Category Archives: Ww3

Could Trumps Military Spending Surge Be the First Salvo of WW3?

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Donald Trumps election. Yet World War 3 seems closer now. The Russians feared Hillary Clinton, who spoke aggressively about Russia. Yet, not two months into the Trump presidency, and conflict with Russia, or WW3, seems closer. It was under Hillary Clintons tenure as Secretary of State that the Maidan revolt took place in Ukraine.

That was the catalyst for a civil war between pro-West and pro-Russia Ukrainians. Putin toasted Trumps win last November. But, as Trump announced a massive increase in military spending, the Kremlin issued a statement that, while short on words, was deafeningly loud on content.

The Russian president said that relations between Moscow and Washington are at their lowest point since the Cold War. What has changed? Russia WW3 2017, China WW3, or WW3predictions in general are not just for catastrophists any longer. Trumps firstand most successful so faraddress to Congress made it clear he wants a much bigger military.

During the campaign, Trump did not hide his military ambitions. Yet, even as he advocated more spending on military equipment, his major military and geopolitical target was Islamic State or ISIS, rather than Russia. Trumps focus was going to be the Syrian war. The bigger military, moreover, was going to serve as a friendly reminder to China about its own military buildup.

But China is not the only power on Trumps agenda. There have been allegations that members of his cabinet have had meetings or contacts with Russian officials. Theres nothing especially incriminatory about that. But while the media harps on about what that Russian ambassador said to this Trump insider, it has ignored a crucial thing.

Trump and Putin have not met yet. Trump has done absolutely nothing that Putin might interpret as a win for Russia. If anything, the Trump administration has stayed on message where Ukraine is concerned. Trump has also threatened Iran, a close Russian ally in the fight against ISIS and the Syrian rebellion in general.

The one member of the Trump cabinet who may have had the closest ties to Putin was General Michael Flynn. He resigned a few weeks ago from the post of National Security Advisor. Flynn allegedly told Moscows ambassador to Washington that the Trump administration would cancel the additional sanctions leveled against Russia by the outgoing President Obama.

Flynn, according to critics, became vulnerable to possible blackmail from the Russians. Flynn thickened clouds of suspicions about Trumps relationship with Moscow. Regardless of the level of contact, what is clear is that the many deliberations about the budding Trump-Putin ties have died in the bud.

Putin is pursuing a Russia First policy; it was never going to mesh with America First properly. Indeed, the kind of spending that Trump has promised to lavish on the military deserves to be described as historic. The Cold War ended to help stop the military buildup that ended up crippling the Soviet Unions finances.

It also helped reduce fears of another war, a nuclear war. And what is WW3 if not a nuclear war? The U.S. military budget under Trump will inflate by $54.0 billion. And thats just the first taste of what Trump has in mind. That amount will pay for new attack aircraft and for the production of other weapons to bolster the quality of the U.S. defense systems.

Its almost as if World War 3 is inevitable. In effect, the Pentagon will get almost 10% more than it did in 2016. In turn, other federal agencies will see a reduction in funding. These other pure Cold War policiesare those which many Americans thought they would never see again. Trump complained that the U.S. has not won a war in ages.

Both the boost in military spending and the logic that has prompted it are unusual. The U.S. is not involved in any major military conflict now. Its true that Special Forces are on the ground in Iraq and the U.S. Air Force has bombed ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria. But neither one of these goals or theaters of war requires special stealth aircraft or new weapon systems.

Trumps vision is wider and he wants to cast a shadow over Chinaexpectedand Russiaunexpected. Trump mentioned ships as one of the reasons to increase military spending. He also wants more planes. The addition of a single ship or watercraft would add nothing in the fight against ISIS or terrorism in general.

It would, however, help drive a China WW3or Putin WW3 scenario. The ships and planes make nothing but sense against the lens of the Strait of Hormuz, which separates the Arabian Peninsula the coast of Iran. The Pentagon clearly wants a bigger presence to control key international waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz and the South China Sea.

More ships and planes would also help keep a closer watch over the Arctic and northern seas, where Russia has been intensifying its own patrols. Apart from Iran, this military buildup, then, provokes Russia as well as China. America already has the most powerful fighting force in the world, by several orders of magnitude.

America already spends more on defense than any other country:

(Source: Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2015, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, April 2016.)

Not all in the military share Trumps bellicose ambitions. A group of over 100 retired U.S. generals and admirals have urged Congress to fully fund American diplomacy, rather than weapons. They see more strength in a combination of diplomacy and defense as the best way to keep America safe. Trump thinks adding 74 ships and 100 jets is the best way.

