Seymour Hersh: The Ukraine Refugee Question
Ukraine’s neighbors push for Zelensky to pursue peace as millions of displaced people flow into Europe. By Seymour Hersh / Substack https://scheerpost.com/2023/05/19/seymour-hersh-the-ukraine-refugee-question/
Last Saturday the Washington Post published an exposé of classified American intelligence documents showing that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, working behind the back of the Biden White House, pushed hard earlier this year for an expanded series of missile attacks inside Russia. The documents were part of a large cache of classified materials posted online by an Air Force enlisted man now in custody. A senior official of the Biden administration, asked by the Post for comment on the newly revealed intelligence, said that Zelensky has never violated his pledge never to use American weapons to strike inside Russia. In the view of the White House, Zelensky can do no wrong.
Zelensky’s desire to take the war to Russia may not be clear to the president and senior foreign policy aides in the White House, but it is to those in the American intelligence community who have found it difficult to get their intelligence and their assessments a hearing in the Oval Office. Meanwhile, the slaughter in the city of Bakhmut continues. It is similar in idiocy, if not in numbers, to the slaughter in Verdun and the Somme during World War I. The men in charge of today’s war—in Moscow, Kiev, and Washington—have shown no interest even in temporary ceasefire talks that could serve as a prelude to something permanent. The talk now is only about the possibilities of a late spring or summer offensive by either party.
But something else is cooking, as some in the American intelligence community know and have reported in secret, at the instigation of government officials at various levels in Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Estonia, Czechoslovakia, and Latvia. These countries are all allies of Ukraine and declared enemies of Vladimir Putin.
This group is led by Poland, whose leadership no longer fears the Russian army because its performance in Ukraine has left the glow of its success at Stalingrad during the Second World War in tatters. It has been quietly urging Zelensky to find a way to end the war—even by resigning himself, if necessary—and to allow the process of rebuilding his nation to get under way. Zelensky is not budging, according to intercepts and other data known inside the Central Intelligence Agency, but he is beginning to lose the private support of his neighbors.
One of the driving forces for the quiet European talks with Zelensky has been the more than five million Ukrainians fleeing from the war who have crossed the country’s borders and have registered with its neighbors under an EU agreement for temporary protection that includes residency rights, access to the labor market, housing, social welfare assistance, and medical care. An assessment published by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reports that the estimate excludes roughly 3 million Ukrainian refugees who escaped from the war zone without a visa into any of the 27 European nations that have abolished border control between each other under the Schengen agreement. Ukraine, though not in the EU, now enjoys all the benefits of the Schengen pact. A few nations, exhausted by the 15-month war, have reintroduced some forms of border control, but the regional refugee crisis will not be resolved until there is a formal peace agreement.
The UNHRC reports that free travel from Ukraine into the Baltic states and EU states in Western Europe “makes it particularly difficult to determine exactly how many Ukrainians have reached the EU in the last few months, and where they are now.” The report says the “vast majority” of the Ukrainian refugees are women and children, and one third of them are under the age of eighteen. Seventy-three per cent of the refugees of working age are women, many with children.
A February analysis of the European refugee issue by the Council on Foreign Relations found that “tens of billions of dollars” in humanitarian aid were poured into Ukraine’s neighbors during the war’s first year. “As the conflict enters its second year with no end in sight,” the report says, “experts worry that host countries are growing fatigued.”
Weeks ago I learned that the American intelligence community was aware that some officials in Western Europe and the Baltic states want the war between Ukraine and Russia to end. These officials have concluded that it is time for Zelensky to “come around” and seek a settlement. A knowledgeable American official told me that some in the leadership in Hungary and Poland were among those working together to get Ukraine involved in serious talks with Moscow. “Hungary is a big player in this and so are Poland and Germany, and they are working to get Zelensky to come around,” the American official said. The European leaders have made it clear that “Zelensky can keep what he’s got”—a villa in Italy and interests in offshore bank accounts—“if he works up a peace deal even if he’s got to be paid off, if it’s the only way to get a deal.”
So far, the official said, Zelensky has rejected such advice and ignored offers of large sums of money to ease his retreat to an estate he owns in Italy. There is no support in the Biden Administration for any settlement that involves Zelensky’s departure, and the leadership in France and England “are too beholden” to Biden to contemplate such a scenario. There is a reality that some elements in the American intelligence community can’t ignore, the official said, even if the White House is ignoring it: “Ukraine is running out of money and it is known that the next four or months are critical. And Eastern Europeans are talking about a deal.” The issue for them, the official told me, “is how to get the United States to stop supporting Zelensky,” The White House support goes beyond the needs of the war: “We are paying all of the retirement funds—the 401k’s—for Ukraine.”
And Zelensky wants more, the official said. “Zelensky is telling us that if you want to win the war you’ve got to give me more money and more stuff. He tells us, ‘I’ve got to pay off the generals.’ He’s telling us”—if he is forced out of office—“he’s going to the highest bidder. He’d rather go to Italy than stay and possibly get killed by his own people.”
“All of this talk is being reported and is now flying around inside the American intelligence community, but, as usual,” the official said, “it’s not clear to the intelligence community what the president and his foreign policy aides in the White House know of the reality” of the European discussion about finding a way to end the war. “We are still training Ukrainians how to fly our F-16s that will be shot down by Russia as soon as they get into the war zone. The mainstream press is dedicated to Biden and the war and Biden is still talking about the Great Satan in Moscow while the Russian economy is doing great. Putin can stay where he is”—in power—“despite his failure to wipe Ukraine off the map as an independent state. And he thought he would win the war with just one airborne division”—a sardonic reference to Russia’s failed effort in the first days of the war to seize a vital airport by parachuting in an attack force.
“Europe’s problem,” the official said, in terms of getting a quick settlement to the war, “is that the White House wants Zelensky to survive while there are others”—in Russia and in some European capitals—“who say Zelensky has got to go, no matter what,”
It’s not clear that this understanding has gotten to the Oval Office. I have been told that some of the better intelligence about the war does not reach the president, through no fault of those who prepare the often contrary assessments. Biden is said to rely on briefings and other materials prepared by Avril Haines, director of National Intelligence, since the Biden Administration came into office. She has spent much of her career working for Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, whose ties to Biden and agreement with him on matters pertaining to Russia and China go back decades.
The one saving grace for some in the community, I have been told, has been CIA Director William Burns. Burns was ambassador to Russia and deputy secretary of State and is seen as someone “who has come around” in opposition to some of the White House’s foreign policy follies. “He doesn’t want to be a rat on a sinking ship,” the official told me.
