CIA and the Failure in East Germany

In East Germany, all the recruited CIA agents working there were found to be double-agents working secretly for the Ministry of State Security spy service, also known as the Stasi.

According to two East German Stasi officers, Klaus Eichner and Andreas Dobbert, operating against CIA without inside sources was difficult.

“Naturally we tried but did not succeed in placing agents in the CIA,” they stated in their 2009 book. “Nevertheless, there was not a single CIA operation on [East German] territory that we were not able to detect using [double agents] and counterespionage operations.”

Markus Wolf, the famously elusive spymaster of Communist East Germany whose feats of espionage were the stuff of cold war legend was known as “the man without a face,” because for years Western intelligence agencies did not even possess a photograph of him. The late East German spymaster also wrote in his memoir that by the late 1980s “we were in the enviable position of knowing that not a single CIA agent had worked in East Germany without having been turned into a double agent or working for us from the start.”

For 34 years, Mr. Wolf directed the foreign intelligence service of East Germany’s feared Ministry of State Security, or Stasi. He ran a network of 4,000 spies who infiltrated NATO headquarters and the West German chancellery and even brought down a chancellor, Willy Brandt.

Markus Wolf boasted in his memoirs that, “If I go down in espionage history, it may well be for perfecting the use of sex in spying.”

Among Mr. Wolf’s innovations in tradecraft was the “Romeo method,” in which he sent young agents to romance lonely secretaries in Bonn, the former West German capital, for access to the confidential files of their bosses. A few of these affairs, he later noted, blossomed into happy marriages, though the more common outcome was betrayal and broken hearts.

He lured politicians and businessmen with sex and money. He “turned” West German agents, sending them back to spy on their masters. One of his agents, Rainer Rupp, code-named Topaz, worked for 25 years at NATO headquarters in Brussels and was unmasked only in 1993.

There were any number of individuals who could be blackmailed because of their records in Hitler’s Reich or for other reasons. There was no language or cultural problem, and, under West German law, all East Germans had the same rights as West Germans.

“On our orders they were all delivering carefully selected information and disinformation to the Americans,” Wolf said.

Wolf had been able to identify a CIA officer working in West Germany who was recruiting East Germans and then dispatched double agents to the officer.

Among his few setbacks was the defection of Werner Stiller, who turned over 20,000 pages of microfilmed documents to the West Germans, as well as the first picture in decades of the “man without a face.”

Wolf, whose spies uncovered plans for U.S. missile sites in the 1970s and ‘80s, wrote in his memoirs that Germany “was a huge web of declared and undeclared connections, secret shame and covert loyalties on both the right and the left. Nothing was certain, no one could be trusted completely, appearances deceived.”

On a snowy night in January 1979, Werner Stiller stepped into his office in Berlin, pried open a safe and grabbed the transit papers that would allow him to travel safely from the city’s communist eastern half to freedom in the west. He had already sent his wife a goodbye letter stuffed with 10,000 German marks, explaining that she and the children would be safer in East Germany, but acknowledging, “I don’t understand a lot of this myself.” He had a gun inside his jacket, and inside his luggage was a stack of microfiche film four inches thick — the bulk of a secret document cache that made Mr. Stiller, a case officer with the East German police and intelligence agency known as the Stasi, one of the most notable defectors of the Cold War. A trained physicist, he worked for seven years with the Ministry for State Security’s foreign intelligence service before turning to the West. He later transformed himself from an idealistic champion of communism to a freewheeling avatar of global capitalism. Under the name Klaus-Peter Fischer, an alias devised in part by the CIA, the shaggy-haired Mr. Stiller launched a second career as a broker and investment banker, reportedly making millions of dollars for Lehman Brothers and Goldman Sachs before retiring in Budapest, where he died on Dec. 20.

Stiller defected to West Germany along with a packet of microfiche containing hundreds of classified Stasi documents. He later helped the waitress escape to the West with her young son and an estimated 20,000 more pages of classified documents. The West German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) eventually shared the information from Stiller’s defection with the United States Central Intelligence Agency. It led to the dramatic arrests of 17 Stasi agents and officers in Europe and the US, while at least 15 others escaped arrest at the last minute, after being urgently recalled back to East Germany. The Stasi is believed to have recalled an additional 40 operatives from several Western countries as a precaution in response to Stiller’s defection.

ALPHV and Scattered Spider Hacking Group

Hackers who breached casino giants MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment in recent weeks also broke into the systems of three other companies in the manufacturing, retail, and technology space, a security executive familiar with the matter said.

David Bradbury, chief security officer of the identity management company Okta, said five of the company’s clients, including MGM and Caesars, had fallen victim to hacking groups known as ALPHV and Scattered Spider since August.

How did it happen?

Techniques included “vishing” (“voice phishing”) and “social engineering,” or manipulating a person into revealing sensitive information.

In this case, hackers allegedly used publicly available LinkedIn info to impersonate an employee and tricked someone at MGM’s IT help desk into revealing access credentials.

All ALPHV ransomware group did to compromise MGM Resorts was hop on LinkedIn, find an employee, then call the Help Desk.

A company valued at $33,900,000,000 was defeated by a 10-minute conversation

Scattered Spider is believed to be a group of European and US hackers in their teens and 20s who specialize in social engineering.

Someone claiming to represent Scattered Spider told the Financial Times they wanted to rig the slot machines — a la Ocean’s Thirteen, which the rep said they’d never watched. When that failed, they decided to hold data for ransom instead.
Scattered Spider also allegedly hacked Caesars Entertainment, which paid $15m in ransom.

Alphv/Black Cat runs a ransomware-as-a-service business, selling malware to other hackers. It was responsible for ~12% of cyberattacks in the first four months of 2022 and recently posted 2.5TB of data it stole from semiconductor maker Seiko.

Via a statement, it claimed to be the real culprit of the MGM hack (but not Caesars) and denied the slot machine plot.

Azure Storage instances have been targeted by the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware gang in new attacks with an updated Sphynx encryptor with custom credential support, BleepingComputer reports.

ALPHV/BlackCat attackers leveraged a stolen one-time password to infiltrate an organization’s Sophos Central account before disabling Tamper Protection and altering security policies to eventually encrypt systems and remote Azure cloud storage, according to a Sophos X-Ops report.

After using stolen Azure keys to access the impacted organization’s Azure portal, threat actors proceeded to leverage AnyDesk, Atera, Splashtop, and other remote monitoring and management tools.

Meanwhile, the new Sphynx variant used in the attack, which was initially identified in March, was recently found by Microsoft to contain the Impacket networking framework and Remcom hacking tool.

The findings came after ALPHV/BlackCat was reported to have begun using a new extortion scheme involving a clear website for exposing stolen data, as well as a data leak API.

ALPHV/BlackCat is the first widely known ransomware written in Rust. The malware must run with an access token consisting of a 32-byte value (–access-token parameter), and other parameters can be specified. The ransomware comes with an encrypted configuration that contains a list of services/processes to be stopped, a list of whitelisted directories/files/file extensions, and a list of stolen credentials from the victim environment. It deletes all Volume Shadow Copies, performs privilege escalation using the CMSTPLUA COM interface, and enables “remote to local” and “remote to remote” symbolic links on the victim’s
machine.

The files are encrypted using the AES algorithm, with the AES key being encrypted using the RSA public key contained in the configuration. The extension of the encrypted files is changed to uhwuvzu by the malware.