But, diplomacy must take a backseat now. Not only does Trump want to increase spending on military hardware, he wants to increase the army to 540,000 active-duty soldiers. Thats a 15% increase, given there are currently 480,000 active-duty soldiers. And thats just the Army. Trump also wants more Marines; 50% more, from 23 to 36 battalions.

The President made no specific reference about the nature of the threat that requires this massive increase in military spending. But just a day later, like a thunderbolt from Thor, the Swedes delivered a hint. Sweden wants to bring back conscription. Sweden happens to share the Baltic waterways with Russia.

The Baltic States, including Latvia, Estonia, andPoland, are among the most concerned about Russia. They happen to be in NATO. They are asking the U.S. for more defensive artillery and Patriot missiles to deploy along the borders with Russia. The Baltic is one of the regions of the world where World War 3 could start.

The other scenario comes from trade. Trump would like to find how the World Trade Organization (WTO) can impose sanctions and reprisals against countries accused of damaging Americas trade interests. Thus Trumps trade policy matches his military ambitions. Just to clear any doubts, Trump supports NATO. Now, he wants the WTO to support it as well.

Trump has ordered the Pentagon to develop a plan to demolish and destroy ISIS. The New Security Advisor, General Herbert McMaster has advised Trump to use the term radical Islamic terrorism sparingly. McMaster is more diplomatic than his predecessor Flynn, but the Middle East, as ever, remains a major trigger point for the next global conflict.

Its not so much ISIS but Iran thats the problem. Trump has not spoken much about the nuclear deal that Obama secured in 2015. But, if the new president were to repeal it, it would necessarily require a military strike against Irans well-protected facilities. The problem is that the deal ensured that Irans nuclear program remains civilianonly.

Without the deal, there are no internationally binding agreements holding Irans enrichment plansor threatsback. But, attacking the facilities would not be easy. Even stealth F-35 or F-22 fighter jets would suffer losses. Iran has Russias S-300 defense system, which renders the nuclear facilities virtually impenetrable.

Russia has a stake in this as well. Russia and Iran have been the main powers against ISIS and other Islamiststhe very kind Trump wants to eliminate. Attacking Iran would put Moscow and Washington in direct opposition. Not since the Cuban missile crisis would relations take such a turn for the worst.

Trump and Putin would never authorize the use of nuclear warheads in a conflict. But, the first strike option exists and could be unleashed, given the imminent threat of any kind of catastrophic attack. Neither Kennedy nor Khrushchev, both milder than Trump and Putin, were going to push the nuclear button. But the Cuban missile crisis did almost get there.

Nobody wants to test those odds again. Deterrence is not an exact science. There is also an art, which thankfully, nobody has had the misfortune of practicing yet. One party will always strike first. Its up to the retaliating party to decide what direction the conflict, in this case WW3, might take.

Albert Einstein famously observed that he didnt know how World War 3 would be fought, except that World War 4 would be fought with sticks and stones. But, there is a nuclear threshold. Both Trump and Putin can choose a scalable nuclear conflict rather than a full-out one. Miscalculation could trigger unimaginable consequences.

The general view is that both the U.S. and Russia would use nuclear warheads only after defeat would be assured in the conventional scenario. Thus, the idea that WW3 might be won using conventional weapons alone still exists. Its up to the losing party to decide if they want to bring down the world with them.

That said, this, theoretically, justifies Trumps military buildup. The logic being that an overwhelming conventional attack would defeat the enemy before they would have a chance to bring nuclear weapons into the calculus. Putin did not appreciate Trumps military spending plans because it forces Russia to respond in kind.

But Russias economy is in a slow recovery mode at best. It cant afford an arms race. Trump, perhaps, wants to take advantage of that weakness with a massive spending surge now to overwhelm any potential enemy from even considering challenging the United States. Its a gamble.

Its also a guarantee that for the next few years, defense contractors in Washington will do brisk business. Russia will have to increase its arsenal buildup as will China, perpetuating the cycle.

Continue reading here:

A New Cold War Has Begun and WW3 Is a Clear Possibility Now - Lombardi Letter

CHINAS plans for WW3 have been revealed after pictures of its terrifying new tank were leaked online.

The photo which surfaced on the Chinese military website CJDBY shows what is thought to be a prototype of a deadly new Chinese infantry fighting vehicle.

The tanks fearsome new cannon can fire explosive shells at 1km per second, analysis suggests.

The new hardware is being developed as tensions continue to rise between China and the West in the South China Sea.

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CJDBY

China has issued a chilling warning to America over US Navy patrols in the South China Sea which it deemed threatening and damaging.

Chinese military leaders also revealed war with the US could now become a reality as a top powerbroker warned war could erupt between the two nations if trade agreements were to break down.

Experts believe the tank will replace the ZBD-04 and ZDB-04A which are used by China's People's Liberation Army.