On the other hand, I have been told, it’s not clear to those in the CIA who prepare the President’s Daily Brief that Joe Biden is a regular reader of their intelligence summary. The document is usually three pages. Decades ago I was told—by someone who begged me not to write about it at the time—that Ronald Reagan rarely read the PDB until Colin Powell, then in the White House, began reading it to a video recorder. The tape would then be played for the president. It’s unclear who, if anyone, might take the initiative as Biden’s Colin Powell.
NOTE TO SCHEERPOST READERS: We are happy to be able to run some of Sy Hersh’s pieces from his new Substack venture. Please, if you can, sign up at seymourhersh.substack.com so you can support Sy Hersh’s work and the ability to bring it here on ScheerPost. Thank you!
Government introduces Bill to exempt nuclear submarines from crucial environmental protection acts.
Government seeks to make nuclear submarines more hazardous
Independent Australia, By Bevan Ramsden | 23 May 2023,
New legislation seeks to exempt nuclear power plants onboard submarines from crucial environmental protection acts, writes Bevan Ramsden.
THE GOVERNMENT has a bill before Parliament which, if passed, would exempt nuclear power plants on nuclear-propelled submarines from the requirement of two other acts: the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
The bill is called the Defence Legislation Amendment (Naval Nuclear Propulsion) Bill 2023. The amendments involve inserting an additional paragraph in parts of each act to exempt ‘a naval nuclear propulsion plant related to use in a conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarine’ from the requirements in the parts of either of those acts which refer to nuclear power plants.
This must be of considerable concern to the Australian community as it is totally illogical to make a distinction between the nuclear plant providing the power to propel “conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines” and that of a land-based nuclear power plant in relation to controls and protections as it is indeed still a nuclear power plant.
The nuclear power plant on board a submarine needs the same or more requirements for control and protection as a nuclear power plant on land. Indeed, the uranium to be used in these proposed SSN submarines is enriched to the level that is used in nuclear weapons.
It also presents more danger than conventionally uranium-fired nuclear power plants to the naval staff operating inside a nuclear-propelled submarine as they live and work in very close proximity to the nuclear power plant powering the submarine. When in port, residents in the vicinity of the port are potentially exposed to the toxic impact of possible radiation leaks from the submarine’s nuclear power plant.
To pass these amendments exempting nuclear power plants on board a nuclear-propelled submarine from the requirements of these two acts would be a betrayal by Parliament of its responsibilities to the naval staff operating the submarines and to the wider Australian public, especially those in proximity to the ports which service nuclear-powered submarines.
The Federal Parliament has never had the opportunity to vote on Australia joining the trilateral AUKUS security treaty through which the nuclear-powered submarine technology is to be transferred to Australia.
Nor has it had the opportunity to vote on the decision for Australia to buy/acquire nuclear-propelled submarines.
Here is one, possibly the only, opportunity for Parliament to vote on an aspect of the nuclear-propelled submarine procurement and step in and take some responsibility in maintaining the controls and protection of the nuclear power plant on board a submarine by not exempting it from the requirements of these two acts.
The Senate has referred this bill to the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee for review and report by 9 June 2023. Submissions can be made to it by 26 May. As many submissions as possible should be made to this committee urging that it recommend opposition to these amendments……………………………………..more https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/government-seeks-to-make-nuclear-submarines-more-hazardous,17538
New Zealand won’t give up its nuclear-free stance, says Prime Minister Chris Hipkins
Mark Quinlivan, 23 May 23, https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/05/new-zealand-won-t-give-up-its-nuclear-free-stance-says-prime-minister-chris-hipkins.html
“New Zealand’s nuclear-free position is long-standing and it’s not going to change.”
Chris Hipkins is refusing to budge on New Zealand’s nuclear-free status and says there are still no plans for Aotearoa to join a non-nuclear arm of a US-led defence alliance.
The Prime Minister appeared on AM on Tuesday, having just returned from a trip to Papua New Guinea to meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Pacific leaders.
“I was pretty clear [with Blinken]; New Zealand’s nuclear-free position is long-standing and it’s not going to change,” he told host Ryan Bridge.
Hipkins noted that position would prevent New Zealand from “ever” being directly involved in a defence alliance between Australia, the UK and the US – known as AUKUS.
“The US is still committed to a security relationship with New Zealand regardless of our nuclear-free status – I think that’s a good thing.”
Hipkins would not be drawn on even considering the possibility of allowing US nuclear submarines into New Zealand waters.
“We don’t allow those in New Zealand waters and that’s not going to change,” he said. “Many other Pacific nations have similar concerns.”
Bridge asked Hipkins what New Zealand’s specific concerns were.
The Prime Minister said New Zealand was “concerned about nuclear energy… because of the environmental impact of it, and the potential for environmental disaster”.
As for New Zealand joining a second, nuclear-free tier of AUKUS, Hipkins reiterated it remained unclear how that would work.
It comes after Defence Minister Andrew Little earlier this year confirmed Washington had raised the possibility of New Zealand becoming a non-nuclear partner of the alliance.
NATO to Draw Up ‘Russia War Plans’ for First Time Since Cold War
MAY 21, 2023 BY NEWS WIRE https://21stcenturywire.com/2023/05/21/nato-to-draw-up-russia-war-plans-for-first-time-since-cold-war/
NATO alliance leaders to approve thousands of pages of secret military plans that detail how to respond to a Russian attack.
David DeCamp from Antiwar.com reports…
NATO is drawing up plans on how to fight a war with Russia for the first time since the Cold War.
According to Reuters, at the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius this July, alliance leaders will approve thousands of pages of secret military plans that will detail how to respond to a Russian attack.
The plans will be vastly different than anything drawn up during the Cold War as NATO has expanded from 16 members to 31 since the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. The documents will also outline how NATO members should upgrade their forces and logistics.
“Allies will know exactly what forces and capabilities are needed, including where, what and how to deploy,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said of the war plans.
NATO’s newest member, Finland, shares an over 800-mile border with Russia and is poised to sign a deal that will give US troops access to its territory. While the alliance is preparing to beef up its presence on its “eastern flank,” one NATO official acknowledged the danger of massing troops near Russia’s border.
“The more troops you are massing up on the border, it’s like having a hammer. At some point, you want to find a nail,” said Lt. Gen. Hubert Cottereau, the vice chief of staff for NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe. “If the Russians are massing troops on the border that will make us nervous, if we are massing troops on the border that will make them nervous.”
