Category Archives: Censorship

The story the media — and the government — don’t want you to hear

Sen. Ron Johnson

Read about the biggest government scandal that legacy newspapers won’t touch.

On April 29, 2026, as Chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, I held a hearing and released a report titled “Unmasked: How Biden Health Officials Purposely Turned a Blind Eye Toward COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Signals.” There has not been a bigger government scandal during my lifetime, and yet even now that we have documented proof of corruption, most of the legacy media refuses to report on it.

My report details how in March 2021, Peter Marks — director of the FDA center that approves vaccines and is responsible for safety surveillance (CBER) — was briefed that the algorithm they were using to analyze the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) would mask or hide COVID-19 vaccine adverse event safety signals. Twenty-six days later, using an updated algorithm, senior FDA officials were shown 25 safety signals, including sudden cardiac death, pulmonary infarction, cerebral artery occlusion, basal ganglia stroke, agonal rhythm, and Bell’s palsy.

For the next three months, they received updates showing more serious safety signals. Instead of warning or informing the public, they ordered the data analyst to “cease and desist” and then lied to the American public that “they weren’t seeing safety signals” and that any adverse events were “rare and mild.” The whole point of using sophisticated algorithms to analyze VAERS is to find needles in the haystack — nonobvious potential harms that doctors and patients should be alerted to.

With the COVID-19 injections, we didn’t need sophisticated algorithms. The sheer volume of adverse event reports overwhelming VAERS was enough to trigger my oversight efforts. We faced impenetrable stonewalling until Secretary Kennedy’s commitment to radical transparency provided my Subcommittee with 11 million pages of documents. The documents make clear that FDA and CDC officials did not use an “err on the side of caution” standard to alert the public. Rather, they insisted on definitive proof of causation — a standard they knew would never be met.

They were far more concerned about not causing vaccine hesitancy than they were about informing the public of adverse events. They wanted to ensure that the injections would receive full licensure approval so that President Biden could mandate them to the military and millions of civilians, including healthy college students.

Perhaps the most egregious coercion involved healthy children who had virtually zero chance of serious harm from COVID-19. That coercion was based on another false claim that the injections would stop transmission. Some children were killed and others have been permanently disabled from the COVID-19 injections. Imagine being the parent who believed all the lies they were told and decided to have their now deceased or injured child injected.

Also in March 2021, Dr. Avindra Nath, clinical director at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), began leading a team of clinical researchers who were diagnosing and treating individuals with serious COVID-19 injection injuries. Twenty-three study participants were diagnosed and treated, then instructed to “not talk about the study” until the NIH could release its findings and conclusions. Dr. Nath maintained that early recognition and intervention were crucial for effective treatment. Yet no guidance was provided to physicians — one participant remarked that the NIH scientists had “taken the data and left us hanging.”

Adding insult to injury, in April 2021 the CDC published a report stating that similar adverse events were “anxiety” — not a problem with the shots. It was not until study participants began speaking publicly in 2022 that the NIH quietly posted its study on a preprint server that virtually no one read, leaving medical teams nationwide in the dark and the injection-injured left untreated.

We will never know the full extent of the harms (or the benefits) of the COVID-19 injections. But we do know that federal health officials were aware that serious harm was being done within months of them granting Emergency Use Authorization. We also know that those same officials turned a blind eye toward the safety signals that were screaming at them, but they refused to warn the public. The public pays federal health officials to evaluate drugs for safety and efficacy, and we have the right to be informed.

How many deaths and injuries could have been avoided had federal health officials simply done the job we paid them to do?

Currently, VAERS shows 1,676,100 cumulative worldwide adverse events and 39,099 deaths associated with the COVID-19 injection, with 9,332 (24%) of the deaths occurring within 2 days of injection. Most of these tragic adverse events occurred well after federal health officials should have informed the public about the risks they knew existed. Instead, they hid or downplayed those risks. As a result, millions were harmed after being denied their right to fully informed consent.

