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The Arms Race Is Back... With A Twist: US Congressman Urges NATO To Purchase French Warship Destined For Russia
The saga of the French Mistral amphibious assault warship which was ordered by Russia years ago, and whose delivery - at least according to Putin - was the reason behind the US record $9 billion DOJ fine of French BNP (which the Russian president called "blackmail" by the US designed to intimidate France and prevent it from completing the transaction) just took a turn for the bizarre.
In a note written in the Atlantic Council's website, Democrat representative for New York's 16th district, Eliot Engel, has proposed that instead of letting France conclude its deal with Russia, now that even the BNP "blackmail" has failed to dent Hollande's intention to see the delivery to its end, that NATO (read the US) should step up and "collectively purchase or lease the warships as a common naval asset."
In other words, with cajoling, threats and even fines failing to make an impression on French weapon delivery intentions, and thus US foreign policy, it is time to start throwing away taxpayer money in order to spoil Putin's party.
Of course, this begs the question: what happens with the next order placed by Russia: will NATO step in and overbid Russia in the final instant (using US bond issuance proceeds to fund the transaction of course - bonds which are largely purchased by China, the Fed and, of course, "Belgium") again, and then again, and so on?
We wonder: are we the only ones who now see this as nothing more than the cold war arms race, in which the two sides would merely stockpile nuclear weapons in an attempt to have the greater "Mutually Assured Deterrence" fear factor, and which ultimately ended up bankrupting the USSR (or so conventional wisdom goes)? If so, who is getting the short end of the stick this time: because just how many useless and unnecessary military vessels can "NATO" accumulate before it finds they have zero impact on how Russia is truly waging New Normal warfare - using European energy flows?
Keep a close eye on this proposal to see if it gains traction.
Full letter by Eliot Engel below:
NATO Should Buy French-built Warships
[L]ast month I wrote to NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, urging a plan by which the alliance would collectively purchase or lease the warships as a common naval asset.
This avenue would give us a win-win-win solution.
First, we deprive Putin of this valuable military asset. Such a step would help reassure nervous allies and partners in Central and Eastern Europe that would most feel vulnerable by this force multiplier in the hands of the Russian military.
Second, we would greatly enhance NATO capabilities at a moment when many of its members have been cutting defense expenditures. There is already ample precedent for NATO to purchase shared assets, including the alliance's fleet of E-3A AWACS aircraft. If Russia does indeed remain an aggressive force, NATO will have to refocus its energy and resources on European defense. The future success of the alliance in turn will depend on all NATO members sharing this burden and commitment. Purchasing these ships would give NATO a much needed shot in the arm.
Lastly, this purchase wouldn't leave France holding the bill. At a time when the European economy remains fragile, we shouldn't allow one of our allies to endure such a heavy financial blow.
Eliot Engel is a member of the US House of Representatives for the 16th District of New York and the ranking minority member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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I think she was handing out cookies but they were onto her back then. People were a lot smarter since they didnt spend all day watching TV or tweeting or facebooking.
Yes, like the Jews, native-born Americans will have their own special "star" in the concentartion camps. Before they are genocided, of course.
Feral, Fascists were not attacking other fascists in Kiev in 1940-41, they were attacking Russian Jews as they were encouraged by the Nazis to do so. Ever seen that photo before as part of the usual holocaust display? The person who sent me that is Russian, is a curator of archival photos and has notes on the events of the day when the photo was taken. The woman in the photo was a member of the upper class and was targeted by fascists because she was a Russian Jew.
". . . member of the upper class and was targeted by fascists because she was a Russian Jew", eh?
Are you claiming then that it was fascists attacking communists instead? And are you also claiming that Stalin's "classless society" was not that classless after all?
re: killed and dumped in a ditch.
that ditch is called Babi Yar in Kiev, where the Nazis killed 33,000 Jews on September 29-30, 1941. I have visited it, a very evil place indeed!
over 100,000 to 150,000 Jews, Soviet POW's ,communists,Ukrainian nationalists and gypsies were later killed at that site
The Ukrainians sided with the Nazis because they were fighting the Bolsheviks.
Nazis were to Jews what Bolsheviks were to Ukrainians.
