WORLD AT WAR: 9.30.22 - Biden Has Opened Door to Russian Nuke Strikes

 Biden Has Opened Door to Russian Nuke Strikes - by Gordon G. Chang- https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/18942/biden-russia-nuclear-strikes "If Russia crosses this line, there will be catastrophic consequences for Russia," National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told NBC's "Meet the Press" on the 25th of thismonth, referring to threats to use nuclear weapons. "The United States will respond decisively." Sullivan was responding to, among other things, a warning Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered in a televised address on September 21. "I want like to remind those whomake such statements regarding Russia that our country has different types of weapons as well, and some of them are more modern than the weapons NATO countries have," the Russian leader said. "In the event of a threat to the territorial integrity of our countryand to defend Russia and our people, we will certainly make use of all weapon systems available to us." "This is not a bluff," he added. "The idea of nuclear conflict, once unthinkable, has become a subject of debate," said U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres the following day at a Security Council sessionon Ukraine. "This in itself is totally unacceptable." Acceptable or not, the use of nuclear weapons is fast becoming likely. The world can thank President Joe Biden for helping create the conditions for history's first totalwar. Putin's threat to use nukes — presumably against Ukraine but perhaps others as well — was made at the time he announced a military mobilization, Russia's first since WorldWar II. The Russian leader has made a series of implicit and explicit nuclear threats this year. On February 27, for instance, he put his nuclear forces on high alert. On March 1,he sortied his ballistic missile submarines and land-based mobile missile launchers in what was called a "drill." Russia's nuclear doctrine is called "escalate to deescalate" or, more appropriately, "escalate to win," which means threatening or using nukes early in a conventional conflict. Even if Putin is now bluffing — most analysts think he is — he is getting what he wants with threats. Biden, for instance, has been cautious and even timid in providing militaryassistance to a beleaguered Ukraine. Putin has obviously noticed, which is the reason he has been making more such threats. "A nuclear war cannot be won," Biden stated in his September 21 U.N. General Assembly speech, but that applause line is not necessarily true. With nuclear-tipped cruise missiles, the Russian leader could, in a moment, reverse his fortunes by incinerating Ukraine's cities and large concentrations of military assets,eventually allowing Russia to annex the entire country. Could Putin get away with such a bold move? The main deterrent to a first strike with tactical nuclear weapons is a threatened second strike with nukes. At this time, theU.S. has tactical nuclear weapons in Europe, in the form of "gravity bombs" delivered by F-16 and F-35 jets. These bombs, as destructive as they are, are not, as a practical matter, much of a deterrent to the first use of tactical nukes. They can be destroyed on the ground, and anythat survive have to be flown long distances through contested airspace to reach targets. In short, Putin is unlikely to be afraid of America's bombs. That leaves the president of the United States with only one other nuclear threat for deterrence purposes: the launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles. ICBMs carryingnuclear warheads can completely destroy Russia, but Putin knows Biden will never make good on any threat to use these weapons in this situation. Putin knows that Biden knows that Putin can obliterate the United States in a second strike with his ICBMs. When Sullivan says "catastrophic," Putin undoubtedly thinks "hollow." American threats to use its most destructive weapons are simply not credible in this situation. Why, then, doesn't the United States have what it needs at this crucial moment: nuclear-tipped cruise missiles like Putin's? The arms-control community, arguing that suchlow-yield weapons would make nuclear war more likely, persuaded American presidents not to build them. President Trump authorized their development, but Biden cancelled the program. Unfortunately, arms-control advocates got it backwards. As evident from today's developments, America lacking low-yield nuclear warheads on cruise missiles is making nuclearwar more likely, not less. So, what does the arms-control community now recommend? "The United States will need to reduce its nuclear arsenal to encourage Russia to do the same," wrote Tom Collina and Angela Kellett on the 21st of this month on the DefenseOne site. Entice Russia into disarmament? Been there. Tried that. Failed miserably. "In 2010, we killed the Navy nuclear-armed cruise missile and Russia responded by confirming they were indeed building 32 new strategic nuclear systems of which 90% are nowcomplete," the Hudson Institute's Peter Huessy tells Gatestone. "The comparable Chinese number is 28." Nonetheless, Collina and Kellett urge the Biden administration to not let Putin's war prevent negotiations with Putin to limit nuclear weapons. "If we want to prevent Russiafrom using its nuclear weapons to enable more aggression against weaker states, we must find a way