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Unconfirmed Chinese media reports suggest the IFV may be armed with a new fast-loading cannon.

A similar weapon system was recently unveiled at the Chinese Zhuhai Airshow in November last year sparking claims the weapon could be fitted to the leaked photo.

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An inside view of the Chinese military over 120 years.

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The developer, China North Industries Corporation, claimed the cannon can fire up to 200 rounds per minute.

It can fire explosive rounds at a speed of 1km per second.

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Terrifying new Chinese tank revealed after photos leak online | Daily ... - Daily Star

CHINA has issued a chilling warning to the US as the tanks, troops and warships flood into the Pacific.

China told the US this is not the caribbean and you cant tame the dragon as US forces moved into Thailand for a massive war games drill called Operation Cobra Gold.

US and Thai forces practised in the 10-day conflict exercise which saw soldiers, marines, tanks, paratroopers and helicopters take-part in huge live-fire warfare scenarios.

The drills come as the US also announced aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson will be moving into the South China Sea for routine patrols.

China is fuming over the carriers deployment and has promised to deploy more weapons and into the contested region.

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With relations between the US and China fragile, holding a joint live-fire military display with the Thai army could be seen as making things worse especially when Trump's white supremacist Chief Advisor Steve Bannon believes America and China will be at war 'within a few years.'

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Thai and US military tanks participate in a live fire military display

The US military insists on showing that it is capable of taming the China Dragon

Chinas state-run mouthpiece newspaper published a chilling column in which it launches into a scathing assessment of the US plans and threatened Washington over hoping Beijing would grin and bear it.

US and China have been at loggerheads since the middle of 2016 when the United Nations ruled against the Chinese attempts to claim islands in the South China Sea.

The disputed region hosts half of the worlds merchant shipping activity and is believed to be rich in oil and national gas.

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Defiant Beijing has continued to expand into the disputed waters as it claims ownership to islands and sandbars by building giant defensive bases packed with missiles and designed to launch warplanes.

If the US military insists on showing that it is capable of taming the China Dragon, they are bound to see all kinds of advanced Chinese weapons as well as other military deployments on the South China Sea islands, wrote the Chinese governments Global Times.

"The South China Sea is not the Caribbean. It is not a place for the US to behave recklessly. US generals said they are ready to fight when necessary. The People's Liberation Army is also making preparations.

It added: "Aren't US carrier groups' constant patrols in the South China Sea the most prominent militarisation in the waters?

"Aren't the public statements made by the US military, that all its moves were done to warn China, direct military threats?"

Last week, the Chinese Foreign ministry described the US moves in the disputed sea as "threatening and damaging.

Such schools are an extreme example of the "patriotic education" which China's ruling Communist party promotes to boost its legitimacy, but which critics condemn as little more than brainwashing.

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A student doing an "eye exercise" to relax after intensive work

Documentary 'The Coming War on China' Trailer

Trump talks about the issues he has with the One China policy

China seize US Navy research drone

War tensions have reached a new head as some of US president Donald Trumps top aides have talked up war with China.

Steve Bannon, White House chief strategist, said; ""Were going to war in the South China Sea in five to 10 years."

Daily Star Online revealed the devastating consequences of war between the US and China in which 12 million would die in a nuke strike across the West Coast.

See original here:

China WW3 warning as US holds MASSIVE war drill: 'You can't tame the DRAGON' - Daily Star

ViaMoi/flickr"When did World War 3 start?" asked an afternoon CPAC panel featuring Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke. He was relevant because the panel was the first of two on WW3. Today's was on "the threat at home" and tomorrow will be "the threat abroad." The panel didn't turn out that way.

"How many people feel scared?" panel moderator Ginni Thomas of the Daily Caller asked the audience at the beginning of the panel. "Can I get an amen?" Security, she noted, was a primary reason many people vote.

Clarke spoke first because, according to Thomas, he had the most Twitter followers, which was how Thomas determined the order. Clarke focused mostly on sanctuary cities and border security, saying the time had come to begin to "aggressively enforce the rule of law in America."

"Sanctuary cities are havens for criminals," Clarke insisted, ignoring the history of sanctuary cities as a policy supported by law enforcement to secure the cooperation of illegal immigrants in criminal investigations.

Clarke never got around to explaining how illegal immigration connected to WW3. He did not bring up, for example, overblown claims popular in the right-wing echo chamber about terrorist fighters crossing in from Mexico.

Instead, Clarke suggested prosecuting one mayor for the sanctuary city policy, saying that would have a chilling effect on other sanctuary city officials.

The second panelist, New Zealand author Trevor Loudon, led with the WW3 hook. "WW3 started about 1400 years ago, and it got a big boost during the Bolshevik revolution," Lauden suggested, because of Islamists and communists.

