It was a CNN report, but The Daily Beast decided to take it and put a little spin on it to make Elon Musk look like a traitor.
Elon Musk secretly ordered SpaceX engineers to switch off the Starlink satellite communications network near the coast of occupied Crimea in order to thwart a Ukrainian surprise attack on Russia’s naval fleet, according to a report.https://t.co/N16e7dIbH7
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) September 7, 2023
CNN reports:
Musk’s decision, which left Ukrainian officials begging him to turn the satellites back on, was driven by an acute fear that Russia would respond to a Ukrainian attack on Crimea with nuclear weapons, a fear driven home by Musk’s conversations with senior Russian officials, according to [biographer Walter] Isaacson, whose new book is set to be released by Simon & Schuster on September 12.
…
“How am I in this war?” Musk asks Isaacson. “Starlink was not meant to be involved in wars. It was so people can watch Netflix and chill and get online for school and do good peaceful things, not drone strikes.”
Here's Isaacson:
To clarify on the Starlink issue: the Ukrainians THOUGHT coverage was enabled all the way to Crimea, but it was not. They asked Musk to enable it for their drone sub attack on the Russian fleet. Musk did not enable it, because he thought, probably correctly, that would cause a…
— Walter Isaacson (@WalterIsaacson) September 9, 2023
"Musk did not enable it, because he thought, probably correctly, that would cause a major war."
Howard Fineman's thought it over, and he thinks Musk ought to be in prison:
The Logan Act makes it a federal crime for private citizens to conduct foreign policy on their own — not to mention making military decisions that contradict U.S. strategic goals. Elon Musk is doing both and should be locked up.
— howardfineman (@howardfineman) September 8, 2023
Take your Logan Act and shove it up your *ss.
— JWF (@JammieWF) September 9, 2023
Now do John Kerry.
— Doug Ross (@directorblue) September 9, 2023
The terms of service clearly prohibit Starlink for offensive military action, as it’s a civilian system, Ukraine was asking for something that was expressly prohibited by Starlink.
— Eric Pistey (@shawnpisteySC) September 9, 2023
Bless your heart.
— 🌵🍊☠️ Debbie ☠️🍊🌵 (@lhpanthermom) September 9, 2023
I think it would be a violation of the Logan Act IF he would have gotten involved.
— Ice Chimp (@gulfmylife05) September 8, 2023
He’s damned if does and damned if he doesn’t. Leave Elon alone.
— Kim McNamara (@Namara18Mc) September 9, 2023
The guy's gotten more grief over providing free internet to Ukraine.
Ukraine is of zero strategic importance to the US.
— Jack Spitz (@JackSpitz5) September 9, 2023
Ukraine doesn't deserve anything from us.
— PopuloVek Iratuswamy (@astronomy89) September 9, 2023
They most certainly don't have a right to Starlink.
We get that they're trying to portray Musk as pro-Russia, but he said from the start that Starlink isn't meant for the military to target drones.
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