The ALPHV ransomware gang, also referred to as BlackCat, is trying to put more pressure on their victims to pay a ransom by providing an API for their leak site to increase visibility for their attacks.

This move follows the gang’s recent breach of Estée Lauder that ended with the beauty company completely ignoring the threat actor’s effort to engage in negotiations for a ransom payment.

Alphv/BlackCat just released an annoucement about MGM

Statement on MGM Resorts International: Setting the record straight

9/14/2023, 7:46:49 PM

We have made multiple attempts to reach out to MGM Resorts International, “MGM”. As reported, MGM shutdown computers inside their network as a response to us. We intend to set the record straight.

No ransomware was deployed prior to the initial take down of their infrastructure by their internal teams.

MGM made the hasty decision to shut down each and every one of their Okta Sync servers after learning that we had been lurking on their Okta Agent servers sniffing passwords of people whose passwords couldn’t be cracked from their domain controller hash dumps. Resulting in their Okta being completely locked out. Meanwhile we continued having super administrator privileges to their Okta, along with Global Administrator privileges to their Azure tenant. They made an attempt to evict us after discovering that we had access to their Okta environment, but things did not go according to plan.

On Sunday night, MGM implemented conditional restrictions that barred all access to their Okta (MGMResorts.okta.com) environment due to inadequate administrative capabilities and weak incident response playbooks. Their network has been infiltrated since Friday. Due to their network engineers’ lack of understanding of how the network functions, network access was problematic on Saturday. They then made the decision to “take offline” seemingly important components of their infrastructure on Sunday.

After waiting a day, we successfully launched ransomware attacks against more than 100 ESXi hypervisors in their environment on September 11th after trying to get in touch but failing. This was after they were brought in external firms for assistance in containing the incident.

In our MGM victim chat, a user suddenly surfaced a few hours after the ransomware was deployed. As they were not responding to our emails with the special link provided (In order to prevent other IT Personnel from reading the chats) we could not actively identify if the user in the victim chat was authorized by MGM Leadership to be present.

We posted a link to download any and all exfiltrated materials up until September 12th, on September 13th in the same discussion. Since the individual in the conversation did not originate from the email but rather from the hypervisor note, as was already indicated, we were unable to confirm whether they had permission to be there.

To guard against any unneeded data leaking, we added a password to the data link we provided them. Two passwords belonging to senior executives were combined to create the password. Which was clearly hinted to them with asterisks on the bulk of the password characters so that the authorized individuals would be able to view the files. The employee ids were also provided for the two users for identification purposes.

The user has consistently been coming into the chat room every several hours, remaining for a few hours, and then leaving. About seven hours ago, we informed the chat user that if they do not respond by 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time, we will post a statement. Even after the deadline passed, they continued to visit without responding. We are unsure if this activity is automated but would likely assume it is a human checking it.

We are unable to reveal if PII information has been exfiltrated at this time. If we are unable to reach an agreement with MGM and we are able to establish that there is PII information contained in the exfiltrated data, we will take the first steps of notifying Troy Hunt from HaveIBeenPwned.com. He is free to disclose it in a responsible manner if he so chooses.

We believe MGM will not agree to a deal with us. Simply observe their insider trading behavior. Do you believe that this company is concerned for your privacy and well-being while visiting one of their resorts?

We are not sure about anyone else, but it is evident from this that no insiders have purchased any stock in the past 12 months, while 7 insiders have sold shares for a combined 33 MILLION dollars. (https://www.marketbeat.com/stocks/NYSE/MGM/insider-trades/). This corporation is riddled with greed, incompetence, and corruption.

We recognize that MGM is mistreating the hotel’s customers and really regret that it has taken them five years to get their act together. Other lodging options, including casinos, are undoubtedly open and happy to assist you.

At this point, we have no choice but to criticize VX Underground for falsely reporting events that never happened. We typically consider their information to be highly reliable and timely, but we did not attempt to tamper with MGM’s slot machines to spit out money because doing so would not be to our benefit and would decrease the chances of any sort of deal.

The rumors about teenagers from the US and UK breaking into this organization are still just that—rumors. We are waiting.

The help desk will soon require face to face video since the voice can be manipulated.

About those Neutrinos

Fermilab, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory located near Chicago, has been involved in pioneering work with neutrinos. One of the most notable experiments involves sending a beam of neutrinos through the Earth’s crust to detectors located in other places, such as the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota (not North Dakota).

The basic process can be outlined as follows:

1. Production: At Fermilab, protons are accelerated close to the speed of light and smashed into a target, producing a large number of different particles. Among these particles are pions and kaons, which decay to produce neutrinos.
2. Direction: These neutrinos are then focused into a beam using magnetic devices called horns.
3. Travel: Neutrinos barely interact with matter. So, once produced, they travel in a straight line, passing effortlessly through the Earth’s crust.
4. Detection: Hundreds of miles away, in underground facilities like the one in South Dakota, huge detectors are placed to catch a tiny fraction of these neutrinos. The reason for placing detectors underground is to shield them from cosmic rays and other interference, making it easier to spot the rare neutrino interaction.
5. Analysis: By studying the few neutrinos that do interact with the detectors, scientists can learn more about their properties, behaviors, and the role they play in the universe.

So, while it’s not about “sending an atom,” Fermilab does send streams of neutrinos through the earth to distant detectors to further our understanding of these elusive particles.

Here’s some perspective:

1. Every Second Counts: Every second, billions upon billions of neutrinos pass through every square centimeter of the Earth—and your body—because of the Sun’s nuclear fusion processes. So, a million neutrinos is actually a trivial amount compared to what we’re constantly exposed to.
2. Passing Through: Neutrinos have a very small chance of interacting with matter. Most of the time, they just pass straight through without doing anything. To make a neutrino interact with something, you typically need a lot of material (like several tons of water or another substance) and even then, only a few neutrinos will interact.
3. No Harm Done: Neutrinos do not ionize atoms or molecules when passing through matter (unlike other types of radiation such as alpha, beta, or gamma). Thus, they don’t damage or disrupt cells or biological molecules.

So, being hit by a million neutrinos—or even many billions of them—has no noticeable or harmful effect on a human. We’re constantly bathed in them, and they simply pass through us (and the Earth) without issue.

The effect of a billion photons hitting a human largely depends on several factors: the energy (or wavelength) of these photons, their intensity, the duration over which they are delivered, and the area over which they are spread.

1. Energy/Wavelength of Photons:
   • Radio Waves: A billion photons of radio wave frequencies would have no noticeable effect.
   • Visible Light: A billion photons in the visible spectrum is not a lot. It’s a fraction of the light emitted by a typical LED in a fraction of a second. You would see a brief flash if these photons were concentrated and emitted all at once.
   • Ultraviolet (UV): These can cause damage to skin cells and increase the risk of skin cancer with prolonged exposure. However, a billion photons is a relatively small amount, and the brief exposure wouldn’t be particularly harmful.
   • X-rays and Gamma Rays: These are ionizing radiations that can damage or kill cells and increase cancer risk. However, a billion photons is still not a large dose. For comparison, a medical X-ray produces a far greater number of photons.
2. Intensity: If these photons are spread out over time, then their intensity would be reduced, decreasing any potential harm. If they are all at once, even high-energy photons might not have a considerable effect due to the limited number.
3. Area of Exposure: If these photons are concentrated on a very tiny area, their effects (especially if they are of higher energy) could be more pronounced than if they are spread over a large area.
4. Duration: A quick burst of a billion photons is very different from a billion photons per second over a prolonged period. The latter might have noticeable effects, especially if the photons are of higher energy.

