'Like a meteorite': New Russian weapon travels 27 times speed of sound
SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER, WHILE STARING DOWN THE BARREL OF A GUN: The photo tells the storybut Evan Fu of The Epoch Times provides the dramatic details. The poster being held up by the unarmed protestor reads: “Heaven will judge the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).”
The Czech Republic presents a case in point for the problem
Russian interference in elections and democracies has become increasingly widespread. With two of Putin’s strongest European allies in Czech President Miloš Zeman and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, Russia is exerting aggressive economic and political influence in this post-Eastern-block country.
Putin’s hybrid war in Europe
In recent decades, information has been brandished as the new weapon. Political confrontation takes place on the Internet in the form of cyberwar. Cyberattacks on State Departments’ computer systems and servers, propaganda in traditional and digital media, and advanced digital espionage. Russia, in particular, has utilised this hybrid form of warfare both in ex-Soviet countries and in the EU, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe.
Hybrid warfare is an integrated hostile action which employs political warfare, cyberattacks (hacking operations against state institutions), intelligence operations, and other influencing methods such as fake news, disinformation, social media campaigns, and foreign electorates. ..
Czech Facebook is flooded with trolls who have pro-Russian political views. For example, Ondřej Höppner, a journalist and the owner of the online news website – hoppner.cz, writes consistently with a pro-Russian and pro-Babiš bias. Other examples include Zdeněk Klímek, a well-known orator for the Soviet Union and communism, and Jan Klán, a socialist and Marxist with more than 4 thousand followers.
There is also evidence that Russia has conducted social media campaigns on Twitter. Using open sources, including TweetDeck and consumer-insights company Crimson Hexagon, the total mentions in Russian language tweets originating in the Czech Republic have been two times lower compared to 2014. But this is directly correlated to a growing number of pro-Russian tweets in the Czech language itself, suggesting simply that Russian campaigns are now being run in the Czech dialogue.
Challenging the Propaganda Machine
Upholding the tenets of democracy such as accessing free, unbiased media in such a context is difficult. Still, the Czech Republic is one of the only countries in the EU to have established a special unit to deal specifically with disinformation.
by R Connolly
Russian corruption starts small but quickly spreads. By Kristofer ... Czech officials implausibly claimed
According to Chris Yurko (pun intended Janošik), the suggestion that Czech and Slovak scientist have the IP on this weapon is exaggerated ...
Czech Republic at the mercy of Chinese and Russian secret services
Seven Winters after the Prague Spring of 1968
The Unbearable Lightness of Being.
I think somebody has already written that.
I did! But I was wrong about the title then. That title was supposed to
belong to the novel I'm writing right now.
- Milan Kundera
Even after 50 or more years ordinary Czechs and Slovaks remember Marshal Ivan Konev role in the post World War II notorious episodes – namely the suppression of the 1956 Hungarian uprising, the building of the Berlin Wall, and the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia that crushed the Prague Spring.
I think somebody has already written that.
I did! But I was wrong about the title then. That title was supposed to
belong to the novel I'm writing right now.
- Milan Kundera
Even after 50 or more years ordinary Czechs and Slovaks remember Marshal Ivan Konev role in the post World War II notorious episodes – namely the suppression of the 1956 Hungarian uprising, the building of the Berlin Wall, and the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia that crushed the Prague Spring.
It may read like the plot from an old Ian Fleming novel, but it is just the most recent example of the need for the United States to restore its influence in Eastern Europe and counter Russian aggression. Ali Fayyad, a Hezbollah terrorist associated with notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout, was recently releasedby the Czech government in spite of U.S. pleas for his extradition. Fayyad, Russia’s link to Hezbollah arms and drug trading, escaped in an extraordinary maneuver involving widespread allegations of Russian influence inside a NATO government, a staged kidnapping in Lebanon, and an operation by today’s equivalent of the Russian KGB.
Is That An Jozef Imrich’s Stories Or Just Another Putin Scheme
1970s repeats itself as all history does ...
PRAGUE. Chinese and Russian intelligence activities pose a significant threat to the security of the Czech Republic. By using a wide range of methods, intelligence services from both countries tried to weaken Czech state institutions, influence official state positions related to international security and threaten the democratic system, the Czech intelligence service (BIS) warned in its annual report for 2018 published on Tuesday (26 November).
The report was published only a few days after EURACTIV.cz media partner Aktuálně.cz revealed that China had funded a “propaganda” course at the Charles University in Prague and paid a trip to China for some of its best students. In response to the scandal, the leading Czech university decided to close its Czech-Chinese centre.
