Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on 25 Sep that a conventional attack on Russia by any country that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack.

Putin made the statement as he outlined revisions to Russia’s nuclear doctrine at a meeting of Russia’s Security Council in Moscow.

Russia’s current nuclear doctrine says Russia may use nuclear weapons in case of a nuclear attack by an enemy or a conventional attack that threatens the existence of the state.

The revised version of the document says that Russia could use nuclear weapons in response to a conventional attack posing a “critical threat to our sovereignty.”

“It is proposed that aggression against Russia by any nonnuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state, be considered as their joint attack on the Russian Federation,” Putin said.

The conditions for Russia’s transition to the use of nuclear weapons are also clearly fixed,” Putin said, adding that Moscow would consider such a move if it gets reliable information about the start of a mass cross-border attack by air from strategic and tactical aviation, cruise missiles, drones, and hypersonic weapons.

Putin also said the list of states and military alliances subject to nuclear deterrence should be expanded but did not mention which countries would be added.

A top Ukrainian government official denounced the revisions, saying they proved Moscow had nothing left but nuclear blackmail to intimidate the world.

“Russia no longer has any instruments to intimidate the world apart from nuclear blackmail,” Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president’s office, said on 25 Sep on Telegram. “These instruments will not work.”

Since Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022, he and others in the Kremlin have threatened the West with Russia’s nuclear arsenal to discourage it from ramping up support for Kiev.

The revisions come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy seeks permission from his allies in the US and Europe to use the longer-range weapons to strike deep inside Russian territory.

The change follows Putin’s warning to the US and other NATO allies that allowing Ukraine to use Western-supplied longer-range weapons to hit Russian territory would mean that Russia and NATO are at war. Putin said the revisions were carefully calibrated and commensurate with the modern military threats facing Russia.

This is dangerous nuclear saber-rattling and shows how desperate Putin is. He makes this announcement while the UN General Assembly is convening in NYC, a clear snub at the international body. As the recent Russian attack on the civilian cargo ship carrying grain in the Black Sea demonstrated, Putin will attack vulnerable economic targets to discourage the US and NATO from allowing Ukraine to use long-range weapons against Russia. A war in the Middle East benefits Putin as this could cause oil prices to rise, sparking inflation in the US and the West.

Such a revision to Russian nuclear doctrine may have required consultation with key allies, Beijing and Pyongyang. The more rational, profit-oriented Xi Jinping probably disapproved of this change. He already has concerns about a nuclear mishap on his eastern border with North Korea and wouldn’t want to expose China to nuclear fallout from the west. Also, Beijing profits from a long, conventional war so China, “the world’s factory,” could continue making money selling everything from A-to Z to Russia. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is also studying tactics, weapons, communications systems, and techniques used in the Russo-Ukrainian War in order to see what would work in a potential conflict with Taiwan and the US. Kim Jong-Un probably approved of this change, having recently become formal allies with Putin and himself rattling his nuclear saber to maintain his grip on the Hermit Kingdom and his starving people.

Source:

Putin Widens Scope Of Russia’s Nuclear Doctrine (rferl.org)

Maryland Female White Supremacist Sentenced for Conspiring to Destroy Baltimore Region Power Grid

A woman believed to be Sarah Beth Clendaniel is shown wearing tactical gear containing a swastika, holding a rifle and with a pistol in a drop holster on her left leg. (Photo: FBI)

Sarah Beth Clendaniel (36) of Catonsville, MD, was sentenced to 18 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for conspiring to damage or destroy electrical facilities in Maryland and a concurrent sentence of 15 years in prison and three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The defendant will be 54 years old when she is released from prison.

In 2018, Clendaniel became acquainted with Brandon C. Russell, a Florida resident, who is currently charged with conspiracy to damage or destroy electrical facilities in Maryland and is awaiting trial. Clendaniel and Russell espouse a white supremacist ideology and advocate a concept known as “accelerationism.” To “accelerate” or to support “accelerationism” is based on a white supremacist belief that the current system is irreparable and without an apparent political solution, and therefore violent action is necessary to precipitate societal and government collapse.

From Dec 2022 through Feb 2023, Clendaniel conspired with Russell to damage energy facilities involved in the transmission and distribution of electricity and to cause a significant interruption and impairment of the Baltimore regional power grid. The intended monetary loss associated with the planned attacks would have exceeded $75 million.

As set forth in her plea agreement, Clendaniel admitted that she communicated and planned over encrypted communication applications (ECA) to carry out attacks against energy facilities. Russell and Clendaniel communicated their plans to commit an attack on the Baltimore region power grid to a confidential human source (CHS-1).

On 3 Feb 2023, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Clendaniel’s residence in Catonsville, MD. Law enforcement agents recovered various firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Federal law prohibits Clendaniel from possessing these items because she is a convicted felon, including convictions in Cecil County, MD, for robbery in 2006 and robbery and attempted robbery in 2016.