In most scenarios, a billion photons is not a significant number, especially when considering everyday light sources. However, it’s always the type (energy) of photon that matters most when assessing potential biological effects.

the title of the “strongest laser” could be interpreted in a few ways: in terms of power (peak power output during a pulse) or in terms of energy (the total energy delivered during a pulse).

1. Peak Power: The most powerful laser in terms of peak power as of 2021 was the LFEX (Laser for Fast Ignition Experiments) laser at Osaka University in Japan. It can achieve a peak power of 2 petawatts (PW), or 2 quadrillion watts, but only for a duration of around a trillionth of a second.
2. Pulse Energy: The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California has lasers that can deliver more than 1.8 megajoules of ultraviolet laser energy in a single pulse, making it the highest-energy laser ever built.

These lasers aren’t used for traditional tasks like cutting or engraving but rather for advanced scientific research, including nuclear fusion experiments, high-density matter research, and other extreme physics investigations.

It’s worth noting that the field of high-intensity lasers is rapidly advancing, with multiple facilities around the world aiming to achieve higher powers and energies. Consequently, newer lasers or more powerful ones might have been developed after 2021. Checking the latest publications and news from major laser research facilities will provide the most recent advancements in this domain.

The Coup In Chile: CIA Releases Top Secret 1973 President’s Daily Briefs

On the morning of the U.S.-backed military coup in Chile, the CIA briefed President Nixon that Chilean military officers were “determined to restore political and economic order” but “may still lack an effectively coordinated plan that would capitalize on the widespread civilian opposition,” according to the President’s Daily Brief (PDB) dated September 11, 1973, declassified today almost 50 years after it was written.

After withholding this document in its entirety for decades, the CIA finally released the September 11, 1973, PDB today in response to a formal petition from the Chilean government of Gabriel Boric for still secret records as the 50th anniversary of the coup approaches. The CIA also partially declassified a second PDB, dated September 8, 1973, which erroneously informed President Nixon that there was “no evidence of a coordinated tri-service coup plan” in Chile and said that “should hotheads in the navy act in the belief they will automatically receive support from the other services, they could find themselves isolated.”

The two PDBs are among the most historically iconic of missing records on the September 11, 1973, military coup because they contained information that went to President Nixon as a military takeover that he and his top advisor Henry Kissinger had encouraged for three years came to fruition.

In a press release, the State Department said that “the U.S. Government completed this declassification review in response to a request from the Government of Chile and to allow for a deeper understanding of our shared history.” The State Department said the release of the PDBs was “in accordance with our commitment to increased transparency.”

Peter Kornbluh, the Archive’s Chile specialist, who last year called on the Biden administration and the CIA to fully declassify the Chile PDBs, applauded the release. But he questioned why these two documents, which he said “contain not a single sentence that could compromise U.S. national security,” had been withheld in their entirety for decades. “I’m happy that the Freedom of Information Act, together with some positive diplomacy by the Chilean government, broke a secrecy barrier that has kept us from knowing this history for 50 years.”

Kornbluh noted that the Chilean government has asked the Biden administration to release other historically valuable, but still secret, U.S. records on Chile relating to the coup and its aftermath. “I hope the administration will reinforce its commitment to transparency by releasing all the documents that, inexplicably, remain secret after all this time,” he said.

The Nixon administration, particularly with the input of National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, sought to undermine Salvador Allende’s government in Chile for several reasons:

Cold War Context: The U.S. was deeply entrenched in the Cold War against the Soviet Union, and American foreign policy aimed to prevent the rise of leftist or Marxist governments worldwide, especially in the Western Hemisphere.

Economic Interests: Allende’s socialist policies, including the nationalization of industries and the agrarian reform, threatened U.S. corporate interests in Chile, particularly those of companies like ITT (International Telephone and Telegraph) and Anaconda Copper Mining Company.

Ideological Threat: Allende’s election as a Marxist leader in a democratic context was seen as a potential model for other countries in Latin America. The U.S. administration believed that if Allende’s model were successful, it might inspire similar movements elsewhere.

Regional Stability: The Nixon administration believed that an Allende-led Chile could serve as a base for leftist insurgencies in other parts of Latin America and thus destabilize the region.

Personal Animus: Declassified documents reveal that Nixon took Allende’s election as a personal affront. Nixon sought to prevent Allende’s election even before he took office, and once Allende was in power, the U.S. sought ways to destabilize his government.

It’s important to understand that U.S. involvement in Chile was covert, primarily through the CIA. The U.S. played a role in undermining Allende’s government, contributing to an environment of economic hardship and political strife. While the U.S. did not directly engineer the military coup that ousted Allende in 1973, the conditions fostered by U.S. interventions made the coup more likely. Following the coup, the U.S. supported the authoritarian regime of Augusto Pinochet, which was marked by widespread human rights abuses.

The CIA’s involvement in Chile in the years leading up to the 1973 coup has been a topic of extensive research and controversy. While the CIA did not directly overthrow the Chilean government, it engaged in various covert operations aimed at undermining Salvador Allende’s presidency and creating conditions conducive to his removal. Some of the known methods and tactics used by the CIA include:

Financial Support for Opposition Media: The CIA funneled money to anti-Allende newspapers, radio stations, and other media outlets to propagate negative stories and propaganda against Allende’s government.

Funding Political Opposition: The CIA provided substantial funding to opposition political parties, primarily the Christian Democratic Party and the National Party, with the aim of consolidating the opposition against Allende.

Promoting Strikes: One of the tactics employed was to fund and encourage strikes, especially in crucial sectors like transportation and mining. These strikes were meant to create economic disruption and weaken public confidence in Allende’s administration.

Economic Sabotage: In collaboration with other U.S. agencies and departments, the CIA worked to block loans and aid to Chile from multilateral organizations, which intensified the economic troubles faced by Allende’s government.

Support for Non-elected Officials: The CIA developed close ties with certain members of the Chilean military and police. While they did not directly instigate the 1973 coup, they were in contact with figures who would play a role in the eventual coup.

Track I and Track II: These were codenames for two distinct covert operations. “Track I” referred to efforts to prevent Allende from assuming power after his 1970 election victory by influencing the Chilean Congress. “Track II” was a more aggressive strategy which sought to instigate a military coup to prevent Allende from taking office in 1970. The latter involved a botched kidnapping attempt of General Rene Schneider, which ended in his death. While Track II was abandoned, it set the stage for the more extended efforts to undermine Allende.

Propaganda and Psychological Warfare: The CIA produced and distributed anti-Allende propaganda materials, including pamphlets, posters, and leaflets, to heighten fears about communism and the perceived threat Allende posed to Chilean democracy.

It’s essential to recognize that while the CIA’s actions significantly undermined Allende’s government, other factors, both internal to Chile and external, also played a role in the lead-up to the 1973 coup. The military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet on September 11, 1973, resulted in Allende’s death and initiated a 17-year-long dictatorship marked by widespread human rights abuses.

