Editorial

The Threat Is Real, And It Is Now!

Vic Ratsma

At the time of this writing, the U.S. has not yet officially gone to war against Iraq. I say officially, because, in close co-operation with its ally Tony Blair and the so-called 'New Labour' government of Britain, they have been bombing parts of Iraq for the past ten or more years. Hundreds of thousands of people, most of them young children and elderly, have died in this period, primarily due to a destroyed infrastructure, which has resulted in extremely unsanitary conditions. This in turn causes illnesses, which cannot be cured due to lack of medicines, caused by an economic boycott of the country. All this happened as the result of the actions of the USA and Great Britain, even though they were not 'officially ' at war with Iraq.

During this period, one of the most disgraceful moments on record came during the Clinton administration, when Madeline Albright, then Secretary of State, was questioned by a television reporter about the death of all these Iraqi children. Her reply was: "It's worth it."

These things are happening when the USA is "officially" not at war with Iraq. One can well imagine what will happen when war is officially declared and the troops move in. One thing is certain: They will be well equipped. It is a long established fact that new technologies are continually being applied to improve existing U.S. weapons systems as well as develop new ones. Undoubtedly some of these weapons systems will be tried out in Iraq.

But Iraq is only one step towards the ultimate goal of the USA. America has for a long time been preparing, not only for the military take-over of Iraq and Afghanistan, but for total dominance of the world in the military, economic, social and cultural spheres. If you think that I' m exaggerating, follow along with the rest of this story. Iraq and Afghanistan are just the beginning!

In September of the year 2000 an official report was issued which today forms the basis of American military and foreign policy. It is entitled: "REBUILDING AMERICA'S DEFENSES," and subtitled "Strategy, Forces and Resources For a New Century. A Report of the Project for the New American Century."

This last phrase (The new AMERICAN century) is an ominous sign of what the authors envision for the world in the 21st century. The fall of the Soviet Union, which they attempted to destroy for over 70 years, has given them an opportunity and they are not inclined to miss it. The report states:

The above statement leaves little to the imagination. No global rival will be allowed to challenge U.S. supremacy. However, what is really threatening, and what should be a wake-up call for everyone, is the strategy outlined to ensure that America will have no rival anywhere that can pose a challenge to her domination of the world.

While the full report is 90 pages long, I will do but a grip out of the many objectives laid down in it for it is truly staggering. Even though the U.S today possesses by far the most potent military force in the world, you would think that they are mere paupers in terms of what they feel they need.

Not surprisingly, it starts with a call for increased defense spending of $15 to $20 billion annually, which is needed to modernize current U.S. forces, develop and deploy global missile defenses to defend America and its allies and to provide a secure basis for U.S. power projection around the world, and control of the new 'international commons' of space and cyberspace and pave the way for the creation of a new military service - U.S. Space Forces - with the mission of space control.

Reading the foregoing, it seems to me that the 'new international commons' have just been made the private domain of the USA and that international use of space and cyber-space will be subject to the control of U.S. authorities. U.S. dictatorship over space and cyber-space is clearly the objective, in addition to, and as an integral part of, ruling the world.

While 'homeland defense' rates as top priority, the report foresees 'potential theater wars across the globe', including numbers of large-scale wars with must be fought simultaneously. For this, they require updated forces, which can be rapidly deployed anywhere in the world, especially in regions where the U.S. does not maintain permanent forward-based forces.

Besides these large wars, the these authors expect increased requirements for the so-called 'Constabulary Duties' requiring combat troops capable of long-term (occupation) duties such as in the Balkans. The focus for these activities is said to be South-West Asia and East Asia.

The above statement is ascribed to China's former communist leader Mao Ze Dong but appears to have been well understood and adopted by the U.S.A. The report states:

And further:

This is the "big stick policy". Do as I say, or our military will make sure you do. It is also clear from this that U.S. land forces that are often said to be ‘temporarily' deployed on foreign soil, such as in the Balkans, Afghanistan, the Philippines and most of the countries that formerly were part of the Soviet Union, are not likely to go home soon. Only after establishing a regime that is subservient to U.S. dictates may they consider reducing their presence somewhat and moving them along to the next target area.. Additionally the report suggest a shifting focus towards Southeast Europe, the Persian Gulf region and Southeast Asia, which are considered today's new frontiers.