He went on to praise the U.S. for defending freedom in the South Pacific during World War 2. The U.S. "keeps all of the world stable and all of the world free," Loudon insisted, repeating tired talking points about Barack Obama's foreign policy aiding U.S. enemies and hurting U.S. allies, a strange point to hold on to during the nascent Trump administration, given President Trump's willingness to talk tough to traditional U.S. allies like Australia or NATO.

Loudon pivoted to the "radical left" plan to undermine America, tying anti-Trump protests to that effort. He called on attendees to support Trump through social media if they "cared about America," saying the medium made it possible to combat all kinds of radicals.

Former CIA employee Claire Lopez, of the Center for Security Policy, spoke third, talking about "civilization jihad."

"We are not fighting terrorism," Lopez insisted, "we are fighting the forces of Islamic jihad and sharia."

She insisted the U.S. was fighting for individual liberty, equality for all, human dignity, and the consent of the governed, saying those concepts were "anathema and even blasphemy" for Islamists. Fears over sharia law, however, are anathema to some of the ideals Lopez herself said the U.S. fought for.

It went downhill from there. Lopez claimed, without providing any specifics, that the government and national security apparatus, and even local law enforcement, were "deeply penetrated" by the Muslim Brotherhood, a common right-wing bugaboo.

The last speaker was acting Federal Trade Commissioner Maureen Olhausen. How did she fit into the theme of World War 3? She came to speak about intellectual property and warn about the effort to "devalue" intellectual property rights in the U.S., which she said discouraged investment at home and encouraged intellectual property theft abroad. Olhausen mentioned China in passing as one of those countries, but did not make it her focus nor did she place China within a working theory of a World War 3 that had already started, sticking to more generic descriptions of the U.S. being "under attack" by those who would steal intellectual property.

"It's gonna be fight every day, I'm up for it," David Clarke said during the concluding remarks. "Are you?"

The panel was disappointing. The framework of a putative World War 3 can be an interesting one through which to think through U.S. foreign policy issues and options. One could argue WW3 started on 9/11, or during the First Gulf War, or in 1979 during the Islamic revolution in Iran, or even further back. Any of these starting points could yield interesting questions about and critiques of U.S. foreign policy.

Arguably, even, neither World War 1 nor World War 2 have completely played out. Many of the tensions arising from NATO's role in the world come from it being a post-war, Cold War-era alliance operating in a post-Cold War world. Many of the geopolitical issues in the Middle East, meanwhile, can be traced to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, which chose the losing side in WW1.

Instead of any of that however, perhaps unsurprisingly, the panel became a hodgepodge of security-related issues not connected by any over-arching theme other than fear. While today was supposed to be about "the threat at home," not even that became a unifying theme for the panel.

Tomorrow's panel on WW3 and "the threat abroad" starts at 8:15a.m.

Related: Don't Talk WW3 Blues

View post:

When Did WW3 Start? Let's Talk About Sanctuary Cities and the ... - Reason (blog)

PRESIDENT Donald Trump has declared the US will be the "top of the pack" as he vows to increase the country's nuclear weapons.

Trump announced he will "make America great again" with military expansions and increased nuclear missile capability.

The billionaire businessman also slammed existing arms reduction treaties as "one-sided" against the US amid rising tension with rival nuclear powers Russia, North Korea and China.

Trump said: "If countries are going to have nukes, were going to be at the top of the pack.

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Were going to be at the top of the pack

He added: I am the first one that would like to see everybody nobody have nukes, but were going to fall behind.

"We've fallen behind on nuclear weapon capacity.

"But we're never going to fall behind any country even if it's a friendly country."

Trump also slammed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty signed with rival nuclear power Russia as a "one-sided deal".

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His comments follow Russia's announcement their country is ready war with 41 new nuke-capable missiles amid a massive military expansion.

Trump said: "Just another bad deal that the country made, whether its START, whether its the Iran dealwere going to start making good deals."

The billionaire also blasted Putin over his cruise missile deployment in violation of the treaty.

We live in turbulent times. Trump has the keys to nuclear weapons, and could end work to prevent climate change. Putin is looming in the East, the far-right are on the rise in Europe and Kim Jong-un is developing nuclear weapons of his own. Is this the END of days?

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Before his inauguration, Donald Trump asked a security expert three times during a briefing, why the US couldn't use nuclear weapons after he becomes president.

He added: "To me, it's a big deal ... If I meet [Putin], if and when we meet, I would bring it up.

"It's a violation of an agreement that we have."

Referring to China's military action in the South China Sea, he added: "Many things took place that should not have been allowed.

There is a reason people fear nuclear war the weapons are now so powerful they could wipe out humanity. The bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima are tiny by comparison to the destructive power of modern nuclear weapons which are thought to be over 3000 times more powerful.

