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Tweet of the Week...

Posted by Ken Waldron <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/xxxxx/info/user=Ken+Waldron' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 23, 2023, 7:42 pm

Matt Kennard
@kennardmatt

Paul Mason’s next BAE-sponsored column in the New Statesman: The left-wing case for depleted uranium.

It’s coming.

8:07 AM · Mar 23, 2023

https://twitter.com/kennardmatt/status/1638814794361761792

Re: Tweet of the Week...

Posted by Dovetail Joint <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/xxxxx/info/user=Dovetail+Joint' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 23, 2023, 8:34 pm, in reply to "Tweet of the Week..."

I'm seriously wondering about how many people on the Labour 'left' are really working for very different aims and are 'sponsored' by the UK's security services? I'm thinking about someone like John McDonald, whose views on Ukraine read like press release from MI5! The 'left' appear to be infiltrated by the security services.

Re: Tweet of the Week...

Posted by Ken Waldron <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/xxxxx/info/user=Ken+Waldron' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 23, 2023, 8:43 pm, in reply to "Re: Tweet of the Week..."

"...I'm thinking about someone like John McDonald, whose views on Ukraine read like press release from MI5! The 'left' appear to be infiltrated by the security services."

- Same with the SNP...its also now chock full of NATOheads and Russia haters.

Must be in the air...

Posted by Ken Waldron <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/xxxxx/info/user=Ken+Waldron' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 24, 2023, 4:19 pm, in reply to "Re: Tweet of the Week..."

...or obvious or maybe Craig Murray reads Lifeboat?

@CraigMurrayOrg
This is a good example of exactly what I was referring to in the attached tweet. Ostensibly a Yes account - even referencing Alba in the banner - pro-Humza, pro-Sturgeon.
But actively pro neo-con foreign policy and hostile to criticism of Western security services.

https://twitter.com/CraigMurrayOrg/status/1639179922257108994?cxt=HHwWhICz0YvdxL8tAAAA

Re: Tweet of the Week...

Posted by Tomski <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/xxxxx/info/user=TomskiD' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 23, 2023, 8:46 pm, in reply to "Re: Tweet of the Week..."

Excellent tweet : )

John McDonnell peeled off from the Corbyn project very early, from memory, although he started off as a No. 2. An opportunist singing the same tune as the PLP now.

McDonnell the scab

Posted by Chris Rogers <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/xxxxx/info/user=Chris+Rogers' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 23, 2023, 9:41 pm, in reply to "Re: Tweet of the Week..."

In all probability relations between Corbyn and McDonnell soured within weeks of the June 2017 GE, i.e., at about the same time in early July 2017 when the well known windmill in a hurricane, Owen Jones, was calling for JC to resign as Party leader. Given the closeness of Jones/McDonnell, I doubt he'd have made such calls unless they benefited his one time mentor McDonnell. Indeed, Chris Williamson has a large number of bones to pick with McDonnell, who effectively sold his own support base out, Sad.

What left?....nm

Posted by Keith-264 <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/xxxxx/info/user=Keith-264' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 24, 2023, 7:08 am, in reply to "Re: Tweet of the Week..."

Clio the cat, ? July 1997 - 1 May 2016
Kira the cat, ? ? 2010 - 3 August 2018
Jasper the Ruffian cat ? ? ? - 4 November 2021

Mason's response to the DU controversy

Posted by Ian M <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/xxxxx/info/user=Ian+M' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 23, 2023, 11:24 pm, in reply to "Tweet of the Week..."

...is to retweet this:

Paul Mason Retweeted
Vladyslav Starodubtsev
@VlStarodubtsev
·
22 Mar
If Russia is so angry about depleted uranium shells for Ukraine, they probably should gave up their depleted uranium shells that they are using from the start of the war and give up their nuclear arsenal, as the one who present the biggest threat to nuclear security. - https://twitter.com/paulmasonnews March 22 entry

Well, if they're doing it already, we might as well do it too, right? Twat.

Actually I couldn't find any evidence of the Russian military using DU rounds. Wiki has this illuminating paragraph suggesting that they do in fact have DU tank shells, but no indication so far that they have been used in Ukraine or elsewhere, though this seems possible:

Only the US and the UK have acknowledged using DU weapons.[as of?][40] The Soviet Union and Russia have used DU weaponry since the 3BM-32 Vant, designed for the 125 mm tank cannons.[41] In 2018, TASS reported that Russia was arming some of its T-80 models with 3BM60 Svinets-2 DU rounds.[41] 782,414 DU rounds were fired during the 1991 war in Iraq, mostly by US forces.[42] In a three-week period of conflict in Iraq during 2003, it was estimated that between 1,000 and 2,000 tonnes of depleted uranium munitions were used.[43] More than 300,000 DU rounds were fired during the 2003 war, the vast majority by US troops.[42] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depleted_uranium#Ammunition citing https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/america-russian-tanks-are-now-shooting-depleted-uranium-bullets-175219

What a nightmare...
I

Tell your story; Ask a question; Interpret generously
http://storybythethroat.wordpress.com/tell-ask-listen/

Re: Mason's response to the DU controversy

"Actually I couldn't find any evidence of the Russian military using DU rounds."

Yes. I noted some other warmonger make this same claim on Twitter likewise: again entirely unevidenced and unreferenced. Alongside this lack we can be pretty certain they are just making it up because if the Russians actually had used DU it would almost certainly have been utilised in the propaganda war against Russia.