Ukraine: Power loss at nuclear plant underscores ‘highly vulnerable’ safety situation
Peace and Security https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/05/1136932
The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine lost all external power for several hours on Monday morning, highlighting the urgent need to protect the facility and prevent an accident, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement.
This marked the seventh time that Europe’s largest nuclear power plant had been completely disconnected from the national electricity grid since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion 15 months ago, the agency said, noting that the facility was forced to run on emergency diesel generators once again.
The plant’s only remaining external 750 kilovolt power line had been cut around 5:30am, local time, and re-connected after more than five hours, according to IAEA experts located at the facility.
‘We’re playing with fire’
Agency chief Rafael Mariano Grossi said the situation demonstrated “the highly vulnerable nuclear safety and security situation” at the plant, which has come under shelling during the conflict.
“As I’ve said repeatedly, this simply can’t go on. We’re playing with fire. We must act now to avoid the very real danger of a nuclear accident in Europe, with its associated consequences for the public and the environment.”
The ZNPP was occupied by Russian forces in the early days of the war and is still being operated by Ukrainian personnel.
Most staff live in the nearby town of Enerhodar. On Friday, the IAEA reported that a location close to the town came under artillery fire earlier that day.
Intense negotiations continue
Mr. Grossi said he continues to engage in intense negotiations with all parties to secure the protection of the nuclear plant, stressing that “I will not stop until this has been achieved.”
He explained that the ZNPP does not have any operational back-up power lines since the last one functioning had been damaged in March, which has still not been repaired.
“For more than two and a half months, this major nuclear power plant has only had one functioning external power line. This is an unprecedented and uniquely risky situation. Defence-in-depth – which is fundamental to nuclear safety – has been severely undermined at the ZNPP,” he said.
Still awaiting access
He called for greater efforts to restore the back-up power lines, while also reiterating the need for the IAEA team on site to gain access to the Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant (ZTPP), located nearby.
The ZTPP has an open switchyard through which back-up power has been provided to the nuclear plant in the past. Access has yet to be granted despite reassurances by the Russian state nuclear company, Rosatom.
Following the off-site power cut on Monday, all the nuclear plant’s 20 diesel generators started operating. However, 12 were later switched off, leaving eight running, which is sufficient to operate all systems safely.
The IAEA said its experts at the site were informed that there is enough diesel fuel for 23 days, adding that after the 750 kilovolt line was restored, the diesel generators were gradually turned off.
Ukraine: Power loss at nuclear plant underscores ‘highly vulnerable’ safety situation
Peace and Security https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/05/1136932
The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine lost all external power for several hours on Monday morning, highlighting the urgent need to protect the facility and prevent an accident, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement.
This marked the seventh time that Europe’s largest nuclear power plant had been completely disconnected from the national electricity grid since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion 15 months ago, the agency said, noting that the facility was forced to run on emergency diesel generators once again.
The plant’s only remaining external 750 kilovolt power line had been cut around 5:30am, local time, and re-connected after more than five hours, according to IAEA experts located at the facility.
‘We’re playing with fire’
Agency chief Rafael Mariano Grossi said the situation demonstrated “the highly vulnerable nuclear safety and security situation” at the plant, which has come under shelling during the conflict.
“As I’ve said repeatedly, this simply can’t go on. We’re playing with fire. We must act now to avoid the very real danger of a nuclear accident in Europe, with its associated consequences for the public and the environment.”
The ZNPP was occupied by Russian forces in the early days of the war and is still being operated by Ukrainian personnel.
Most staff live in the nearby town of Enerhodar. On Friday, the IAEA reported that a location close to the town came under artillery fire earlier that day.
Intense negotiations continue
Mr. Grossi said he continues to engage in intense negotiations with all parties to secure the protection of the nuclear plant, stressing that “I will not stop until this has been achieved.”
He explained that the ZNPP does not have any operational back-up power lines since the last one functioning had been damaged in March, which has still not been repaired.
“For more than two and a half months, this major nuclear power plant has only had one functioning external power line. This is an unprecedented and uniquely risky situation. Defence-in-depth – which is fundamental to nuclear safety – has been severely undermined at the ZNPP,” he said.
Still awaiting access
He called for greater efforts to restore the back-up power lines, while also reiterating the need for the IAEA team on site to gain access to the Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant (ZTPP), located nearby.
The ZTPP has an open switchyard through which back-up power has been provided to the nuclear plant in the past. Access has yet to be granted despite reassurances by the Russian state nuclear company, Rosatom.
Following the off-site power cut on Monday, all the nuclear plant’s 20 diesel generators started operating. However, 12 were later switched off, leaving eight running, which is sufficient to operate all systems safely.
The IAEA said its experts at the site were informed that there is enough diesel fuel for 23 days, adding that after the 750 kilovolt line was restored, the diesel generators were gradually turned off.
Hiroshima Survivor Slams G7 Leaders for Embracing War & Rejecting Nuclear Disarmament
Democracy Now, MAY 22, 2023
The G7 summit wrapped up Sunday in Hiroshima, where much of the summit focused on the war in Ukraine and China. While in Japan, President Biden and other world leaders paid tribute to the victims of the world’s first nuclear attack — the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 — laying wreaths at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and planting a tree.
But President Biden did not issue an apology for the attack, which killed an estimated 140,000 people and seriously injured another 100,000. For more, we speak with Setsuko Thurlow, who survived the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 and devoted her life to nuclear disarmament. In 2017, she was chosen to accept the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
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- Setsuko Thurlowsurvivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 and nuclear disarmament activist.
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The G7 summit wrapped up Sunday in Hiroshima, where much of the summit focused on the war in Ukraine and China. While in Japan, President Biden and other world leaders paid tribute to the victims of the world’s first nuclear attack — the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 — laying wreaths at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and planting a tree. But President Biden did not issue an apology for the attack, which killed an estimated 140,000 people and seriously injured another 100,000. For more, we speak with Setsuko Thurlow, who survived the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 and devoted her life to nuclear disarmament. In 2017, she was chosen to accept the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
Transcript
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. SETSUKO THURLOW: Well, I came to Hiroshima from Canada, where I live. I wanted to be part of this whole excitement that the world leaders are coming to Hiroshima and to discuss the nuclear disarmament. And the people here were so excited, so happy to have the opportunity to give them the — to give the leaders the opportunity to be with us, to be in the center of the calamity and catastrophe, and to have a profound encounter themselves with the meaning of the dawn of the nuclear age. And people had a great anticipation and excitement. They’ve prepared for this with all kinds of recommendations to the leaders.
