Thursday, April 30, 2015
ISRAEL WILL STRIKE IRAN FIRST TO THWART NUCLEAR ATTACK
Israel is not in a pleasant situation. Every day, her arch enemy Iran draws closer to refining enough uranium to build 100s of nuclear weapons.
Every day the Iranian program becomes more difficult to dislodge – as the uranium is concentrated, the number of centrifuges required to complete the process decreases, allowing the remaining refining operation to be moved to smaller and more covert facilities.
America, ostensibly Israel’s ally, is rumoured to have ordered US warships to shoot down Israeli aircraft, should a strike on Iran appear to be in progress. According to Israeli newspapers, President Obama thwarted a planned 2014 Israeli attack against Iranian nuclear facilities, by threatening to shoot down the Israeli bombers.
America is currently sending additional warships to the Persian Gulf – ostensibly to blockade Iranian supply runs to rebels in Yemen, but if rumours of President Obama’s threat against Israel are correct, perhaps also to reinforce US firepower, should Israel decide to mount an attack against Iran.
There is no doubt an attack is on the drawing board – the Israeli Defence Force admitted they are training for an attack on Iran, in a recent interview with The Times of Israel.
Iran may pose a grave existential threat to Israel – at least Israel believes they do and they appear to have good reasons for their concerns. According to an Israeli report written in 2008, Iran regularly state that Israel will shortly be wiped from the face of the Earth.
Regardless of whether the Iranian threats are as bad as is claimed, or whether Iran actually means what they say, the Iranian nuclear programme will provide Iran with the means to fulfill this terrifying threat.
Iran is currently purchasing an advanced Russian air defence system – which will further complicate the job of attacking Iran, should Israel choose to mount an attack.
If Israel does decide to mount an attack against Iran, they will run a gauntlet – they will have to fly long distances, over hostile Syria, and other unfriendly countries. They will potentially face a massive counterattack from the growing American presence in the Persian Gulf. When they finally reach Iran, they will suffer even more casualties from the advanced Russian anti-aircraft systems, which will shortly be operational.
And when a handful of Israeli aircraft finally reach their targets, the surviving Israeli warplanes will have to somehow inflict sufficient damage on heavily armoured nuclear facilities, some of which are buried hundreds of feet underground, to prevent them from being repaired.
There is only one kind of bomb in Israel’s arsenal, which can fulfill this military requirement.
A weak Iran deal, if it is ratified, will in my opinion be a lot more than a diplomatic failure – for the reasons I have provided, I believe it may trigger a nuclear war.
Credit to Breitbart.com
Christians are leaving the faith in droves
An extensive study done by the Pew Research Center has yielded some fascinating information regarding the trajectory of world religions over the next four decades.
As of 2010, Christianity was the dominant world religion with roughly 2.2 billion adherents and Muslims were second with about 1.6 billion adherents. If current demographic trends continue however, Islam is expected to catch up to Christianity midway through the 21st century.
Furthermore, people are leaving Christianity in droves. About 106 million Christians are expected to switch affiliation from 2010 to 2050 while only about 40 million people are expected to enter Christianity.
The religiously unaffiliated (athiests, agnostics) are expected to see the largest net gains from switching, adding more than 61 million followers.
Pew Research Center
In North America, the fastest growing religious groups are Muslims and followers of "other religions" (an umbrella category that includes Baha’is, Jains, Sikhs, Taoists and many smaller faiths). Christianity is expected to decline from 78 percent of the overall population in 2010 to 66 percent in 2050.
Here's what the dominant religious groups in the US are by county:
U.S. religious census
Unaffiliated religions are expected to rise over that same time from 16 percent of the population to 26 percent. By 2050, the United States will have more Muslims (2.1 percent of pop.) than Jews (1.4 percent).
In South America and the Caribbean, Christianity will see a slight dip over the next four decades, from 90 percent in 2010 t0 89 percent in 2050. Over that same time the religiously unaffiliated population will add 45 million followers increasing from 8 percent of the population in 2010 to 9 percent in 2050.
Pew Research
If the current trends continue beyond 2050 - which is a big if considering unforeseen events that can happen over a 40 year span (war, famine, innovation etc.) - then by the year 2070 the world's population of Muslims would roughly equal that of Christians.
