Update On US Casualties In Ukraine, Russian Posture In ME; Trump

The other day I quoted Doug Macgregor stating that the US has concealed the extent of its casualties in Ukraine. From time to time we’ll hear that the Russians have targeted foreign military personnel—French, Swedish, etc. The US has generally been able to hide its casualties by attributing the deaths to accidents. Yesterday I came across a Youtube video that follows up on the loss of the two F-16s—variously attributed to pilot error, Russian missiles, or other causes. In addition it’s well know that the Russians have massively targeted any airfields in Western Ukraine that are capable of handling F-16s.

I’ve transcribed a portion of the video, which I freely acknowledge I can’t vouch for. Much of the relatively brief video is devoted to the verifiable attacks on the airfields. The interesting part is what follows, and which I’ve transcribed. Aircraft in a modern war environment are largely useless unless they are integrated into command and control systems. That was pointed out multiple times when the whole topic of F-16s to Ukraine came up. Read what follows from that perspective:

Douglasmacgregor : Russian Kinzhals Devastate Ukrainian F-16s and NATO’s Secret Command Post!

This, ladies and gentlemen is just the beginning. As if the destruction of Ukraine's prized assets [F-16s] wasn't enough, the real shocker comes from what we're learning about the aftermath of these Kinzhal strikes. Reports today are revealing something that NATO might prefer to keep under wraps. During the second wave the Kinzhals didn't just take out military hardware. They hit something far more significant. Buried beneath the debris of that air base in Chmielnitsky was a bunker, and in that bunker nine NATO commanders--yes, nine NATO officers who had flown in from Moldova--were wiped out by the force of these missile strikes. But they weren't just any NATO officers. They were high ranking individuals overseeing the implementation of AWACS systems in Ukraine.

AWACS or Airborne Warning And Control Systems are vital for modern warfare. They act as the eyes and ears of the battlefield, coordinating air and ground operations. In simple terms, without AWACS Ukraine's ability to launch coordinated air strikes and long-range missile operations is seriously compromised. Let's be clear. This wasn't some minor setback for NATO. These commanders were leading the charge to integrate AWACS technology into Ukraine's military strategy, and their deaths are a monumental blow to NATO's efforts to give Ukraine a fighting chance.

And let's not ignore the details. Six of the dead were American citizens--albeit of Ukrainian descent--and the remaining three were French. That's right. American and French officers killed in the heart of Ukraine. Well, supposedly, they were on an undercover mission to help Ukraine fight back. The devastation doesn't end there. Seven British trainers along with six Dutch technical experts were also critically injured during this operation. Polish medics were [flown in?] to evacuate them, but the damage had already been done. Russia didn't just stumble upon this bunker by [accident?]. This was the result of precise intelligence, likely aided by insurgents operating within Ukraine. What we're seeing here is a breakdown of NATO's ability to operate freely within Ukraine's borders. This isn't just a military defeat. It's a complete humiliation for the alliance [NATO].

This is active NATO involvement in a war on Russia, which would not be taking place but for the support and direction of the US.

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What goes around can come around—and just may in the near future. Yesterday Judge Nap had quite a lineup. Among them, Larry Wilkerson and Gilbert Doctorow both pointed out that beyond any reasonable doubt Russian operators—pilots and technicians—are manning the new Russian aircraft and air defense hardware that Iran has received. In other words, this will not be a matter of Israeli/US planes and missiles going up against aircraft and air defense systems and radars manned by half trained personnel or not fully integrated into a world class air defense system. The Russians will be pros. And their equipment is good—as we’ve learned in Ukraine. Here’s an example of what Israeli/US pilots could face in air to air combat:

Will Schryver @imetatronink

American AIM-174 (2021 - present)

Range: ~250km; Speed: Mach 3.5

Russian R-37 (1980s - present)

Range: ~400km; Speed: Mach 6

Russian AAMs significantly outrange and outrun all their American competitors.

