056 - Anchoring near Nordstream pipelines

 PREFACE/ISSUE

This short post looks at the maritime law covering anchoring in the vicinity of pipelines which have some 200m protection no anchoring zone.

The ultimate actionable guide of anchoring a ship

I. Danish Building permit - prohibited areas established

Danish Maritime Authority allows construction of Nordtsream 2 AG pipelines section in Danish TZ:

II. Law forbids anchoring nearby pipelines, criminal liability for damages

Order no. 939 of 27 November 1992 on the protection of submarine cables and submarine pipelines(the Cable Order)

Pursuant to Section 5(4) and Section 6(3) of the Act on Safety of Navigation, cf. Consolidated Act no. 587 of 29 September 1988, and by authority given in Order no. 570 of 26 September 1988, the following provisions are laid down after consultation with the Danish Ministry of Defence and the Danish Ministry of Transport, cf. Act no. 54 of 15 February 1895 on the protection of submarine cables and submarine pipelines, as amended by Act no. 134 of 10 May 1915, Act no. 151 of 10 May 1967 and Act no. 480 of 8 November 1972:

Section 1. Ships may not, without urgent necessity, anchor in the cable and pipeline fields laid down for submarine cables and submarine pipelines of any type (pipelines for the carriage of hydrocarbons, etc.), which cover the associated protective zones, cf. Section 4. 

[M: the protection zone is 200m around cables, pipelines] 

Annex Submarine cables and submarine pipelines 

1 General 

"Persons who cause damage to pipelines shall be criminally liable

and possibly liable to pay damages according to the circumstances."

III. Russia was scanning for anchor marks shortly after

27 Oct 2022 - Erik Andersson: This Sunday afternoon Oct 3 Russian ship Nefrit..

..scans an area about 1km wide with the Nordstream 1 rupture in the middle. (screenshot from Marine Traffic web site)

The Russian unit does not need to apply for permission from Stockholm to conduct its own operations.

The pipeline operator, Nord Stream AG, said in a statement that the vessel would begin surveying the pipeline damage area within 24 hours. He will spend three to five days there. 

[M: Could recent anchor marks be still visible to very sensitive equipment? Would it find divers equipment? What is search diameter?] 

 

IV. Russian A2AD (Anti access Area Denial system)

Anti-Access Area Denial systems and radars from RU enclave can see much. They can see very much what is on the surface and could send there in a no time a plane to have a look would a suspicious boat spend too long time over its pipelines. 

 

Additionally this post explores that submarine or minisubmarine was the delivery system which brought the divers and explosives to the site:

Whose submarine visited Bornholm Deep before the Nordstream was blown up?

V. The importance of Exclusive Economic Zone Teritorial Zones (TZ)

According to UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), coastal states have sovereign rights over their EEZs, which includes the exclusive right to authorize, regulate and control any activities related to the exploration, exploitation, conservation, and management of the natural resources within their EEZs.

         The Big picture of whole Baltic Sea (EEZs)

Therefore, any investigation within the EEZ must be carried out with the consent and cooperation of state which owns the EEZ. Failure to seek consent may result in a violation of state B's sovereignty and may be considered a breach of international law.

 

VI. The location is everything

The choice has been made to target selected locations in both:
 Danish EEZ, Swedish EEZ but not in Danish TZ.

Subsequently both states investigate hits on both pipelines.

Therefore two investigations (SWE, DK) are taking place.

[M: Note the closeness to the bubble around Bornholm = Danish TZ.]

 

VII. Russia can not patrol Nordstream in Territorial waters  

The free passage law allows ships to pass freely but forbids military vessels to conduct naval operations. This includes anti submarine search.

In May 2022 Boris Johnson received very odd Twitter tweet,

it stated the vulnerability of NS in terms of location

and legal issues due to its HQ/incorporation in Switzerland.

See 

Last 5 (3up, 2 down) pictures via Billy Bostickson @BillyBostickson´s post

VIII. Russians monitoring its assets in Danish Territorial waters

1 May 2022 - Denmark, Sweden summon Russian ambassadors over spy plane flight 

Authorities from both Denmark and Sweden reported that the Russian plane entered Danish airspace on Friday evening east of the Danish Baltic island of Bornholm then entered Swedish airspace.