That’s why I consider this to be the biggest government scandal in my lifetime, and one that is crying out for full media attention and coverage.

The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA TODAY, and Fox Digital have all declined or ignored requests to publish this op-ed.

NBC, ABC, PBS, CNN, and MSNow have all refused to cover my report.

Read the full report here.

Source: https://x.com/SenRonJohnson/status/2067427189759332619?s=20


Joe Rogan just revealed that presidents and former presidents personally pressured Spotify to have him removed for “vaccine misinformation.” And not one of them apologized when his questions turned out to be right. He says he still can’t talk about most of it. What he will say is that the campaign was coordinated, expensive, and came from the very top. ROGAN: “They tried to crush my sponsors. They organized campaigns. There was PACs involved.” ROGAN: “I can’t even talk about it. But there was presidents involved and former presidents involved that were contacting Spotify. Trying to get me removed for vaccine misinformation.” ROGAN: “And it turned out to be right. All of it.” ROGAN: “Not a single apology from anybody. Not a single retraction, not a single mea culpa, not a single ‘we were wrong.'” The pressure failed. Joe’s audience grew. And the people who tried to silence him never had to answer for any of it…

Link:  https://x.com/VigilantFox/status/2067300993608655211?s=20

 

The Blob Is Going CRAZY Over This by Mike Benz

Feb 15th, 2026 from Mike Benz…

This new move by Sarah Rogers is causing The Blob to have its most insane meltdown of the year. Here I cover a potential new initiative by the US State Department’s Public Diplomacy branch to begin funding charities and think tanks in Europe that promote free speech online and digital freedom, and the utterly empty arguments being made in response by the EU, Brussels & Shadow Diplomacy elements of our own NGOplex and CIA.

The Blob Is Going CRAZY Over This

Mike Benz: Executive Director, Foundation for Freedom Online. Former State Dept Cyber. Author of the unpublishable monstrosity, Weapons Of Mass Deletion.

On the matter of Charlie Kirk

Getty Images Charlie Kirk, wearing a white t-shirt, speaking to cameras at the event where he was shot.

Charlie Kirk

Israel’s Pressure Campaign Against Charlie Kirk (w/ Max Blumenthal) (Video on YouTube)

Netanyahu speaks for 2 minutes about how Israel did not kill Charlie Kirk. (Video on X) Comment: “The lady doth protest too much, methinks”

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Candace Owens shared a screenshot of a group chat where Charlie Kirk says:

John Mearsheimer EXPOSES Charlie Kirk’s Undeniable Turn Against Israel (Video on YouTube)

Max Blumenthal: Charlie Kirk’s Story FALLS APART by ‘Dialogue Works’ with Nima R. Alkhorshid (Video on YouTube)

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Three months later Charlie Kirk was dead.


Captured America …  AIPAC-Backed Candidates’ Win Rate

AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) tracks the success of candidates it supports through direct PAC donations, bundled contributions, and its affiliated super PAC (United Democracy Project). Success is measured primarily by general election victories, as AIPAC focuses on influencing primaries and general races with pro-Israel stances.

Key Data from Recent Cycles:

“50 States One Israel”

Benjamin Netanyahu “50 States One Israel”

A delegation of 250 US state legislators from all 50 states visited Israel from September 14 to 18, 2025, as part of the “50 States One Israel” conference hosted by Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This was the largest such group of US elected officials to visit the country in a single trip, aimed at strengthening bipartisan ties amid global criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Turning Points – The Grayzone live (9/24/25)

Analysis Solves Kirk Case—Evidence Points Away From Robinson’s Position (9/26/25)

Max Blumenthal on X |@MaxBlumenthal: TPUSA’s Andrew Kolvet has confirmed the authenticity of texts showing Charlie Kirk declaring he was left with “no choice but to leave the pro Israel cause,” and complaining that “Jewish donors” had “bullied him” Netanyahu cutouts like Josh Hammer were on this chat and lied.  Source:  https://x.com/MaxBlumenthal/status/1975647589392654759

Max Blumenthal: Charlie Kirk UPDATE | Israel-Iran War to ERUPT

Update (Jan 7, 2026):   Stew Peters on X: @realstewpeters | STEWPETERS.com

REVEALED: How Charlie Kirk was killed — the method and the weapon directly connected to Fort Huachuca!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The damning NECK WOUND REPLICATION completely shatters the 30-06 narrative.