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The mushroom cloud over Nagasaki, viewed from the ground.

"I know exactly what's going on between China and North Korea and everybody else.

"One of them is the building of a massive, you know, massive military complex in the middle of the South China Sea.

"Don't forget I've only been here for four weeks. This is something that took place and has been started three years ago.

Read the original post:

Trump talks tough on Russia and China as he promises MORE nukes in new WW3 arms race - Daily Star

THE US military is drafting expansion plans amid fears of World War 3, it has been claimed.

GETTY/US AIR FORCE/US DEFENCE

A defence official has leaked unauthorised information on the US militarys expansion plans after Donald Trump vowed to rebuild the nations depleted force last week.

According to the unconfirmed plans the army, air force and navy are set to receive increased man and weapon power.

The expansion plans comes as tensions continue to rise between the US and several countries including Russia, North Korea, China and Iran.

Washington has said to be flexing its military muscles after Chinese military bosses declared war between the US and China is now a reality.

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Our country will never have had a military like the military we're about to build and rebuild

An unnamed defence official has claimed draft plans have been set in motion to increase the US Army by around 30,000 men by October.

The US Air Force is also said to want to expand their airmen by roughly the same amount but over the next five to six years.

While the US Navy as part of the proposed expansion has asked for 82 more ships and submarines which would be a 30 percent increase in the size of the fleet.

It comes after the nations marine corps unveiled their new lethal amphibious combat vehicles.

As Donald Trump has promised to start an arms race, we take a look at the futuristic weapons being developed for the US military.

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A projectile fired from an electromagnetic rail gun. Rail Guns use an electro magnet to propel a projectile at speeds up to 2500 meters per second.

They plan to add at least 200 of the deadly vehicles to their arsenal by 2023.

Trump said: "Our country will never have had a military like the military we're about to build and rebuild."

The US is set to deploy its first F-35A Joint Strike Fighter jets to the Pacific amid growing threats from North Korea and China.

In a pre-inauguration day speech, Trump promised to beef up the US military in a bid to make America great again.

The Donald had made increased military spending a key part of his election campaign and after being named the 45th president pledged to strengthen the nations nuclear weapons in a $3 trillion expansion.

Acting Pentagon press secretary Capt Jeff Davis added: The budget submissions that DOD makes to the president will come from Secretary Mattis.

They will reflect his thinking, and his priorities, which are to rebuild combat readiness of America's military, while being faithful stewards of every taxpayer dollar we spend on defence.

Read more:

Revealed: Trump's secret plans for MASSIVE military expansion amid WW3 fears - Daily Star

NUCLEAR war between the US and China would turn the West Coast of America into an uninhabitable wasteland killing at least 12 million people.

Tensions are broiling between the US and China as relations plunge over the South China Sea and a potential trade war.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese premier Xi Jinping shared their first phone-call this week, but there fears remain as military forces flood into the Pacific.

Daily Star Online can now reveal the chilling reality of the US and China clashing in World War 3.

An inside view of the Chinese military over 120 years.

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One JIN nuclear submarine could cause the destruction of five million to 12 million people

Cities such as Los Angeles, Seattle and San Diego have all been chillingly identified as potential targets by Chinas state mouthpiece.

A report to the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) reveals details of the Chinese nuclear plan published in state-run newspaper the Global Times.

The column identifies soft targets along the West Coast as the prime strike points for a nuclear attack from China should war flare with the US.

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Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco and San Diego are all identified by name as potential targets for Beijings nuclear missiles with a death toll identified of 12 million.

It was published to coincide China first unveiled their Jin class submarine known for its distinctive hump which hides an arsenal of 12 nukes.

China last year dispatched their nuclear deterrent submarines into the Pacific for the first time as tensions flared with the US.

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The JIN submarine is believed to have enough range to attack the US from the well-defend waters around China.

Chinese military commanders plan to use the JIN as a second strike vessel designed to hit back should a preemptive attack be launched on China.

Each vessel carries 12 JL-2 missiles which carry warheads with blast yield of up to 1,000 kilotons each 66 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Nagasaki by the US to end World War 2.

USCC

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Chilling maps in Global Times show as many as five nuclear weapons could be dropped on Los Angeles on the dawn of war.

It said: One JIN nuclear submarine could cause the destruction of five million to 12 million people, forming a very clear deterrent effect.

There is not a dense population in the United States midwest region, so to increase the destructive effect, the main soft targets for nuclear destruction in the United States will be the main cities on the west coast, such as Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego.

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The USCC warned congress about the dangers posed by the Jin in their annual 2016 report seen by Daily Star Online.

It said: The Jins JL2 submarine-launched ballistic missile is armed with a nuclear warhead with an assessed range of 4,474 mi far enough to strike the continental United States depending on the location of the launch.