Augusto Pinochet’s reasons for participating in the coup against Salvador Allende’s government in 1973 can be traced to a combination of personal, political, and institutional motivations:

1. Ideological and Political Concerns: Pinochet, like many in the Chilean military, was deeply concerned about the Marxist direction that Allende’s government was taking. They believed that Chile was sliding towards communism, and this was anathema to their anti-communist sentiments.
2. Institutional Role of the Military: The Chilean military has traditionally seen itself as a guardian of the country’s stability and constitutionality. As Allende’s policies polarized the country and led to economic hardships and social unrest, some sectors of the military believed it was their duty to intervene to “save” the nation.
3. Economic Turmoil: The Allende years were marked by significant economic difficulties, including inflation, shortages, and expropriations. Pinochet and other military leaders believed that Allende’s economic policies were disastrous and needed to be reversed to stabilize the nation.
4. Internal Military Pressure: Though Pinochet was not initially the most vocal advocate for a coup within the military, by 1973 there was significant pressure from more hardline officers. The broader consensus within the military establishment was shifting toward intervention.
5. Fear of Civil War: As political polarization in Chile deepened, there were genuine fears that the country could descend into civil war. Some in the military believed a preemptive coup would prevent a more significant and bloodier conflict later on.
6. External Support: The knowledge that the U.S. government, particularly through the CIA, was hostile to Allende and potentially supportive of a military takeover might have emboldened Pinochet and other military leaders.
7. Personal Ambition: Once the coup was in motion and its success became clear, Pinochet maneuvered to consolidate his power and sideline other junta members, gradually establishing himself as the uncontested leader. This suggests that personal ambition and a desire for power also played a role in his actions.

After the successful coup, Pinochet’s regime was characterized by a rollback of Allende’s reforms, a turn toward market-oriented economic policies under the guidance of the “Chicago Boys” (a group of Chilean economists trained at the University of Chicago), and severe human rights abuses, including torture, extrajudicial killings, and forced disappearances.

On September 11, 1973, a military coup took place in Chile. The armed forces, led by General Augusto Pinochet, along with the national police (Carabineros), bombed the presidential palace, La Moneda, where Allende and a group of loyalists were holed up.

The exact circumstances of Allende’s death during the coup remain a matter of some debate. Official accounts immediately after the coup suggested that Allende committed suicide. According to this version, faced with the impending capture by the military and the bombing of the palace, Allende took his own life with an AK-47 rifle that had been a gift from Fidel Castro.

In the years following the coup, however, there was speculation that Allende might have been assassinated by the military forces storming the palace. Given the nature of the Pinochet regime and its extensive record of human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, many believed that Allende could have been killed.

In 2011, after exhumation and a forensic examination of Allende’s remains, it was confirmed that he had died from two gunshot wounds, and the findings were consistent with suicide. The forensic team found no evidence suggesting another person’s involvement in his death.

After the coup, Allende became a symbol of resistance to dictatorship and a martyr for many on the left, not just in Chile but around the world. His legacy remains a significant part of Chile’s political and social memory.

The world learned about the CIA’s involvement in the 1973 overthrow of the Chilean government through a combination of investigative journalism, congressional inquiries, and the eventual release of declassified documents. Here’s a chronological breakdown:

1. Initial Suspicions and Media Reports: Shortly after the coup in 1973, there were suspicions and rumors about U.S. involvement, particularly given the Nixon administration’s open hostility to Salvador Allende. Investigative journalists, including those from major U.S. newspapers, began to look into these suspicions.
2. The Church Committee: In the mid-1970s, following the Watergate scandal and amidst growing concerns about CIA operations, the U.S. Senate established a committee under Senator Frank Church to investigate intelligence activities. Known as the Church Committee, this group delved into a range of covert activities by the CIA and other U.S. intelligence agencies, including activities in Chile. In 1975, the committee’s reports revealed that the U.S. had spent millions of dollars to undermine Allende and had tried to prevent his ascension to the presidency in 1970, although it denied direct involvement in the 1973 coup.
3. Declassified Documents: Over the years, various U.S. administrations have released batches of declassified documents related to U.S. activities in Chile. These releases have often been prompted by requests or pressure from historians, journalists, or human rights groups. The documents have shed light on the extent of CIA activities in Chile, including efforts to destabilize Allende’s government, propagate anti-Allende media, and provide support to opposition groups.
4. The Hinchey Report: In 2000, as a result of continued efforts to understand the full scope of U.S. involvement in Chile, the CIA released a document titled “CIA Activities in Chile.” Known as the Hinchey Report (named after Congressman Maurice Hinchey, who had pushed for its release), this document provided an in-depth look at CIA operations in Chile. The report confirmed the agency’s extensive efforts to undermine Allende but reiterated the claim that the CIA did not instigate the 1973 coup.

These revelations, over time, contributed to widespread knowledge and acknowledgment of U.S. interference in Chile’s internal affairs during the Allende years. The topic remains a point of contention and reflection on the nature of Cold War-era interventions and their implications for national sovereignty and democratic processes.

2 million Ukrainians would have been shipped to Siberia

In a leaked policy paper by a team of Russian experts including Dmitry Trenin, they propose to deport up to 2m Ukrainians to Siberia; to scorch not-occupied territories of Ukraine; to strike Germany or Poland with nukes because the West won’t respond, etc.

A leaked report by Sergey Karaganov (co-authored by Aleksandr Kramarenko, Fyodor Lukyanov and Dmitry Trenin)

The report suggests Russia shall leave the OSCE, focus on “world majority” organisations instead, drop the “pacta sunt servanda” principle (already accomplished, isn’t it?), arms control and non-proliferation are all outdated policies.

The report attacks the idea of strategic parity, which is the core of what Aleksey Arbatov is writing on nuclear issues, and criticises the view that any use of nuclear weapons would “inevitably lead” to a global nuclear war.

The report suggests military action in Ukraine had to be started much earlier, Ukraine’s south and east are to be annexed and brainwashed, and the west of the country is to be bombed into an agrarian periphery (echoing notorious Morgenthau Plan for post-war Germany

It looks like the report’s co-authors (some of them often seen as more moderate than K.) signed up to Karaganov’s well-known idea of preventive nuclear strikes against Poland. And their hope for Ukraine is that it will be no more..

While a couple of millions are to be resettled from Ukraine to Siberia (helping to move away from “West-centrism” and useful since “the West will remain adversarial for a long time”)

hile Karaganov’s report reveals the anatomy of disastrous policies, this and similar papers are, of course, a reflection and a helping hand rather than the reason for what we are passing through. They reflect and amplify what they believe is on the mind of THE decision-maker

The report was prepared at the urging of the Presidential Administration”

If recent history is our guide these are standard Russian moves – time tested, refined, criminal and immoral.

Andrey Pertsev claims that there is a possibility this is a fake report. First of all it states right away that the report was prepared for PA – Presidential Administration, normally such reference would not exist. I’ve noticed an abbreviation БЕАП for Greater Eurasia that is not used in other reports and articles of these authors..Pertsev suggests that this report might have been written by an algorithm that used previous reports and articles of these authors. Practically speaking there is nothing out of the ordinary here – but still looks a bit off.

I think we should also not exclude the possibility that the thing was written as a “leak” in mind and without the consent of some or all people listed as authors.