About 8 million starved to death.
And a lot {a disproportionate number - including a number of key leaders} of the Bolsheviks [though not "most"] were Jews.
Collective punishment is always an ugly, unjust thing...
Although that doesn't stop the grandchildren of victims of the Nazis from doing it in Gaza and Palestine.
More probably coming this weekend, by the way.
By the way, I understand what you're saying and I should now mention that the Ukrainians styling themselves as Nazis or fascists or whatever today have no excuse such as I'd grant they had 70 years ago, when the Holdomor was fresh, and the enemy of your enemy was your friend and all.
The more I learn about Bolshevism the more I think it was substantially worse even than Nazism. I think it makes little difference to the dead if they were killed because of their race or because of their religion or because it was good for the state. They only know it is better to be alive.
more lies from the hasbara the holocaust never happened.
But really, do the contracted parties have a say in this Mr Senator?
Sure, buy the ship, park it on the Mexico border.
"US Congressman Urges NATO To Purchase French Warship Destined For Russia"
The Fed is standing by in the print room...
It is not the most efficient amphibious assualt ship as it has to back up to the beach and drop a ramp to let the tanks off.
Our LDH have the flooded real wells to permit it to stand off the shore and launch tracked vehicles. This is a giant , floating
target. Being French it probably does have a fantastic kitchen serving the greatest French cuisine. Gotta give it credit for
that. It will make a great "Mission Accomplished" site for Putin.
Aren't your LDHs floating targets as well? Or do the tracked vehicles make that difference?
Puppet regime Iraq picks Russia for its jet purchases. German businessmen rise in resistance to Russian sanctions. Austria sides with Russia in a major pipeline agreement. And, now, France is slipping away from the cartel influence of U.S. Empire allies.
In desperation, the pro-Zionist campaign in the United States to punish Russia and force the march to world government is literally frantic as their efforts dissolve.
And here, pro-Zionist Congressman Eliot Engel, a critical supporter for Israel (he’s Jewish), tries to get the U.S. taxpayers to help with his Bolshevik goals. It is not anti-Semitic to explain that Jewish groups have had and continue to have a quest for world government, supporting the erosion of sovereign borders and open immigration to break down the nationalism in Europe and the United States.
Americans need to realize that there is a high price to pay for transferring their country’s foreign policy to the interests of Israel and that price is being paid not only in domestic destruction but in the loss of allied support and world respect.
Are elected American congressmen giving Israeli issues priority over American interests? You decide, with this brief account of Engel’s activities from the National Jewish Democratic Council.
Jewish Members of Congress: Eliot Engel (Representative, New York)
Representative Eliot Engel is currently serving his 10th term representing the 17th district of New York. Elected in 1988, he has been deeply concerned with American foreign affairs and a champion for Israel. In 2004, Engel authored the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Act, pressuring Syria to withdraw from Lebanon. He is also one the leading congressional supporters of recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Engel serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Foreign Affairs Committee, is the vice chair of the Democratic Task Force on Homeland Security and founder and co-chair of the House Oil and National Security Caucus. He currently lives in the Bronx with his wife, Patricia, and three children.
For more information on Representative Engel, please visit http://engel.house.gov/index.cfm?SectionID=2&ParentID=0&SectionTypeID=2&SectionTree=2.
It's not 'Israel's" interest. Israel is just an outpost for the Globalists. Not even the most important one -New York City and London are more important. And they're not all Jews. Plenty of Goyim in the inner circle.
Nonsense. The only outpost here is Washington, D.C., where any criticism of the State of Israel means potential punishment or censorship, where subservience to Israel means advancement - be you an Obama, a Romney, a Rand Paul, a Ted Cruz or a Rush Limbaugh.
"Representative Eliot Engel is currently serving his 10th term representing Israel."
So, the guy is a Termite AND has two passports?
What a Patriot!
Wonder how much salary and pension he is getting from the precinct in Israel that he is also serving. I mean think about it, it makes sense, you run two political campaign in two countries with the same staff. Kind of like corporate mergers, its synergy.
Why not? Put it on Yellen's credit card. Why stop there? Let's just buy all of France.
