My period of unusual business continues today, after a busy yesterday. Next week will be similar. That explains the late posts. Today I’ll try for an early start. I’m fairly agnostic on the Prigozhin crash. Simplicius reminds us that Putin has, in the past stated that “betrayal” is, for him, the unforgivable sin. In the wake of the Prigozhin farce mutiny Putin stated to the Russian nation that those who betrayed the nation would pay the price. From that standpoint, staging that type of mutiny in time of war—with some pretty inflammatory rhetoric—was as clear an act of betrayal as you could ask for. As I noted yesterday in a comment, the fact that General Surovikin—who appears to have been in trouble over some aspect of the Prigozhin mutiny, although details are unclear—has been removed from his position in the last few days may be significant. Nevertheless, not all is clear.
Who did it? It's a question that gets much discussed. Somebody to consider that I am not sure has been mentioned yet.......France. Why? Perhaps the action in North Africa and the involvement of Russia via Wagner Group.
He doesn't suggest foreign actors per se, but others have pointed in that direction. Prigozhin made a lot of enemies and had had his state protections withdrawn after his mutiny.
I read LJ's article on this subject @TGP this morning. As I said above, lot's of speculation and there are enough characters to point the finger at, but this does not seem a Putin operation. It's just too visible and why do something that would be a spectacle as opposed to quietly to avoid Western propaganda that would paint him as a thug. I suppose in time we'll know. Prigozhin gave me a Jesse Ventura vibe.
Since Putin is a homicidal madman it had to have been him taking the treasonous Prigozhin out, right?
And it couldn't possibly have been Avril Haines, Richard Moore, or Vasyl Malyuk, right? Because CIA, MI6, and SBU don't ever do those sorts of things, right? To make Putin look bad...
"While the Kremlin has eliminated rivals before, Prigozhin was the first high-level loyalist whom Putin is suspected of killing for alleged transgressions."
So the WSJ mouthpieces are implying that "US officials" believe that Putin did it...Well, then, it must be true!
I was surprised mi6 & Ukraine were not combined. The British and Ukraine seem to do a lot of dirty jobs together.
Cia I don’t think is in the assassination business anymore, the competency / expertise is gone. They are still in the coup and para-military businesses.
Prigozhin took a flight aboard Polonium Airways. Putin hates betrayal. Two people in particular have betrayed him. One is now dead and the other is Zelensky with the Minsk Declarations.
Of course Tusk wasn't on the plane. That's how we know he was in on the plot, right? You know what I mean? Kaczyński and Duda and Morawiecki are simply stooges. And now the EU wants to sanction Poland. Whose side are you on?
From the tenor of your posts, Derek you have a built-in bias against Putin. Most posters here are offering perspectives on Putin, not because they are pro-Putin, but rather in the face of the USA evil empire there is admiration for how he runs his affairs. What world leader do you believe has clean hands and are above ruling with an iron fist and please don’t tell me the Polish. Your historical legacy has plenty of warmongering in it’s past.
"Putin is solely responsible for shooting down the place in Smolensk"
Sheer idiocy, and even the Polish government report doesn't make such a loony claim. I doubt even your Neocon hero Sikorski would make such a crazy claim.
"Ukraine should be able to join NATO if they so desire, ... Are you denying them the right to self-determination?"
Ukraine corruptly decided to enter into an alliance of aggression against Russia. Russia has the right of self defense, which is very different from denying Ukraine self determination. I say "corruptly" because Zelensky ran on a 'peace with Russia' platform--deceiving the Ukrainian people--and then switched and followed the instructions of his Western paymasters to force Russia into a defensive war.
Also, Poland has always been more than happy to deny the right of self determination to neighbors--like Ukraine.
Dmitry Peskov says it wasn't us...
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/kremlin-rejects-absolute-lie-putin-ordered-killing-wagners-prigozhin
Who did it? It's a question that gets much discussed. Somebody to consider that I am not sure has been mentioned yet.......France. Why? Perhaps the action in North Africa and the involvement of Russia via Wagner Group.
Larry Johnson speculates on whodunnit today:
https://sonar21.com/sabotage-killed-prigozhin-who-did-it/
He doesn't suggest foreign actors per se, but others have pointed in that direction. Prigozhin made a lot of enemies and had had his state protections withdrawn after his mutiny.
I read LJ's article on this subject @TGP this morning. As I said above, lot's of speculation and there are enough characters to point the finger at, but this does not seem a Putin operation. It's just too visible and why do something that would be a spectacle as opposed to quietly to avoid Western propaganda that would paint him as a thug. I suppose in time we'll know. Prigozhin gave me a Jesse Ventura vibe.
Since Putin is a homicidal madman it had to have been him taking the treasonous Prigozhin out, right?
And it couldn't possibly have been Avril Haines, Richard Moore, or Vasyl Malyuk, right? Because CIA, MI6, and SBU don't ever do those sorts of things, right? To make Putin look bad...
I thought so.
From the WSJ: https://archive.is/vgtMC
"While the Kremlin has eliminated rivals before, Prigozhin was the first high-level loyalist whom Putin is suspected of killing for alleged transgressions."
So the WSJ mouthpieces are implying that "US officials" believe that Putin did it...Well, then, it must be true!
Here are a couple links to Simplicius and commenters on Moon of Alabama with more speculation on what (might have) happened to Prighozhin...
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/special-report-the-curtain-closes?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2&nthPub=161
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2023/08/open-not-ukraine-thread-200.html#comments
Simplicius has a poll on whom did it:
44% - Putin / fsb
36% - mi6/cia
9% - Ukraine
1100 votes so far.
MI6+CIA+Ukraine = 45%
But Putin definitely did it!
I was surprised mi6 & Ukraine were not combined. The British and Ukraine seem to do a lot of dirty jobs together.
Cia I don’t think is in the assassination business anymore, the competency / expertise is gone. They are still in the coup and para-military businesses.
Is the CIA now beyond hiring out its dirty work to MI6 (or others)?
Prigozhin took a flight aboard Polonium Airways. Putin hates betrayal. Two people in particular have betrayed him. One is now dead and the other is Zelensky with the Minsk Declarations.
You mean Tusk, right?
Of course Tusk wasn't on the plane. That's how we know he was in on the plot, right? You know what I mean? Kaczyński and Duda and Morawiecki are simply stooges. And now the EU wants to sanction Poland. Whose side are you on?
From the tenor of your posts, Derek you have a built-in bias against Putin. Most posters here are offering perspectives on Putin, not because they are pro-Putin, but rather in the face of the USA evil empire there is admiration for how he runs his affairs. What world leader do you believe has clean hands and are above ruling with an iron fist and please don’t tell me the Polish. Your historical legacy has plenty of warmongering in it’s past.
"Putin is solely responsible for shooting down the place in Smolensk"
Sheer idiocy, and even the Polish government report doesn't make such a loony claim. I doubt even your Neocon hero Sikorski would make such a crazy claim.
"Ukraine should be able to join NATO if they so desire, ... Are you denying them the right to self-determination?"
Ukraine corruptly decided to enter into an alliance of aggression against Russia. Russia has the right of self defense, which is very different from denying Ukraine self determination. I say "corruptly" because Zelensky ran on a 'peace with Russia' platform--deceiving the Ukrainian people--and then switched and followed the instructions of his Western paymasters to force Russia into a defensive war.
Also, Poland has always been more than happy to deny the right of self determination to neighbors--like Ukraine.