Saudi Arabia wants to lead in AI

Saudi Arabia’s interest in being a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) can be attributed to several factors:

1. Economic Diversification: Saudi Arabia has been heavily reliant on oil for its revenues. As part of its Vision 2030 initiative, the kingdom aims to diversify its economy, and investing in sectors like AI is part of this broader strategy.
2. Innovation and Global Competitiveness: By establishing itself as a leader in AI, Saudi Arabia hopes to position itself at the forefront of technological innovation, thus enhancing its global competitiveness.
3. Future Economic Growth: AI has the potential to drive economic growth by creating new industries and job opportunities. Being a leader in AI can propel the country into new economic dimensions beyond its traditional sectors.
4. Improving Governance and Infrastructure: AI can be used to improve governance, from optimizing traffic systems to enhancing public services. By being a leader in AI, Saudi Arabia can leverage the technology to improve its infrastructure and the quality of life for its residents.
5. Education and Research: Saudi Arabia has been investing heavily in education, with many students studying abroad in technical fields. Emphasizing AI can help in channeling this educational focus towards research and development in AI.
6. Attracting Foreign Investment: By positioning itself as a hub for AI, Saudi Arabia can attract foreign investment and global talent. This can further stimulate its tech industry and startup ecosystem.
7. Geopolitical Influence: Technological supremacy often translates to geopolitical influence. By leading in AI, Saudi Arabia can bolster its standing on the global stage.
8. National Security: Advanced AI can enhance defense capabilities, intelligence gathering, and cybersecurity. By being at the forefront of AI, Saudi Arabia can ensure its national security apparatus is equipped with the latest tools and technologies.
9. Addressing Domestic Challenges: Saudi Arabia faces domestic challenges such as water scarcity. AI can help in areas like predictive maintenance for water infrastructure, optimization of water usage, and desalination technologies.
10. Keeping Pace with Global Trends: As AI becomes an increasingly essential aspect of modern economies, not investing in it might leave the country behind in the global race.

It’s worth noting that while Saudi Arabia has the ambition to be a leader in AI, realizing this vision will require substantial investments, a conducive regulatory environment, educational reforms, and collaboration with global tech entities.

Game Theory Three choices

What was the Monty Hall problem p

The Monty Hall problem was not published in Parade magazine in 1990, as it had been well-known and discussed among mathematicians and statisticians for several years before that. However, it gained widespread public attention after it was featured in a column written by Marilyn vos Savant in Parade magazine in 1990. Marilyn vos Savant is known for having the highest recorded IQ in the Guinness Book of World Records.

In her column, Marilyn vos Savant presented the Monty Hall problem, named after the host of the popular game show “Let’s Make a Deal,” Monty Hall. The problem goes as follows:

Suppose you’re a contestant on a game show, and you’re presented with three doors. Behind one of the doors is a valuable prize, such as a car, while the other two doors conceal goats. You choose one door, let’s say Door 1. Now, the host, Monty Hall, who knows what’s behind each door, decides to reveal what’s behind one of the remaining two doors, and he reveals a goat behind Door 3. At this point, Monty gives you a choice: stick with your original choice (Door 1) or switch your selection to the other unopened door (Door 2).

The question posed to Marilyn vos Savant was: Should you stick with your original choice or switch to the other door to maximize your chances of winning the car?

Marilyn’s counterintuitive answer was that you should always switch doors. Switching gives you a higher probability of winning the car (two-thirds chance), whereas sticking with your initial choice only gives you a one-third chance. This response sparked a significant amount of debate and controversy, as many people found it difficult to believe that switching would yield better odds.

It’s important to note that the Monty Hall problem is a famous probability puzzle demonstrating concepts such as conditional probability and the impact of new information on decision-making.

why does switching give you two thirds chance?
ChatGPT
The reason why switching doors in the Monty Hall problem gives you a higher probability of winning (two-thirds chance) can be understood through the concept of conditional probability.

Initially, when you choose one door out of three, there is a one-third chance that you have chosen the door with the car behind it. Therefore, the probability that the car is behind your chosen door is 1/3.

Now, when Monty Hall, who knows what’s behind each door, reveals a goat behind one of the remaining doors, the situation changes. Monty’s action provides new information that affects the probabilities.

Let’s consider two scenarios:

Scenario 1: You initially chose the door with the car.
In this case, Monty has the freedom to open any of the other two doors that have goats behind them. Whichever door Monty opens, switching will make you lose the car.

Scenario 2: You initially chose a door with a goat.
In this scenario, Monty is compelled to open the other door with a goat behind it, leaving the car behind the remaining unopened door. If you switch doors at this point, you will win the car.

Since the probability of Scenario 1 happening is 1/3 and the probability of Scenario 2 happening is 2/3, switching doors gives you a higher probability (two-thirds chance) of winning the car.

This result may seem counterintuitive because it goes against our initial intuition that sticking with the original choice should provide a 50/50 chance. However, by considering the impact of Monty’s actions and the conditional probabilities involved, it becomes clear that switching gives you a higher likelihood of winning.

DARPA Quantum Strategies

DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) has several strategies related to quantum technology, which include the following:

1. Developing quantum sensors and communication devices: DARPA aims to develop practical applications of quantum technologies such as quantum sensors and communication devices that can be used in military and defense applications.
2. Harnessing quantum computing: DARPA is working on developing quantum computing algorithms, systems, and technologies that can be used to solve complex problems in defense and military domains.
3. Establishing quantum-secure communication networks: DARPA is developing quantum-secure communication networks to protect against quantum hacking and cyber-attacks.
4. Advancing quantum materials and devices: DARPA is investing in research and development of advanced quantum materials and devices that can be used in various quantum applications.
5. Fostering quantum education and workforce development: DARPA is also focused on developing a quantum-literate workforce by providing education and training programs in quantum technologies.

Overall, DARPA’s goal is to harness the full potential of quantum technologies and apply them to national security needs.

Quantum technology is a rapidly evolving field with numerous exciting projects in development. Here are a few examples of potential quantum technology projects for the future:

1. Quantum Computing: The development of large-scale, practical quantum computers capable of solving complex problems in fields such as cryptography, drug discovery, and optimization.
2. Quantum Sensors: The creation of highly precise quantum sensors for applications such as navigation, sensing and imaging, and environmental monitoring.
3. Quantum Communications: The development of secure quantum communication networks for use in defense, finance, and other critical industries.
4. Quantum Materials: The discovery and development of new quantum materials with unique properties for use in quantum technologies such as superconductors and topological insulators.
5. Quantum Simulation: The creation of quantum simulators capable of accurately modeling and predicting the behavior of quantum systems for applications in materials science, chemistry, and physics.
6. Quantum Cryptography: The development of new quantum cryptographic protocols and systems for secure communication and data protection.

These are just a few examples of the many exciting projects underway in the field of quantum technology. As the field continues to advance, there will likely be many new opportunities for technological innovation and discovery.

In recent years, there have been several new quantum materials that have been discovered and are currently under investigation for their potential applications in quantum technology. Here are a few examples:

1. Topological Insulators: These materials have a unique electrical conductivity that is strongly correlated with their topological properties, making them promising candidates for quantum computing and quantum communication applications.
2. Quantum Spin Liquids: These materials are characterized by long-range quantum entanglement and are being investigated for use in quantum memory and quantum computing.
3. Weyl Semimetals: These materials have unique electronic properties that allow for the creation of stable, chiral fermions, which could be useful in quantum computing and other quantum applications.
4. Two-Dimensional Materials: Materials such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have unique electronic properties that make them promising candidates for use in quantum technologies such as quantum computing and quantum sensing.
5. Heavy Fermion Materials: These materials have unique electronic and magnetic properties that make them attractive for use in quantum technologies such as quantum computing and quantum simulation.