Here are other chief findings from the report:
1. Islam will grow faster than any other religion over the next 40 years.
2. The number of Muslims will equal the number of Christians around the world by 2050.
3. Atheists, agnostics and other people who do not affiliate with any religion – though increasing in countries such as the United States and France – will make up a declining share of the world’s total population.
4. The global Buddhist population will be about the same size it was in 2010, while the Hindu and Jewish populations will be larger than they are today.
5. In Europe, Muslims will make up 10% of the overall population.
6. India will retain a Hindu majority but also will have the largest Muslim population of any country in the world, surpassing Indonesia.
7. In the United States, Christians will decline from more than three-quarters of the population in 2010 to two-thirds in 2050, and Judaism will no longer be the largest non-Christian religion. Muslims will be more numerous in the U.S. than people who identify as Jewish on the basis of religion.
8. Four out of every 10 Christians in the world will live in sub-Saharan Africa.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/christians-are-leaving-the-faith-in-droves-2015-4#ixzz3Yp2elKgk
Credit to Businessinsider.com
Inching Toward Conflict: US Navy To Escort Cargo Ships In Persian Gulf; Iran Refuses To Back Down
Stocks took a nasty fall on Tuesday when Al Arabiya erroneously reported that Iran had captured a cargo ship with a crew of Americans on board. It also sent oil surging. Things promptly normalized when it was revealed that the "confiscated" ship was merely one with a Marshall Island flag, at which point its fate was quickly forgotten (it may still be held by Iran, or not). But one thing is certain: both Iran and the US are itching for a provocation, whether a direct one or the far more traditional false flag type.
Earlier today, Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said that presence of the 34th fleet of the Iranian Navy in the Gulf of Aden is in accordance with international law to protect Iranian trade vessels against pirates.
Quoted by Iran's IRNA news agency, Sayyari, who was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony to mark the National Teacher's Day, said that the Iranian Navy has maintained a continuous presence in the Gulf of Aden, Bab el-Mandeb Strait and western India since 2008 Sayyari
He added that claims that Iranian warships have been warned and that they have left this region are not correct.
The Navy commander reiterated that the Iranian fleet does not enter territorial waters of other countries and is only present in international waters to ensure security for Iranian trade vessels.
Sayyari said that the 34th fleet of the Iranian Navy has also helped other countries in protecting their ships against pirates.
A laughable excuse of course, but no less laughable than the one provided by the US navy offered ten days ago when we learned that a US Navi aircraft carrier and a warship are being dispatched to intercept Iranian weapons shipment to Yemeni rebels.
And, as expected, moments ago there was yet another step up in the Persian Gulf naval escalation when CNN reported that the U.S. Navy will escort U.S.-flagged cargo ships through Strait of Hormuz in wake of Iran seizure this week, a US official says. Specifically, the Navy will henceforth accompany ships on concern that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard may seize them, CNN’s Jim Sciutto says in Twitter post, citing CNN’s Barbara Starr.
As a reminder the Straits of Hormuz is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, one which is transited by 35% of all seaborne traded oil.
This takes place just a day after the Pentagon said that the U.S. would "be able to respond" if necessary to help a Marshall Islands-flagged ship that was diverted, and boarded, a day earlier by Iran -- though it remains unclear how far the U.S. Navy might be willing to go if the tense situation escalates.
Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren said a U.S. guided-missile destroyer, the USS Farragut, is in the area and "keeping an eye on things," and in close enough proximity to the ship that they "will be able to respond if a response is required."
When pressed on what kind of incident aboard the ship would elicit a U.S. Navy response, he was vague, saying: "These [U.S. military] assets give commanders options." He said he didn't know "what the possibilities are," and the U.S. government is "in discussions with the Marshall Islands on the way ahead."
It is unclear what happens if either the accompanied cargo ship, or the US Navy warship leaves international waters, and enters Iran territory, which as the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is virtually assured: a strait which as the US Naval update map below shows has become as busy for US traffic as the 405 Freeway during rush hour.
Credit to Zero Hedge
Gigantic 100-metre sinkhole leaves Ukrainian villagers terrified after reports it has swallowed up homes
Spanning 100 metres across and some 60 metres deep, this gigantic hole could be a meteor crater.
But it's understood to have been caused by something far closer to home – humble salt.
Terrified residents fear their homes will soon vanish after it suddenly opened up in their Ukrainian village, reportedly swallowing seven houses in the process.
Now they are demanding the government act to either stop the hole getting even bigger or move them to a new, safer location.