But somehow their wishes were not fully listened. To put it bluntly, for us survivors, who want nothing less than the total disarmament, total abolishment of nuclear weapons, and the majority of the citizens of Japan who support survivors’ idea, to us, it was nothing but a disaster. We are feeling more than frustration. It’s a fury, anger and a total disappointment, because we —
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- Setsuko Thurlowsurvivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 and nuclear disarmament activist.
LINKS
The G7 summit wrapped up Sunday in Hiroshima, where much of the summit focused on the war in Ukraine and China. While in Japan, President Biden and other world leaders paid tribute to the victims of the world’s first nuclear attack — the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 — laying wreaths at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and planting a tree. But President Biden did not issue an apology for the attack, which killed an estimated 140,000 people and seriously injured another 100,000. For more, we speak with Setsuko Thurlow, who survived the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 and devoted her life to nuclear disarmament. In 2017, she was chosen to accept the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
Transcript
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: The G7 summit wrapped up Sunday in Hiroshima, Japan. Much of the summit focused on two issues: the war in Ukraine and China. President Biden announced $375 million more in military aid for Ukraine. He also pledged to begin training Ukrainian forces on flying U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets. Biden did not offer to send any F-16s, but the U.S. has lifted its opposition to allies supplying the warplanes to Ukraine. Britain and the Netherlands have announced plans to work together to help provide Ukraine F-16s. President Biden spoke Sunday.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: You know, in my private meeting with President Zelensky after the G7 meeting, and with his staff, I told — the United States, together with our allies and partners, is going to begin training Ukrainian pilots in fourth-generation fighter aircraft, including F-16s, to strengthen Ukraine’s air force as part of a long-term commitment to Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. … I have a flat assurance from the — from Zelensky that they will not — they will not use it to go on and move into Russian geographic territory. But wherever Russian troops are within Ukraine in the area, they would be able to do that.
AMY GOODMAN: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who attended the G7 in Hiroshima, thanked Biden for his support.
PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY: We are very thankful. I think it will give us more strong positions on the battlefield. So, we are very thankful that that is a new package. I really didn’t know the details, but I know that you gave us very big package during this year. It’s more than $37 billion. My appreciations. We will never forget. Thank you.
AMY GOODMAN: While in Hiroshima, President Biden and other world leaders paid tribute to the victims of the world’s first nuclear attack — the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 — laying wreaths at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and planting a tree. But President Biden did not issue an apology for the attack. A group of anti-nuclear activists rallied on the streets.
PROTESTER 1: [translated] Japan and the United States are trying to conduct a war of aggression on China. I am protesting because I absolutely cannot accept the fact that they are in Hiroshima, a place where an atomic bomb was dropped, trying to hold a meeting to start a nuclear war.
PROTESTER 2: [translated] I’m absolutely against the war. I’m against using nuclear weapons. That is why I’m here. This summit is being held to prepare for a nuclear war, so we, the union, need to do whatever we can to protest against it.
AMY GOODMAN: We go now to Hiroshima, where we’re joined by Setsuko Thurlow, who survived the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 that killed about 140,000 people. She’s devoted her life to nuclear disarmament and the ban treaty process. In 2017, she was chosen to accept the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, or ICAN. She’s joining us on the phone from Hiroshima.
It’s great to have you back with us, Setsuko Thurlow. If you can respond to the G7 meeting and the outcome this weekend, held in Hiroshima, where you are?
SETSUKO THURLOW: Well, I came to Hiroshima from Canada, where I live. I wanted to be part of this whole excitement that the world leaders are coming to Hiroshima and to discuss the nuclear disarmament. And the people here were so excited, so happy to have the opportunity to give them the — to give the leaders the opportunity to be with us, to be in the center of the calamity and catastrophe, and to have a profound encounter themselves with the meaning of the dawn of the nuclear age. And people had a great anticipation and excitement. They’ve prepared for this with all kinds of recommendations to the leaders.
But somehow their wishes were not fully listened. To put it bluntly, for us survivors, who want nothing less than the total disarmament, total abolishment of nuclear weapons, and the majority of the citizens of Japan who support survivors’ idea, to us, it was nothing but a disaster. We are feeling more than frustration. It’s a fury, anger and a total disappointment, because we —
AMY GOODMAN: Setsuko Thurlow, how do you think the war can end, the war in Ukraine can end?
SETSUKO THURLOW: Well, to me, personally, you know, why we keep hearing about more military aid, the support for war, than hearing about the efforts being made for a peaceful ceasefire at the earliest possible time? Every day, many, many lives have been killed. Certainly, something must be going on, some — quietly, some effort must be being paid for ceasefire. But we don’t hear about them. Are they really making that effort? Do they really feel they can win this out? I don’t know what’s their thoughts. All I can say is it has to stop at the earliest possible chance, no matter what.
AMY GOODMAN: President Biden did not apologize for the U.S. dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, then three three days later on Nagasaki. Your thoughts?
SETSUKO THURLOW: Well, it’s unfortunate. He had the opportunity, but he didn’t. This time, too, in the joint statement or communiqué, he kept criticizing the Russians, the Chinese or North Korea. And why do they fail to look at themselves with a critical eye, and we don’t hear anything evil which is being committed by the West? I mean, of course, as far as the war in Ukraine is concerned, I think Putin should get a total condemnation. I do condemn. No matter what the reason is, to be willing to kill so many human lives, that’s not acceptable. That must stop.
But your question was whether the president should have — well, my opinion, yes, the United States has committed the crime against humanity. The United States has never acknowledged any guilt. And, well, this truth, old saying, the victims — victors write the history. The U.S. has been condemning —………………………………………………… more https://www.democracynow.org/2023/5/22/g7_meeting_hiroshima_nuclear_weapons
Hiroshima Survivor Slams G7 Leaders for Embracing War & Rejecting Nuclear Disarmament
Democracy Now, MAY 22, 2023
The G7 summit wrapped up Sunday in Hiroshima, where much of the summit focused on the war in Ukraine and China. While in Japan, President Biden and other world leaders paid tribute to the victims of the world’s first nuclear attack — the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 — laying wreaths at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and planting a tree.
But President Biden did not issue an apology for the attack, which killed an estimated 140,000 people and seriously injured another 100,000. For more, we speak with Setsuko Thurlow, who survived the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 and devoted her life to nuclear disarmament. In 2017, she was chosen to accept the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
Media Options
This is viewer supported news. Please do your part today.