These are just a few examples of the many new quantum materials that have been discovered in recent years. Further research is needed to fully understand the properties of these materials and to determine their potential applications in quantum technology.

In recent years, there have been several significant developments in the field of quantum sensors. Here are a few examples:

1. Cold Atom Interferometry: Cold atom interferometry is a highly sensitive quantum sensor technology that can be used for precision measurements of acceleration, rotation, and gravity.
2. NV Centers in Diamond: Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) centers in diamond have been used as highly sensitive quantum sensors for applications such as magnetic imaging and sensing of temperature and pressure.
3. Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs): SQUIDs are superconducting quantum sensors that can be used for highly precise measurements of magnetic fields.
4. Quantum Enhanced Imaging: Quantum technologies such as quantum entanglement and quantum superposition have been applied to imaging systems to improve their resolution and sensitivity.
5. Optical Atomic Clocks: Optical atomic clocks are highly precise quantum sensors that use lasers to measure the frequency of light emitted by individual atoms, providing a highly stable and accurate standard for timekeeping.
6. Trapped Ion Sensors: Trapped ion quantum sensors use individual ions to measure physical quantities such as magnetic fields and electric fields with high accuracy.

These are just a few examples of the many developments in the field of quantum sensors. As quantum technology continues to advance, it is likely that we will see further improvements in quantum sensor performance and new applications for these sensors in various fields.

Swalwell and Chinese Spy Fang

Congressman Eric Swalwell is a U.S. representative from California who has served in Congress since 2013. In December 2020, it was reported that a Chinese national named Fang Fang, also known as Christine Fang, had developed relationships with several politicians, including Swalwell, as part of an alleged intelligence gathering operation.Fang reportedly cultivated ties with Swalwell and other politicians, as part of a Chinese intelligence operation to gain access to political power. According to U.S. intelligence officials, Fang helped place at least one intern in Swalwell’s office and interacted with Swalwell at various political events over a period of years. Swalwell has acknowledged the relationship and said he was unaware of her background at the time.

Fang Fang, also known as Fang Fenghui, was a Chinese spy who was caught in the United States in 2020. She had been working as a researcher at Stanford University and was accused of using her position to gather information for the Chinese government.

She is accused of using her connections in the political and academic spheres to gather intelligence for the Chinese government.

Fang reportedly targeted prominent politicians and academics, including members of Congress and mayors of cities in California. She is believed to have used her connections to gain access to sensitive information and political circles.

Fang reportedly met with and developed relationships with several politicians, including Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), who was a member of the House Intelligence Committee at the time. She is also alleged to have had a romantic relationship with a Midwestern mayor.

One “Midwestern mayor” and another elected politician were allegedly caught on FBI electronic surveillance having sex with Fang, the alleged Chinese spy.

Christine Fang engaged in sexual or romantic relationships with at least two mayors of Midwestern cities over a period of about three years, according to one U.S. intelligence official and one former elected official.

At least two separate sexual interactions with elected officials, including one of these Midwestern mayors, were caught on FBI electronic surveillance of Fang. One of these encounters occurred in a car with a mayor from Ohio.

Fang reportedly left the United States in 2015 and has not been charged with any crimes. The FBI has not commented on the case, but it is believed that they are investigating her activities.

It is important to note that these allegations have not been confirmed by official sources and should be treated with caution.

Fang was caught by the FBI, who had been investigating her activities for several years. The agency had received a tip from a confidential informant that Fang was using her position at Stanford to gather sensitive information about the United States and its allies.

The FBI then conducted surveillance on Fang, gathering evidence of her activities. They also interviewed several individuals who had interacted with her, including current and former students, colleagues, and other associates.

In 2020, the FBI arrested Fang on charges of acting as an agent of a foreign government and conspiracy to commit espionage. She was later indicted by a grand jury on these charges and is currently awaiting trial.

Fang’s case is a reminder of the ongoing threat of espionage and the importance of being vigilant against foreign attempts to gather sensitive information. It also highlights the need for greater security measures in academic and research institutions to protect against the potential exploitation of their resources by foreign actors.

Cindy Yang also was in several photos. That would be another story.

al-Zawahiri killed in Afghanistan

Weapon CIA used to get al-Zawahiri. Kinetic Hellfire R9X. No warhead explosives, just blades that swing out to kill only one guy.

First time I saw it mentioned as actually using blades as a kill mechanism, at first everyone thought they were stabilizing fins! But it’s not a new concept: inert warheads to reduce casualties have been common with precision weapons, most commonly with concrete practice bombs

As per reports, 2 missiles were fired and 9 people died in all. Some TV channels showed visuals of cloud of smoke.

US official describes Zawahiri op:

– ID’d family in Kabul

– Built up ‘pattern of life’

– ID’d Z himself spending ‘sustained periods’ on balcony

– 3 months secret discussions, including Biden checking ‘model of Zawahiri‘s house’

– July 25 authorization

– July 30 (US): 2 Hellfires

“High confidence” it was Zawahiri alone who was killed on the balcony of his safehouse in Kabul that he shared with his wife, daughter and grandchildre, says senior Biden admin official in briefing call.

Sources in #Afghanistan are now confirming — this building in which #Zawahiri was killed was owned by Sirajuddin Haqqani, whose son & son-in-law also died in the strike. Stunning. He’s the #Taliban‘s de facto deputy leader.

his is believed to be the house in central Kabul where Al Qaeda leader al Zawahiri was staying & killed in a US drone strike, (another location apparently also hit) Taliban preventing media getting close, insisting there’s nothing to see, but we & others had guns pointed at us

The genius that is @obretix has a possible location match for the building that Zawahiri was allegedly killed in. If true, he was in one of the swankiest parts of Kabul – 250 metres from the former UK embassy.

Zawahiri was involved in the planning of the 9/11 attacks and took over as the group’s leader in 2011 after the death of Osama Bin Laden.

Putin Speech 9 May 2022

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Citizens of Russia, friends,

I consider it necessary today to speak again about the tragic events in Donbass and the key aspects of ensuring the security of Russia.

I will begin with what I said in my address on February 21, 2022. I spoke about our biggest concerns and worries, and about the fundamental threats which irresponsible Western politicians created for Russia consistently, rudely and unceremoniously from year to year. I am referring to the eastward expansion of NATO, which is moving its military infrastructure ever closer to the Russian border.

It is a fact that over the past 30 years we have been patiently trying to come to an agreement with the leading NATO countries regarding the principles of equal and indivisible security in Europe. In response to our proposals, we invariably faced either cynical deception and lies or attempts at pressure and blackmail, while the North Atlantic alliance continued to expand despite our protests and concerns. Its military machine is moving and, as I said, is approaching our very border.

Why is this happening? Where did this insolent manner of talking down from the height of their exceptionalism, infallibility and all-permissiveness come from? What is the explanation for this contemptuous and disdainful attitude to our interests and absolutely legitimate demands?

The answer is simple. Everything is clear and obvious. In the late 1980s, the Soviet Union grew weaker and subsequently broke apart. That experience should serve as a good lesson for us, because it has shown us that the paralysis of power and will is the first step towards complete degradation and oblivion. We lost confidence for only one moment, but it was enough to disrupt the balance of forces in the world.

As a result, the old treaties and agreements are no longer effective. Entreaties and requests do not help. Anything that does not suit the dominant state, the powers that be, is denounced as archaic, obsolete and useless. At the same time, everything it regards as useful is presented as the ultimate truth and forced on others regardless of the cost, abusively and by any means available. Those who refuse to comply are subjected to strong-arm tactics.