Swallowed up: This huge sinkhole measuring around 100m wide by 60m deep has appeared in the village of Solotvino in the Zakarpatska Oblast region of western Ukraine
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3060882/Gigantic-100-metre-sinkhole-leaves-Ukrainian-villagers-terrified-reports-swallowed-homes-looks-likely-BIGGER.html#ixzz3Yp0qbOld
Credit to Dailymail.co.uk
But it's understood to have been caused by something far closer to home – humble salt.
Terrified residents fear their homes will soon vanish after it suddenly opened up in their Ukrainian village, reportedly swallowing seven houses in the process.
Now they are demanding the government act to either stop the hole getting even bigger or move them to a new, safer location.
Swallowed up: This huge sinkhole measuring around 100m wide by 60m deep has appeared in the village of Solotvino in the Zakarpatska Oblast region of western Ukraine
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3060882/Gigantic-100-metre-sinkhole-leaves-Ukrainian-villagers-terrified-reports-swallowed-homes-looks-likely-BIGGER.html#ixzz3Yp0qbOld
Credit to Dailymail.co.uk
JADE HELM’S SILVER LINING
I used to lament the fact that 98% of the mainstream media is owned by only six corporations. A decade ago, we all knew that the media was controlled, but the public would laugh in our faces for saying so. Today, the laughter and cries of “conspiracy theorist” are fading. The mainstream media is dying and the Independent Media is exploding and will soon be king.
Jade Helm is waking up the sheep like nothing else I have ever seen and these former “stay on the couch types” who watch Wolf Blitzer, are visiting the websites and listening to the shows of the Independent Media in record numbers. The entire Jade Helm fiasco is scaring the hell out of the average American and this is providing the Independent Media with an opportunity to reach record numbers of people who do not yet know the truth.
Hosea 4:6 states that ” my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge…” This article makes it abundantly clear, that the events surrounding Jade Helm are providing those people with an opportunity to spread the truth. As pervasively evil as Jade Helm is, the net effect of this unconstitutional tyranny may serve to backfire in the faces of the globalists.
Controlling the Narrative
If the globalists are truly going to impose draconian martial law control in the United States, controlling the narrative is critical. Until recently, the corporate controlled media has dominated the narrative regarding the true state of affairs on the planet.However, sociologists will tell you that when a committed movement reaches 10% of the population, the movement explodes! And our time has arrived and the message of the Independent Media is being heard in record numbers.
The globalists are quickly reaching the point where they can no longer tolerate the Hagmann and Hagmann Report, Steve Quayle, John B. Wells and Alex Jones. The globalists must move quickly to subjugate the Independent Media before it becomes impossible to control the population. This is why the FCC illegally imposed Net Neutrality several weeks ago. However, it is a case of too little, too late. The proverbial horse is out of the barn.
Record Numbers
I am a statistics person, having taught and written courses in the field. I have looked at the numbers of both Independent Media and the Mainstream Media and discovered there has been a seismic shift in the relative ratings. One has to go no further than Steve Quayle’s website to understand the changing fortunes in who the public is following with regard to getting their news. Steve has one of the largest websites in the world. He has well over 1500 websites that follow his work and publications on a daily basis. I would make a rough estimate that Steve’s site has been visited by between 12-15% of the over 40 male demographic, and these numbers are much higher on some days. Before Its News is one of the most visited sites in the World as well and attracts a very similar demographic. These estimates are the result of analyzing both Google Analytics and Alexa which are not perfect cyber metrics, but are capable of showing accurate trend curves. By himself, Steve Quayle is reaching more than the 10% figure that SNARC Research says will bring about a trend of listening and/or reading that will go viral!
Rest In Peace MSM
According to PRIME TIME Data by Nielsen Media Research, live and same day (DVR) data shows that Wolf Blitzer’s daily audience on CNN is down to an average of 116,000 viewers per show. The formerly popular Fox and Friends and the Van Susteren show are now under 300,000 viewers, each. Even Anderson Cooper is down to an average of 82,000 viewers per show.
Do you realize what this means? Most Independent Media broadcasters use Skype, twitter and other social media to increase their exposure. The Independent Media dominates these domains. Since 60% of all people under the age of 40 use digital media to get their news, the inevitability of the emerging dominance of the Independent Media is an inevitability!