 

16 June 2022 - Russian Ambassador Summoned Following Violation of Danish Airspace: “Inacceptable breach”

The summons is a reaction to Russia’s violation of Danish airspace on 11 June between 11:08 a.m. and 11:42 a.m., during which time two Russian SU-30 fighter planes were observed over Danish airspace near Christiansø Island and Bornholm Island.

[M: Note that this is about the time of Baltops AND yearly maintenance. Posts are here and here. Something was spotted on 14th of June 2022 around the future location of blasts. RU ship turned and went to explore the place. Later more RU assets were called in.] 

17 June 2022 - Russian warship violated Danish territorial waters in Baltic, Danish military says

[M: Note that some ASW search action was also done by US helicopters. Was this the reason why USA warned the Germany and allies about the strategic threat and possibility of future attacks against pipelines?] 

1 Sept 2022 - Russian Ambassador Summoned To Denmark After Alleged Airspace Violation 

IX. Seems USA was also monitoring pipeline locations

5 - 17 June 2022 - BALTOPS 22 KICKS OFF IN THE BALTIC SEA

June 8 2022, the Boeing P-8A simply switched off its call sign, several rounds over the NS blast site. 

Joachim Wagner, @WagnerJoac 

1,2,3 Sept 2022 - US Military Helicopters Circled Around Future Nord Stream Leaks For Hours In September 

 

[M: Again those helicopters from Kaersarge group seem to be searching for something under. Note info on the post 1-3/09/2022 here]  [M: Note that helicopters are excellent for ASW,

Anti-Submarine-Warfare, they stay at place,
they can drop sonar or sonar-buoy and transmit data]

[M: Looks like a chase but there was no boat there]

Royal Netherlands Navy NH90 ASW

[M: Again, ASW capability.
Helicopters are better than planes due to lower speed for anti-sub warfare]

FlightRadar shows a few flights there on that day

[M: There were several flight and several investigations, was this just a drill?]

[M: The post of the blogger is interesting. How so no Russian sub was announced?

US was conducting anti-submarine mission which has not been a drill.]

[Could it be that a UK submarine was discovered here?]

 

It is curious that on September 2, almost in parallel with the US military, a military helicopter NH90 of the Dutch Navy was flying in the vicinity of Bornholm Island, probably observing the activities of the Americans....

US helicopters, according to Flightradar24, also flew over the branches of Russian gas pipelines on September 10 and September 19.

[Could it be that a UK submarine was tracked and followed here?]

In all cases, the trajectories of the US military speak of observation flights or loitering with other targets over a specific section of the water area. Helicopters that made sorties on the night of September 22-23 and 25-26 have especially confusing tracks.

 

 [M: Perhaps there was a UK submarine in the vicinity and US Navy from Kaersarge was tracking its movements. This kind of excludes that it was a secret approved NATO operation, looks more like UK went rogue and USA has been on it, knew, monitored yet has not stopped it or did not understand intentions of the submarine - speculating on another post with How it maybe went - so far sequence is in few posts on twitter. Btw, the path looks like the helicopter dropped sonarbuoys, then cycles to transmit its data to Kaersarge]. 

 

2 Sept 2022 - helicopter call sign FFAB123 MH-60S from USS Kearsarge flew either along the route of Nord Stream-2 or generally between the points where the accident occurred.

 

X. The knowledge about laws covering subsea cables and pipelines

Rishi Sunak is most likely the only high government official who had a deep knowledge about implications of critical infrastructure in EEZs.

Rishi Sunak´s 2017 report about vulnerability of subsea internet cables

The Definition, Severity and Accountability of the Nordstream Affair

 

XI. The Bornholm Deep is ideal for submarine operations

These posts explore the submarine/mini-submarine approach:

20 points about UK submarines, DDS, SWCS, MK11, deep divers, DTXG team

100 shades of Nordstream sabotage - part III

100 shades of Nordstream sabotage - part II

Conclusion:

• Big ships would be seen on radar.
  
  
• Small ships would leave anchor trace
  
  
• Submarines could hide in Danish Territorial zone lowering risk of being exposed by Russians or allies. TZ offers protection
  
  
• Bornholm Deep basin is ideal for submarine operations

***

- INDEX -

***

Uncovering the truth took over two years of self-funded, tireless investigation.

I decided to open it for free, no paywall, despite huge investment.
Because the truth matters.
Please consider supporting my work with a donation.