Brandon Russell mugshot from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office via AP.

Brandon Clint Russell is a Bahamian and American Neo-Nazi leader, terrorist, and founder of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division. He studied nuclear physics at the University of South Florida (USF) as an undergraduate and became a Florida Army National Guardsman.

These two are incredibly dangerous miscreants with histories of violence and hatred. The sooner his trial concludes and he is incarcerated for decades, if not life, the better. Where all of this hatred comes from in white Americans can be attributed to hate messages propagating on right wing radio stations and cable programs, as well as social media, like ‘X.” The next article discusses hate crimes catalogued by the FBI.

Brandon Clint Russell is innocent of all charges until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Sources:

Office of Public Affairs | Maryland Woman Sentenced for Conspiring to Destroy the Baltimore Region Power Grid | United States Department of Justice

Atomwaffen Division | Southern Poverty Law Center (splcenter.org)

FBI: Hate Crimes, Particularly Against LGBTQ Community, On the Rise

Hate crimes motivated by gender-identity and sexual orientation rose from 2022 to 2023, according to FBI data, sparking concern among LGBTQ advocates about the potential impact of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and legislation.

Though violent crime is down about 3% overall from 2022 to 2023, hate crimes are up across the US, according to the FBI’s statistics. Sexual orientation and gender identity were the third and fourth most prevalent bias motivation in 2023, behind race/ethnicity and religion.

The FBI counted 2,936 incidents related to sexual-orientation and gender-identity bias in 2023 – up roughly 8.6% from about 2,700 in 2022.

Sexual orientation, excluding heterosexuality, was the motivation for 2,389 incidents in 2023 – up from about 2,188 in 2022, and about 1,300 in 2021, according to FBI data report.

The FBI report also shows gender identity-based incidents have been on the rise for several years, from 307 offenses in 2021, to 515 in 2022, to 547 in 2023.

In June 2023, Human Rights Campaign declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the US, which is still in effect, citing an increasingly hostile environment and the record-breaking wave of legislation negatively impacting the LGBTQ community.

Sources:

Hate crimes, particularly against LGBTQ community, on the rise: FBI data – ABC News (go.com)

CDE (cjis.gov)

Canadian Auto-Theft Plague: 78 Stolen Vehicles Seized in Montreal Port in One Month as Numbers Continue to Skyrocket

This stolen Lexus was recovered in a storage container at the Port of Montreal in 2019. It was one of 97 high-end vehicles recovered by police during Project Shildon. Police say the Lexus and other stolen vehicles were destined for Africa. Photo: Ontario Provincial Police

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) seized 78 stolen vehicles valued at nearly $6 million and transferred them to the local police. The CBSA seized 348 vehicles in Quebec in the entire year in 2018.

In 2023, the CBSA reported that 1,204 vehicles were seized, topping the 1,050 vehicles seized in 2022.

With just over three months to go in the year, 1,061 vehicles have so far been seized in Quebec.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) reported that the cost of insurance claims for replacing stolen vehicles skyrocketed in 2023 to $1.5 billion, and 2024 is likely to be similar.

The IBC said that between 2018 and 2021, auto theft claims averaged $556 million.

“Canada’s auto theft crisis is also placing pressure on drivers’ insurance premiums – as auto theft continues to increase, so do the associated costs,” said IBC vice president Liam McGuinty. “Auto theft is not a victimless crime.”

From 2018 to 2023, claims have increased by 56 per cent and the cost of those claims increased 254 per cent.

The destinations of these stolen cars include China, West Africa, and the Middle East, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

Source:

78 stolen vehicles seized in Montreal, Quebec numbers skyrocketing | CTV News

Wagner Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO) Update

Unidentified Wagner fighter. On 26 Jan 2023, the US Treasury sanctioned the Wagner Group as a Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO) and the UK designated them as a terrorist entity in Sep 2023. (Undated photo / TASS)

Wagner’s late leader and founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said in late June 2023 that 32,000 former inmates recruited by his group from prison had returned home after being granted clemency as part of their remuneration for fighting in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin said those fighting in Ukraine must become “Russia’s new elite” and allowed to occupy state posts. So now more than 300 soldiers who fought Ukraine have become elected officials, the majority of them from Putin’s ruling United Russia party.

Former Wagner mercenary Mikhail Ostryansky who fought in Ukraine has been elected speaker of a local parliament in the Perm region. Ostryansky, a 65-year-old former police officer, now holds the highest position by a returning soldier since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

But the reintegration of prison recruits has been a disaster for Russia over the past two years. Hundreds of cases of violent crimes, including murders and sexual attacks, have been committed by former Wagner mercenaries and other returning soldiers, some of it reported here on Coriolanus.