American Express ? Do more ?
politicians are mostly the same, regardless of party, but a dem from NY - that's working for the french - but only for 35 hrs a week with 3 hour lunch breaks
Now, there's a plan. We'll just borrow the money from Belgium these days. Better yet, we can borrow it from France!
This will never happen. France is probably the last country on earth that wants to gain a reputation for being America's bitch. They will happily sell the ship to Russia, and Putin will happily compensate them for any retributions America decides to take.
Would you like mayonnaise with those freedom fries, mon cherie?
Good news for the French arms industry!
They now can make and sell TWO ships.
or should it be understood (US)NATO will buy however many France can produce to keep Russia from making a purchase?
And when the arms industries of other nations see the sweet deal France has ...
This is very bullish**
you can build them cheap and nasty, why not get the chinese to build them for you and then get the US to buy them from you to stop the evil Riussians getting hold of them, france and Russia can split the profits.
Built using Australian iron ore and coal?
No matter what the US gov does or even if the French don't deliver the above ship to the Russian, it's too late. Half of the second Mistral was just completed in .... a Russian shipyard. Don't forget the deal was also a transfer of technology and it's already done, Putin can now build as many as he can afford. A cancelation would only mean that Moscow would not be paying a license fee for the futur ones (4 total) built in Russia.
So it would be absolutely insane from Hollande to endanger every deal it has or will have with the BRICS, therefore the BNP move is just amaterish and will only result in the ditching of TAFTA.
True... and Putin doesn't really want it/them... as it's a leftover contract from before he took over... and has offered France to settle the issue by following the contract which would give RUssia back those sections of the ship they already built and sent to France beside the financial issues... but France wants the jobs/work/payment, same as Germany and most of the EU, yet NATO doesn't.... the national interests vs the global oligarchial interest.... who will win? Depends upon how one defines 'win', as the global oligarchy works both sides simultaneously, always has, always will, until the game ends.
The atlantic council web site, a convenient listing of a subset of the NWO payroll.
Here is one of the most evil bastards on the planet:Zbigniew Brzezinski
Brzezinski: The West Should Arm Ukraine
http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/natosource/brzezinski-the-west-shou...
Also interesting, a propoganda piece on TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership)
http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ttip-action
"While many skeptics characterize TTIP as a corporatist agenda designed to benefit large multi-national corporations..."
ha! ya think?
Sounds like a good idea to me.....
Why not, if we don't want russia to have the capibility......
They may have the chinease build one or they may try, either way it will be a piece of shit and wont be sea worthy until 2025.
Perhaps its time for a little CIA-funded "persuasion" in Paris. ISIS can spare a few jihadists, I'm sure.
But France is not Germany. France has its own secret services which are loyal to France.
Do you accept treasuries directly? Or do we need to issue those to the Fed, and get them to print dollars?
Why doesn't the US offer to buy the nice little boat from the French and offer to compensate the Russians for their losses.
I am thinking one rather large gold shipment would be best.
When they send the Gold bars to Europe they might as well send Germany's at the same time to help save on shipping costs!
You could do that, but the logistics would be a nightmare! Such a transaction could only be completed by, let's say, 2030.
Warning in 2009 on how this ship concept was going to fit into Russian naval strategy. How many years late is the WH reacting
to this?
http://www.informationdissemination.net/2009/08/thoughts-on-russian-mist...
Great little article SDM... Not sure I understand fully what he was saying, perhaps its my lack of experience, but it was very educational.
Great link.
So, now we have to attack France?
Yup... Never really liked them anyway.
Chicken turncoats.....
"Friends of France"
Hollande and his minions arrested yesterday the last democratically elected President of France, Mr. Sarkozy. Sarkozy is now the only true leading democrat left, fighting together with the French people the autocratic Hollande regime. The majority of the French population under the guidance of Mr. Sarkozy and his well connected tribe is fighting a desperate battle against the Hollande regime and his radical Christian sect. The US stands firm on the side of the French people and is sending "humanitarian" aid to the Abu Sarkozy movement. Other nations have already joined the Friends of France movement, UK, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Quatar, Australia and Canada. In a joint military exercise US troops and the German Army moved closer to Germanies western borders. Germany is preparing the planning for the erecting of camps for upto 6 million refugees, close to the French border.
