Dead Drop: January 26

HEADS I WIN, TAILS YOU LOSE: Former U.S. weapons inspector (and convicted felon) Scott Ritter continues his magical mystery tour of Russia. This week, Ritter made his way to Moscow where he appeared in studio on state TV. As can be seen in this video, captured by Russia Media Monitor Julia Davis, Ritter told host Vladimir Solovyov that he had just returned from the ‘new territories’ – which are actually Russian-captured Ukrainian lands – where he said he looked Russian military personnel in the eye and shook their hands and congratulated them for volunteering to serve in such numbers.  Ritter declared: “the good news is that Russia has already defeated the collective west, NATO has shown that it’s finished as an organization. You defeated NATO!” Ritter concluded the interview by presenting Solovyov a challenge coin showing U.S. and Soviet troops shaking hands at the end of World War II.  Slightly off message, no?

COULD IT BE — SATAN?  Solovyov was on another Russian TV show this week, claiming that a Russian Orthodox priest (perhaps channeling a SNL bit from decades ago) told him that his country is fighting the army of Satan – and Satan is NATO. After playing a video clip from a NATO admiral saying NATO must be ready to defend itself, Solovyov addressed the admiral and pronounced: “NATO attacked us! Did you forget?” We must admit we had. And just in case you think that this “Satan” stuff is a figment of Solovyov’s imagination – yet another Russian media watcher, Francis Scarr of BBC monitoring provided video of Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church being applauded in the Russian parliament for urging his countrymen to take the fight to the “Antichrist” (i.e. the West.). Slightly off message, no?