Investigative journalist terms Nord Stream bombing "dumbest" act from Washington: Indian media

NEW DELHI, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh has termed the Nord Stream bombing, which he says was done by the United States, the "dumbest" act from Washington in years, an Indian news website Firstpost reported.

Hersh reported that the United States planted the bombs on the Nord Stream pipeline under the Baltic sea, which carried Russian gas to Germany, during the Baltops joint military drill in June last year, and the Nord Stream pipeline was blown apart in a series of explosions in August, the news website said.

"I think the consequences politically for us (the United States) are enormous," Hersh was quoted in an interview as saying.

He said the long-term effect of the sabotage would be "horrific" for Europe, adding that the act "cut into the notion that they can depend totally on America, even in a crisis," the website said.

Hersh noted that the United States always wanted to isolate Russia to prevent it from selling oil and gas to the European Union.

According to the website, Hersh feels that the United States saw energy alternatives for Europe as a "threat," and the Biden administration feared that Europe would "walk away" from the Ukrainian crisis if it felt the need for Russian fuel carried by the pipeline, which was under sanctions.

"The fear of losing European support in the Ukraine conflict made the U.S. to take out the only option Europe had should it want to restart buying fuel from Russia," Hersh argued.

The White House has denied Hersh's claim as "complete nonsense" but Hersh said that his information was accurate, said the website.

The American journalist slammed the U.S. mainstream media for looking the other way on his expose. Hersh singled out the New York Times and Washington Post for refusing to "run a word" on the story and ignoring calls for an international investigation into the Nord Stream blasts, said the website.

He said that he would carry on his expose on how the United States blew up the fuel lines without considering the adverse effect it would have on Europe in the winters, the website said.