War fears have peaked as the Peoples Liberation army published statement saying conflict between the US and China is now a practical reality.

The USCC's conclusion: "Despite cooperation on several areas of mutual interest and the continued expansion of security ties, U.S.-China relations over the past year continued to be strained."

We live in turbulent times. Trump has the keys to nuclear weapons, and could end work to prevent climate change. Putin is looming in the East, the far-right are on the rise in Europe and Kim Jong-un is developing nuclear weapons of his own. Is this the END of days?

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Before his inauguration, Donald Trump asked a security expert three times during a briefing, why the US couldn't use nuclear weapons after he becomes president.

US Navy commanders have warned China is preparing for war on the US as satellite imagery revealed preparations for a preemptive strike on bases in the Pacific.

China has repeatedly slammed new US President Donald Trump as being inexperienced and warned him over provoking the Asia-Pacific powerhouse.

Trumps righthand man Steve Bannon predicted war with China over the South China Sea in five to ten years.

Excerpt from:

China's nuke BLITZ on the US: '12 Million' to die on dawn of WW3 - Daily Star

America Is Closer to World War 3 asMichael Flynn ResignsasNational Security Advisor

On what must have been a stormy February 13 evening in the White House, President Donald Trumps National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn resigned. This is a troubling development that brings the world closer to World War 3. Flynn was to play a key role in improving relations between Russia and the United States.

Russia is a nuclear superpower and World War 3 can never be lifted from the calculus of U.S.Russia relations. Flynns resignation-worthy violation, by his own admission, was to have inadvertently given inaccurate information to vice president Mike Pence about his conversations with Russias ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak. (Source: Read the resignation letter of national security advisor Michael Flynn,Los Angeles Times, February 13, 2017.)

Never mind the allegations of the favors Hillary Clinton granted to Saudi Arabia. The mainstream media has had a grand old time with the Flynn resignation because it involves Russia. Americansand many other westernershave been brainwashed into considering Russia as an enemy. It used to be Republicans like Senator McCain who trumpeted the anti-Russia propaganda.

In the second Barack Obama term, the Democrats took over that role with aplomb. They also made a right mess of the situation in Syria. Obama was right not to intervene, but he was wrong by isolating Putin while tacitly encouraging the Saudis. Had he not done so, Trump would not have won the presidency and America would not be closer to WW3.

Apparently, President Trump knew about the allegations before. It was none other than Sally Yates who communicated to them to Trump collaborators. Yates happens to be the interim attorney who challenged Trumps entry restrictions for nationals of seven countries last week. Why, then, you might ask, did the administration not take action before?

The reason is that the events that led to the resignation of Flynn are complex. Trump was probably undecided whether to continue rewarding Flynn (the first major military figure to back Trump) or demand Flynnsresignation. Yet the trouble is just getting started, and the risk is that it could lead up to the next major conflict: WW3.

Republican and Democratic members on both Houses of Congress will demand answers. There are many Republicans who never backed Trump. The Flynn case, or Flynngate, is their call to action. The episode should not be discounted. It will throw the White House in disarray. In Watergate, there were tapes;in Flynngate, there are transcripts of the offending conversations.

Those transcripts are said to prove that Flynn discussed the sanctions with the Russians. But more than that, the situation suggests that within the Trump administration, there is disarray and too much competition. (Source: Upheaval is now standard operating inside the White House, The Washington Post, February 13, 2017.)

This makes White House insiders prone to clashes. Flynn was the gatekeeper for all major foreign policy and defense procedures. Trump might react to the criticismwhich he doesnt take wellby overturning his initial foreign policy inclinations. If I were Vladimir Putin, I would be worried now.

Trump will not sacrifice his presidency in the interests of better relations with Russia. There is bipartisan anti-Russian sentiment in U.S. Congress, and the mediaespecially the left-leaning mediahas been fueling it. Trump might find it useful to turn the screws on Russia. He could impose tighter sanctions, accusing Putin of direct interference in American affairs.

Trump would make Flynn the scapegoat and accuse Flynn of having deceived him. The proof will be in Trumps choice to replace Flynn as national security advisor. Some of the names being suggested have not hidden their concerns about Russia. Its doubtful they are advocates for World War 3, but they are not advocates for a passive stance either.

Moreover, Trump has a chance to make his foreign policy more coherent by changing his current detente inclination toward Putin. By letting go of that stance, it would make his threats against Iran more credible. Targeting Iran and scrapping the nuclear deal has been a key Trump goal, but Russia got in the way.

Russia and Iran have cooperated closely in various matters since at least the 1990s. They have been fighting ISIS together in Syria, sharing the purpose of keeping Bashar al-Assads secular regime in power. Fighting ISIS is a key goal for Trump. Once liberated from Russian constraint, Trump could attack Syria itself as Obama wanted to do in September 2013.

