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Biden’s Secretary of State, Tony Blinken, is a member of the CFR (Council on Foreign Relations), as is Kamala Harris’ sister, Maya Harris. Henry Kissinger is, of course, a member. So too are Bill and Chelsea Clinton. See CFR list here: https://archive.vn/1exGx Blinken supported the invasion of Iraq. Blinken either has poor judgement or is a nefarious actor (or both).

Biden-Blinken seem to have flip-flopped on Nord Stream, but it may simply be blah, blah to confuse everyone, as McCaul points out: https://miningawareness.wordpress.com/2021/03/18/biden-admin-refuses-to-sanction-russian-pipeline-then-biden-calls-putin-a-killer-with-no-soul-🙄/

“McCaul Tells Biden, Blinken Actions – Not More Words – Needed “Immediately” on Nord Stream 2
Press Release 03.18.21 Washington, DC – House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul has released the following statement in response to Secretary Blinken’s latest comments on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

“While we appreciate Secretary Blinken’s strong words on his opposition to the Nord Stream 2 project, it is the Biden Administration’s action – or lack of action – that is concerning. There are more than a dozen entities reportedly working on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline currently that should be sanctioned, as is required by law. If President Biden and Secretary Blinken want to make it clear they oppose the pipeline, which is already 95% complete, they should impose those mandatory sanctions. Immediately.

“I would also like to, once again, request the State Department provide Congress a clearer understanding of the ‘evidentiary threshold’ it is using when weighing additional sanctions in order to ensure it is not hiding behind ‘the need for more information’ to avoid new sanctions designations.”

Earlier this month, Rep. McCaul sent a letter with House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and August Pfluger (R-TX) expressing concerns over the lack of significant action on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and asking for clarity as to why entities reportedly engaged in sanctionable activities have yet to be sanctioned. The letter also includes a list of entities reportedly engaged in sanctionable activity.” https://gop-foreignaffairs.house.gov/press-release/mccaul-tells-biden-blinken-actions-not-more-words-needed-immediately-on-nord-stream-2/

“McCaul Leads House Republicans in Expressing Concern Over Implementation Plans for Nord Stream 2 Sanctions Press Release 03.08.21 Washington, DC – House Foreign Affairs Lead Republican Michael McCaul (R-TX), House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and August Pfluger (R-TX) sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressing concerns over the Biden Administration’s implementation plans for the mandatory Nord Stream 2 sanctions required under the Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act (PEESA), as amended by the Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Clarification Act (PEESCA). The letter also asks for clarity on why numerous entities reportedly engaged in sanctionable activity related to the Russian malign Nord Stream 2 pipeline project have yet to be sanctioned.

“We are deeply concerned that the Administration’s strong statements in opposition to the pipeline are not being matched by equally strong actions,” the lawmakers wrote. “Instead, it appears the Administration is talking tough while hiding behind an opaque ‘evidentiary threshold’ to avoid the full implementation of mandatory Congressional sanctions as required by law. The Administration’s recent decision to sanction only the Russian pipe-laying vessel ‘Fortuna’ and its owner, KVT- RUS, which had both already been designated by the prior Administration, was emblematic of this troubling inconsistency.

“Given the shrinking window before the Nord Stream 2 pipeline’s completion, we urge you to submit to Congress new sanctions designations as soon as the required information becomes available, rather than wait until May 17th, when the current 90-day reporting period ends and the next mandatory report to Congress is due,” the lawmakers continued. “We believe this would be consistent with your Administration’s rhetoric on the pipeline, including your comments at your confirmation hearing emphasizing that the Biden Administration was “determined to do whatever we can to prevent” the completion of the project.”

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear Secretary Blinken:

We write to you to express deep concerns about the Biden Administration’s implementation plans for the Nord Stream 2 sanctions required under the Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act (PEESA), as amended by the Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Clarification Act (PEESCA).

Open-source reporting has cited numerous entities suspected of being engaged in sanctionable activity related to the Russian malign Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. However, we have been informed that the State Department requires additional information on these entities before it can issue any further sanctions designations. Critical to our ability to conduct Congressional oversight and to ensure adherence to the spirit and letter of the law is a clearer understanding of the “evidentiary threshold” the State Department is using when weighing additional sanctions designations under PEESA, as amended. Therefore, we ask not only for an assessment of the updated list of entities provided below that are believed to have engaged in sanctionable activity, but also more specifics on precisely what more information the State Department requires to make additional sanctions designations.