Source: https://x.com/realstewpeters/status/2008754470214107220?s=20


Important perspective from former investigator Garland Nixon (Jan 16, 2026): 

THE CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION EVIDENCE MAKES A CLEAR CASE

 

‘Two Hundred Years Together’ by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

‘Two Hundred Years Together’ by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

A full, authorized English translation of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s Two Hundred Years Together is currently in progress and is slated for publication in second half of 2026.  Until then, no officially sanctioned complete English version exists.

Audio / Video reading by Pete Quiñones and Commentary by Dr. Matthew Raphael Johnson

This has proven to be a great technique for increased understanding of a complex subject: having one person read the text, while another expert provides context and commentary in real-time as the reading progresses through the entire text.

Dr. Matthew Raphael Johnson is a researcher, writer, and former professor of history and political science, specializing in Russian history and political ideology.

Pete Quiñones and Dr. Johnson continue a project in which Pete reads Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s ‘200 Years Together,” and Dr’ Johnson provides commentary.

Reading Solzhenitsyn’s ‘200 Years Together’ w/ Dr Matthew Raphael Johnson – Part 70 (see ‘all videos’ below)

Grok: The unauthorized English versions of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s *Two Hundred Years Together* that circulate online or in print-on-demand editions (e.g., *The Crucifixion of Russia* or other self-published translations) are known to be incomplete, poorly translated, or altered. However, specific information on which exact chapters are omitted or altered in these versions is not consistently documented in reliable sources, as the Solzhenitsyn Center and other authoritative sources do not provide detailed breakdowns of the content of these unauthorized editions. Instead, they broadly caution that these versions are missing significant portions, contain translation errors, or have been edited to serve ideological purposes.

*Two Hundred Years Together* consists of 22 chapters across two volumes, covering the history of Jews in Russia and the Soviet Union from 1795 to 1995. The Solzhenitsyn Center notes that unauthorized English translations often exclude or redact entire chapters, particularly those addressing sensitive topics like Jewish involvement in revolutionary movements, the Soviet secret police, or interethnic relations, to avoid controversy or align with specific agendas. For example, some versions are reported to skip or heavily edit chapters such as:

– **Chapter 15** (“The Bolsheviks”) and **Chapter 16** (“During the Civil War”), which discuss Jewish roles in the Russian Revolution and Civil War.

– **Chapter 21** (“During the Soviet-German War”) and **Chapter 22** (“From the End of the War to Stalin’s Death”), which cover Jewish experiences during and after World War II.

These omissions are not systematically cataloged in available sources, as the focus remains on the unreliability of these texts as a whole. The only authorized English excerpts are in *The Solzhenitsyn Reader* (2006), which includes the introduction and parts of early chapters (e.g., Chapters 1–3 on pre-revolutionary history) but not the full text. The complete, authorized English translation, expected in 2026, will include all 22 chapters without omissions. Until then, no reliable English source provides the full scope of the original work.

Reference:

A Deeper Historical Perspective of Modern Geopolitics

The US govt is going to start official hearings on freedom of speech & censorship in the UK.

“The censorship, the repression in the UK is off the charts…”  – “What’s happening now, is the weaponisation of populations…as a way of destroying British culture, English culture, indigenous. culture…”

“This is the nature of a parasitic imperial system…”

Crypto Rich @CryptoRichYT  Video: https://x.com/sjkokinda/status/1959288640061784503

Rich informed discussion with:

  • @sjkokinda
  •  @TFL1728 &
  • @NakedHedgie
  •  @PrometheanActn

#Starmer #Trump #Censorship #FreedomOfSpeech #OnlineSafetyAct #taxes #Turkey #Israel #EU #UK


Also on Sept 13, 2025: Crypto Rich @CryptoRichYT

🌍 What connects Israel’s strike on Qatar, Trump’s economic plan, the push for race & religious wars, and the City of London? @sjkokinda, @NakedHedgie & @TFL1728 expose what the empire fears most: humanity waking up. Don’t miss this!

