Welcome to Sochi, no US warships required.

Click banner for more info

Throughout history the Olympics have been a celebration of sport and a time when even warring nations lay down their arms and settle their differences on the playing field. It has been a time when all nations regardless of their geo-political leanings, internal conflicts or spats with their neighbors have a chance to put aside differences and celebrate human advances and achievements in sports.

For the guests, the athletes, the media and the delegations it is a time to show the world the best side of their countries and to get to know the people and the customs of the hosting nation. A time when we can all be friends, regardless of race, religion or political beliefs and above all put aside conflicts and for once, attempt to find peace amongst our fellow citizens of the world.

Given all of that therefore it would truly be antithetical to the spirit of the games and in fact an unthinkable abomination to bring uninvited warships into the hosting nations’ waters no matter what the pretext. But that would be in a normal world. Unfortunately one country believes it can unilaterally propose such a move and pretend it is doing so out of some concern for security against a threat that is being over-hyped to the level of hysteria.

Are US warships really necessary?

The United States has been unilaterally working on “contingency” plans which require two US warships to enter Russian territorial waters in the case of a terrorist attack. This is unheard of US secretary of State Chuck Hagel has stated that the US has already deployed two US Navy warships to “stand guard” in the Black Sea during the games just in case Americans have to be evacuated.

According to Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby: 

"The United States has offered its full support to the Russian government as it conducts security preparations for the Winter Olympics. Air and naval assets, to include two Navy ships in the Black Sea, will be available if requested for all manner of contingencies in support of – and in consultation with – the Russian government."

In reality however there is no need for US warships. The Russian Black Sea Fleet is perfectly capable of dealing with such contingencies and there is no doubt the Russian Navy could deploy the necessary resources if the need were to arise.

The same is true of the helicopters and C-17 transport planes the US is saying will be on standby in Germany. Russia has analogous aircraft and air support much closer to the scene and ready to respond in minutes if needed rather than the hours that the US aircraft will take.

According to the Guardian (LINK 1) 

“US officials have concluded there would be major obstacles to mounting a large-scale effort by the military or other US government resources to evacuate Americans from Sochi, said a source familiar with Obama administration debates. The most formidable roadblock US officials have discussed regarding contingency plans for Sochi is that Russian authorities have historically been reluctant to allow foreign military forces, especially those of the United States, on Russian territory.”

So then why the warships?

US flexing of muscles in the Black Sea

US/NATO are desperate to obtain a military footing and eventual military control of the Black Sea, the real reason for the attempts at pulling Georgia and Ukraine and other neighboring countries into NATO and many experts would argue the real reason for the current push to force Ukraine to integrate with the EU and turn its back on Russia.

The US also will do anything to steal the show from Russia or make Russia look weak especially at such an important event as the Olympics. This is obvious by US coverage of the events and the preparations for the games. The level of hysteria in the US media about the Sochi Games would be laughable if it were not for the fact that such coverage is all the Americans get. There is in reality no threat that requires warships and even former CIA and NSA Director Michael Hayden has said he trusts Russia’s ability to provide security and that Americans will be safe. If there was such a real and present threat the US Government would issue a travel ban or other such measure to prevent Americans from travelling to Sochi.

The universal pretext

Just like 50 Al-Qaeda fighters are the reason for a 13 year occupation of Afghanistan and the deployment of hundreds of thousands of US troops, one lone “terrorist” woman appears to be the bogeyman for stationing warships in the Black Sea.

Yet terrorism is the reason for the season in the US and in a “war on Terror” how else can they respond? With a quiet team of snipers and special forces? No. Bring in the warships.

Different Approach

Americans are saturated and bombarded with the terrorist behind every tree that allows the US hyper security surveillance state to continue and the American mass media are so used to hyping and over-hyping the terrorist bogeyman, in unison with the entire US Government security apparatus while never foiling a real unarguable terrorist plot that even people like Mitt Romney (who said he would go to the Sochi Olympics and take his family) are amazed that Russia actually has and obtains actionable intelligence, effectively deals with and neutralizes terrorist threats.

According to the Daily Mail (LINK 2)  

“Mr. Romney who organized the Winter Games in Salt Lake City in 2002, told The Today Show last week that the fact that the Russian organizers have released the names and photos of suspected terrorists who may be plotting an attack shows that they have an 'extraordinary intelligence' program.”