TOPICS
GUESTS
- Setsuko Thurlowsurvivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 and nuclear disarmament activist.
LINKS
The G7 summit wrapped up Sunday in Hiroshima, where much of the summit focused on the war in Ukraine and China. While in Japan, President Biden and other world leaders paid tribute to the victims of the world’s first nuclear attack — the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 — laying wreaths at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and planting a tree. But President Biden did not issue an apology for the attack, which killed an estimated 140,000 people and seriously injured another 100,000. For more, we speak with Setsuko Thurlow, who survived the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 and devoted her life to nuclear disarmament. In 2017, she was chosen to accept the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
Transcript
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. SETSUKO THURLOW: Well, I came to Hiroshima from Canada, where I live. I wanted to be part of this whole excitement that the world leaders are coming to Hiroshima and to discuss the nuclear disarmament. And the people here were so excited, so happy to have the opportunity to give them the — to give the leaders the opportunity to be with us, to be in the center of the calamity and catastrophe, and to have a profound encounter themselves with the meaning of the dawn of the nuclear age. And people had a great anticipation and excitement. They’ve prepared for this with all kinds of recommendations to the leaders.
But somehow their wishes were not fully listened. To put it bluntly, for us survivors, who want nothing less than the total disarmament, total abolishment of nuclear weapons, and the majority of the citizens of Japan who support survivors’ idea, to us, it was nothing but a disaster. We are feeling more than frustration. It’s a fury, anger and a total disappointment, because we —
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GUESTS
- Setsuko Thurlowsurvivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 and nuclear disarmament activist.
LINKS
The G7 summit wrapped up Sunday in Hiroshima, where much of the summit focused on the war in Ukraine and China. While in Japan, President Biden and other world leaders paid tribute to the victims of the world’s first nuclear attack — the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 — laying wreaths at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and planting a tree. But President Biden did not issue an apology for the attack, which killed an estimated 140,000 people and seriously injured another 100,000. For more, we speak with Setsuko Thurlow, who survived the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 and devoted her life to nuclear disarmament. In 2017, she was chosen to accept the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
Transcript
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: The G7 summit wrapped up Sunday in Hiroshima, Japan. Much of the summit focused on two issues: the war in Ukraine and China. President Biden announced $375 million more in military aid for Ukraine. He also pledged to begin training Ukrainian forces on flying U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets. Biden did not offer to send any F-16s, but the U.S. has lifted its opposition to allies supplying the warplanes to Ukraine. Britain and the Netherlands have announced plans to work together to help provide Ukraine F-16s. President Biden spoke Sunday.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: You know, in my private meeting with President Zelensky after the G7 meeting, and with his staff, I told — the United States, together with our allies and partners, is going to begin training Ukrainian pilots in fourth-generation fighter aircraft, including F-16s, to strengthen Ukraine’s air force as part of a long-term commitment to Ukraine’s ability to defend itself. … I have a flat assurance from the — from Zelensky that they will not — they will not use it to go on and move into Russian geographic territory. But wherever Russian troops are within Ukraine in the area, they would be able to do that.
AMY GOODMAN: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who attended the G7 in Hiroshima, thanked Biden for his support.
PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY: We are very thankful. I think it will give us more strong positions on the battlefield. So, we are very thankful that that is a new package. I really didn’t know the details, but I know that you gave us very big package during this year. It’s more than $37 billion. My appreciations. We will never forget. Thank you.
AMY GOODMAN: While in Hiroshima, President Biden and other world leaders paid tribute to the victims of the world’s first nuclear attack — the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 — laying wreaths at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and planting a tree. But President Biden did not issue an apology for the attack. A group of anti-nuclear activists rallied on the streets.
PROTESTER 1: [translated] Japan and the United States are trying to conduct a war of aggression on China. I am protesting because I absolutely cannot accept the fact that they are in Hiroshima, a place where an atomic bomb was dropped, trying to hold a meeting to start a nuclear war.
PROTESTER 2: [translated] I’m absolutely against the war. I’m against using nuclear weapons. That is why I’m here. This summit is being held to prepare for a nuclear war, so we, the union, need to do whatever we can to protest against it.
AMY GOODMAN: We go now to Hiroshima, where we’re joined by Setsuko Thurlow, who survived the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 that killed about 140,000 people. She’s devoted her life to nuclear disarmament and the ban treaty process. In 2017, she was chosen to accept the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, or ICAN. She’s joining us on the phone from Hiroshima.
It’s great to have you back with us, Setsuko Thurlow. If you can respond to the G7 meeting and the outcome this weekend, held in Hiroshima, where you are?
SETSUKO THURLOW: Well, I came to Hiroshima from Canada, where I live. I wanted to be part of this whole excitement that the world leaders are coming to Hiroshima and to discuss the nuclear disarmament. And the people here were so excited, so happy to have the opportunity to give them the — to give the leaders the opportunity to be with us, to be in the center of the calamity and catastrophe, and to have a profound encounter themselves with the meaning of the dawn of the nuclear age. And people had a great anticipation and excitement. They’ve prepared for this with all kinds of recommendations to the leaders.
But somehow their wishes were not fully listened. To put it bluntly, for us survivors, who want nothing less than the total disarmament, total abolishment of nuclear weapons, and the majority of the citizens of Japan who support survivors’ idea, to us, it was nothing but a disaster. We are feeling more than frustration. It’s a fury, anger and a total disappointment, because we —
AMY GOODMAN: Setsuko Thurlow, how do you think the war can end, the war in Ukraine can end?
SETSUKO THURLOW: Well, to me, personally, you know, why we keep hearing about more military aid, the support for war, than hearing about the efforts being made for a peaceful ceasefire at the earliest possible time? Every day, many, many lives have been killed. Certainly, something must be going on, some — quietly, some effort must be being paid for ceasefire. But we don’t hear about them. Are they really making that effort? Do they really feel they can win this out? I don’t know what’s their thoughts. All I can say is it has to stop at the earliest possible chance, no matter what.
AMY GOODMAN: President Biden did not apologize for the U.S. dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, then three three days later on Nagasaki. Your thoughts?
SETSUKO THURLOW: Well, it’s unfortunate. He had the opportunity, but he didn’t. This time, too, in the joint statement or communiqué, he kept criticizing the Russians, the Chinese or North Korea. And why do they fail to look at themselves with a critical eye, and we don’t hear anything evil which is being committed by the West? I mean, of course, as far as the war in Ukraine is concerned, I think Putin should get a total condemnation. I do condemn. No matter what the reason is, to be willing to kill so many human lives, that’s not acceptable. That must stop.