We are deeply concerned that the Administration’s strong statements in opposition to the pipeline are not being matched by equally strong actions. Instead, it appears the Administration is talking tough while hiding behind an opaque “evidentiary threshold” to avoid the full implementation of mandatory Congressional sanctions as required by law. The Administration’s recent decision to sanction only the Russian pipe-laying vessel “Fortuna” and its owner, KVT- RUS, which had both already been designated by the prior Administration, was emblematic of this troubling inconsistency.

We fear this discrepancy can only be explained by a desire to leave space for a backdoor deal with Germany. Any deal that does not stop the completion of Nord Stream 2 would be misguided. Moreover, if the Biden Administration agrees to a deal with Germany that trades away mandatory Congressional sanctions in exchange for a vague commitment to ensure Ukrainian gas transit or a promise to invest in European energy infrastructure, it would not only undermine U.S. and European security interests, but also represent an affront to Congress’ Constitutional prerogatives. Finally, it would be extremely concerning if our other European allies and partners were not consulted on U.S. negotiations with Berlin on the pipeline, given that the majority of Europe continues to oppose the completion of this Russian malign influence project. In particular, our strategic partner Ukraine and our Central and Eastern European allies must be consulted in earnest, not simply notified, on negotiations with Berlin.

To be clear, we support this Administration’s efforts to reinvigorate the U.S.-German relationship. Strong bilateral relations with Germany are critical to U.S. national security interests. However, Nord Stream 2 is not simply an irritant in bilateral relations with Berlin.

It is a Russian malign influence project that threatens to deepen Europe’s energy dependence on Russia and, consequently, enhance the Putin regime’s ability to exert political pressure throughout Europe. It would also allow the Putin regime to bypass Ukraine in exporting natural gas to Western Europe, decoupling the security of Ukraine from broader European security and rendering Kyiv more vulnerable to Russian aggression.

Given the shrinking window before the Nord Stream 2 pipeline’s completion, we urge you to submit to Congress new sanctions designations as soon as the required information becomes available, rather than wait until May 17th, when the current 90-day reporting period ends and the next mandatory report to Congress is due. We believe this would be consistent with your Administration’s rhetoric on the pipeline, including your comments at your confirmation hearing emphasizing that the Biden Administration was “determined to do whatever we can to prevent” the completion of the project.
Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter. We look forward to your swift reply and discussing further during your appearance on March 10th before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.” ### https://gop-foreignaffairs.house.gov/press-release/mccaul-leads-house-republicans-in-expressing-concern-over-implementation-plans-for-nord-stream-2-sanctions/

WHO NEEDS GERMANY WHEN THERE IS POLAND? WE FOUGHT TWO WORLD WARS AGAINST GERMANY, ANYWAY.

McCaul appears more right than Cruz:
“Sen. Cruz: Ships and Companies Building Nord Stream 2 Now Understand They Will Face Devastating Sanctions Unless Their Work Stops Immediately
LIFTS TWO NORD STREAM 2-RELATED HOLDS ON BIDEN ADMINISTRATION NOMINEES, VOWS TO CONTINUE FIGHTING PUTIN’S PIPELINE
March 18, 2021
WASHINGTON, D.C. – After Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement warning companies constructing Nord Stream 2 that they face devastating U.S. sanctions and must immediately abandon their work, reinforcing the United States’ whole of government commitment to stopping Vladimir Putin’s pipeline, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, announced he was following through on a commitment he made to the State Department to lift Nord Stream 2-related holds he had placed on two Biden administration nominees.

“I welcome today’s statement by Secretary Blinken, which reinforces to the international community that there is a bicameral, bipartisan, and whole of government commitment in the United States to stopping Putin’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Entities that are engaged in work on Nord Stream 2 today now understand that they will face devastating sanctions unless the work stops immediately.

”In light of the Secretary’s strong declaration, I am following through on my commitment to the State Department to lift the Nord Stream 2-related holds that I have placed on William Burns and Brian McKeon, the president’s nominees for director of the Central Intelligence Agency and Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, respectively. I will continue leading this fight until Putin realizes this pipeline will fail, and it will never be completed. I will maintain my hold on Wendy Sherman and will hold future State Department nominees until the full sanctions mandated by Congress are in fact broadly imposed against the ships and companies critical to completing the pipeline.”

Last week, Sen. Cruz and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho) sent a letter to Secretary Blinken calling on the Biden administration to immediately impose Congressionally-mandated sanctions on the ships and entities involved in the project’s construction“. https://www.cruz.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=5684
### https://www.cruz.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=5705