Did Russia just attack a NATO nation?

A couple days ago an alleged Russian spy was arrested for making claims of trying to cause disruptions at the Olympics.

PARIS, July 24 (Reuters) - French police have arrested a Russian man suspected of planning to destabilize the Olympics, the Paris prosecutor's office said on Wednesday, just days before the Games begin.

www.reuters.com... ope/france-arrests-russian-suspected-planning-destabilize-olympics-2024-07-24/

Now today I see France's rail system has brought down by coordinated arson attacks.

metro.co.uk... als-set-fire-french-high-speed-rail-lines-hours-olympic-ceremony-21301235/

Is this a direct attack from Russia on a NATO country? Or will this be down played as not that big of a big deal?

a reply to: SomeStupidName

It may be suspected as Russian covert action, but for it to be considered an "attack on a NATO country", there would have to be very solid evidence that the Russian state ordered the action, *and* had the intent of seriously damaging France with said act.

Without such evidence that is convincing to the rest of NATO, it will be chalked up to unconventional warfare ... and might, or not, be responded to with a like act at some point in the future.

Cheers

a reply to: SomeStupidName

Is this a direct attack from Russia on a NATO country? Or will this be down played as not that big of a big deal?

Or is it propaganda to keep Russian hate at the forefront?

So many reasons this may or may not be based in facts.

a reply to: nugget1

There is a lot of gray area. Even if it is determined that a Russian national committed an act of arson, that is a far cry from proving the Russian state ordered said national to do so.

Cheers

a reply to: SomeStupidName

Russia is doing to France what the partisans have been doing to Russia inside Russia , France have been vocal about sending troops to Ukraine so Russia are playing the partisan game because they can't play in the Olympics ... Putin's bottom lip is well out.


Nothing will come of this because "partisans" but the end game is not far off.

a reply to: SomeStupidName

SSN,

Just for comparison. During the Cold War, the KGB funded groups in West Germany who poured concrete into "wells" that had been engineered as part of highway bridges. The "wells" (hollow cylinders) were made part of the bridges so that the German armed forces could drop them quickly (with explosives) in the event of invasion by the Soviet Union.

Highly provocative stuff, but it wasn't considered an "attack upon a NATO country".

Cheers

Orrrrrr maybe it’s a Russian hooker pee attack on a NATO country story? Oh what to believe anymore?

If Americans elect Kamala, I'll send Putin and Xi a letter inviting them to take over.

originally posted by: WeMustCare
If Americans elect Kamala, I'll send Putin and Xi a letter inviting them to take over.

How patriotic.

Israel's foreign minister has blamed Iran for the rail sabotage in France which is to be expected I guess but also possible.

a reply to: F2d5thCavv2
Right I agree there would need to be more evidence at this point to say Russians had anything to do with it and then the next question would be impact level and appropriate response if any.

a reply to: WeMustCare

If Americans elect Kamala, I'll send Putin and Xi a letter inviting them to take over.

Wouldn't it be much easier and possibly far more appropriate if you simply moved to Russia or China?

a reply to: Freeborn

That would be the considerate thing to do.

Unfortunately some people want to bring communism and authoritarianism here.

It may even be the motive of the person who attacked the trains in Paris today. Just taking anger out on the west. I could think of a few who would want to. All of the foreign entities are authoritarian in nature.

Devastating series of attacks on the railroad - A trail leads to the far-left milieu

Following the series of attacks on important railroad lines in France, investigators see parallels to earlier actions by ultra-leftists. And they suspect helpers in the ranks of the railroad company SNCF. The perpetrators apparently had insider knowledge.
(...)
Security sources said that the approach was reminiscent of previous attacks by ultra-leftists. The daily newspaper “Le Parisien” referred to unofficial information from investigative circles, according to which the clues pointed in the direction of extreme left-wing protest and environmental movements. Because the attacks showed great expertise, the possibility that there were accomplices within the SNCF could not be ruled out.

Just how well the perpetrators know their way around railroad technology is demonstrated by the targeted disruption of a switching point in Val d'Yerres in the south of Paris, which only experts would know about. This is where cables come together in thick bundles and where the lines from Bordeaux in the south-west and Rennes in Brittany in the west of France converge in the direction of the capital.

A cable fire was triggered here - not visible from the outside - which made it impossible to supply the TGVs. The first alarm was sounded at four o'clock in the morning. Since then, all trains on the Bordeaux-Paris and Paris-Rennes lines have been blocked in both directions.
(...)
Link (German)

When we had a bunch of suspicious train derailment here in USA, was it being Russians ever a discussion?

Curious to know, because I don't recall seeing any.

Russia has no interest in ruining the Olympics.

My money is on some ignorant pro Palestine wannabes did it.

Train derailments caused by errors that are preventable.

Most likely hackers, testing the networks world wide, and the timing just coincided. Any ones guess is as good as another.

a reply to: SomeStupidName

If it does track back to a Russian state ordered attack it would probably be treated similar to when Russia used nuclear material (Polonium-210) and nerve agents (Novichok) to kill in the UK and result in diplomatic expulsions at most.

a reply to: DerBeobachter2

I read that some believe its far too coordinated for it to be the far left. They are very fractured and tend to have quite a dislike for each other.
During WWII they many left-wing Resistance groups refused to cooperate with each other to the point of even informing on one another.
I'm not quite sure its that bad nowadays but historically they certainly aren't very joined up.

It could be right wing extremists, Islamic fundamentalists or as suggested possibly even a hostile foreign nation.
I suppose its just speculation at the moment.

But you're quite correct that the attack shows a level of sophistication and knowledge that points towards it not being some random, hotchpotch group of malcontents. They were informed and capable.
It'll certainly be interesting to see what the investigators turn up.

a reply to: ADVISOR

Russia has no interest in ruining the Olympics.

Russia has repeatedly tried to discredit the Games and is trying to host its own 'Friendship Games' as it did in 1984 when they were banned from competing in the Los Angeles Olympics. Unfortunately for them this attempt isn't receiving as much support as its predecessor.

And Putin is developing quite a dislike for Macron as he's turned more and more pro-Ukraine.

I'm certainly not saying it was Russia - they'd probably not be at the top of my list of suspects - but I certainly wouldn't discount it.

originally posted by: WeMustCare
If Americans elect Kamala, I'll send Putin and Xi a letter inviting them to take over.

I do like Chinese food, so at least there’s that.

originally posted by: CriticalStinker

originally posted by: WeMustCare
If Americans elect Kamala, I'll send Putin and Xi a letter inviting them to take over.

How patriotic.

Ummm...Patriot is another term for...mind numbed robot...fully steeped in indoctrination and brain washing...

OOH AHHH...lets all go get our legs blown off cause daddy.gov says it's the righteous thing to do...


You're the living personification...of the gift that keeps on giving...

Please...never stop...

ROFLSMYEFFINGH...



YouSir