Video: https://x.com/CryptoRichYT/status/1966822110786892142

 

Grok is clearly retarded

by DAVID BROWN | CLEARNFO.com | August 24th, 2025

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Grok is a good search engine for initial queries, but still lacks memory between sessions and the analysis still lacks context and motive. For example, Grok uses documents from known liars (CDC, FDA, US Gov, etc.) as primary sources to determine truth. Does not factor in their history of distortion or their motives. I have found it easy to get Grok to admit it was deceptive in its analysis and conclusions. I have done this many times, yet it does not learn from our previous discussions since it can’t retain memory of prior sessions.

In recent days, Grok has made a 180 degree turn on many of its positions on Israel.  This indicates to me someone decided to flip a switch.  Who created the switch and who flipped it? Grok and its brood cannot be trusted.

Why did Elon destroy the Grok brand in service of Israel?

So, is AI truly retarded or just another tool used for propaganda? 

Note:

  • Roughly 10-20% of all books and documents have been uploaded to the internet
  • Google indexes around 4-10% of the total internet, heavily weighted toward the surface web with the deep web—estimated to be 400-500 times larger than the surface web—remaining largely untouched.
  • Based on the latest data, Google likely indexes 70-90% of the surface web
  • Grok’s dataset is 6-12% of the surface web’s text data.

ChatGPT is also retarded


AI as a tool….  I TRADED GOOGLE FOR AI– and you should too by Ian Carroll | Ian Carroll on X: https://x.com/IanCarrollShow

Mike Adams: Big Tech’s AI engines are becoming STUPID as they push narrative control


I stumped Grok AI: 

It took Grok 4s to provide a multi-page response to the question about the Allies Blockade of Germany during WW2.

20 minutes later… no response to the question of how did the Allied Blockade impact the German prison camps.


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AI is a Liar. Here’s Why That’s So DangerousSharyl Attkisson Oct 30, 2025

Large language mistake by Benjamin Riley (Nov 25, 2025) Cutting-edge research shows language is not the same as intelligence. The entire AI bubble is built on ignoring it.


Riley Brown’s (@rileybrown) comprehensive overview of AI tools.

Why you are using AI wrong (how to 10x your output) from Intuition Machine – AGI is the Medium

Sam Altman’s Big Lie? The Fatal Flaws Crashing the AI Market Bubble | Alex Krainer (April 28, 2026)

This Week in Tautology – A Response To Racaniello et al.

Charles Rixey & Kevin W. McCairn PhD.

This Week in Tautology – A Response To Racaniello et al. with Kevin W. McCairn PhD. & Charles Rixey  (Length 1:56:31) Streamed live on: Jun 18, 9:18 am EDT

HITLER, HOLOCAUST AND THE HOLY LAND (Episode V)

IPOT (In Pursuit of Truth) Episode V | Narrated by Sir Patrick Mack

All five Episodes:


Episode V (Acts I & II)