To ensure U.S. political domination of the world, the report calls for enormous investments to strengthen the Army, including the National Guard and the Reserve, the Navy and the Air Force. It also calls for the establishment of U.S. Space Forces. Total personnel in active-duty is to be increased from 1.4 million to 1.6 million.

The Army:

- Increase the Army's budget from $70 billion annually to $90-95 billion.

- Overall active-duty strength should rise to 525.000 soldiers from the current 475.000.

- Modernize, by increasing tactical and operational mobility and increase the effectiveness of current combat systems through "digitization," the process of creating tactical information networks.

- Accelerate plans to purchase medium-weight vehicles, acquire Comanche helicopters and the HIMARS rocket-artillery system.

- A permanent unit should be based in the Persian Gulf region.

- Forward-deployed Army units should be reconfigured to be better capable of all independent operations, including constabulary missions as well as initial phases of combat.

- The Army needs to restore units based in the United States – those needed in the event of a major theater war – to a very high state of readiness.

- Reflecting the gradual shift in the focus of American strategic concerns toward East Asia, a majority of the U.S. fleet, including two thirds of all carrier battle groups, should be concentrated in the Pacific. A new, permanent forward base should be established in Southeast Asia.

- The Navy's surface fleet is too small to meet current requirements, war plans (!) and future missile defense duties.

- The Marine Corps must be expanded by about 25.000 to permit forward basing of a second Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in South East Asia, along with a repositioned Navy carrier battle group.

- Accelerate the purchase of V-22 aircraft and the top performer Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle to improve ship-to-shore maneuver, and increase tactical mobility and range.

- Navy department spending should be increased to between $100 and $110 billion annually.

- Should be redeployed to reflect the shifts in international politics. Independent, expeditionary air wings containing a broad mix of aircraft, including electronic warfare, airborne command an control, and other aircraft, should be based in Italy, Southeastern Europe, Central and/or Eastern Turkey, the Persian Gulf and Southeast Asia.

- Realign the remaining Air Force units in Europe, Asia and the U.S. to optimize their capabilities to conduct multiple large-scale air campaigns.

- Make selected investments in current generations of combat and support aircraft. Purchase additional jets of avionics for special mission fighters, increase planned fleets of AWACS, JSTARS and other electronic support planes, and expand stocks of precision-guided munitions.

- Expand the Air Force's personnel strength by 30.000-40.000.

- Target significant new investments toward creating capabilities for operating in space, including inexpensive launch vehicles, new satellites and trans-atmospheric vehicles, in preparation for a decision as to whether space warfare is sufficiently different from combat within Earth' s atmosphere so as to require a separate 'space service'.

Given the objectives laid out in the "Rebuilding America's Defenses" document, it is clear how the U.S. sees developments in the 21st century. Military action is projected in many parts of the world. No doubt the necessary ‘incidents' will be created to justify military aggression anywhere, with ‘terrorism' being currently the most prevalent argument, labeling any country that wishes to follow its own course as terrorist and evil.

If you value the democratic freedoms of people everywhere in the world, including in your own country, to make decisions that are in the interests of the people, you ought to be seriously concerned by now. The U.S. is attempting to turn back from the historical road to independence that people have fought for in so many countries on earth, especially after the Second World War. They want to re-colonize the world under the guise of 'democratization' and ' freedom'. Elected governments are only tolerated if they are following policies dictated from Washington, USA. Remember the infamous statement by Dr. Henry Kissinger, former U.S. Security Advisor and Secretary of State, when confronted about U.S. involvement in the Chilean coup of 1973:

We should be under no illusions that that statement doesn't apply today or in the future.

The threat of U.S. dictatorship over the world and in space is very real indeed. The on-going build-up of American military forces, their projected theaters of action and their Government's blatant vision of total domination as far in the future as possible leaves absolutely no room for doubt. It is time for all progressive people including communists, socialists and all other anti-imperialist forces opposing this imperialist aggression to unite and face the real threat to the world's people: U.S. Imperialism and dictatorship.

Say NO to "America Ueber Alles"!! Unite Now!!

Your parents and grandparents had to defend their new country, the USSR against fascist invasion in the Great Patriotic War (World War II), in battles so violent and devastating, they exceeded anything the world had ever seen before. But again, they took on the task, defeated the enemy and rebuilt their homeland.

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