9:41 PM · Oct 3, 2024

The larger point is that the Russians are involved. They’ve stated that their air defense systems in Syria (land and ship based) are now involved in defending Lebanon and Syria. How intensely involved they are remains to be seen, but it’s difficult to see halfway measures being taken. The fact that Putin rebuffed Netanyahu’s attempted phone call is an indicator. All this is very serious. Russia will have a strong incentive to spread its weapons around the region, putting US ships and bases at very serious risk.

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Also in the Judge Nap interviews yesterday we saw some sharp divergences in opinion regarding the US - Israeli relationship: Who controls whom, whose goals are primary, etc.? John Mearsheimer says The Israel Lobby controls the shots. Gilbert Doctorow says the US leads Netanyahu around by the nose. Doug Macgregor says nothing happens unless the US allows—and often enables—it to happen.

My view is that we should avoid viewing this as some sort of zero sum theoretical construct. Each commentator has valid viewpoints. Instead, it’s useful to think of this in terms of a Venn Diagram:

Since we have three circles in the image, here are three sets of players: Israel, US Neocons, US Neo-imperialists. Each of these groups of players—none of which are totally homogenous as groups—share some parts of their ideological constructs and goals with the others, but not necessarily all of them. They may share interests in identical areas, but may not neccessarily place the same importance on all interests.

Israel, for example, is most focused on regional Middle East issues. They can probably count on fairly lock step support from The Israel Lobby, but some groups within The Lobby are undoubtedly influenced by Neoconnish considerations that take in more than the Middle East. For financial reasons, the influence of The Lobby and of Israel itself will increase at certain times over others—during US elections. Obviously, since the Middle East and its energy resources is so important to maintaining Anglo-Zionist global hegemony—keeping Europe in subordination to the US through our protection racket, counter balancing Russian energy dominance, threatening China with an energy embargo—Israeli interests will often intrude on US interests, and vice versa.

All I’m saying is, don’t try to make this too simple. Be flexible. Macgregor’s view that nothing happens without the US’s say-so may sound identical to Doctorow’s view that Netanyahu is no more than a US puppet, but Macgregor also acknowledges the enormous influence of The Israel Lobby over US politicians.

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Danny Davis and Ted Postol—terrific interview if your into the technicalities of missile warfare:

IRAN MISSILES v. Israel’s Iron Dome & David’s Sling w/ MIT Prof. Ted Postol

An older video, but a salutary reminder:

https://x.com/AdameMedia/status/1841784123641196884

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Back in the USA.

This will explain why I haven’t been paying any attention to the claim that Iran is trying to assassinate Trump. There’s a fair amount in the article that you’ll want to take with a grain of salt, but the main idea is sound:

Megatron @Megatron_ron

BREAKING: Iranian plot to assassinate Trump was FBI setup.

The FBI Entraps Another Fake Assassin - TomKlingenstein.com

12:00 AM · Oct 4, 2024

Surprised? No?

Here are two non-BS stories that remind us that something serious is going on:

Prosecutors Seek Indefinite Delay In Trial Of Alleged Trump Assassin Over "Complex" Evidence

Federal prosecutors on Wednesday requested an indefinite delay in the upcoming trial of Ryan Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump, claiming that a massive trove of evidence has emerged in recent weeks rendering the case "complex," ABC News reports.

According to a Wednesday filing with Florida District Judge Aileen Cannon, prosecutors have gathered too much evidence to proceed to trial - including hundreds of witness interviews, 13 search warrants, and the seizure of "multiple electronic devices" from locations in Florida, Hawaii, and North Carolina. The overwhelming amount of digital data to review - around 4,000 terabytes - allegedly led to the request.

The FBI also continues to conduct forensic tests on other evidence, including "ballistics testing, and fingerprint and DNA comparisons," which will likely require them to prepare several expert witnesses to testify about in advance of Routh's eventual trial.

The filing states Routh's defense attorneys did not oppose the government's request to indefinitely delay his trial date.

Routh, 58, appeared in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday for his arraignment on attempted assassination charges. Routh's lawyers entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. -ABC News

The delay request came just one day after Judge Cannon had set a tentative trial date of November 18. But with prosecutors still awaiting over 100 subpoena responses and conducting forensic analysis, including ballistics and DNA testing, the government says their case is far from ready to proceed.