But your question was whether the president should have — well, my opinion, yes, the United States has committed the crime against humanity. The United States has never acknowledged any guilt. And, well, this truth, old saying, the victims — victors write the history. The U.S. has been condemning —………………………………………………… more https://www.democracynow.org/2023/5/22/g7_meeting_hiroshima_nuclear_weapons
Property values in Kimba? Not so good, since the town agreed to host a nuclear waste dump.
Paul Waldon 23 May 23
When the fear of nuclear waste came to Kimba, the nuclear coterie commission a report.
“Points of claim taken from, The University of Queensland, final report November 2018.”
• Value in the residential housing market has fallen by 30-40% over the past 5 years
• As of July 2018, 35 residential properties were listed for sale compared with an historical average of 10-15.
• Perceptions are that not many people are moving to Kimba from outside the wider region.
• The rental market is currently stagnant, with local landlords indicating a reduction of over 10- 20% in weekly rental rates required to attract tenants
• No new residential housing construction has occurred in the past 3 year
This is a sign of a town floundering, a town dying, a town with no future as long as it embraces the ideal of nuclear waste.
Peter Dutton touts AUKUS as gateway to nuclear energy industry
Dan Jervis-BardyThe West Australian, Mon, 22 May 2023
Opposition leader Peter Dutton is pushing the AUKUS submarine deal as a gateway to a nuclear energy industry in Australia.
The Albanese Government has rubbished the “thought bubble” as it repeated it had no plans to turn to nuclear on the path to net zero………………… (Subscribers only) more https://thewest.com.au/politics/federal-politics/peter-dutton-touts-aukus-as-gateway-to-nuclear-energy-industry-c-10730118
Biden Okays F-16s For Ukraine, US Weapons To Attack Crimea
Moscow has considered Crimea a part of the Russian Federation since its annexation in 2014, meaning efforts to recapture it would — at least in theory — be treated the same as an invasion of any other part of Russia. It was only by way of an arbitrary bureaucratic fluke that Crimea wound up a part of Ukraine after the fall of the Soviet Union, and Crimeans overwhelmingly prefer to be a part of the Russian Federation. That we may soon be staring down the barrel of a nuclear third world war over something so pedantic is a very dark shade of absurd.
As Tapper noted, both the F-16 decision and the Crimea decision marked a sharp policy shift by the Biden administration in just a few months. This proxy war just keeps escalating and escalating, with aggressions once deemed unthinkable due to their likelihood of sparking a nuclear exchange now becoming commonplace. Every time a new once-unthinkable escalation is enacted, the hawks are already pushing for the next one.
CAITLIN JOHNSTONE, MAY 22, 2023 https://caitlinjohnstone.substack.com/p/biden-okays-f-16s-for-ukraine-us?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=82124&post_id=123001716&isFreemail=true&utm_medium=email
The Biden administration has signed off on both F-16s for Ukraine and attacks on Crimea using US-made weapons. Both of these moves have drawn dire warnings from nuclear-armed Russia, and both would have been unthinkable a year ago.
In a Sunday interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper from the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan made it clear that Washington would approve of US weapons being used in an offensive to recapture Crimea, a horrifying prospect that many experts have agreed is the most likely scenario to lead to nuclear warfare in this conflict. Sullivan told Tapper that while the US has forbidden the use of American weapons to attack Russia, the US considers Crimea to be part of Ukraine, not Russia.
Here’s CNN’s transcript of the exchange:
TAPPER: In February on this show, you would not say whether the U.S. would support Ukrainian efforts to recapture Crimea. That’s one of the concerns that has been expressed about whether or not the Ukrainians are given the ability to hit Russian targets in Crimea. Do you think that Crimea is part of Ukraine?
SULLIVAN: Of course.
TAPPER: So, what would be the objection of giving…
SULLIVAN: Crimea is Ukraine.
TAPPER: Right.
SULLIVAN: I mean, that’s a very straightforward thing.
TAPPER: Well, yes you answered it directly. I mean, Russia doesn’t think so, obviously. But do you think that Ukraine should have weapons that can reach Russian targets in Crimea?
SULLIVAN: Yes. We have not placed limitations on Ukraine being able to strike on its territory within its internationally recognized borders. What we have said is that we will not enable Ukraine with U.S. systems, Western systems, to attack Russia. And we believe Crimea is Ukraine.
TAPPER: OK.
Moscow has considered Crimea a part of the Russian Federation since its annexation in 2014, meaning efforts to recapture it would — at least in theory — be treated the same as an invasion of any other part of Russia. It was only by way of an arbitrary bureaucratic fluke that Crimea wound up a part of Ukraine after the fall of the Soviet Union, and Crimeans overwhelmingly prefer to be a part of the Russian Federation. That we may soon be staring down the barrel of a nuclear third world war over something so pedantic is a very dark shade of absurd.
In the same interview, Tapper questioned Sullivan about the Biden administration’s policy shift toward approving F-16 fighter jets to be sent to Ukraine, demanding to know why the war planes weren’t approved sooner.
“President Biden told the G7 leaders that the United States is going to support this joint effort to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets,” said Tapper. “As you know, just a few months ago, the president said there was no basis militarily for giving Ukraine jets and that Ukraine didn’t need them at all. What changed? And would these jets not have been more effective if Ukraine had been trained and had them in time for the upcoming counteroffensive?”
It’s so obnoxious how the only time you ever see these mass media propagandists challenging the US government on its warmongering is when they’re pushing it to be more warlike and demanding answers on why it isn’t warmongering more. This creates the illusion of brave adversarial journalism, when in reality these empire cronies are just manufacturing consent for the increased aggressions the US wants to wage anyway.
These escalations have drawn stern warnings from Moscow, which have just been casually hand-waved away by Biden like he’s rejecting jello for dessert. In an article titled “Russia Says West Providing F-16s to Ukraine a ‘Colossal Risk’”, Antiwar’s Dave DeCamp writes the following:
A Russian official said Saturday that the Western plans to provide Ukraine with American-made F-16 fighter jets bring “colossal risks” after the US announced it would sign off on European countries delivering the aircraft.
“We see that Western countries are still adhering to the escalation scenario. It involves colossal risks for themselves,” said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko, according to TASS.
“In any case, this will be taken into account in all our plans, and we have all the necessary means to achieve the goals we have set,” Grushko added.
