alarms and make emergency shutdowns of an unspecified gas distribution station in Canada.

According to the documents, the FSB officers anticipated that “a successful operation would cause an explosion at the gas distribution station” and were “monitoring Canadian news reports for indications of an explosion.”

The New York Times reports that it has beenunable to verify any of this intelligence independently, while the Canadian Communications Security Establishment, which is responsible for Canada’s foreign intelligence gathering and cybersecurity, has refused to comment on any specific incidents.

Canada’s CBC News and the Canadian Press have also not been able to verify the claims, but noted that two pipeline operators – TC Energy and Enbridge – have stated that their infrastructurehad not been compromisedby any hacking attempts.

The White House, National Security Council and Department of Homeland Security have all declined to comment on the pipeline claims, while National Security Council spokesman John Kirby suggested on Monday that some of the documents in the leaked tranche “have been doctored.”

The batch of sensitive documents appeared online in late February and early March on the chat platform Discord, but the first reports on the leaks did not emerge until last week.

Western media outlets have reported that the Biden administration is currently in “crisis mode” and that the Pentagon has launched an internal investigation into the leak, which it says poses a “very serious risk” to Washington.

A number of officials, however, including from US-allied countries,have cast doubton the authenticity of the leak, pointing to a number of inconsistencies and factual inaccuracies. Ukraine, which is heavily featured in the papers, has even suggested that the leak is a Russian ploy to derail Kiev’s planned spring counteroffensive.

https://www.rt.com/news/574547-russian-hackers-canada-pipeline/

Like Sundance said, its a hoax by US IC

11 Apr, 2023 15:07

EU state makes new energy deal with Russia

Hungary has agreed on additional gas supply with Gazprom in case of an emergency, the Foreign Ministry has said

Hungary has reached an agreement with Russian energy company Gazprom on possible gas supplies in excess of what is provided for in long-term contracts, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said during a visit to Moscow on Tuesday.

The announcement followed talks with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak and the CEO of Russian nuclear energy major Rosatom, Aleksey Likhachev.

“We managed to agree with Gazprom the possibility of buying supply volumes in excess of the amount indicated in the long-term contracts, if a need arises in the course of preparation for winter …mainly through the Turkish Stream [pipeline],” Szijjarto stated.

“Today we extended the agreements regarding this possibility,” he added.

The sides also discussed a possible acceleration of the ongoingexpansion of Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant by Rosatom.The two countries’ nuclear cooperation has sparked a backlash from some EU member states.

Hungary, which is about 85% dependent on Russian gas, has repeatedly criticized the EU over its sanctions policy against Moscow. Budapest has strongly opposed calls to introduce restrictions on Russian gas imports and has also vowed to oppose any curbs on Russia’s nuclear energy industry. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has managed to secure an exemption from the bloc’s sanctions on Russian crude oil imports.

Hungary has been receiving 3.5 billion cubic meters of Russian gas annually via Bulgaria and Serbia, and another 1 billion cubic meters via a pipeline from Austria. In August, Budapest signed a deal with Gazprom for up to 5.8 million cubic meters of gas per day to be delivered from Russia on top of the contracted volumes.

(Pray for Hungary, Victoria Nuland has targeted the country and another one that is neutral to Russia with a color revolution. She’s calling up and invading the countries with Nazis, Antifa and subversives. Just like they did with George Floyd riots)

https://www.rt.com/business/574529-eu-state-energy-deal-russia/

10 Apr, 2023 21:15

US DOJ opens Pentagon leaks investigation

Washington has escalated the hunt for whoever posted Ukraine-related classified documents

The US Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into the publication of classified documents related to the Ukraine conflict, as the White House on Mondaylectured journalists not to report on their content.

The Department of Defense has sent over a criminal referral to the DOJ to trigger the probe, according to Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh. Meanwhile, an internal investigation has been launched to “review and assess the validity” of the documents, which “appear to contain sensitive and highly classified material.”

Photographs of scanned briefing slides were first posted on a messaging platform calledDiscord in January, but went unnoticed until last week. Since then, more documents have appeared on Twitter and Telegram as well, with the latest batch emerging on Friday. (So our spy agencies never spied on Discord, hardly believable)

According to Financial Times, their release has “sown chaos and paranoia among Washington’s national security apparatus ahead of a critical moment” in the Ukraine conflict, just as Kiev is about to launch a highly anticipated “counter-offensive.”

Pentagon spokesman Chris Meagher told reporters on Monday that he could not confirm the documents’ authenticity, but that they “appear to show documents similar in format to those used to provide daily updates to our senior leaders on Ukraine and Russia-related operations, as well as other intelligence updates,” while insisting that some “appear to have been altered.”

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters at the White House that hecouldn’t confirm the validityof the documents, but that they shouldn’t report on them. (This is to make the enemy think, they are real. No one is falling for this.)

“This is information that has no business in the public domain,” Kirby said. “It has no business, if you don’t mind me saying, on the front pages of newspapers or on television. It isnot intended for public consumption and it should not be out there.”

That has not stopped the US media fromquoting anonymous sourcesfrom inside the Pentagon to describe the hunt for the leaker and the crackdown on the flow of intelligence inside the US military. Over the weekend, the Washington Post reported “a high level of panic” at the Pentagon, while Reuters quoted speculation about the possible source, ranging from a disgruntled employee to an “insider threat.”

Both Ukraine and Russia have downplayed the documents’ significance, however. The Kremlin said Moscow had long known about Washington’s direct involvement in the conflict, while military analysts speculated the leaks might be US disinformation. Advisers to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky also initially claimed the documents were disinformation, blaming Russia. By Monday, however, Kiev was already changing some of its military plans in response, according to CNN – while insisting the actual date of the “counteroffensive” was irrelevant because it was already underway.