The Independent Media does not yet have the large sums of money that the globalists can throw at CNN and Fox. Our advertisers are NOT Ford, GM, the big brokerage houses, Big Pharma, etc. Our sponsors are sellers of useful and everyday products such as Gold, organic seeds and water purification products whose vendors are normally individual proprietors, yet these are the very products you will need when the dollar collapses.
Conclusion
On April 27, 2015, The Common Sense Show welcomed a total of 42, 903 NEW, first-time visitors to its website. Amazingly, on the next day, The Common Sense Show reached another 39,232 NEW, first-time visitors. This means that in one two day period, over 80,000 new people visited a website, like so many other websites, we are doing our best to tell the public the truth about the threat posed by Jade Helm. I would be willing to bet that most of these first-time visitors have never heard of the New World Order before last weekend.
Personally I am doing an average of almost an interview per day and the majority of the interviews are about the threats posed by Jade Helm. Sometimes, I am being interviewed several times per day and the fastest growing number of the types of stations that are interviewing me are from the mainstream media and represent such outlets as FOX and Clear Channel Communications. Six months ago, these radio outlets wouldn’t have touched the likes of me with the proverbial 10 foot pole. This is largely being driven by the fact people are frightened over Jade Helm and and they are frustrated that these events are not being covered in much of the corporate-controlled mainstream media.
We, who are awake, need to turn this fear into action. Jade Helm may, or may not go live, but its successor most certainly will. Billions of dollars are not being spent on these “drills” because these people have nothing better to do with their money or their time.
The globalists are playing their best hand with Jade Helm. This is high stakes poker. Jade Helm is providing the Independent media with an opportunity to make a difference because the truth is now out in the open.
People are hungry for the truth. If you are reading these words, you are the Independent Media. You do not need a radio show or even a website to have an impact. Engage people, friends and relatives in casual conversation. Tell these people how the futures of their children are being stolen. Can you imagine the impact that six million housewives shopping in the local grocery stores, on this particular day, can have on general, overall awareness? When you meet resistance with your message, don’t argue, just treat the person like their phone is busy and you will call them back. Plant a seed of knowledge and move on to the next person. Act as if your life depends on it, because it does! In fact you can start right now. Show people the following photo and ask them this question: Where are the trucks belonging to the plumbers?
Jade Helm, or its successor could become either the globalists Waterloo or it will be our death march. What we do in the next 10 weeks is very important.
Credit to Common Sense
US Army On Jade Helm 15: 'This Thing Is Getting Wired In Tight' - Confirms Training To Include 'Round-Up And Detainment Of Role Players'
With Americans turning out in mass numbers for Monday's Jade Helm 15 hearing in Bastrow, Texas, we finally received 'some' answersfrom the US Army about what Jade Helm is really all about, quite telling the admissions from the US Army spokesman that some of the drills WOULD likely consist of the 'rounding up or detaining' of 'role-players' and the admission to one questioner about Jade Helm 15 preparations: "This thing is getting wired in tight". Though it was clearly stated that all of these drills were in preparation of overseas deployment, former United States Marine Field McConnell in his Able Danger blog (and the 3rd video below) sums up this Jade Helm 15 meeting doubts like this.:
Dear Friends and Family In US and the United Kingdom:
I heard from a brother that at a public hearing with SOCOM representatives in Bastrop, Texas today, 90+% of the people were upset over the military's plans and the local County Reps agreeing to them in a previous meeting! The LTC giving the briefing deferred to Mr. Meade (the former SOCOM LTC who is now a civilian who gave the original briefings around the country) with visual eye and head motions on answers. At one point when asked, the LTC giving the briefing ADMITTED THE "DRILL" WILL INVOLVE LIMITED RED LIST EXTRACTION OF CIVILIANS!!!! (SEE 1ST VIDEOBELOW!) Now, even if only an exercise, this shows where we are!!!! The briefing to the public was an obvious attempt to placate, not inform, and the people KNEW it!!! Abel Danger has let the U S military enlisted forces active and all retirees and veteran know that 9/11 was also an exercise until the United States Senior Executive Service was complicit in it going live.
The photograph above shows the moment Infowars reporter Jakari Jackson asked Jade Helm 15's propaganda officer if Jade Helm 15 will consist of "rounding up or detaining role-players"...the look from his civilian 'handler' to the far right of the picture is priceless as the facial expressions of these two men now at the center of the Jade Helm circus almost tell us more than words, and words tell us a bountiful amount though clearly not the entire picture.