Czech President Milos Zeman’s comicalattempt to paint U.S. President Donald Trump as his and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s political ally has ended tragically. He now carefully avoids being in the same room with Trump even when surrounded by other world leaders. In May he avoided the NATO heads of state meeting, and in July he is skipping the Three Seas conference in Warsaw, both chaired by Trump.
As a result of this debacle Zeman’s associates are under increased scrutiny in the United States. Especially since in June Zeman publicly supported the lax issuance of arms export licenses and even went so far as to criticize his own foreign service for its diligence in preventing arms proliferation. International observers were baffled by this gaffe. Was he drunk again? It turns out he was sober.
But in July, a report in the Bulgarian press provided an answer, stating that Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry provided diplomatic cover for flights carrying weapons to war zones. Czech and Slovak companies Real Trade Praha and MSM Group were mentioned along with other firms in an elaborate series of re-export schemes through Azerbaijan of arms that ended up in conflict zones in the Middle East. Many of the arms ultimately ended up in the hands of ISIS.
Both firms are owned by Czech arms trader Jaroslav Strnad, whom the Czech media have dubbed “Zeman’s friend and sponsor.” Michal Strnad, Jaroslav’s son, has legal responsibility for managing his father’s group companies. These names are largely unknown in the West.
In June, Czech press reported that former officials from the Czech Ministry of Defense will be charged with crimes for their business activities with Strnad. Several of these former officials are now employed in Strnad’s firms. Also in June, Czech media reported that Strnad’s company was found guilty of subsidy fraud.
Strnad’s holding company Czechoslovak Group (CSG) reported in its bond issuance prospectus that its subsidiary Retia is facing a security clearance review by the highly regarded Czech National Security Office after CSG became a shareholder in Retia. The prospectus states that Retia may be stripped of its security clearance. Diplomatic sources tell me that security clearance reviews generally occur when intelligence agencies report that a new owner is a national security threat, e.g. because of ties to hostile intelligence agencies.
Russian media reported in May that Strnad is expanding his Russian activities by localizing Avia and Tatra truck production in Russia to launch new products in Russian markets. Czech press recently reported that Strnad and his Russian partners are engaged in a hostile takeover of a Czech railcar manufacturing company. Trade unions are protesting the takeover because they believe that the acquirer is planning to shut down production in the Czech Republic.
Since 2016 Strnad has substantially increased his partnerships with Alexej Beljajev, a Slovak national who has been called Putin’s bridge to Central Europe. Their firm is the top financial sponsor of Milos Zeman. Beljajev has a close business relationship with state-owned Russian Railways and its former head, Vladimir Yakunin, a senior FSB officer who is under U.S. sanctions.
Russian Railways and rail technology enable the projection of Russian military power. The Railway Troops of the Russian Armed Forces are responsible for the movement of military materiel across the vast terrain. Without these capabilities, Russian armed forces would find it very difficult to transport equipment inside a country that spans a continent and has a terrible road network.
Russian railcar manufacturing companies are an integral part of the Russian military industrial complex’s land based systems production. Uralvagonzavod (Ural Railroad Car Factory) manufactures T-90 main battle tanks and is involved in the development of the T-14 Armata tank. Therefore, any technology improvements for Russian rail translate into improvements of Russian military capabilities.
The Russian military-industrial complex is reeling from Western sanctions that prohibit the export of technology that would allow Russia to develop its military machine. As a result, Russia is desperately looking for technology to fill the gap. Russia desperately needs even low-tech chassis and drivetrain technology of the 1980's and 1990's to make its next generation land based systems combat effective.
Will a prosecutor consider charging Jaroslav and Michal Strnad of trading on the black market for arms and being agents of Russian intelligence to steal Western technology? It depends on many facts that need to be discovered. For example: Did the Strnads know in advance that the weapons were actually destined for re-export? Did they facilitate the re-export by asking for political support? Is there a technology transfer quid pro quo for access to Russian markets? Are the Strnads associated with people on watchlists and blacklists? Have there been acquisitions that have scant economic justification? Is money flowing to and from Russia, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the UAE?
A writer cannot give definitive answers to these questions, but as witnesses come forward with the truth to the relevant authorities or the local U.S. Embassy, law enforcement can obtain the answers. The authorities will use subpoena power, witness testimony, recordings, emails and other records. As law enforcement develops their investigations, the media will continue to report what they discover.
Chris Yurko is a writer living in the Washington, D.C. area.
