In a stunning revelation, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh has claimed that President Joe Biden ordered the sabotage of Russia’s Nord Stream pipelines in a covert operation, as he believed being a war president would help his chances of re-election. The pipelines were destroyed in September 2022, three months after US Navy divers reportedly planted explosives during the BALTOPS 22 NATO exercise.
According to Hersh’s sources, the CIA and State Department warned against the act, which they deemed an “act of war,” as it could lead to a political disaster if exposed. However, Biden pushed ahead with the plan, allegedly saying, “see if we can find a way to blow… those pipelines, and put [the Russians] back in the dark ages.”
Hersh also claimed that Biden hoped to use the escalation of conflict with Russia as a political strategy, citing the example of President Jack Kennedy, who fared well politically during wartime. “I think Biden also saw beating up Russia as a ticket,” said Hersh.
The journalist went on to criticize the mainstream media for failing to follow up on his report that the US was behind the attack, which took out 3 of the 4 pipelines.
However, last week, the New York Times reported that a pro-Ukrainian group was accountable for the attack, contradicting Hersh’s claims. The report stated that the group used as few as six people in the mission, suggesting that a state did not have the necessary resources to carry out the operation.
China has called for an objective investigation into the attack, questioning why Western media have been quiet about Hersh’s report, only to report on the pro-Ukrainian group’s involvement later. Furthermore, a German spy ship was in the area at the time of the attack, and the CIA had reportedly warned Berlin about a potential attack weeks earlier.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected claims that the Nord Stream attack was the work of pro-Ukrainian activists, insisting that a state power must have carried out the operation.