In so doing, he would run into Russian air and naval forces deployed in Syria. Meanwhile, an American vessel might be attacked by an Iranian gunboat or military support vessel heading for Yemen, where the U.S. is backing Irans enemy, Saudi Arabia, in an under-reported bloody conflict. Iran might respond with more attacks in the Persian Gulf.

Iran might even respond in Iraq, putting pressure on that countrys Shiite-dominated army and government to challenge America. Thus the triggers for a World War 3 episode, stemming directly from the Flynn resignation, are hardly far-fetched. They are all too real. And lets not forget that there is still a conflict in Ukraine pitting pro-Russia forces against pro-NATO ones.

The international situation is delicate. Without Flynn, who was so close to President Putin himself, as to sit beside him at a New Years Eve gala on December 31, 2015 in Moscow, has set off a foreign policy avalanche. One of the reasons that many Americans were concerned about Hillary Clinton was precisely her rabid anti-Russia stance.

Flynns departure may also weaken the shadow presence of Trump advisor Steve Bannon. Like Bannon, Flynn believes the greatest threat to America is Islamic fundamentalism. He believed, like many keen observers of the Middle East, that the policy of weakening Assadas Obama was doing and Hillary would have pursued even morewould increase dangers to U.S. interests.

The concern wasthat Hillary Clinton would obstruct Russias plans to sustain Assad in power. Clinton would have been tougher on Moscow than Obama was, generating the very scenarios described above. Trump now finds himself in this position. But hes angry and carries the spirit of vengeance fora betrayal, and his chance to make history.

Nothing unites America more than a war. Flynn may have pushed Trump to start WW3 in order to preserve the keys to the White House. Should Trump merely cool relations with Moscow over this incident, he will leave himself open to media questions and Congressional scrutiny. These are the sorts of processes that lead to impeachments.

For the time being, the post of national security advisor has been temporarily entrusted to former army general Keith Kellogg, a close associate of Flynn. But it is unlikely he will stay, because hes too close to Flynn. Vice Admiral Robert Harward, close to Secretary of Defense James Mattis, could be called to the post.

But theres also General David Petraeus. He was involved in a complicated and extramarital affair-loaded scandal (that should not bother Trump too much) but he has expressed concerns about Russia in the past. Petraeus worries that Russia is working hard to raise anti-NATO sentiment in Europe and that Putin threatens democracy. But now we have ended up with the threat of WW3.

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Michael Flynn Resignation Tensions Inching US Closer to World War 3 - Lombardi Letter

HUNDREDS of US Army Helicopters have arrived in Germany as a giant multinational army prepares to defend the continent from a Russian invasion.

Dozens of Chinook, Apache and Black Hawk choppers were unloaded in the German port city of Bremerhaven joining an already massive US presence in Europe.

It comes as NATO continues to beef up its presence in Eastern Europe to fight against what it calls the "Russian threat".

It was confirmed that a total of 24 Boeing AH-64D Apache and 94 Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters touched down yesterday, along with 350 vehicles and 1,800 personnel from the New York-based 10th Combat Aviation Brigade.

RUPTLY/GETTY

Eleven NATO countries have sent 4,000 troops to Lithuania to participate in this years Iron Sword exercises.

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Members of the U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade prepare a simulated attack

This deployment is, of course, a threat for us

Major General Duane Gamble, the Commander of the 21st Theatre Sustainment Command, said: Today, we are downloading a portion of the combat aviation brigade and it will be moved to Germany and Eastern Europe and will be scattered between Latvia and Romania, while a big chunk of it will be stationed in Germany."

The deployment marks a further stage in Operation Atlantic Resolve, which was launched in the wake of the Ukraine-Crimea crisis in 2014.

Just last week, Vladimir Putin warned his country to prepare for a "time of war".

The Russian President ordered a "snap check" of armed forces to ensure his military is able to fight enemies immediately.

As Donald Trump has promised to start an arms race, we take a look at the futuristic weapons being developed for the US military.

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A projectile fired from an electromagnetic rail gun. Rail Guns use an electro magnet to propel a projectile at speeds up to 2500 meters per second.

Last July, NATO members agreed to the "biggest reinforcement since the Cold War" when it sent four battalions to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Over the following months, evidence that Russia's doorstep is being increasingly militarised has steadily grown with thousands of tanks, troops, and aircraft aimed to fight Russia.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksey Meshkov said of the recent NATO move: "This deployment is, of course, a threat for us.

It is obvious that the steps by NATO gravely increase the risk of incidents [between NATO and Russian forces].