After listening to this video (2nd video) you'll see it's wise that Americans across the country and especially the deep south keep their eyes on this story that will continue to develop throughout the summer due to seemingly related drills going on across America such as the one seen in the image below from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, of 'role players' being rounded up with black helicopters flying overhead, it'd be sheer ignorance for any American to simply choose to ignore what is now happening across the country.
Audience members point out clearly that the US government has a very spotty track record of honesty when dealing with the American people; why SHOULD they trust what they are being told? At the same time, Americans in Jade Helm states should never do anything to put Jade Helm 15 participants in danger as a US military member was accidentally killed by a police officer in a similar drill in North Carolina. The mere fact that this story has gone viral should help to protect these participants from someone who might see something suspicious and take matters into their own hands, such as in the North Carolina incident where the officer was unaware of a drill, as everybody now knows a major drill will be going on there. The fact that Americans are now learning 'en masse' that drills such as Jade Helm 15 often 'go live' should provide a level of protection for the rest of us from such a thing happening during Jade Helm.
While we take solace that it is admitted BY this spokesman that 90% of the US Army would likely fall under the type of American who would likely be 'rounded up' under the Department of Homeland Security document on right wing terrorism, (Christians, Constitution supporters, Patriots), the audience obviously doesn't buy all of what is being sold them and everyone who is reading this story should be enthused by the fact of how many well informed and vocal Americans showed up for this meeting. Despite having to wade through the 'fluff', some questions asked by participants are quite inspiring and cleary show that the American people have taken the next step in this 'information war' and are taking the art of 'mastering the human domain' directly to the US military, who obviously didn't expect this kind of response.
After the 10 minute mark this video gets hot as Jakari Jackson asks if there would be any 'rounding up and detaining' in Jade Helm 15; how would YOU take the response he received? Do the facial expressions of these two men tell us more than mere words ever could?
Dear Friends and Family In US and the United Kingdom:
I heard from a brother that at a public hearing with SOCOM representatives in Bastrop, Texas today, 90+% of the people were upset over the military's plans and the local County Reps agreeing to them in a previous meeting! The LTC giving the briefing deferred to Mr. Meade (the former SOCOM LTC who is now a civilian who gave the original briefings around the country) with visual eye and head motions on answers. At one point when asked, the LTC giving the briefing ADMITTED THE "DRILL" WILL INVOLVE LIMITED RED LIST EXTRACTION OF CIVILIANS!!!! (SEE 1ST VIDEOBELOW!) Now, even if only an exercise, this shows where we are!!!! The briefing to the public was an obvious attempt to placate, not inform, and the people KNEW it!!! Abel Danger has let the U S military enlisted forces active and all retirees and veteran know that 9/11 was also an exercise until the United States Senior Executive Service was complicit in it going live.
The photograph above shows the moment Infowars reporter Jakari Jackson asked Jade Helm 15's propaganda officer if Jade Helm 15 will consist of "rounding up or detaining role-players"...the look from his civilian 'handler' to the far right of the picture is priceless as the facial expressions of these two men now at the center of the Jade Helm circus almost tell us more than words, and words tell us a bountiful amount though clearly not the entire picture.
After listening to this video (2nd video) you'll see it's wise that Americans across the country and especially the deep south keep their eyes on this story that will continue to develop throughout the summer due to seemingly related drills going on across America such as the one seen in the image below from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, of 'role players' being rounded up with black helicopters flying overhead, it'd be sheer ignorance for any American to simply choose to ignore what is now happening across the country.
Audience members point out clearly that the US government has a very spotty track record of honesty when dealing with the American people; why SHOULD they trust what they are being told? At the same time, Americans in Jade Helm states should never do anything to put Jade Helm 15 participants in danger as a US military member was accidentally killed by a police officer in a similar drill in North Carolina. The mere fact that this story has gone viral should help to protect these participants from someone who might see something suspicious and take matters into their own hands, such as in the North Carolina incident where the officer was unaware of a drill, as everybody now knows a major drill will be going on there. The fact that Americans are now learning 'en masse' that drills such as Jade Helm 15 often 'go live' should provide a level of protection for the rest of us from such a thing happening during Jade Helm.