During the last day of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, President Biden was asked about Russia calling the F-16 plan a “colossal risk.” He replied, “It is for them.”
As Tapper noted, both the F-16 decision and the Crimea decision marked a sharp policy shift by the Biden administration in just a few months. This proxy war just keeps escalating and escalating, with aggressions once deemed unthinkable due to their likelihood of sparking a nuclear exchange now becoming commonplace. Every time a new once-unthinkable escalation is enacted, the hawks are already pushing for the next one.
As we’ve discussed previously, this pattern of continually escalating nuclear brinkmanship in Ukraine has built-in incentives for Russia to ramp up its own aggressions against NATO itself. Every time the west ramps up its brinkmanship and crosses another once-taboo line in the sand without Moscow responding with direct military confrontation, the west takes this as a sign that it can ramp up the escalations again. This has put things on a trajectory toward more and more direct western-backed attacks on the Russian Federation unless Russia lashes out at NATO powers in some way to show them it’s not worth it. Which would be about as dangerous an occurrence as you could possibly imagine.
It is not okay for our rulers to play games with our lives like this. It is not okay for them to keep rolling the dice on nuclear escalation more and more often in the name of securing US unipolar hegemony. These people are making it abundantly clear that sanity and level-headedness are not in the driver’s seat here. Everyone on earth should be shouting a loud, unequivocal “no” to this at the top of their lungs.
Sending F-16 planes to Ukraine will create a new Cuban Missile -style nuclear crisis
| Andrew Thomas 23 May 23 The only saving grace here may be that F-16s are so different from the planes that Ukrainian pilots have flown before that they have no chance of being capable of retraining their minds to make the split-second decisions necessary to effectively operate them. The idea advertised is four months, which from what I have read is an absurd goal. However, if the NATO countries supplying these planes supply the pilots as well, that saving grace disappears. It is astonishing that there is no recognition at all in the US mainstream media or amongst its political class that we have created a situation analogous to the two-week long Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. The only differences that matter are that it has been going on for fifteen months, and that every action and pronouncement of the US government during that fifteen months has escalated the crisis. We are on the brink of nuclear Armageddon, and the only person who matters who recognizes it, and has said so publicly, is Donald J. Trump. Of course, he says he could end the conflict the day he becomes president again, so he is as ignorant and deluded as he has always been. But, still… https://caitlinjohnstone.substack.com/p/biden-okays-f-16s-for-ukraine-us?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=82124&post_id=123001716&isFreemail=true&utm_medium=email |
US Electricity From Renewable Energy Beat Electricity From Coal Or Nuclear In 2022
Since 2007, the use of coal for electricity generation has generally been in decline, while the use of renewables has been on the rise. Electricity generation from nuclear had remained relatively flat over the last two decades but has experienced a slight decline in recent years. In 2022, net generation of electricity from renewables reached 0.91 billion megawatt-hours, topping both coal and nuclear (0.83 and 0.77 billion megawatt-hours, respectively). In 2022, renewables accounted for about 21% of all net generation of electricity.
- Renewable sources of power include wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal energy. “Other” category includes petroleum liquids, petroleum coke, batteries, chemicals, hydrogen, pitch, purchased steam, sulfur, miscellaneous technologies, and non-renewable waste.
- Electricity net generation is the amount of gross electricity generation a generator produces minus the electricity used to operate the power plant.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electricity Data Browser, queried April 21, 2023.
View the supporting data for this Fact of the Week.
Australian and other nuclear news this week.
A bit of good news – A low birthrate is good news for the planet. What went right this week? The good news you should know about.Climate. Cop28 host UAE’s approach is ‘dangerous’, says UN’s ex-climate chief.
Christina notes: Pathetic war-mongering response by G7 stuffed shirts at the historic Hiroshima nuclear-bombing site.
Nuclear. Linder Gunter writes “Lying is the new black” – about the promotion of nuclear energy. But it’s timely too, about the latest developments in Ukraine. Have the Russians had a win? We are told – not really! The G7 leaders went to Hiroshima – all for world peace of course, paid lip service to America’s horror nuclear bombing in 1945, and went on to militaristic planning against Russia and China – nothing about nuclear disarmament. No suggestion of negotiation.
TOP STORIES:
Hiroshima survivors warn G7 leaders about using nuclear bombs.
Ukraine’s Depleted Uranium Blast: Europe on Brink of ‘Environmental Disaster’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kqpbw6YTLo Depleted uranium won’t end a war that has no winners.
Global heating is predicted to trigger more nuclear outages in France every year..
Should South Carolina have canceled Plant Summer? Yes, and Georgia should have canceled, too
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AUSTRALIA. Stella Assange: ‘This is the closest we’ve ever been to securing Julian’s release’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6N33Ca8UrA
AUKUS may turn out to be the largest financial swindle perpetrated by the United States and the United Kingdom against Australia and other Asia Pacific nations. Labor, Greens & Defence Experts call for AUKUS Parliamentary Inquiry Coalition clown show on nuclear on full display in Senate inquiry. Richard Marles and the ‘seamless’ transfer of Australian sovereignty. Pentagon seeks authority to transfer nuclear submarines (and costs) to Australia. Why nuclear power won’t work in Australia — yet another explainer. Government gutted as consulting firms PwC, Big 4 pick up $1.4b a year for giving advice, including on Defence purchases. ‘Extremely difficult’ for nuclear energy to ever have a future in Australia- says Secretary of pro nuclear union. Defence bombing Indigenous site in Woomera. Community batteries .
CLIMATE. Siting new nuclear power stations — an unsustainable geography.
ECONOMICS. Finnish nuclear plant throttles production as electricity price plunges. Russia’s Atomflot added to U.S. sanctions list.
ENERGY. Finance for renewable energy. Germany’s green revolution puts nuclear power in the past. The nine hours in which Spain made the 100% renewable dream a reality. New report finds millions of Britons planning to get rid of their cars .
ENVIRONMENT. Nuclear Free Local Authorities condemn UK Environment Agency’s failure to protect the marine environment in Hinkley Point C’s nuclear project .
NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY. Nuclear Fusion breakthrough hits hurdles as five experiments fail.
OPPOSITION to NUCLEAR. How a small activist sailing ship successfully challenged the nuclear arms race.
POLITICS. Sceptical opinions about Vladimir Zelensky. France to speed up nuclear power deployment. Poland’s Greens oppose construction of small nuclear reactor in Kraków. Energy minister Andrew Bowie in visit to Suffolk projects. Robert F Kennedy’s Peace Platform.
