Is nuclear war closer than we're told?
The public is being kept in the dark intentionally
Some alarming news has come to light this week in the Russia-Ukraine war that has far-reaching implications – potentially leading to the use of nuclear weapons.
But the reckless brinkmanship between the U.S. and Russia has been downplayed or omitted by the Canadian government and our media.
It’s as if minimizing public awareness of nuclear escalation risks may be part of a strategy to deny Russia the ability to panic the public and spark a peace movement. Public ignorance also gives NATO leaders the ability to escalate the war in a dangerous direction, according to experts.
Here’s what Canadians have been told, and what they haven’t been told:
Last weekend U.S. media announced the Biden administration had permitted Ukraine to fire U.S.-made missiles deep into Russia.
On Monday, Russia warned that any U.S. decision to allow Ukraine to fire American missiles deep into Russia would mean it was directly involved in the conflict. The warning was dismissed. What was not reported widely is that the weapons require U.S. targeting assistance, which the White House has pledged to provide to Ukraine.
The next day Ukraine ignored Russian warnings and fired U.S.-made long-range ballistic missiles into Russia — for the first time.
In response, Russia changed its nuclear doctrine to allow Moscow to launch a nuclear strike if attacked by a non-nuclear country, such as Ukraine, that is supported by a nuclear state, such as the U.S. The CBC aired an interview with a U.S. diplomat who dismissed the new nuclear policy as mere, “paperwork.”
On Wednesday as the world waited for Russia’s response, the Canadian Government issued a three-line statement that its Embassy in Ukraine’s capital was closed, “due to the security situation.” What it omitted was that NATO knew Ukraine would be hit by a Russian long-range, nuclear-capable missile, because the Kremlin warned Western militaries (a long-standing practice between Russia and the U.S. to avoid catastrophic misunderstandings during routine missile tests).
MIRV warhead used for the first time
Right on cue, Russia launched a new type of long-range ballistic missile on Ukraine, which was reported widely. But what was largely missing from Canadian media coverage was that the missile was a nuclear-capable design, using multiple warheads known as a MIRV (multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle).
MIRV weapons were designed during the Cold War to deliver up to ten nuclear bombs simultaneously using a single missile. Of course in this case the warheads we not nuclear, but their use is unprecedented.
To my knowledge, yes, it’s the first time MIRV has been used in combat
“To my knowledge, yes, it’s the first time MIRV has been used in combat,” Hans Kristensen, the director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, told CNN.
What else have we not been told?
Careful listeners to CBC’s daily news podcast FrontBurner (a bright spot in Canadian journalism) explained that an even closer nuclear confrontation occurred in 2022.
Previously unreported to my knowledge, late in the first year of the war the U.S. put the chance of a nuclear attack at 50:50.
The U.S. picked up signs that the Russians were discussing setting off a tactical nuclear weapon
“That was when we probably came closest to the use of a nuclear weapon in Ukraine when the U.S. picked up signs that the Russians were discussing setting off a tactical nuclear weapon,” said former White House reporter David Sanger to CBC.
Why are people being kept in the dark about the potential for Ukraine’s war to go nuclear?
On the face of it, Western leaders want to avoid instilling panic in their populations. If the public was aware of how near a potential nuclear conflict is upon us, it could form a political threat to governments. These governments want to continue the conflict, escalating with more advanced weapons for Ukraine in an effort to deter Russia from fighting on.
Even more, citizens raising concerns, such as through a widespread peace movement, they fear, will play into the hands of Russian President Putin who also wants to deter the West. This requires not only keeping people ignorant but also accusing those opposed to military escalation of being “agents” of Russia.
Journalists as well as the public are targeted by pro-war factions
This tactic can even be used against journalists who publish stories critical of the war, as we saw with Ottawa Citizen Defence reporter David Pugliese whose excellent award-winning journalism was smeared by conservatives in Parliament, accusing him unfairly of working for the Russians in an attempt to silence him.
As promised, PeaceQuest will continue to promote peace education to create an informed readership and citizenry. Information is key to limiting the state’s ability to wage illegitimate war whose consequences could be utterly dire for everyone.
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Last week’s poll results
Last week I asked you to answer this question, “Will Trump end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours, as promised?” More than three-quarters of respondents answered “no” (78%).
Peace Train greeted by politicians of all stripes in Ottawa
As I shared in an earlier newsletter, several dozen people boarded a cross-Canada train to Ottawa this month to deliver a message of peace. This week they completed their journey and held a reception on Parliament Hill where 11 Parliamentarians greeted them warmly. Learn more
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Thank you for everything you do for peace.
Steve
We have been so close to nuclear war for years now- Even with highly educated politicians and political academics and certainly military strategists suffer a blind spot in dealing with the unthinkable. The only reason why I doubt the Russians will use nuclear weapons is self preservation. It would be unwise to destroy their own biosphere or the country over which they have been fighting. However I am not so sure some of the "western allies" are fully aware of their connection to- and dependence on to the wider world.