France today confirmed a statement that they did in fact sign contracts to build 22 new Nimitz class carriers for Russia at double the going rate and were looking forward to the boom in shipyard employment, France also mentioned they were negotiating contracts for long range heavy bombers, submarines and MRAPs all at double the going rate and were looking forward 110% full employment in French economy.
In other unrelated financial news France confirmed they have already signed contracts for 130 nuclear power plants sold to Iran and North Korea and are looking forward to raping US & EU taxpayers for the next 400 years.
Love it. Funniest thing I've read on here. The world truly is going from the sublime to the ridiculous. How can this Engel moron possibly think these kind of stupid ideas would ever have a positive outcome?
Hurricane Arthur Nears US Coast
http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/orthographic=-80.28,32.22,1105
Just put hidden transponders and radio taps all over the thing (if it doesn't have em already) and let Russia have it.
i've seen old people of ww2 age begging for change on streets of russia , yet the government has enough money for this new shiny toys. how can we all live with fact is frustraiting the fuck out of me
Just like we can with seeing old people of WW2 age and little kids begging for change on the streets of the USA.
why we as a population are accepting this , why we engage in political debates , why so many of us are trying to justify the actions of governments WHY , when your opression is right in your fucking face! i feel angry and helpless , none of the people around me would even be able to understand zerohedge conversations. can someone suggest a solution to remain saine?
Dear pl,
Have you tried LSD? It worked for the CIA!
not sure what you are referring to , but isnt lsd suppose to expand your consciousness? the cia folk seems like an evil bunch
Since when Russia needs weapons bought from other countries ??!?!?!
Usually its them selling the weapons, they got plenty ALREADY ...
My personal opinion is that Russia is wasting good money on this type of warship. Russia is not going to need this class of vessel. What Russia needs is more Submarines, Naval Aviation and anti ship missiles and torpedoes. "Sea Denial" is what they called it when I was in the Navy. Russia's main naval goal is to deny the US use of the seas near Russia or Russian interests. In the case of Syria, Russian Navy needs Submarines and missiles able to force the USN away from Syrian waters, prevent invasion and kill Carriers that would do the air strikes. In no way are these two big ships of any real use in a war time scenario. But I agree that in peace time, this big ships with large cargo capacity and sea landing boats, could come in handy in disasters and bring aid to Syria etc. But in war, they would not last a five minutes at sea.
Jack if you read SDM's link above, there is a nice analysis presented by the author...
'Russia has historically been willing to spend money on its military even in times when their economy lags, so the Russian market holds enormous potential for the company (as well as Thales, potentially). Russia will also win big if they can produce Mistral class vessels in Russia, because Russia will be able to tap into the well educated and highly trained shipbuilding workforce of Europe to rebuild their fleet, in particular a project manager and modern skilled workforce that can replace the older and less skilled or experienced with modern tools professional workforce in Russia. It is hard to see this as anything other than a huge win for both DCNS and Russia from an industry perspective'
There is more stuff too he talks about...Check out the link
What are they paying for the ships? Are they paying in Dollars? If so, I'd suggest anything they're spending their Dollars on at the moment before the reset (that they will instigate with the help of their BRICS mates sometime in the nearish future) is actually a bargain - and they know it.
Mr. Burton,
IMHO, TEAM_RUS already has the Gear to keep the US Fleet away from Syria. They do have the Cruise Missiles, TBMs, Torpedoes needed to do the Job - PROVIDED that ISIL doesn't overrun the Coastlines. Add Bombers into the picture, they can easily cause many headaches to anyone with their feet wet in "Club Med".
I'm not a Gator Sailor; but my Cruiser's been in a few Large Scale AmphibEx (Team Spirit in Korea) that had sufficient "Support" from Surface Combatants and Carrier/Naval Air Assets. I presume TEAM_RUS will do something similar - because EVENTUALLY, they may have to send Troops to UN Chartered PKO/CombatOps by Sea.
"Power Projection" in the form of establishing a Beachhead on Foreign Coastlines is the Key here - even in War.