Every bit helps keep this mission alive!

mortymer001

(retweet and follow)

055 - The criminal case against EU top politicians

PREFACE/ISSUE

This post describes how much European top politicians knew about the event. The working hypothesis this blog explores supported by the evidence, is that UK went rogue, planned and executed the Nordstream affair but informed allies through top diplomacy channels about the irreversible events to happen just a week ahead. Top US & EU politicians decided not to blow alarm, did let the event happen and then later covered up the crime.

Based on the data of this investigation these top EU politicians knew about the planned attack against key European infrastructure, they knew:

1. About the planned bombing and let it happen

2. Learned about who was behind the Nordstream affair and did not disclose the perpetrator

3. Actively helped to conceive and cover-up the crime so the public would not learn who did it.

In this case the suspected crime is:

A) Negligence or failure to act: If the politician has a duty to protect public safety and security, their knowledge of a planned sabotage could potentially make them liable for negligence or failure to act. This may depend on the specific laws and regulations of the country where the incident occurs.

B) Aiding and abetting: If the politician actively assists or encourages the perpetrators in carrying out the sabotage, they might be considered an accomplice or guilty of aiding and abetting the crime. Aiding and abetting typically refers to knowingly supporting or facilitating the commission of a crime by another person.

C) Misconduct in public office: In some jurisdictions, there are specific offenses related to the misconduct of public officials. If the politician deliberately allows the sabotage to occur for personal gain or to advance their political agenda, they might be subject to charges of misconduct in public office.

D) Obstruction of justice: If the politicians intentionally withhold information or hinder the investigation into the sabotage, they could be accused of obstructing justice. Obstruction of justice refers to acts that interfere with the administration or due process of law.

I. Accused of A-D are:

Charles Michel

Ursula von der Leyen

Frans Timmermans 

 ...there may be more individuals.

List of members of the European Council

 

II. Evidence:

The Definition, Severity and Accountability of the Nordstream Affair

It is important to set definitions first. What crime actually happened, who were victims, who the attack was against, what were objectives, which laws were broken, who has jurisdiction? 

Who said it is a "Sabotage" first?

Without knowing motives, objectives and perpetrator it is impossible to state that the act was a "sabotage" and not a "terrorist act". These two individuals were incremental in covering up the state and its government which was behind the attack on the key European infrastructure.

The Prague Summit & possible cover-up of Nordstream affair

Based on the evidence this investigation discovered the whole European Union, its leaders, decided jointly that the identity of the perpetrator will not be revealed to the public, perhaps for the duration of the Ukrainian - Russian conflict. 

The 2 crimes in Nordstream Affair case

 

III. Knowing but not telling

To understand this topic read these posts first: 

 Liz Truss as a UK PM & Nordstream affair

Data show Biden has not ordered Nordstream destruction

 

20 Sept 2022 - NATO Secretary General visits the United States

19 Sep. 2022 - 23 Sep. 2022

[M: Note that on Friday 23rd a meeting with EU Leyen is announced for Monday 26th when the bombing happened] 

21 Sept 2022 - UK Prime Minister Liz Truss addresses the United Nations General Assembly (transcript here)

01:00 min: "...Geopolitics is entering a new era.."

06:00 min: "We are cutting off the toxic power and pipelines from authoritarian regimes and strengthening our energy resilience."

 

"We will ensure we cannot be coerced or harmed by the reckless actions of rogue actors abroad."

"The free world needs this economic strength and resilience to push back against authoritarian aggression and win this new era of strategic competition.

We must do this together."

We are fortifying our deep security alliances in Europe and beyond through NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force.

08:30 min: "The UK is providing funding, using the might of the City of London and our security capabilities to provide better alternatives to those offered by malign regimes.

The resolute international response to Ukraine has shown how we can deliver decisive collective action. 

The response has been built on partnerships and alliances and also on being prepared to use new instruments – unprecedented sanctions, diplomatic action, and rapid military support. 

There has been a strength of collective purpose – we have met many times, spoken many times on the phone, we have made things happen.

Now we must use these instruments in a more systematic way to push back on the economic aggression of authoritarian regimes.

The G7 and our like-minded partners should act as an economic NATO, collectively defending our prosperity.

If the economy of a partner is being targeted by an aggressive regime we should act to support them. All for one and one for all.