Russian courts tend to hand mitigated sentences to such perpetrators, citing their “patriotism” and “contributions” they made to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

In October 2023, Putin urged state-run media outlets to refrain from covering crimes committed by returning soldiers. In January, because of the crime wave committed by these veterans, Putin ended the practice of exonerating prison recruits. These convicts were officially granted “a release on parole,” maintaining their criminal records.

According to a new report by the US-based Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), JPMorgan and HSBC unknowingly processed payments for companies controlled by Wagner.

Wagner established an early foothold in Africa during the mid-2010s thanks to access it had to an international “network of financial services and transportation networks to move supplies and generate revenue. Intermediary banks and shipping companies formed crucial linkages between PMC Wagner’s early mining activities and the wider international economic system,” C4ADS said.

For example, Prigozhin’s Sudanese mining firm, Meroe Gold, purchased industrial equipment, diesel generators, and spare parts from China in 2017. The payments, made from a local bank account, were processed through JPMorgan Chase and HSBC Group’s Hang Seng Bank as intermediaries. The Financial Times, which first reported on the C4ADS findings, wrote that neither JPMorgan nor HSBC were found to have knowingly handled transactions for Wagner’s front companies.

Footnote: In July 2012, the US Senate Sub-Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs accused HSBC of exposing the US financial system to money laundering, drug, and terrorist financing risks. See official findings linked below.

Following Prigozhin’s death in August 2023, Russia’s Defense Ministry absorbed Wagner’s operations across Africa. The group is estimated to have approximately 5,000 mercenaries operating in Africa, many of whom were former Russian soldiers and convicts. Three of them were recently detained in Chad for unspecified reasons. The Russian foreign ministry identified them as Maxim Shugaley, Samer Sueifan and E. Tsaryov.

The state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported that Shugaley and Sueifan are “sociologists” that had been held at the airport of Chad’s capital since 19 Sep. The pair were reportedly detained without explanation.

Shugaley heads the Moscow-based NGO “Foundation for the Defense of National Values”, which is part of a media group the US claims is linked to the late Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. He is under EU sanctions, listed as working directly under Prigozhin’s supervision as the “public relations arm of the Wagner Group,” and spreading “propaganda and disinformation.”

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said a Belarusian citizen had also been detained along with the three Russian men in Chad, identifying him as A. Denisevich.

Undated photo of Wagnerites Samer Sueifan and Maxim Shugaley, who were described as “sociologists.” In May 2019, both Shugaley and Sueifan were arrested in Libya and accused of election interference on behalf of Russia. They were freed after 18 months of captivity.

Sources:

Treasury Sanctions Russian Proxy Wagner Group as a Transnational Criminal Organization | U.S. Department of the Treasury

Unearthed-C4ADS.pdf

JPMorgan, HSBC Handled Payments for Wagner’s Africa Operations – Report – The Moscow Times

HSBC Exposed U.S. Financial System to Money Laundering, Drug, Terrorist Financing Risks – Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs (senate.gov)

3 Russian Men Arrested in Chad, Foreign Ministry Says – The Moscow Times

News – RFE/RL (rferl.org)

NYS Announces Statewide Action After Man Dies of Mosquito-Borne Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE)

After an Ulster County man died of EEE, NYS issued a Declaration of Imminent Threat to Public Health and urged New Yorkers to follow recommendations to reduce risks of mosquito-borne illnesses.

State measures Include mosquito spraying, more insect repellent for visitors at state parks and campgrounds, and greater outreach to residents.

State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald:

“Eastern equine encephalitis is different this year. While we normally see these mosquitoes in two to three counties each year, this year they have been in 15 counties so far, and scattered all over New York State. This life-threatening mosquito-borne disease has no commercially available human vaccine and must be taken seriously. Mosquitoes, once a nuisance, are now a threat. I urge all New Yorkers to prevent mosquito bites by using insect repellents, wearing long-sleeved clothing, and removing free-standing water near their homes. Fall is officially here, but mosquitoes will be around until we see multiple nights of below freezing temperatures.”

Massachusetts, Vermont, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and New Hampshire, have also reported human EEE cases this year. Eighteen cases of EEE have been in identified in horses across 12 counties in New York State this year.

Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is a rare but severe viral disease spread by infected mosquitoes that can affect people and horses. People of all ages are susceptible to infection, but people over 50 and younger than 15 are at a high risk of acquiring the virus.

While most people bitten by an infected mosquito will not develop symptoms, severe cases may begin with the sudden onset of headache, high fever, chills and vomiting. The illness may then progress into disorientation, seizures, encephalitis and coma. Approximately a third of patients who develop EEE die, while many patients who survive EEE experience neurologic impairment.

There is no commercially available human vaccine for EEE and the best protection is to prevent mosquito bites.