You can really sense the cold-war era paranoid mind-set about Russia.Seems like anything goes when keeping the old war machine going in every State of The Union.How many military jobs or defence industry jobs is he worried about in his and his good old boys club districts anyways?Sure not beating the swords back to plowshares anytime soon.Any pennies in The Pentagon budget for poor black people in Detroit yet?
http://www.spa.gov.sa/english/details.php?id=1249421
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/saudi-king-appoints-new-spy-chief-as-regional-crisis-spreads-1.1354254
I do not get it.
instead of this funny boat Mr. Putin should build 50 SS20 Pioneer and 50 Topols.
Engel, GFY.
Here's an interesting article from the www.atimes.com/ this morning by Noam Chomsky: "How Washington protects itself" July, 3, 2014 (thur.)
" it is worth remembering that the U.S., like England before it, has intended to support radical 'Fundamentalist Islam' in oppostion to 'Secular Nationalism', which has usually been perceived as posing a threat of independence and contagion."
" Saudi Arabia which borders Iraq's Central Western to Southern landscape, is ~ 500 mile wide-- and, is (*SA) the most extreme 'Fundamentalist Islamic State' having established its Wahhabi-Salafi (* or, pure unadulterated Sharia Law! that suits the USSA just fine) Doctrine"
end excerpted Quotes (*[jmo] )
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/World/WOR-05-030714.html
Note: Why is this of any concern regarding NATO/ EU/ USSA?... when frankly the very facts speak for themselves! The Imperialist, that is to say, our, USSA, has them all by the balls, as in... their back pockets. ButT, with a designed and modified upgrade on a daily basis,... Monroe/ Truman/ Eisenhower Doctrine of infinite-propagation, which by the way, is now losing ground, as in a fasting atrophy, and, a well deserved side-dish of mud pies`entropy? in the good`ole despotic world of a anthrophobia, and symbiotic dysfunctional 'USSA'ss! Alas, the World`s Infinite de`Propaganda Schematic`Re?ification' is coming out of the closet?!? It seems the 'web' is fucking-up their (Champions of Chaos) doublespeak and raising moar... mucho moar multiple question`marks for every nonsensical answers the corporate/globalistics feed us at the trough of its MSM`is'ism. Thus, an enclave of small critical thinking 3rd world countries our finding their way with [K]new eastern-axis zeitgeist. So, read on you crazy anarchist, and visualize a temporal ecstasy from DHS mind-mining electrolytic-shackles. jmo
seriously its a great read
thaankyou Tyler
What a Dildo this congressman is, so its outright theft of ships commissioned by other countries now, lol, and he probably thinks he has the moral high ground.
I also loved 'The future success of the alliance in turn will depend on all NATO members sharing this burden and commitment.' In other words all Nato countries are going to have to pay and pay for ever for more US forces in Europe to combat big bad Russia, no wonder Russia needs to keep nukes with war mongers like this around. Its a crappy transport ship for Gods sake, the US has 10 NIMITZ CLASS AIRCRAFT CARRIERS, is building 2 Gerald R Ford class aircraft carriers, has 22 missile cruisers, 18 Ohio class submarines, any one of which could obliterate Russia all by itself and are planning to build 11 Amphibious assaullt ships, and they are scared of Russia.
thank heavans for mr engels and his jewish race for allowing us to be safe from der mad arab mans and der crazy russian mans.
we owe der jewisher are very souls yes no.
Only $9 billion, no problem, we can take it out of social security . . . no money there? Oh well, just throw it in with QE, maybe have Belgium buy some more bonds . . .
Is that congressman from Max Stark's district?
http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2014/01/editorial-who...
What was not reported was that it now comes included with a white flag. That's a nice touch from the French, LOL.
wait hold on, cant we just use the 9 billion we fined bnp to buy the french warship.
that wouls be sweet!
The congressman thinks that Russia is a third-world country that can't build ships itself and has no weapons.
It fact, it can destroy all American war ships in a few hours even using conventional weapons. Russian nuclear submarines are top-notch, they even have saunas and pools inside.
So tncaver who has been here for 2 years and 20 weeks.
1 st comment in all that time.
Go fuck yourself you fucking plant !!!!!
It does make me wonder though just how deeply infiltrated this site is.