12:00 min "In all these areas, on all of the fronts, the time to act is now. This is a decisive moment in our history, in the history of this organization and in the history of freedom...

The story of 2022 could have been that of an authoritarian state rolling its tanks over the border of a peaceful neighbour and subjugating its people.

Instead, it is the story of freedom fighting back.

In the face of rising aggression we have shown we have the power to act and the resolve to see it through.

But this cannot be a one-off.

This must be a new era in which we commit to ourselves, our citizens, and this institution that we will do whatever it takes – whatever it takes to deliver for our people and defend our values."

Britain’s commitment to this is total.

We will be a dynamic, reliable and trustworthy partner.

23 Sept 2022 - On Monday 26 September 2022, the NATO Secretary

 ...General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will meet with the President of the European Commission, Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, at the Berlaymont building of the European Commission. There will be no media opportunity.

[M: Assuming the timing, assuming Jens Stoltenberg has learned about the planned sabotage. It is his responsibility to inform the future victim - the EU. Assuming this was the case, who has informed him? The UK through NATO or USA official channels? Based on my research it was UK and so it makes him potentially complicit in covering up the affair being active participant of the plot - thus he is My suspect.]  

23 Sept 2022 - Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Meeting with Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice President of the European Commission

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met today in Washington with Executive Vice President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans. They discussed our shared efforts to address the global climate crisis, including the recent U.S. passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and preparations for COP-27 in Egypt. They also discussed transatlantic cooperation to address Russia’s weaponization of energy and the need to ensure our ongoing efforts to meet acute near-term energy needs are matched by a redoubled commitment to accelerating the clean energy transition and reducing Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels.

26 Sept 2022 - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

...met with Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General. (See the D -3 Friday 23/09/2022  urgent Stoltenberg´s request - NATO press release)

[M: The first sabotage was at 3am on Monday 26-09-2022 the second at 5pm 26-09-2022. The meeting was arranged on Friday 23-09-2022 and No journalists were allowed - based on NATO press release.] 

IV. Actively managing the public opinion and response

27 Sept 2022 - Ursula von der Leyen: Spoke to @Statsmin Frederiksen on the sabotage action #Nordstream.

Paramount to now investigate the incidents, get full clarity on events & why. Any deliberate disruption of active European energy infrastructure is unacceptable & will lead to the strongest possible response.

[M: This is the very first high level politician who seemed to state publicly that it was an act of "sabotage" and not a "terrorist act". She is added to My suspects here.] 

 28 Sept 2022 - The Brief — Beware of sabotage acts

Both European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel have called it sabotage, while the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell said “these incidents are not a coincidence” and “all available information indicates those leaks are the result of a deliberate act”. 

28 Sept 2022 - Fresh EU sanctions will "make Kremlin pay" for escalating in Ukraine -von der Leyen  

28 Sept 2022 - EU proposes fresh sanctions on Russia after 'sham referendums' in Ukraine 

Ursula von der Leyen said the sanctions would provide the "legal basis" for the G7 price cap on Russian oil. 

The European Union aims to impose a price cap on Russian oil and further restrict commercial links with Moscow with a fresh package of sanctions announced on Wednesday by Ursula von der Leyen. 

[M: New sanctions helped to shape anti Russian mood in case of Nordstream. There was no pause for investigation or any other hesitancy to see who was behind.]

29 Sept 2022 - Putin told Erdogan he regarded Nord Stream emergency as act of international terrorism7

"The Russian president gave a principled assessment of the unprecedented sabotage, which is in fact an act of international terrorism against the main gas pipelines Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2. It was noted that Russia is bringing this issue up for urgent discussion in the UN Security Council," the statement reads. 

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen slammed the incidents as sabotage, pointing out that any "deliberate disruption of the European energy infrastructure is unacceptable and will lead to the strongest possible response".  

6 Oct 2022 - Meeting of the European Political Community

The first meeting of the European Political Community brought together leaders from across the continent in a spirit of unity on 6 October 2022 in Prague, ahead of the informal meeting of EU heads of state or government.

The European Political Community aims to:

• foster political dialogue and cooperation to address issues of common interest 

• strengthen the security, stability and prosperity of the European continent

[M: To me this looks like forming united response to someone blowing up of European energy artery- My claim is that at this point it was known who was it - my claim is that UK was behind the act.] 

