U.S. “Gets Its Ass Handed To It” In World War III Simulation: RAND

 

In simulated World War III scenarios, the U.S. continues to lose against Russia and China, two top war planners warned last week. “In our games, when we fight Russia and China, blue gets its ass handed to it” RAND analyst David Ochmanek said Thursday.

RAND’s wargames show how US Armed Forces – colored blue on wargame maps – experience the most substantial losses in one scenario after another and still can’t thwart Russia or China – which predictably is red – from accomplishing their objectives: annihilating Western forces.

“We lose a lot of people. We lose a lot of equipment. We usually fail to achieve our objective of preventing aggression by the adversary,” he warned.

Report: Russia, Ukraine on Brink of War

(Photo Credit: Ukrainian Defense Ministry)

 

Tensions are rapidly rising over the Azov Sea and the downing of MH17.

According to a new report, recent developments—none of them good—in the relationship between Ukraine and Russia are pointing toward the possibility of a new military confrontation that could inevitably drag NATO, and the U.S., into World War III.

The Grand Troika: A Chance for a World New Order

 

Back in the late summer of 2017 I wrote an analysis of the state of world affairs and international relations after two seismic geopolitical world events occurred almost simultaneously in 2016 – the UK Referendum result to Leave the European Union and the defeat of Democrat Hillary Clinton by Republican Donald Trump for the White House in the US 2016 Presidential Election. Those twin political events were like major earth shaking bombs going off creating all kinds of disturbances and tremors, aftershocks and creating the greatest of shock and bewilderment within the international political order that had held sway since the defeat of Nazism in 1945.

It had become clear to me by the summer of 2017, as I had thought for some time, that politics in Britain – and global geostrategic politics within the broader historical framework of civilizational and human development – had changed profoundly and significantly from were we had been during the 1990s-2012 period, perhaps even from where I started off life in the most intense but ending days of the Cold War in the mid 1980s.

5 Things that ‘Come Next’ with Syria

 

The Danger Of World War Is Far From Removed Following The West’s ‘One And Done’ Missile Strikes.

Now that the “one and done” missile barrage against Syria’s purported chemical weapons program following the alleged gas attack in Douma is over, here are five consequences that need to be monitored in the weeks ahead.

China Launches Massive Combat Drill In Hainan As War With Taiwan “Becomes More Probable”

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping promised a more transparent China on Tuesday, during a keynote speech at an economic forum in Boao, on the southern island of Hainan. Immediately after the conference, China’s PLA Navy began a 3-day combat war drill in waters to the south of Sanya, the southern tip of China’s Hainan Island, which is about 112-miles south from the economic forum.

The Hainan Maritime Safety Administration has demarcated an area in the South China Sea that will be closed to all civilian and commercial vessels from April 10 through 13. The military exercise was made public earlier this week on the government’s website.

Netanyahu: Trump Is Very Likely To Order Attack On Syria

דמשק בכוננות ספיגה: פקיד בכיר אמר לחדשות עשר כי בדיונים ביטחוניים שהתקיימו ביממה האחרונה העריך ראש הממשלה @netanyahu שהנשיא טראמפ צפוי, בסבירות גבוהה, להורות על תקיפה אמריקנית בסוריה בתגובה לשימוש שעשה משטר אסד בנשק כימי @BarakRavid

— חדשות עשר (@news10) April 10, 2018

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes US President Trump is very likely to order an attack on Syria, a senior Israeli official tells Israel’s Channel 10 news.

Bloomberg, however, reports that Trump is said to have not made a decision yet on Syria despite the fact that he canceled a trip to South America, citing the crisis in Syria. 

The Home Game Has Arrived: Lessons from the 10th Asymmetric Threat Symposium

 

Last week I was privileged to attend the 10th Asymmetric Threat Symposium. It’s not the first of these I’ve attended but was clearly the best. Maybe the participants felt less restrained by politics and thus spoke more directly to the issues we truly face. Or maybe the quality of experts is rising. For whatever reason, the event was candid and sobering, even for me. The event was held near our nation’s capitol and was sponsored by CACI International, the Center for Security Policy, and ISW (Institute for the Study of War). The title:  What Does It Take to Protect America? Combatting Global Asymmetric Threats.

While the rules of the event require that comments be shared without attribution, I’m pleased to offer a recap for our readers. You can read the agenda and see information about prior versions at www.asymmetricthreat.net. The speakers and panelists were impressive. In fact, I counted 36 stars on the shoulders (Admirals and Generals) of about a dozen participants, both active and retired, not to mention academic and civilian experts.