POLITICS INTERNATIONAL and DIPLOMACY.
- At a G7 summit high on ambition, nuclear disarmament takes a backseat to Zelensky’s diplomatic appeals. Facing Russia’s nuclear threats, the U.S. and its allies must not whitewash their own. Former world leaders urge G7 to get nuclear arms control back on track . Hiroshima’s nuclear history sounds an urgent warning for G-7 summit.
- Indonesia calls for destruction of the world’s nuclear arsenals.
- Ukraine’s neighbors ready to pay off Zelensky to stop conflict – Seymour Hersh.
- France holds up EU energy agreement over nuclear power.
- Drink Fukushima water if it’s clean, South Korea tells Japanese officials. Ocean release of Fukushima nuclear wastewater endangers Pacific Islanders’ welfare.
- French Polynesia’s anti-nuclear organisation Association 193 criticises France for downplaying impact of atomic tests.
- New UK sanctions on Russian energy to include Rosatom and nuclear energy ( a little bit) .
- Stronger Global Governance is the Only Way to a World Free of Nuclear Weapons.
PROTESTS. Anti-nuclear activists protest Japanese government plans to release radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean.
SAFETY. Nuclear Safety Authority identified faults in Olkiluoto nuclear power plant . IAEA Warns of Tense Military Situation Near Ukraine Nuclear Plant.
SECRETS and LIES. Lying is the new black.
WASTES. Fukushima fishermen speak out against nuclear-contaminated wastewater dumping plan.
WAR and CONFLICT. US hopes to snatch victory from jaws of defeat in Ukraine. Ukrainians forced by Russia to retreat from Artyomovsk (Bakhmut) , their supposed ‘fortress’ in Donbass. Russian forces dig in at Ukrainian nuclear plant, witnesses say. Ukrainian diplomat fears ‘terrible summer’ ahead.
G7 Desecrates Hiroshima A-Bomb Memory With Warmongering Summit. Biden Won’t Apologize for 1945 Nuclear Attacks on Japan as G7 Leaders Gather in Hiroshima.
WEAPONS and WEAPONS SALES. UK and Netherlands agree ‘international coalition’ to help Ukraine procure F-16 jets. Western Weapons to Ukraine: Black Market for Terrorists “On Command”. $3 BILLION Pentagon ‘accounting error’ means more weapons for Ukraine.
AUKUS may turn out to be the largest financial swindle perpetrated by the United States and the United Kingdom against Australia and other Asia Pacific nations
Now, it appears that Australia is becoming yet another naval base for the deployment of US and British fleets in the Asia-Pacific Region, including the basing of US nuclear submarines in 2026, without any hope of restoring economic ties with China and, consequently, the prior level of welfare in the near future. This is in addition to paying “compensation” under the guise of investing in unfeasible defense plans.
https://journal-neo.org/2023/05/20/aukus-may-turn-out-to-be-the-largest-financial-swindle-perpetrated-by-the-united-states-and-the-united-kingdom-against-australia-and-other-asia-pacific-nations/ 20.05.2023 Author: Bakhtiar Urusov
Equipment for the country’s ground forces “arrives with depressing regularity,” years behind time, and substantially over budget, according to a report issued on April 19 by the British Parliament’s Budgetary Control Committee. For instance, the programs, which provide new Ajax armored fighting vehicles and Morpheus tactical communication and information systems, have faced significant difficulties. According to the MPs’ assessment, the issue is made worse by underfunding of the defense budget expenditures and the pound’s declining purchasing value in relation to the dollar.
Ten days later, on April 28 this year, the Royal Navy informed the public about the decision to decommission the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier, launched just four years ago (in 2019), to be used as a donor for spare parts for the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier of the same class. According to the Royal Navy, the $3.72 billion aircraft carrier has docked more frequently than it has participated in naval operations, and the most recent maintenance cost $42 million.
This dispiriting news came just a month after the leaders of the US, the UK, and Australia had disclosed their ambitious long-term plans to build a nuclear-powered submarine fleet for Canberra on the basis of British technology, which will cost the Australian budget $245 billion.
When it comes to extremely sophisticated projects like nuclear submarines, it seems inconceivable that the parties involved would be so irresponsible as to neglect to evaluate the contractors’ capacity to meet their obligations. Still, if you trust the claims made by senior US, British, and Australian officials, the opposite is true in the case of AUKUS. Canberra would never have consented to work together on submarine design and construction with Great Britain’s waning technological strength otherwise. The example of the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier shows that not only is Great Britain unable to complete a big naval project, but it is also facing significant technological difficulties in order to satisfy present ambitions for defense construction and equipment upgrades.
In the realm of economic crime, assigning work to a contractor who is known to be unable to perform is fraud, money laundering, or corruption.
In the context of Anglo-Saxon big politics, this appears to be retaliation against a certain sector of Australia’s elites for Canberra’s departure from a coordinated approach to restrain the PRC back in the day. This is primarily about the carefree era when Australia and China’s trading and economic relations remained unbroken, providing Canberra with significant revenue from exports to the PRC of a wide range of items, from wine and agricultural products to hard coal and other minerals.
Now, it appears that Australia is becoming yet another naval base for the deployment of US and British fleets in the Asia-Pacific Region, including the basing of US nuclear submarines in 2026, without any hope of restoring economic ties with China and, consequently, the prior level of welfare in the near future. This is in addition to paying “compensation” under the guise of investing in unfeasible defense plans.
All nations, including India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, and some ASEAN members that have been invited to participate in the AUKUS, should take a closer look at this alliance.
Bakhtiar Urusov, a political observer, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook.”
1 This month.
PETITION – To: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Government
Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes – A good documentary on Chernobyl on SBS available On Demand for the next 3 weeks– https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-program/chernobyl-the-lost-tapes/235274195556
19 May – Webinar- Webinar: No Nuclear Weapons in Australia
Start: 2026-05-19 18:00:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)
End: 2026-05-19 19:30:00 UTC Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10:00)
20 May – Webinar – The dangerous world of AUKUS, US, military occupation and suppression of dissent
National Webinar, 20th May, 2026, 6.30pm AEST. Confronting laws restricting/suppressing protest speech and action
Speakers: Former Sen. Rex Patrick, Lawyer Nick Hanna ,Arthur Rorris ,Jorgen Doyle, Sen David Shoebbridge,
Facilitator Kelley Tranter.
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
To see nuclear-related stories in greater depth and intensity
Antinuclear 