7 Oct 2022 - Informal meeting of heads of state or government

Main results

EU leaders met in Prague to discuss Russia’s war against Ukraine and its impact on the energy situation in Europe, including its economic ramifications. 

Remarks by President Charles Michel following the informal meeting of the EU heads of state or government in Prague 

[M: Note that him and Ursula von der Leyen are, based on available data, prime suspects of cover-up as they were the very first to frame and define the attack as "sabotage" not the "terrorist attack". See my post about it here.]  

 

...This gives me the opportunity to say a word about yesterday’s meeting - a historic meeting because, for the first time, the countries of the European continent, 44 countries that share the same ambition to work together for peace, prosperity and stability, had the opportunity to meet for the first time in this new format... 

...We have taken decisions to strengthen the sanctions imposed against Russia as we need to increase pressure on the Kremlin. In addition, both today and yesterday, we stressed the importance of reaching out to third countries in order to counter the Russian narrative....

...We have also had the opportunity today, in this informal meeting of the European Council, to address this fundamental issue of the energy situation. Let us be clear, we all understand that Russia has unleashed a war against the Ukrainian people, who are suffering from this war on a daily basis and who are courageously fighting for the values we share and for their own future, but also for the future of the European project and of Europe itself. Indeed, Russia has launched an energy missile against the European continent and the world. We are facing an energy crisis....

 [M: To sum it up... We are united... We impose more sanctions ... We are in energy crisis together... This looks to me like a joint decision / policy of a coordinated cover-up.] 

We have had the opportunity to address three issues that we feel are extremely important and for which European action is indispensable. Firstly, it is important to take action to reduce consumption and demand. Initial decisions have been taken on the initiative of the European Commission, and thanks to the rapid work done by the Czech Presidency, we will continue to ensure that consumption is reduced. 

The second point is the question of security of supply. We have been working for some months now to ensure that stocks can be built up as much as possible. This is a good step, and it is important. Since before the summer, we have also been discussing the importance of gradually setting up platforms for the joint purchase of energy resources. We had the opportunity to revisit this subject today, and we perceived increasing support for continuing to make progress. Especially, for example, to be able to replenish stocks when it becomes necessary to do so again. This is one of the examples that were mentioned, for which the Commission has made proposals in its roadmap. 

[M: Well, the UK has been really preparing for this day in advance, changing its energy security strategy several times, post Brexit and it paid out, it became net energy exporter later on. Considering it is a prime suspect of the sabotage this is, in my opinion, quite a reason to suspect EU top politicians for a treason] 

The third element is the question of prices. This is having a painful impact on families and on households. It may also be painful for our businesses, and it has an economic impact. I would also like to say today that we felt a shared desire on the part of European leaders to be mobilised with a common ambition to reduce the price of energy resources and to work with the Council and the European Commission, so that this Council meeting must be seen today as a strategic step leading towards the next European Council, which should be an opportunity to move forward in terms of taking the required measures into consideration.

[M: Families and households are collateral damage.]  

Countering Russian narratives

Russia’s war against Ukraine is having huge consequences that go beyond Europe, including in terms of the global food security crisis. In this context, EU leaders stressed the importance of reaching out to third countries to counter Russian narratives and expressed their determination to support their partners across the world in addressing food security issues.

[M: So what if this was NOT Russia? Does it mean EU is actively pursuing a goal of covering-up?] 

7 October 2022 - European Council President Charles Michel: Russia has launched an energy missile against the European continent and the world. 

V. Active cover-up & accused of cover-up

Meeting of the European Political Community - 6 October 2022

These people have decided that the identity of the perpetrator will not be disclosed.

More about this topic is on this post here 

The crime these politicians done is: 

B) Aiding and abetting

C) Misconduct in public office

D) Obstruction of justice

Conclusion, next actions:

Suspecting a criminal activity, it's advisable to report it to the appropriate law enforcement authorities or relevant institutions, who can investigate the matter further and take appropriate action. I plan consulting with a legal professional and/or seeking advice from relevant authorities which I consider would be the best course of action in such situations.

=> and this is, my readers, This is what I am planning to do.

***

- INDEX -

***

Uncovering the truth took over two years of self-funded, tireless investigation.

I decided to open it for free, no paywall, despite huge investment.
Because the truth matters.
Please consider supporting my work with a donation.

Every bit helps keep this mission alive!

mortymer001

(retweet and follow)