While we take solace that it is admitted BY this spokesman that 90% of the US Army would likely fall under the type of American who would likely be 'rounded up' under the Department of Homeland Security document on right wing terrorism, (Christians, Constitution supporters, Patriots), the audience obviously doesn't buy all of what is being sold them and everyone who is reading this story should be enthused by the fact of how many well informed and vocal Americans showed up for this meeting. Despite having to wade through the 'fluff', some questions asked by participants are quite inspiring and cleary show that the American people have taken the next step in this 'information war' and are taking the art of 'mastering the human domain' directly to the US military, who obviously didn't expect this kind of response.
After the 10 minute mark this video gets hot as Jakari Jackson asks if there would be any 'rounding up and detaining' in Jade Helm 15; how would YOU take the response he received? Do the facial expressions of these two men tell us more than mere words ever could?
This is the entire Infowars live feed of the Bastrow, Texas Jade Helm 15 meeting. At the 35 minute mark, a question is asked if they planned on knocking on any citizens doors; the response he gave immediately sets the audience off, even before he mentioned the possible presence of helicopters near their properties. At the 45 minute mark, a well-awoken US citizen asks about the Department of Homeland Security's document labeling right wingers, Christians and those supporting the US Constitution as potential extremists. The response he gets from the spokesperson gets a round of applause from the audience and provides them a rare moment of trust at a time when trust in government in America is very rare.
The video below is an attempt to make sense of Jade Helm 15 from US Marine Field McConnell. His outline of the video:
Some informed parties have wished the Military were planning to stand against Obama's personal army (DHS, etc...), but that is manifestly NOT the case! These people all answer to the western banking system (NWO, NIO, whatever you want to call it), and our Republic is in its last death throes!!! THE MILITARY PERSONNEL WHO HAVE SURVIVED THE OBAMA PURGES ARE NOT TO BE TRUSTED!!!!! The government wants to silence Constitutionalists, Patriots, Gun Owners, Christians, Vets, etc... as I have been pounding on for years! The end game is to turn the US into a totalitarian state!!!! False Flags on the way to justify this going live at some point in the future!!! The false flags will blame Tea Party, conservatives, vets, etc... again as I have said! To ensure that this message reaches the ears of Kristine Marcy, Colleen Prosser and Hillary Clinton I will broadcast my comments tonight on Livestream radio at 6pm central. If I suffer an untimely demise I have asked 4 allies to ensure my words are spoken as a verbal epitaph in Nottingham.
Field McConnell
U S Marine 0116513
2 October 1949-
Texas will be monitoring Jade Helm 15. The Texas National Guard will be watching.
Credit to All News Pipeline
Texas Governor Calls Up State Guard To Counter Jade Helm "Federal Invasion" Fears
We’ve mentioned the upcoming Jade Helm military exercises on a few occasions lately (here and here). In short, Jade Helm is an eight-week joint military and Interagency Unconventional Warfare exercise conducted throughout Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado. Here’s the official press release:
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (USASOC News Service, March 24, 2015) -Members of U.S. Army Special Operations Command will train with other U.S Armed Forces units July 15 through Sept. 15 in a multi-state exercise called Jade Helm 15.USASOC periodically conducts training exercises such as these to practice core special warfare tasks, which help protect the nation against foreign enemies. It is imperative that Special Operations Soldiers receive the best training, equipment and resources possible.While multi-state training exercises such as these are not unique to the military, the size and scope of Jade Helm sets this one apart. To stay ahead of the environmental challenges faced overseas, Jade Helm will take place across seven states. However, Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF) will only train in five states: Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado. The diverse terrain in these states replicates areas Special Operations Soldiers regularly find themselves operating in overseas.The training exercise will be conducted on private and public land with the permission of the private landowners, and from state and local authorities. In essence, all exercise activity will be taking place on pre-coordinated public and private lands.The public can expect nothing much different from their day-to-day activities since much of exercise will be conducted in remote areas. The most noticeable effect the exercise may have on the local communities is an increase in vehicle and military air traffic and its associated noise. There will also be economic gain: an increase in the local economy, in fuel and food purchases and hotel lodging.This exercise is routine training to maintain a high level of readiness for ARSOF since they must be ready to support potential missions anywhere in the world at a moment’s notice.During this eight-week period, ARSOF soldiers will use this opportunity to further develop tactics, techniques and procedures for emerging concepts in Special Operations warfare.USASOC intends to conduct the exercise safely and courteously while providing the best possible training available for the nation's Army Special Operations Forces. State and local officials are being informed of the scope of Jade Helm and will continue to be updated as the exercise progresses.