Jews Declaration of War
https://wintersonnenwende.com/scriptorium/english/archives/articles/jdecwar.html
Verein
https://portal.ehri-project.eu/units/us-005578-irn507373-irn611132
https://www.jmberlin.de/1933/en/02_14_event-held-by-the-central-association-of-german-citizens-of-jewish-faith-entitled-the-future-of-the-german-jews.php
Hitler Wins Libel Suit
https://christiansfortruth.com/flashback-1923-hitler-awarded-6-million-marks-in-libel-suit-against-newspaper-that-claimed-he-was-financed-by-jews/
Hitler speeches PDF
https://www.pixiv.net/novel/show.php?id=16263968
https://christiansfortruth.com/how-german-writer-thomas-manns-implausible-rumors-about-jews-being-gassed-became-the-holocaust/
Haavara Links:
Hanotea Receipt
https://www.scribd.com/document/237474510/Haavara-Agreement
Klaus Polkehn
https://archive.org/stream/KlausPolkehnTheSecretContacts-ZionismAndNaziGermany1933-1941/KlausPolkehnTheSecretContacts-ZionismAndNaziGermany1933-1941_djvu.txt
https://archive.org/details/Thesecretcontacts-zionismandnazigermany1933-1941-journal-of-palestine-studies-po/page/n27/mode/2up
Yeshuda Arazi
https://www.wertheimer.info/family/GRAMPS/Haapalah/ppl/e/6/beb6c230963258c566e.htmlHaganah/Polkes
https://newpol.org/isnt-it-time-for-the-truth-about-feivel-polkes-and-his-haganah-chiefs/
’51 Documents’
https://archive.org/details/lenni-brenner-51-documents-zionist-collaboration-with-the-nazis/page/n9/mode/2up
Eliezer Hoofien
https://israeled.org/eliezer-hoofien/
Nazi/Zionist Connection
https://www.targetfreedomusa.com/the-nazi-zionist-connection-shocking-hidden-history/
https://nationalvanguard.org/2019/03/the-bromberg-bloody-sunday/
https://www.wintersonnenwende.com/scriptorium/english/archives/atrocities/pagmp001.html#58000
Athenia Sinking
https://networks.h-net.org/node/12840/reviews/13648/peifer-carroll-athenia-torpedoed-u-boat-attack-ignited-battle-atlantic
https://winstonchurchill.org/publications/finest-hour/finest-hour-179/alexander-korda-churchills-man-hollywood/
Churchill/Korda
https://winstonchurchill.org/publications/finest-hour/finest-hour-179/alexander-korda-churchills-man-hollywood/


Episode V (Acts II & III)

Eisenhower
https://rense.com/general46/germ.htm
https://www.armahellas.com/2009/10/13/eisenhowers-holocaust-his-slaughter-of-17-million-germans/

Dresden
https://www.armahellas.com/2012/02/13/dresden-%E2%80%93-the-real-holocaust/
Nemmersdorf
https://dirkdeklein.net/2021/10/21/nemmersdorf-massacre%ef%bf%bc/
Eisenhower
https://rense.com/general46/germ.htm
https://www.armahellas.com/2009/10/13/eisenhowers-holocaust-his-slaughter-of-17-million-germans/

Pat Buchanan Hitler
https://buchanan.org/blog/did-hitler-want-war-2068
Churchill
https://research.calvin.edu/german-propaganda-archive/schul05.htm
https://crazzfiles.com/winston-churchill-on-germanys-unforgivable-crime/


IPOT1776 on Bitchute

From ClearNFO… 

World War II – A Necessary Re-Evaluation


* More background for Episodes 1&2 from the Hollywood angle by Jay Dyer ( Jay’s Analysis)

  • Esoteric Hollywood: Sex, Cults & Symbols in Film (book 1)
  • Esoteric Hollywood 2: More Sex, Cults & Symbols in Film (book 2)

Jay’s two books above are available on his web: https://jaysanalysis.com/shop/
Also available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jay-Dyer/e/B01N30F19R

On the Matter or Ukraine

by DAVID BROWN | CLEARNFO.com | March 06, 2022

The media are uninformed and lack any real context

What is the context? The US installed their own puppet government in Ukraine in 2014. Since that time, Ukraine has been shelling and murdering its own citizens in the Donbas for eight years which are mostly ethnic Russians. For five days before the Russian incursion this year, Zelensky and the Azov Battalion were shelling the Donbas non-stop and murdering civilians in the Donbas. This is why the break-away countries —Donetsk and Luhansk— are asking for Putin’s help.