(Unconvincing Rubbish from Kirby, they’ll find some patsy, probably a patriot, to blame this on to make it more serious than it is)

https://www.rt.com/news/574503-doj-pentagon-leaks-criminal/

Look at Jeanne Pierre, she looks bored

10 Apr, 2023 16:54

No ‘magic date’ for counteroffensive – Ukraine

Aleksey Danilov says Ukraine’s armed forces are not waiting for any particular date and are working “every day”

The secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, Aleksey Danilov, has warned not to expect any “magic date” for a much-talked-about military counteroffensive. He also called for an end to speculation about the timing.

Writing on Twitter, the security chief stated that “the Ukrainian counteroffensive takes place every day” and that Kiev's forces were acting “calmly, systematically and consistently.” He also said that any “information hype”pertaining to the potential date of a large-scale ground operation by Ukraine is “not in favor of the plans of Ukraine’s Defense Force.”

However, last week, Danilov pointed out that details of thefuture operation are known to no more than four or five people, and suggested that Ukrainian officials were intentionally making false statements about its timetable in order to confuse the Russian army and the Kremlin.

Speculation and rumors about an upcoming counteroffensive have been circulating for months, fueled by statements from various Ukrainian and Western officials. Last month, Ukrainian Defense Minister Aleksey Reznikov suggested that it could begin either in April or May. Those estimates were echoed last week by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who claimed that the operation could begin in the next few weeks.(thats why they supposedly leak out plans and info)

It is assumed that that Kiev intends to conduct a large-scale ground attack in order to take back land it claims as its own. Those territories include the Crimean peninsula, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, and the regions of Zaporozhye and Kherson. All of which officially became part of the Russian Federation after overwhelmingly voting for the move in public referendums last year.

Meanwhile, an apparent leak of classified documents purporting to detail Washington’s war planning in Ukraine has reportedly forced Kiev to revise some of its plans for the operation, according toanonymous sources who spoke to CNNover the weekend. The release has also reportedly ruffled feathers in the Pentagon, which is said to have launched a probe to discover the source.

For its part, Moscow has said that it continues to monitor all relevant information pertaining to the conflict in Ukraine, and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has suggested that the supposed counteroffensive is merely “propaganda.” He warned, however, that in the event of a military assault on Crimea in particular, Russia would respond using “all means of protection,” including nuclear weapons.

https://www.rt.com/russia/574492-ukraine-counteroffensive-date-danilov/

==The Syllabus of Economic Errors

How the Left’s Compounding Failures Crush Prosperity==

STEVE CORTES. April 10, 2023

Since 2020, the successive, dismal policy disasters of the Ruling Class already bring significant economic suffering to middle and lower income Americans. Now, these compounding fiascos multiply into new risks that imperil the entire national economy.

Specifically, because of these botched policy flops, commercial real estate threatens the banks and broad economy today in ways unseen since the Great Financial Crisis of 2008-09.

A review of the sequence of these failures reads a bit like an economic version of the Syllabus of Errors. ThatVatican encyclical was issued in 1864 by Pope Pius IX.Affectionately known by Romans as “Pio Nono,” the Pontiff railed against the myriad mistakes and heresies of modernity. Channeling the magnificent work of Pio Nono, here is the damning list of economic errors that bring America to this financial precipice:

1.Lockdowns– the unscientific, illogical, and largely illegal lockdowns compelled massive disruptions to America’s social vitality, mental health, and physical well-being. Those abusive restrictions also created ongoing economic harm, especially through decimated supply chains. But America’s de facto dictators like Fauci, Gavin Newsom, and Lori Lightfoot cared little about the lasting harm, and certainly not about the systemic inflation fomented by the gargantuan level of government borrowing and spending to sustain the lockdowns.

Fauci pic

2.2020 BLM Riots– of course, those draconian lockdown orders were conveniently suspended, per actual public health directives from our supposed “expert” betters. Why? Well, as the promised 2020 “summer of love” descended into widespread chaos, burning, and killing, the doctors and health authorities concluded that social justice goals superseded…social distancing. The ensuing carnage of 2020 damaged downtown city centers in lasting, and perhaps permanent, ways. This massive shift ushered in previously unforeseen economic peril.

BLM pic

3.Commercial Real Estate Risks– lockdowns taught employees and companies to manage workflow remotely. Concurrently, the riots transformed downtowns into effective “no go” zones for regular citizens, and the threats of violence persist to this day. Places like downtown San Francisco and the Chicago Loop are largely ghost towns compared to prior eras, even on workdays.

Here is a chart on the alarming rise in vacancy rates for city offices:

Chart here

Source: Wall Street Journal

As the chart displays, the present spike in vacancy is far worse than even during the 2008-09 financial crisis. Then, the risk concentrated in residential real estate. Now, the primary risks lie on the commercial side.

4.Biden’s Inflation– upon taking office, the new administration took a federal budget that was already far too bloated and ramped it into profligacy overdrive. Biden inherited a V-shaped economic recovery in January of 2021 and he would have actually served America well by just remaining in his basement, per his 2020 campaign routine. Instead, he dialed up the borrowing and spending to sky-high levels. In his first budget, with the help of a lot of Republican collaborators,he spent $3 trillion more than the 2019 pre-virus budget, a 63% increase.

As any sane person could predict, this orgy of waste stoked a giant rise in inflation and a concurrent surge in interest rates. Here is a chart of 10 Year Treasury Yield, the benchmark interest rate for the whole economy.

https://stevecortes.substack.com/p/the-syllabus-of-economic-errors