Got it. So essentially, from July 15 to September 15 some military personnel are going to take a trip out west and pretend like they are conducting covert operations overseas. Doesn’t sound too exciting — but that’s just the press release. The devil, as they say, is always in the details which is why we took some time to look over the Jade Helm presentation (embedded below) to see if we could discern more about the drills. Here are some highlights we found interesting/humorous.
First, there’s the rather amusing state classification map wherein Texas and Utah are deemed “hostile” and where New Mexico is “leaning hostile.” California is “permissive” (we suppose this means the populace has resigned itself to what was probably, were this real, a unilateral invasion by the US military), but unfortunately, there appears to be an insurgency brewing in San Diego.
Next is the section entitled “Why Texas?” wherein the US Army Special Operations Command first explains how patriotic Texans generally are, then hilariously proceeds to suggest (in as polite a manner as possible) that the Lone Star state 1) resembles the type of desert wasteland soldiers might expect to encounter in a modern overseas conflict, 2) is just underdeveloped enough in many areas to give trainees an idea of what it might be like to be operating undercover in a hostile Middle Eastern country, 3) is home to the type of xenophobia which will make the locals approximately as skeptical of “outsiders” as the inhabitants of an occupied country might be but who are at the same time just gullible enough to be tricked into trusting the “invaders,” and best of all 4) is home to social and economic conditions that any normal American would consider “unfamiliar.” Here are some excerpts:
Why Texas?The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has conducted numerous exercises in Texas, because Texans are historically supportive of efforts to prepare our soldiers, airmen, marines and sailors to fight the enemies of the United States.To hone advanced skills, the military and Interagency require large areas of undeveloped land with low population densities with access to towns…Operating in and around communities where anything out the ordinary will be spotted and reported (Locals are the first to notice something out of place). The opportunity to work with civilians to gain their trust and an understanding of the issues...Adapting to unfamiliar terrain, social and economic conditions.
Basically then, 1,200 special ops soldiers are going to conduct a fake, covert infiltration of Texas because the US Special Operations Command thinks that in a lot of ways, Texas resembles Afghanistan.
That’s ok though, because as the government notes in the informational slide deck, the operation will have a dramatic impact on the local economy thanks to the injection of a staggering $150,000 via the purchase of “food, gas, lodging, and services” for the pretend invaders. That figure may sound small, but remember, we’re suspending reality here and one dollar equals 57 afghanis, so if we stick with the Afghanistan analogy, the government is actually injecting 8,550,000 in local currency.
While we’re certainly concerned about the creeping militarization of American communities (as discussed in detail here), we’re clearly employing a bit of sarcasm in our analysis of Jade Helm, but as one might imagine, many Texans are finding the operation to be no laughing matter. Here’s more via The Washington Post:
At an information session in Bastrop on Monday, command spokesman Lt. Col. Mark Lastoria fielded questions about whether Jade Helm 15 will involve bringing foreign fighters from the Islamic State to Texas, whether U.S. troops will confiscate Texans’ guns and whether the Army intends to implement martial law, according to the Austin American-Statesman.“It’s the same thing that happened in Nazi Germany: You get the people used to the troops on the street, the appearance of uniformed troops and the militarization of the police,” Bastrop resident Bob Wells told the Statesman after the meeting.“They’re gathering intelligence. That’s what they’re doing. And they’re moving logistics in place for martial law. That’s my feeling. Now, I could be wrong. I hope I am wrong. I hope I’m a ‘conspiracy theorist.'”According to the Statesman, Lastoria attempted to assuage residents’ concerns, saying the operation in Bastrop County will take place almost entirely on private land leased to the Army by the owner. And participants won’t be trying to sneak through the population undetected — everyone involved will wear uniforms or orange armbands signaling that they are part of the exercise, he said.
Meanwhile, some websites which The Post describes as being “of varying repute” have gone so far as to posit a link between Wal-Mart’s recent “plumbing” problems and Jade Helm.
We’ll leave it to readers to decide for themselves how far-fetched any or all of this is or isn’t, but surely the punchline to the entire story is that now,Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered the Texas State Guard to monitor the Jade Helm exercises. Here is the letter from Abbott to Major General “Jake” Betty:
This surely marks Jade Helm's "full retard" moment, as you now have a Texas governor pitting the Texas Guard against the US Special Operations Command amid fears the federal government — possibly in conjunction with Wal-Mart — is using special forces to gather intelligence on the way to taking over the state. Only in America.
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