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and the entire Russian security apparatus works very differently than how the Americans do and with regard to terrorism the differences are striking. Where the Americans love to advertise and raise threat levels etc., and bombard the populace with imagined or possible threats, such as in Sochi, the FSB and Russian security quietly identify, locate and neutralize.

Where the US sends in warships, calls in drones strikes on “suspected” terrorists, and invades countries, the Russian services quietly and with almost no fanfare send in small highly trained teams and quietly “liquidate” or neutralize threats.

Unlike the US, most anti-terrorist operations are only known about in Russia after they have been completed and most threats, such as any that might exist in Sochi, are quietly dealt with by seasoned professionals with effective tried and proven methods and tactics.  Most of the successful anti-terrorist operations in Russia are not even heard about by the populace as the Russian state has no need to make the populace fearful and does not seek to make citizens accept a stripping of their rights in the name of security.

Even as a journalist with access to hundreds of information sources both internal and external, news of FSB anti-terrorist operations sometimes only comes in a year end accounting to the president by the head of the FSB and perhaps a small posting on their site.  As I have written in the past, just like the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry, the FSB is staffed by quiet dedicated professionals who know their jobs and understand how to deal with any threat, be they internal or external.

The FSB and Russian security are also no strangers to large scale mass events, this experience (a carryover from Soviet times) has been proven time and time again and with the World’s attention focused on the Sochi Games you can be sure that every resource available has been put into overdrive to guarantee security.

Also unlike their American security counterparts the Russian services deal with human intelligence (HUMIT) on a far larger scale and more effectively. While their US counterparts are sitting at computer screens looking for keywords or gaining questionable intelligence through “enhanced interrogation” Russia’s professional are speaking to reliable sources, intercepting real communications and in the end liquidating real threats rather than some kids with gasoline in a bottle (US NATO Summit in Chicago).

I could continue but I think you get the idea. I would definitely go to Sochi and feel perfectly safe doing so, especially since I am also sure the Russian state would never engage in false flag terrorism and has never negotiated, backed, armed or otherwise cooperated with terrorists.

Media Hysteria

It is sad to watch the US and Western media coverage of the issue of a possible attack at the Sochi Games. Experts, politicians and every kind of pundit and commentator under the sun is ready to come out of the woodwork and scream about how “dangerous” Sochi is. This cannot be further from the truth and people with real operational intelligence like Michael Hayden are refreshing to hear (I never thought I would say that) when they say they would feel safe and bring their families to the Sochi Olympics.

The western media seems to be in Russo-phobia overdrive on this one with CNN appearing to be heading the unprecedented US campaign to discredit the Sochi Olympics with almost non-stop broadcasts of supposed terrorist threats inside Russia that they themselves seem to have more knowledge about than the Russian security services themselves.

The hysteria which is being promoted by certain elements of the US Government and disseminated worldwide by the subservient US media is disturbing on many levels. However for this writer the most damning omission present (or rather “absent” depending on how you want to look at it) in all of the western media debate and analysis and endless commentary is one very loud, real and documented threat that has been made public and that directly involves the Sochi Olympics. That threat is one made by Saudi Prince Bandar last summer to President Putin. During the conversation in question he even admitted that Chechen terrorists were under Saudi control.
To which President Putin quietly responded:

“We know”.

Saudi Prince Bandar who has since been on another official visit to Moscow at first attempted to bribe Russia’s president in order to force Russia to pull its support for Syria, then when that did not work, in slightly veiled language threatened a terrorist attack during the Sochi Olympics. Will the US media report on US partner Prince Bandar “Bush”? Not likely. However it is important to recall such a threat was made.

Conclusion

The Olympics are about peace, sports and the brotherhood of all nations. Let’s focus on that, after all if we focus on “phantom terrorists”, the terrorists win without even having to lift a finger. Let the professionals worry about security, in Russia the FSB, along with other anti-terrorist and security services, may not be making loud press statements or raising the alarm every time there is a threat, that does not mean they are not on the job.

During the Sochi Games there will be literally tens of thousands of vigilant quiet professionals guaranteeing security. Who knows? One of them might sit next to you on a bus. If you happen to meet one of these quiet warriors, tell them thank you. It would mean more to them than the glory many American colleagues seek.

As for the warships? Please keep the warships at home. Believe it or not Russia has plenty of ships and helicopters and transport aircraft (even an entire fleet in the Black Sea) and in the event they are needed is always generous and ready to help anyone in need, especially foreign guests who come in peace to celebrate human achievement in sport.

Welcome to Sochi! Let the games begin.