There were many important points covered and I’ll recap just a few:

First, the question was asked and answered. Are we already at war?

Russia: ‘Trump is more impulsive and unpredictable’ than NK

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin gestures during an interview with Time magazine in the presidential residence Novo-Ogaryovo outside Moscow

 

According to Dmitry Kiselyov, the Kremlin’s top TV mouthpiece, it isn’t going to be the evil dictator Kim Jong-Un who could possibly bring about WW3. The opinion of Russian TV outlets is that, Donald Trump is the wildcard that could spark the next war.

Could Russia’s Unwavering Alliance with Syria Start WW3?

Vehicles belonging to forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi explode after an air strike by coalition forces, along a road between Benghazi and Ajdabiyah March 20, 2011.

 

Russia’s unwavering support of Syria, even after the Chemical attack, killing over 70, could draw the conclusion that war could be on the horizon.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov cited the opinion of the Russian military, which said the contamination may have been caused by damage to a rebel chemical weapons storage site.

“You have heard the statement from the Russian Defense Ministry and I have nothing to add to the facts they stated. The Russian Federation and its military are continuing the operation to support the anti-terrorism operation and liberation of the country, which is being conducted by the Syrian armed forces,” Peskov said.

World War III nightmare scenario brewing in the East China Sea

Mounting threat: Japanese F-15 jets are intercepting Chinese military planes daily. (Toru Yamanaka | AFP | Getty Images)

 

OKINAWA-While the world watches mounting military tensions in the South China Sea, another, more ominous situation is brewing in the East China Sea that could be the trigger point for a major war between the superpowers. At the heart of tensions are eight uninhabited islands controlled by Japan that are close to important shipping lanes, rich fishing grounds and potential oil and gas reserves. China contests Japan’s claims and is escalating its military activity in Japan airspace. In response, Japan has been doubling its F-15 jet intercepts.

The situation increases the risk of an accidental confrontation — and could draw other countries, like the United States, into a conflict. It’s a topic President Trump will likely bring up with Chinese President Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago estate this week.

Eastern Europe & World War III

 

Europe could become the site of a new global war in the East as tensions build there against refugees and the economic decline fosters old wounds. The EU is deeply divided over the refugee issue and thus it is fueling its own demise and has failed to be a stabilizing force. After five days of demonstrations, Romania’s month-old government backed down and withdrew a decree that had decriminalized some corruption offenses. They were still acting like typical politicians and looking to line their pockets. After one month, the people have rising up saying “We can’t trust this new government.”

On the eastern border of the EU, only a few hundred kilometers from Berlin as well as Vienna, there is a growing danger that the world will stumble into a global war primarily from through the incompetence of the politicians in the EU as well as in the East. The EU is more concerned about punishing Britain and trying to hold on to overpaid political jobs that to address the real issues facing Europe.

World War 3 Update: Serbia Permits Russia to Deploy Military Measures, NATO Worried

 

While World War 3 speculations seem to indicate the deterioration in Europe and Russia relations, an invite from Serbia to Russian military authorities for moving “lethal devices” in the country indicates something different.

World War 3 Update: Russia Warns Europe of Nuclear Attack?

While Russia and the United States seemed to have had a peaceful talk in mending the relations, the former has indicated that its target has shifted to European borders.

With US President-elect Donald Trump making efforts to make the nation’s relationship with Russia better while finalizing talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, it seemed that the chances of the Third World War were diminishing. However, Russia has proven that it won’t stay quiet.

World War 3 Update: Russia Deploying Nuclear Missiles in Europe

 

If World War 3 speculations are true, Russia has welcomed the Iskander missile along with its S-400 air missiles in its Kaliningrad enclave, making it very likely that the nation is bound to target Europe.

The Iskander missile has the capability to affect almost an area measuring around 300 miles. That means the missile, once launched, could conveniently target Berlin, Sweden and Poland if Russia versus Europe war commences. On the other hand, NATO “Growler” S-400 is an anti-aircraft missile system that could cover short- as well as long-range targets.

Japanese Troops Deploy to South Sudan Risking First Overseas Conflict Since World War 2

The re-miliarization of Japan has been on my radar and caused me much concern in recent years. I’ve covered the topic on several occasions, with the most recent example published over the summer in the post, Japanese Government Shifts Further Toward Authoritarianism and Militarism. Here are the first few paragraphs:

One of the most discomforting aspects of Neil Howe and William Strauss’ seminal work on generational cycles, The Fourth Turning (1997), is the fact that as far as American history is concerned, they all climax and end with massive wars.