This is a direct consequence of global warming. As the planet warms and climate change lengthens the mosquito season, the world’s deadliest creature will expand its geographical range to new regions and re-emerge in areas where mosquito numbers had subsided for decades.

Sources:

Governor Hochul Announces Statewide Action Following Confirmed Case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis | Governor Kathy Hochul (ny.gov)

2024-09_eee_declaration.pdf (ny.gov)

Donald Trump Bashes Catholics Voting for Harris: ‘Should Have Their Head Examined’

The Trump Crime Family (TCF) met with the first Jesuit pope in 2017. This photo reminded the author of the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein. In most of the photos of this 2017 visit, only Trump is seen smiling. Compare with the image below when Pope Francis met President Biden.

Vatican Media Handout via REUTERS

Former President Donald Trump criticized American Catholics who plan on voting for Vice President Kamala Harris, saying that they need a brain exam of some kind. Last week, the ex-president has said the same thing – repeatedly – about Jews who vote for Democrats, stating they should also have their heads examined. He upped the ante by claiming that if he loses, Jews will be largely to blame.

On Monday, he tried a different tack by going after Catholics who will vote for the Democratic nominee.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced he will attend the Al Smith Dinner in New York, as is custom for the two major party nominees in an election year, though Harris is not attending. Smith, a Democrat, was governor of New York in the 1920s and was the first Catholic to be nominated for president by a major party. He lost the 1928 election at a time when anti-Catholic sentiment was a substantial factor in US electoral politics.

At the 2020 Al Smith Dinner, which was held virtually because of the COVID pandemic, Trump slammed the Democratic Party as “anti-Catholic.”

Here’s what the ex-President recently posted:

“We know the Spirit of Al Smith, the first Catholic Nominee of a Major Party, and John F. Kennedy, the FIRST Catholic President, will be in the room with us that night. It was a virtual event in 2020, and I was delighted to speak to our Catholic friends that day and, of course, it was a HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL evening in 2016 when we were there in person with Crooked Hillary Clinton. The reviews of my remarks were TREMENDOUS. It’s sad, but not surprising, that Kamala has decided not to attend. I don’t know what she has against our Catholic friends, but it must be a lot, because she certainly hasn’t been very nice to them, in fact, Catholics are literally being persecuted by this Administration. Any Catholic that votes for Comrade Kamala Harris should have their head examined….

Trump expressed similar frustration toward Catholics in July when he said, “I don’t know how a Catholic can vote for the Democrats.”

This is absolutely breath-taking that an irreligious WASP can dictate to Jews and Catholics who they should vote for. With this type of trajectory, we can see the ex-President criticizing blacks or Buddhists for supporting Kamala Harris.

But more importantly, despite his being a presidential candidate, Donald Trump was convicted in a NYS court on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Donald Trump was also impeached by Congress for attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election. So why are the organizers of the Al Smith Dinner validating this impeached felon by even inviting him? Custom? Tradition? Would Benedict Arnold, Jefferson Davis, or Richard Nixon been invited to the Al Smith Dinner if they were alive?

Source:

Trump Bashes Catholics Voting for Harris: ‘Should Have Their Head Examined’ (msn.com)

New Ghost Shark Species with Unusually Long Nose Discovered in Deep Seas off New Zealand

The new species of ghost shark was discovered in the Chathams Rise, roughly 750km east of New Zealand’s coast. Photograph: NIWA

A new species of ghost shark, with an unusually long nose and a whip-like tail, has been discovered in the inky depths of New Zealand waters.

Scientists at New Zealand’s National Institute for Water and Atmospherics (Niwa) initially believed the creature was part of an existing species found around the world, but further investigation revealed it was new, genetically distinct, species. The newly described Australasian narrow-nosed spookfish is only found in New Zealand and Australian waters.

Ghost sharks – also known as chimaeras and spookfish – are a group of cartilaginous fish closely related to sharks and rays. They have smooth skin, beak-like teeth, and feed off crustaceans such as shrimp and molluscs. They are sometimes referred to as the ocean’s butterflies for the way they glide through the water with their large pectoral fins.

The mysterious fish are typically found at great ocean depths – up to 2,600 metres – and little is known about their biology or the threats they face.

The new ghost shark was found in the Chathams Rise, roughly 750km east of New Zealand’s coast. It is distinctive for its very elongated snout that can make up half of its entire body length and has likely evolved to aid its hunt for prey. The chocolate-brown fish can grow up to a meter long, has large milky-coloured eyes, and a serrated dorsal fin to deter predators.

Roughly 55 species of ghost shark have been discovered globally, with about 12 of those found in New Zealand and South Pacific waters.

Source:

New ghost shark species with unusually long nose discovered in deep seas off New Zealand | New Zealand | The Guardian