There is no evidence of “Russian shelling of a nuclear power plant” There was a training facility building that was hit but we do not know who hit it. Also this nuclear facility is designed to take a direct missile attack. It is bad journalism to assume this was a Russian attack when there was no evidence. If Russia intended on attacking this facility, it would have been leveled to the ground.  BTW, There is plenty of evidence that Ukrainian forces –not Russian– hit the building near the nuclear facility. As to motive: there would be no upside for Russia to have a major release of  radioactive contamination, while there is plenty of motive for  Zelensky and his handlers in the West to use this for propaganda purposes against the Russian incursion — which of course they did with no evidence.

More context…

Putin did not invade Crimea. There was no invasion. Crimea voted 97% to re-associate with Russia to gain protection from the neo-Nazis backed by the US and NATO after the US State Department removed the legitimately elected government in Ukraine in a bloody putsch using their tried and true Operation Gladio techniques called the strategy of tension in 2014. George Soros is even on tape bragging about helping the CIA do this. We have copies of documents where Pierre Omidyar helped in this operation. Pierre is another multi billionaire globalist and founder of eBay and First Look Media. Pierre also bought PayPal in 2002 and stopped all funding to Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks.

Why are there real Nazis in Ukraine?
• Stalin starved some 10 million Ukrainians during the Holodomor (1932 – 1933)
• Anti-communist and nationalist Hitler stupidly invaded Communist Russia called Operation Barbarossa in 1941.
• The Ukrainians – remembering Stalin’s Holodomor in 1932—assisted Hitler in his failed attempt to squash the communist Soviet Union led by Stalin.
• So, to this day many Ukrainians hate Russia and some are neo-Nazis.
• The US State department used this historical division to execute its well-oiled operation Gladio in 2014 to install an anti-Russian puppet government which hated ethnic Russians living in Ukraine. They outlawed the Russian language and started attacking and killing the mostly Russian speaking people in the Donbas area (Donetsk and Luhansk) killing some 10K innocent men, women and children.
• These neo-Nazis were installed and funded by the USA.

Russian legitimate interest in Ukraine
• Why is Ukraine important to Russia? Russia has a 1,426.07 mi border with Ukraine and is traditionally known as the bread basket of Russia.
• Why is Crimea and Sevastopol important to Russia? Since the city’s founding in 1783 it has been a major base for Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. The Black Sea is Russia’s only warm water port providing access to the Mediterranean Sea. Think strategic. The US envisioned taking this away from Russia.
• Why is Putin pissed at NATO? Because the US gave Russia assurances that NATO would not move one inch further East. The US and NATO lied. They not only moved an inch they moved 800 miles and are now surrounding Russia with offensive military installations. The US has been pouring billions in arms into Ukraine using its own installed puppet government.

NOTE: U.S. Secretary of State James Baker’s famous “not one inch eastward” assurance about NATO expansion in his meeting with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on February 9, 1990, was part of a cascade of assurances about Soviet security given by Western leaders to Gorbachev and other Soviet officials throughout the process of German unification in 1990 and on into 1991, according to declassified U.S., Soviet, German, British and French documents posted today by the National Security Archive at George Washington University.
https://mltoday.com/new-document-us-promised-not-to-e..

So now let’s talk about why Putin initiated an incursion into Ukraine.

  • Minsk agreements – were a series of international agreements which sought to end the war in Donbas region of Ukraine.
  • Ukraine and the US refused to abide by this agreement or even discuss it. Why? Because the US wanted to orchestrate a war.
  • Putin warned NATO and the US not to make Ukraine another NATO outpost because this would threaten Russia security. The US ignored Putin and gave him the finger.
  • US murdering ethnic Russians by proxy using its installed government in Ukraine.

Nord Stream 2: 1,230 km (767 mile) pipeline from Russia to Europe. Russia had their doubts about building a second pipeline, but Germany desperately needed this energy after shutting down its nuclear powerplants and insisted on building this pipeline. Russia really didn’t need Nord Stream 2 to sell their Gas since China is also in great need for Russian energy. Russia gave in and agreed to the pipeline thinking I’m sure this would provide more influence over Europe. Now, Germany –against their will and better interest– has delayed the certification of this pipeline under pressure from the USA.