to work with Moscow to reduce its nuclear arsenal," write the pair in "War Is No Reason to Put Arms-Control Negotiations on Hold," their Defense One article. Is it possible to work with Putin at this time? Even if we can put aside the morality of talking to a genocidal mass murderer — we cannot — it is reckless to believe Putin might actually honor arms-control agreements whenhe has continually violated them with impunity. Moreover, it is bad enough to argue for disarmament in peacetime, but it is the height of folly to do so during war — and when China and North Korea are making first-strikenuclear threats of their own. America's arms-control advocates have always been naïve. Now, they are delusional.WOT -------------------------------- Will The Nord Stream Sabotage Lead Putin to A Wicked Thought, As Europe Scrambles for A New Source of Energy? � By Breanna Claussen - https://harbingersdaily.com/will-nord-stream-explosions-lead-putin-to-a-wicked-thought-as-europe-scrambles-for-a-new-source-of-energy/ Three explosions struck Nord Stream 1 and 2 on Monday and Tuesday, resulting in what experts say may be irreparable damage to the subsea pipelines running through the BalticSea from Russia into Germany. The first explosion took place Monday, targeting Nord Stream 2, a pipeline that is not currently operational. Surrounding countries recorded a 1.8 magnitude earthquake anda sudden drop in the pipe�s pressure indicating a leak. The second and third explosions detonated approximately 17 hours later targeting Nord Stream 1, which has been shipping gas from Russia into Europe since 2011, but has been operating at a diminished capacitysince Russia�s invasion of Ukraine. According to Tagesspiegel, �German security authorities assume that the three tubes of the Baltic Sea pipeline Nord Stream 1 and 2 will be forever unusable after alleged actsof sabotage. If they are not repaired quickly, a lot of salt water will run in and corrode the pipelines, the Tagesspiegel learned from government circles.� �Due to the size of the leaks, an extremely large amount of salt water can flow into the pipes,� the German Newspaper further reported. �Germany is now trying to further analyzethe situation with the Danish and Swedish authorities, but it is very difficult to carry out the appropriate searches at a depth of 70 to 80 meters� The Danish side said on Wednesday that an investigation in the sea could only take place in a week or two.Also because of safety concerns.� Due to the level of sophistication of the attacks, which took place at a depth of 70-80 meters (230-260 ft) below sea level, governments and experts have insisted that thesabotage was likely carried out by a state actor. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, warned after the attack that �any deliberate disruption of active European energy infrastructure is unacceptableand will lead to the strongest possible response.� Although immense speculation has ensued regarding which country carried out the explosions, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen underscored that �there is no informationindicating who could be behind� the sabotage. The finger has been pointed in various directions, primarily at Russia, Ukraine, and the United States. Many have noted comments made by President Joe Biden this past Februaryin which he promised Russia that if the country were to invade Ukraine, �there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it.� The Daily Wire reported that �in June, the U.S. Navy joined other NATO members for BALTOPS 22, a series of maritime exercises in the Baltic Sea near the Danish island of Bornholm � the location of the Nord Stream pipeline leaks. Among other initiatives, scientists from five nations tested unmanned underwater mine hunting technology.� The United Nations Security Council is set to convene on Friday to discuss damage to the Nord Stream pipelines. The attack on the Nord Stream pipelines has plunged Europe into an even more desperate energy situation with winter fast approaching. Amir Tsarfati, the Founder and President of Behold Israel, noted that the European Union, which has been looking for alternatives to Russian energy since the country�s forcesmoved in on Ukraine, signed a historic deal with Israel last June �to export natural gas through the year 2050.� This development is Biblically significant when we consider a future war, prophetically described in Ezekiel 38-39. According to Scripture, the leader of Russia will �thinkan evil thought� and decide to take a coalition of nations, including Iran and Turkey, to invade the nation of Israel from the north (Ezekiel 38:10-12). The purpose of this invasion is to �take a spoil� of Israel�s prosperity (Ezekiel 38:12-13). �There is a search for energy sources other than Russia,� Tsarfati explained. �This has opened the door for Israel to become �the darling of Europe� with its massive gas fields.In the midst of these monumental shifts, we see these three leaders of collapsing economies � Putin, Erdogan, and Raisi � coming together once again to join their interests. To these countries, Israel will look more and more like the answer to their monetarywoes. This is exactly the situation that Scripture spells out! Ezekiel 38 is a war of financial gains and economic interests, and to these nations Israel looks ripe for the picking. We best keep our eyes to the skies; Jesus is coming soon!� -------------------------------