What I am saying now does not concerns only Russia, and Russia is not the only country that is worried about this. This has to do with the entire system of international relations, and sometimes even US allies. The collapse of the Soviet Union led to a redivision of the world, and the norms of international law that developed by that time – and the most important of them, the fundamental norms that were adopted following WWII and largely formalised its outcome – came in the way of those who declared themselves the winners of the Cold War.

Of course, practice, international relations and the rules regulating them had to take into account the changes that took place in the world and in the balance of forces. However, this should have been done professionally, smoothly, patiently, and with due regard and respect for the interests of all states and one’s own responsibility. Instead, we saw a state of euphoria created by the feeling of absolute superiority, a kind of modern absolutism, coupled with the low cultural standards and arrogance of those who formulated and pushed through decisions that suited only themselves. The situation took a different turn.

There are many examples of this. First a bloody military operation was waged against Belgrade, without the UN Security Council’s sanction but with combat aircraft and missiles used in the heart of Europe. The bombing of peaceful cities and vital infrastructure went on for several weeks. I have to recall these facts, because some Western colleagues prefer to forget them, and when we mentioned the event, they prefer to avoid speaking about international law, instead emphasising the circumstances which they interpret as they think necessary.

Then came the turn of Iraq, Libya and Syria. The illegal use of military power against Libya and the distortion of all the UN Security Council decisions on Libya ruined the state, created a huge seat of international terrorism, and pushed the country towards a humanitarian catastrophe, into the vortex of a civil war, which has continued there for years. The tragedy, which was created for hundreds of thousands and even millions of people not only in Libya but in the whole region, has led to a large-scale exodus from the Middle East and North Africa to Europe.

A similar fate was also prepared for Syria. The combat operations conducted by the Western coalition in that country without the Syrian government’s approval or UN Security Council’s sanction can only be defined as aggression and intervention.

But the example that stands apart from the above events is, of course, the invasion of Iraq without any legal grounds. They used the pretext of allegedly reliable information available in the United States about the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. To prove that allegation, the US Secretary of State held up a vial with white power, publicly, for the whole world to see, assuring the international community that it was a chemical warfare agent created in Iraq. It later turned out that all of that was a fake and a sham, and that Iraq did not have any chemical weapons. Incredible and shocking but true. We witnessed lies made at the highest state level and voiced from the high UN rostrum. As a result we see a tremendous loss in human life, damage, destruction, and a colossal upsurge of terrorism.

Overall, it appears that nearly everywhere, in many regions of the world where the United States brought its law and order, this created bloody, non-healing wounds and the curse of international terrorism and extremism. I have only mentioned the most glaring but far from only examples of disregard for international law.

This array includes promises not to expand NATO eastwards even by an inch. To reiterate: they have deceived us, or, to put it simply, they have played us. Sure, one often hears that politics is a dirty business. It could be, but it shouldn’t be as dirty as it is now, not to such an extent. This type of con-artist behaviour is contrary not only to the principles of international relations but also and above all to the generally accepted norms of morality and ethics. Where is justice and truth here? Just lies and hypocrisy all around.

Incidentally, US politicians, political scientists and journalists write and say that a veritable “empire of lies” has been created inside the United States in recent years. It is hard to disagree with this – it is really so. But one should not be modest about it: the United States is still a great country and a system-forming power. All its satellites not only humbly and obediently say yes to and parrot it at the slightest pretext but also imitate its behaviour and enthusiastically accept the rules it is offering them. Therefore, one can say with good reason and confidence that the whole so-called Western bloc formed by the United States in its own image and likeness is, in its entirety, the very same “empire of lies.”

As for our country, after the disintegration of the USSR, given the entire unprecedented openness of the new, modern Russia, its readiness to work honestly with the United States and other Western partners, and its practically unilateral disarmament, they immediately tried to put the final squeeze on us, finish us off, and utterly destroy us. This is how it was in the 1990s and the early 2000s, when the so-called collective West was actively supporting separatism and gangs of mercenaries in southern Russia. What victims, what losses we had to sustain and what trials we had to go through at that time before we broke the back of international terrorism in the Caucasus! We remember this and will never forget.

Properly speaking, the attempts to use us in their own interests never ceased until quite recently: they sought to destroy our traditional values and force on us their false values that would erode us, our people from within, the attitudes they have been aggressively imposing on their countries, attitudes that are directly leading to degradation and degeneration, because they are contrary to human nature. This is not going to happen. No one has ever succeeded in doing this, nor will they succeed now.

Despite all that, in December 2021, we made yet another attempt to reach agreement with the United States and its allies on the principles of European security and NATO’s non-expansion. Our efforts were in vain. The United States has not changed its position. It does not believe it necessary to agree with Russia on a matter that is critical for us. The United States is pursuing its own objectives, while neglecting our interests.

Of course, this situation begs a question: what next, what are we to expect? If history is any guide, we know that in 1940 and early 1941 the Soviet Union went to great lengths to prevent war or at least delay its outbreak. To this end, the USSR sought not to provoke the potential aggressor until the very end by refraining or postponing the most urgent and obvious preparations it had to make to defend itself from an imminent attack. When it finally acted, it was too late.

As a result, the country was not prepared to counter the invasion by Nazi Germany, which attacked our Motherland on June 22, 1941, without declaring war. The country stopped the enemy and went on to defeat it, but this came at a tremendous cost. The attempt to appease the aggressor ahead of the Great Patriotic War proved to be a mistake which came at a high cost for our people. In the first months after the hostilities broke out, we lost vast territories of strategic importance, as well as millions of lives. We will not make this mistake the second time. We have no right to do so.

Those who aspire to global dominance have publicly designated Russia as their enemy. They did so with impunity. Make no mistake, they had no reason to act this way. It is true that they have considerable financial, scientific, technological, and military capabilities. We are aware of this and have an objective view of the economic threats we have been hearing, just as our ability to counter this brash and never-ending blackmail. Let me reiterate that we have no illusions in this regard and are extremely realistic in our assessments.

As for military affairs, even after the dissolution of the USSR and losing a considerable part of its capabilities, today’s Russia remains one of the most powerful nuclear states. Moreover, it has a certain advantage in several cutting-edge weapons. In this context, there should be no doubt for anyone that any potential aggressor will face defeat and ominous consequences should it directly attack our country.

At the same time, technology, including in the defence sector, is changing rapidly. One day there is one leader, and tomorrow another, but a military presence in territories bordering on Russia, if we permit it to go ahead, will stay for decades to come or maybe forever, creating an ever mounting and totally unacceptable threat for Russia.

Even now, with NATO’s eastward expansion the situation for Russia has been becoming worse and more dangerous by the year. Moreover, these past days NATO leadership has been blunt in its statements that they need to accelerate and step up efforts to bring the alliance’s infrastructure closer to Russia’s borders. In other words, they have been toughening their position. We cannot stay idle and passively observe these developments. This would be an absolutely irresponsible thing to do for us.

Any further expansion of the North Atlantic alliance’s infrastructure or the ongoing efforts to gain a military foothold of the Ukrainian territory are unacceptable for us. Of course, the question is not about NATO itself. It merely serves as a tool of US foreign policy. The problem is that in territories adjacent to Russia, which I have to note is our historical land, a hostile “anti-Russia” is taking shape. Fully controlled from the outside, it is doing everything to attract NATO armed forces and obtain cutting-edge weapons.