Nice that the judge on the case is Aileen Cannon. She’s just the judge who might take action if she thinks the FBI and DoJ are delaying because they desperately don’t want all the evidence to be released before the election. Not saying that’s happening, but it would be naive not to consider that possibility.

Who Bankrolled Routh? Jim Rickards Worries Whether Trump Will Make It to The Election

Authored by James Rickards via DailyReckoning.com,

The second assassination attempt on the life of Donald Trump in the past two months is already being memory-holed by the mainstream media.

…

Increasingly, it appears that the U.S. government operating through the Secret Service, FBI and CIA is at least complicit in the Trump assassination attempts.

They may be actively creating the conditions for an assassination through intentional gross negligence by Trump’s security detail and nurturing mentally deranged Trump-haters in a way that leads directly to the sniper’s nest.

Let’s explore these claims in detail.

The last attempted assassination of a president was the shooting of President Reagan on March 30, 1981, over 43 years ago. The last attempt before that was a shooting aimed at President Ford on Sept. 22, 1975, 49 years ago.

Of course, President John F. Kennedy was killed by an assassin on Nov. 22, 1963, almost 61 years ago.

That makes two shootings and one assassination of U.S. presidents in the past 61 years prior to July 13, 2024. President Trump has been the victim of two assassination attempts in the past 80 days.

Something is seriously wrong with that timeline. One is reminded of the Ian Fleming quote from his James Bond novel Goldfinger: “Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action.”

I’m willing to shorten Fleming’s timeline in the case of Trump — Twice is enemy action.

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The FBI cover-up began almost immediately when the shooter’s body was cremated and the rooftop shooting location was scrubbed clean before intensive forensics could be concluded.

We still know next to nothing about the shooter, his motivations or his affiliations. We may never know.

Below, I address the second would-be assassin of Donald Trump. Who is he? Why would he want to kill Trump? Did he have any connections to the intelligence community?

Read on.

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The scariest part of Routh’s interviews is that he precisely mimicked the talking points you hear every day from MSNBC and CNN. Routh says that Trump is an existential threat to humanity and a threat to democracy. He says that Trump must be stopped at all costs. He says that Trump is an enemy of peace and freedom.

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Who Bankrolled Routh?

MSNBC and CNN and the rest of corporate media put out these lies about Trump as a form of propaganda. The lies are aimed at a target audience of Trump-haters and progressive lightweights. Routh was the target audience.

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The triggering propaganda was not limited to the media. Kamala Harris said of Trump, “Does one of us have to come out alive? Ha, ha, ha, ha!” Joe Biden said, “It’s time to put Trump in a bull’s-eye.”

Tim Walz’s wife, Gwen Walz, said, “Buh-bye, Donald Trump.” Democratic member of Congress Dan Goldman said about Trump, “He is destructive to our democracy and… he has to be eliminated.”

I could offer 100 similar quotes but you get the idea. The media class and the political class are calling for Trump to be killed. It’s just a matter of triggering someone to do it. In Routh’s case, he was completely triggered. Then he picked up his rifle.

Just as the USSS are responsible for letting these assassinations happen, corporate media and many Democrats are responsible for triggering unstable individuals to conduct the assassination attempts.

It’s not a stretch to say the USSS, corporate media and many Democrats are all out to kill Trump. They simply rely on mentally ill zealots to do their wet work.

Routh told the court on Monday, Sept. 16, that he had no material financial assets and owned no property. …

It seems clear that Routh has a hidden source of financial support. The CIA typically deals in cash while running covert operations. Was Routh a CIA asset turned loose on a rogue mission with a predictable outcome?

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It’s impossible that a high-profile American like Routh could run around Ukraine recruiting mercenaries without coming to the attention of the CIA and coming in direct contact with CIA assets.

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These and many other questions need to be answered quickly before the cover-up goes much further. The FBI official in charge of the Florida assassination attempt investigation is Jeffrey Veltri, a notorious Trump-hater who was ordered by the FBI director to scrub his social media accounts of anti-Trump posts.

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