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WW3 threat as US Army prepares to defend Europe from Russia onslaught - Daily Star

Steve Bannon is arguably the second most powerful man in the world, but his vision for where America and the world are headed is World War Three, writesShannon Ebrahim.

Steve Bannon is arguably the second most powerful man in the world, as the chief strategist in the White House and the kingpin on the US National Security Council. But Bannons vision for where America and the world are headed is World War Three.

For those that think one man cannot navigate the US into what Bannon calls a cleansing apocalyptic war against Islam, they should think again.

Bannon is a shrewd strategist who masterminded President Donald Trumps path to the White House. Since starting Breitbart news in 2012 an online news site and radio station, Bannon frequently invited Trump as a guest on his radio talk show. Trump admired Bannon for his impressive background at Goldman Sachs, a degree from Harvard Business School, and the fact he was independently wealthy.

Trump, traditionally conservative but not Republican, was easily sold on the ideology of the alternative right, commonly known as alt-right. Breitbart news was started as a platform to spread this ideology.

Alt-right proponents disavow human rights, and seek to rid America of anyone who does not conform to Christian values and way of life. Its proponents are proudly anti-Islam, anti-immigrant, and also happen to be anti-abortion, homophobic and patriarchal.

Diversity and multiculturalism are the very elements of modern western liberal culture that the alt-right want to destroy. Bannon subscribes to the idea that a successful society should not be based on human rights, social justice or equality.

In August 2016, Bannon left Breitbart news and took over the reins of Trumps campaign. It was Bannon who drafted Trumps inaugural speech, which was a synopsis of everything Bannon perceives as wrong with America crony capitalists in bed with the political establishment at the expense of the middle class.

From the first day of Trumps administration, it is Bannon who has been instrumental in drafting the slew of executive orders from banning Muslims from seven countries, revisiting torture and American black sites, and drafting a ban on immigrants with disabilities, to mention a few.

But his coup was ensconcing himself at the apex of the National Security Council (NSC). Bannon drafted the executive order for Trump to sign that made him a principal member of the NSC, while downgrading the role of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Director of Intelligence. Trump has even said that he doesnt need to read daily intelligence briefings, likely due to the fact that Bannon will provide him with everything he needs to know.

So what of the checks and balances in American society on the power of the executive? They still exist the judiciary, the attorney general, the congress but all are under threat from Trumps inner circle, which have embarked on a process of purging those with dissenting views. For those with opposing views that the White House is not in a position to fire, there are concerted campaigns to discredit and denigrate them.

Bannon has publicly called himself a Leninist saying, Lenin wanted to destroy the state, and thats my goal too. I want to bring everything crashing down, and destroy all of todays establishment. For Bannon that means the destruction of both the Republican and Democratic parties.

But Lenin was not an ardent racist who wanted to plunge the world into bloody violent conflict in order to remake the world according to a dark and exclusivist worldview, built on white supremacy and the Christian religion.

Perhaps most concerning is that Bannon wants to take the US into a cataclysmic war far more brutal than anything America has experienced. He believes there are four turning points in American history the American revolution, the American civil war, World War Two, and now World War Three.

In an interview Bannon did with professional historian David Kaiser, Kaiser recalled that Bannon emphasized more than once the fact that each of the preceding crises involved a great war, each increasing in scope and brutality. Bannon told Kaiser he expects that the time has come for a much bigger war as the US is in an existential crisis with Islam.

Bannon also suggested on Breitbart news that World War Three with China was around the corner. In March 2016 he asked one of his radio talk show guests, Were going to war in the South China Sea in 5-10 years arent we? If that seems farfetched, consider the fact that Trumps new Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said the US would consider blocking access to islands in the South China Sea. This for China is a redline.

Breitbart News and its grand ideologue have extended their reach beyond the US, into strategic centres of Europe, with a view to popularizing the alt-right ideology and ushering in extreme right wing parties. Breitbart France has hired Marine le Pens niece Marion le Pen to run its operation, to whip up anti-immigrant and Islamaphobic sentiments.

Breitbart London had worked closely with Nigel Farage's UKIP prior to the last British elections with the same objectives. Spreading alt-right ideology in Germany is already underway with a view to destroy Chancellor Merkel and everything she represents.

We must remember what the New York Times said about Adolf Hitler in 1922 that Hitlers anti-semitism was not so genuine or violent as it sounded, but he was using propaganda to catch the masses.

If we are to learn from history, we should realize that dark men pursue dark agendas, and just as Hitler sought to annihilate Jews, so Bannon seeks to annihilate Muslims, and all others who fail to conform to his worldview.

The warning signs are there, but too often we downplay them in the nave belief that the world has changed since Hitler, and the checks and balances to dictatorial power will save us in the end.

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Part 2: The brains behind Trump and WW3 - Independent Online