Scott Ritter: The Russian Army removed its DU penetrators in the early 2000s

Posted by sashimi <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/xxxxx/info/user=sashimi' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 24, 2023, 12:07 am, in reply to "Re: Mason's response to the DU controversy"

(quote)
There has been some effort by the Western media to paint Russia as somewhat
hypocritical in its approach to the use of depleted uranium in its own anti-tank
ammunition. While the Soviet Army did, in fact, make use of depleted uranium
penetrators in certain types of anti-tank ammunition, it has been the practice
of the Russian Army to remove these weapons from its inventory, something that
was accomplished in the early 2000's. However, some media outlets have published
claims that the new Svinets-2 (3BM-60) round, employed on the new T-90 tank,
uses a DU penetrator.

This is apparently a false claim. According to Rybar, an online analytical
service, "the Svinets-2 has a tungsten alloy core that, together with the 4Zh96
Ozon-T charge, provides about 700 mm (27 in) of right-angle penetration through
solid steel at 2 km. The projectile's 740-mm length allows it to be used only in
newer T-90A, T-90M, T72B3 and T80BVM tanks."

That Russia has taken a principled stand about the use of DU as a weapon
underscores the fact that its stance regarding the introduction of DU into
Ukraine by the UK is not merely a political show, but a national security
reality, and that Russian warning regarding the consequences of such actions
should be treated with all seriousness.
(/quote)
-- Cont'd at https://archive.is/rEaQe

Misinformation from western spooks, who knew? ;) Thx, Sashimi (nm)

Posted by Ian M <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/xxxxx/info/user=Ian+M' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 24, 2023, 12:17 am, in reply to "Scott Ritter: The Russian Army removed its DU penetrators in the early 2000s"

Tell your story; Ask a question; Interpret generously
http://storybythethroat.wordpress.com/tell-ask-listen/

Svinet-2 is a DU munition accoding to TASS

Posted by Chris Rogers <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/xxxxx/info/user=Chris+Rogers' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 24, 2023, 12:31 am, in reply to "Scott Ritter: The Russian Army removed its DU penetrators in the early 2000s"

All Soviet Union/Russian DU munitions are manufactured for the 125mm smooth bore barrel as used in many of its tanks from the 80s onwards, having dealt with an egregious FB post by someone purporting to be a Socialist on Thursday, based on disinformation from The Grauniad, the fact is no DU munitions to-date have been utilised by Russia or the Donbass militia in the Ukraine conflict, i.e., it would be insane to use such toxic materials on territories you desire Ukrainian ethnic Russians to return to. The Russians are certainly not idiots on this issue, the same cannot be said of Zelensky or NATO. In a nutshell, these reports/rumours are pure propaganda.

Its hard to work out what use they think DU munitions will be anyway...

Its essentially been an artillery war: there's been little in the way of tank battles where such armour-piercing munitions might be of use.

Very much artillery

Posted by Chris Rogers <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/xxxxx/info/user=Chris+Rogers' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 24, 2023, 2:36 am, in reply to "Its hard to work out what use they think DU munitions will be anyway..."

Ken,
The majority of Ukraine's Soviet era tanks were taken out of the picture by the Russian Federation in the opening two months of the conflict. Further, Tungsten core and Sobot core munitions are more than enough firepower to take out Ukraine's heavy mobile armour and far lighter vehicles - the Russian's should know, they bloody well built them. Even the much vaunted French, German, British and Yank MBTs will have most of their most modern anti-tank munition armour removed given they don't want it landing up in Russian hands, as such, again regular anti-tank tungsten and sobot munitions will suffice, i.e., no need whatsoever for DU munitions, which, both Russia and China would be keen on banning internationally if an arms agreement ban were possible.
At the end of the day, this DU munitions crap is pure propaganda meant to sour Russian/Chinese relations, given China genuinely desires a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. Obviously, the nutters ruling the UK don't give a toss and Zelensky don't give a toss if DU munitions are used on Ukrainian soil, I mean they are happy rounding up 17 year olds and 60 year olds to face off against Russian artillery, which essentially is murder, so why not poison the Donbass with toxic depleted uranium whilst you are at it, thus denying Ukrainian ethnic Russians the use of the land. Oh, and these are supposed to be the good guys - my arse they are!

Re: Very much artillery

"...so why not poison the Donbass with toxic depleted uranium whilst you are at it, thus denying Ukrainian ethnic Russians the use of the land."

Discounting the idea that the Ukrainians have some plan to draw Russia into a series of major tank battles (which I don't think the Russians would cooperate with anyway) that kind of malicious spite would seem to be the only reason to introduce them.

It very much is a 'burned earth' approach - NM

Posted by Chris Rogers <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/xxxxx/info/user=Chris+Rogers' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 24, 2023, 2:47 am, in reply to "Re: Very much artillery"

Let him (Mason) eat yellow cake (nm)

Posted by sashimi <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/xxxxx/info/user=sashimi' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 24, 2023, 12:09 am, in reply to "Mason's response to the DU controversy"

Re: Let him (Mason) eat yellow cake (nm)

Posted by Dovetail Joint <iframe src='https://members5.boardhost.com/xxxxx/info/user=Dovetail+Joint' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 24, 2023, 6:49 am, in reply to "Let him (Mason) eat yellow cake (nm)"

I, for one, can't wait for George Monbiot, the tiresome environmental campaigner, to add his customary words of wisdom to this debate.

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