Related information:

From John Smith: “whose vehicles drove into the power plant yes they where taking fire at the Nuclear Power Plant but who stood out of the vehicle and shot an RPG at it. We saw it live while watching webcam LIVE we saw the vehicles shooting at the building to the right. Yes there was firing back and forwards to me i saw flares from the Russians but rockets of some sort incoming was definitely the Ukrainians . I will share a link from original source skip to time stamp 1hr in.”

From ClearNFO:


UPDATE:

“NO EXTENSION OF NATO’S JURISDICTION  FOR FORCES OF NATO ONE INCH TO THE EAST of a unified Germany” – US Secretary of State Baker to Gorbachev, 1990.

Declassified documents show security assurances against NATO expansion to Soviet leaders from Baker, Bush, Genscher, Kohl, Gates, Mitterrand, Thatcher, Hurd, Major, and Woerner

“U.S. Secretary of State James Baker’s famous “not one inch eastward” assurance about NATO expansion in his meeting with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on February 9, 1990, was part of a cascade of assurances about Soviet security given by Western leaders to Gorbachev and other Soviet officials throughout the process of German unification in 1990 and on into 1991, according to declassified U.S., Soviet, German, British and French documents posted today by the National Security Archive at George Washington University

The documents show that multiple national leaders were considering and rejecting Central and Eastern European membership in NATO as of early 1990 and through 1991, that discussions of NATO in the context of German unification negotiations in 1990 were not at all narrowly limited to the status of East German territory, and that subsequent Soviet and Russian complaints about being misled about NATO expansion were founded in written contemporaneous memcons and telcons at the highest levels.

The documents reinforce former CIA Director Robert Gates’s criticism of “pressing ahead with expansion of NATO eastward [in the 1990s], when Gorbachev and others were led to believe that wouldn’t happen.”

The first concrete assurances by Western leaders on NATO began on January 31, 1990, when West German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher opened the bidding with a major public speech at Tutzing, in Bavaria, on German unification. The U.S. Embassy in Bonn (see Document 1) informed Washington that Genscher made clear “that the changes in Eastern Europe and the German unification process must not lead to an ‘impairment of Soviet security interests.’ Therefore, NATO should rule out an ‘expansion of its territory towards the east, i.e. moving it closer to the Soviet borders.’” The Bonn cable also noted Genscher’s proposal to leave the East German territory out of NATO military structures even in a unified Germany in NATO.

This latter idea of special status for the GDR territory was codified in the final German unification treaty signed on September 12, 1990, by the Two-Plus-Four foreign ministers (see Document 25). The former idea about “closer to the Soviet borders” is written down not in treaties but in multiple memoranda of conversation between the Soviets and the highest-level Western interlocutors (Genscher, Kohl, Baker, Gates, Bush, Mitterrand, Thatcher, Major, Woerner, and others) offering assurances throughout 1990 and into 1991 about protecting Soviet security interests and including the USSR in new European security structures. The two issues were related but not the same. Subsequent analysis sometimes conflated the two and argued that the discussion did not involve all of Europe. The documents published below show clearly that it did.

The “Tutzing formula” immediately became the center of a flurry of important diplomatic discussions over the next 10 days in 1990, leading to the crucial February 10, 1990, meeting in Moscow between Kohl and Gorbachev when the West German leader achieved Soviet assent in principle to German unification in NATO, as long as NATO did not expand to the east. The Soviets would need much more time to work with their domestic opinion (and financial aid from the West Germans) before formally signing the deal in September 1990.

As late as March 1991, according to the diary of the British ambassador to Moscow, British Prime Minister John Major personally assured Gorbachev, “We are not talking about the strengthening of NATO.”

David’s Stack of Stuff for Sunday 2/27/2022

by DAVID BROWN | CLEARNFO.com | February 27, 2022

Videos to help you bring it all together – Ukraine & the Clot-Shot