For the United States and its allies, it is a policy of containing Russia, with obvious geopolitical dividends. For our country, it is a matter of life and death, a matter of our historical future as a nation. This is not an exaggeration; this is a fact. It is not only a very real threat to our interests but to the very existence of our state and to its sovereignty. It is the red line which we have spoken about on numerous occasions. They have crossed it.

This brings me to the situation in Donbass. We can see that the forces that staged the coup in Ukraine in 2014 have seized power, are keeping it with the help of ornamental election procedures and have abandoned the path of a peaceful conflict settlement. For eight years, for eight endless years we have been doing everything possible to settle the situation by peaceful political means. Everything was in vain.

As I said in my previous address, you cannot look without compassion at what is happening there. It became impossible to tolerate it. We had to stop that atrocity, that genocide of the millions of people who live there and who pinned their hopes on Russia, on all of us. It is their aspirations, the feelings and pain of these people that were the main motivating force behind our decision to recognise the independence of the Donbass people’s republics.

I would like to additionally emphasise the following. Focused on their own goals, the leading NATO countries are supporting the far-right nationalists and neo-Nazis in Ukraine, those who will never forgive the people of Crimea and Sevastopol for freely making a choice to reunite with Russia.

They will undoubtedly try to bring war to Crimea just as they have done in Donbass, to kill innocent people just as members of the punitive units of Ukrainian nationalists and Hitler’s accomplices did during the Great Patriotic War. They have also openly laid claim to several other Russian regions.

If we look at the sequence of events and the incoming reports, the showdown between Russia and these forces cannot be avoided. It is only a matter of time. They are getting ready and waiting for the right moment. Moreover, they went as far as aspire to acquire nuclear weapons. We will not let this happen.

I have already said that Russia accepted the new geopolitical reality after the dissolution of the USSR. We have been treating all new post-Soviet states with respect and will continue to act this way. We respect and will respect their sovereignty, as proven by the assistance we provided to Kazakhstan when it faced tragic events and a challenge in terms of its statehood and integrity. However, Russia cannot feel safe, develop, and exist while facing a permanent threat from the territory of today’s Ukraine.

Let me remind you that in 2000–2005 we used our military to push back against terrorists in the Caucasus and stood up for the integrity of our state. We preserved Russia. In 2014, we supported the people of Crimea and Sevastopol. In 2015, we used our Armed Forces to create a reliable shield that prevented terrorists from Syria from penetrating Russia. This was a matter of defending ourselves. We had no other choice.

The same is happening today. They did not leave us any other option for defending Russia and our people, other than the one we are forced to use today. In these circumstances, we have to take bold and immediate action. The people’s republics of Donbass have asked Russia for help.

In this context, in accordance with Article 51 (Chapter VII) of the UN Charter, with permission of Russia’s Federation Council, and in execution of the treaties of friendship and mutual assistance with the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic, ratified by the Federal Assembly on February 22, I made a decision to carry out a special military operation.

The purpose of this operation is to protect people who, for eight years now, have been facing humiliation and genocide perpetrated by the Kiev regime. To this end, we will seek to demilitarise and denazify Ukraine, as well as bring to trial those who perpetrated numerous bloody crimes against civilians, including against citizens of the Russian Federation.

It is not our plan to occupy the Ukrainian territory. We do not intend to impose anything on anyone by force. At the same time, we have been hearing an increasing number of statements coming from the West that there is no need any more to abide by the documents setting forth the outcomes of World War II, as signed by the totalitarian Soviet regime. How can we respond to that?

The outcomes of World War II and the sacrifices our people had to make to defeat Nazism are sacred. This does not contradict the high values of human rights and freedoms in the reality that emerged over the post-war decades. This does not mean that nations cannot enjoy the right to self-determination, which is enshrined in Article 1 of the UN Charter.

Let me remind you that the people living in territories which are part of today’s Ukraine were not asked how they want to build their lives when the USSR was created or after World War II. Freedom guides our policy, the freedom to choose independently our future and the future of our children. We believe that all the peoples living in today’s Ukraine, anyone who want to do this, must be able to enjoy this right to make a free choice.

In this context I would like to address the citizens of Ukraine. In 2014, Russia was obliged to protect the people of Crimea and Sevastopol from those who you yourself call “nats.” The people of Crimea and Sevastopol made their choice in favour of being with their historical homeland, Russia, and we supported their choice. As I said, we could not act otherwise.

The current events have nothing to do with a desire to infringe on the interests of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. They are connected with the defending Russia from those who have taken Ukraine hostage and are trying to use it against our country and our people.

I reiterate: we are acting to defend ourselves from the threats created for us and from a worse peril than what is happening now. I am asking you, however hard this may be, to understand this and to work together with us so as to turn this tragic page as soon as possible and to move forward together, without allowing anyone to interfere in our affairs and our relations but developing them independently, so as to create favourable conditions for overcoming all these problems and to strengthen us from within as a single whole, despite the existence of state borders. I believe in this, in our common future.

I would also like to address the military personnel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Comrade officers,

Your fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers did not fight the Nazi occupiers and did not defend our common Motherland to allow today’s neo-Nazis to seize power in Ukraine. You swore the oath of allegiance to the Ukrainian people and not to the junta, the people’s adversary which is plundering Ukraine and humiliating the Ukrainian people.

I urge you to refuse to carry out their criminal orders. I urge you to immediately lay down arms and go home. I will explain what this means: the military personnel of the Ukrainian army who do this will be able to freely leave the zone of hostilities and return to their families.

I want to emphasise again that all responsibility for the possible bloodshed will lie fully and wholly with the ruling Ukrainian regime.

I would now like to say something very important for those who may be tempted to interfere in these developments from the outside. No matter who tries to stand in our way or all the more so create threats for our country and our people, they must know that Russia will respond immediately, and the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history. No matter how the events unfold, we are ready. All the necessary decisions in this regard have been taken. I hope that my words will be heard.

Citizens of Russia,

The culture and values, experience and traditions of our ancestors invariably provided a powerful underpinning for the wellbeing and the very existence of entire states and nations, their success and viability. Of course, this directly depends on the ability to quickly adapt to constant change, maintain social cohesion, and readiness to consolidate and summon all the available forces in order to move forward.

We always need to be strong, but this strength can take on different forms. The “empire of lies,” which I mentioned in the beginning of my speech, proceeds in its policy primarily from rough, direct force. This is when our saying on being “all brawn and no brains” applies.

We all know that having justice and truth on our side is what makes us truly strong. If this is the case, it would be hard to disagree with the fact that it is our strength and our readiness to fight that are the bedrock of independence and sovereignty and provide the necessary foundation for building a reliable future for your home, your family, and your Motherland.

Dear compatriots,

I am certain that devoted soldiers and officers of Russia’s Armed Forces will perform their duty with professionalism and courage. I have no doubt that the government institutions at all levels and specialists will work effectively to guarantee the stability of our economy, financial system and social wellbeing, and the same applies to corporate executives and the entire business community. I hope that all parliamentary parties and civil society take a consolidated, patriotic position.

At the end of the day, the future of Russia is in the hands of its multi-ethnic people, as has always been the case in our history. This means that the decisions that I made will be executed, that we will achieve the goals we have set, and reliably guarantee the security of our Motherland.

I believe in your support and the invincible force rooted in the love for our Fatherland.