US Sends Tanks To Netherlands To Bolster NATO Against Russia

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US Sends Tanks To Netherlands To Bolster NATO Against Russia

A Cold War-era storage facility in the Netherlands has been reopened and about to be restocked with tanks by the US military, as part of a drive to demonstrate NATO’s power amid rising ‘Russian aggression’.

1,600 vehicles are due to be stored at a six-warehouse complex in the southeastern village of Eygelshoven, near the Belgian and German borders.

RT reports:

The facility was originally opened in 1985 during the Cold War, when it was used by US troops to practice drills in case of a possible Soviet attack.

Abrams Tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Paladin artillery have already started arriving in what is part of a $3.4 billion Congress-approved scheme to increase NATO military capability in Europe. Storage sites are also planned to be reopened in Poland, Belgium and Germany.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017, which was approved by Congress on December 8 but has yet to be signed by Barack Obama, approved a $3.4 billion spending plan to boost European defenses. The Baltic states, as well as Poland, have said they have been greatly alarmed by the crisis in Ukraine and fear “Russian aggression” on their territories.

“When visiting the Baltic states, I experienced this for myself. Standing there, near the Russian border, you could feel the tense atmosphere,” said General Tom Middendorp, the Dutch chief of defense.

“But the Russian military activities are not just a concern for our eastern allies. They are a concern for all of us.”
“We are taking proportionate and measured steps to defend our alliance. We want to make sure we are sending a clear signal to Russia that we will not accept any violation of NATO’s territorial integrity.”

US President-elect Donald Trump has frequently said he would like to pursue better relations with Russia, and has expressed skepticism towards NATO, saying that European powers would have to contribute a bigger part of the budget if they wanted to continue relying on the alliance’s protection. But in spite of Trump’s election victory, NATO governments have continued to build up their forces in Europe. While the Dutch storage facility is far from the Russian border, on Wednesday Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz announced that 4,000 US troops would be deployed to the western town of Zagan in January. And back in November, the US military sent over 600 containers of ammunition to Germany, the largest single shipment in more than 20 years.

In addition, NATO frequently stages large-scale military exercises in Eastern Europe, the most recent of which being the annual Iron Sword drills in Lithuania which involved almost 4,000 troops from 11 NATO countries. Previous Iron Sword exercises in 2015 and 2014 involved only 2,500 and 2,000 troops, respectively. But this was dwarfed by the Anaconda 2016 exercises held in Poland, which saw 31,000 personnel from 24 NATO and ‘partner’ countries taking part in war games over a ten-day period.

Russian officials, meanwhile, have consistently warned that aggressive NATO maneuvers near Russian territory could undermine regional security. In response to the ongoing NATO activity, Russia and its ally Belarus have supplied the latest state-of-the-art weaponry and armaments to units stationed on their western border as well as launching military drills of their own.

3 Comments

  1. I have noticed something interesting in many alternative media sites. A phenomenon that characterizes a self preservative mode. Their articles are now been written from a neutral position, and do not stand up against evil actions or provocative moves or elites agendas, Nato’s lies and preparedness for war etc, etc When the environment endangers or threatens one, strength of righteousness and character go out the window, and there are few men who will stand and pay the price for doing right, as these men do not exist anymore. Pity, as hardly no one these days will lay their life on the line for righteousness. Therefore the slide to darker days will accelerate and go unopposed as the lie will expand and the deception becomes complete as the Beast rises out of the ocean and all hail the Beast as saviour, except the TWO and the few. My advice to cowardice is, if one is not willing to see it through at all cost, if the kitchen gets too hot, then get out, and stop pretending to be on the right., for hypocrisy serves darkness and evil.

  2. Putin certainly will not attack the West, Poland or Baltic countries. However the nuclear war is inevitable, like death. When will this happen? Let me remind here a fragment of an ancient vision: “And [the king of the north] will go back (to) his land with great wealth [1945. This detail indicated that Hitler will attack also the Soviet Union and will fight to the bitter end. In the beginning there were no signs of such the ending of this war]; and his heart (will be) against the holy covenant [hostility towards Christians. Soviet Union introduced state atheism]; and will act [it means activity in the international arena]; and turned back to his own land [1991-1993. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. Russian troops returned to their country]. At the appointed time [he] will return back.” (Daniel 11:28, 29a) The return of Russia in this context means crisis, which will eclipse the Great Depression. Not only the eurozone will break up, but also the European Union and NATO. Many countries of the former Eastern block will reconcile with Russia.

    This does not include everyone. “And [the king of the north] will enter into the south [this can be Georgia], but it will not be as the former [2008 – Georgia] or as the latter [now Ukraine], for the dwellers of coastlands of Kittim [USA, in the beginning without Britain] will come against him, and he will be dejected, and will go back.” (Daniel 11:29b, 30a)

    What will induce the “king of the north” to enter into the south? Jesus said: “For nation will rise against nation”, as in 2008 in Georgia, and then will be U.S. intervention and global nuclear war. As Jesus foretold, it will be “the beginning of birth pains”. (Matthew 24:7, 8; Revelation 6:4)

    In 1882 British troops occupied Egypt. Great Britain then took the role of “the king of the south”. Around the same time, Russia expanded its influence in the region, which previously belonged to Seleucus I Nicator, and took the role of “the king of the north”. (Daniel 11:27)

    All the details of this vision are being fulfilled from the time of ancient Persia, in chronological order. It is true that this vision is variously interpreted. As one can see, it has a lot of details. Therefore the insightful person is able to detect any error or sophistry. (Daniel 12:10)

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