PRESS RELEASE
World Military Experts Issue Dire Warning of Nuclear War
May 7, 2015 (EIRNS)—On April 30, a group of retired generals and diplomats issued a report by the Global Zero Commission, warning of the imminent danger of thermonuclear war, and spelling out concrete measures for preventing it. The retired generals, admirals, ambassadors, and foreign ministers are from the United States, Russia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Germany, France, Britain, and Italy, while the Commission was chaired by Gen. James Cartwright, former Vice Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and commander of the U.S. Strategic Command.
On April 19, Gen. Cartwright and Gen. Vladimir Dvorkin, former chief of intelligence for Russia’s Strategic Rocket Force, jointly penned an op-ed in the New York Times, in which they summarized the commission findings.
The op-ed and the full 100-page report call for the U.S. and Russia to immediately negotiate an end to the doctrine of “launch on warning,” under which the decision-making time to decide on launching a full-scale second strike is reduced to minutes. More broadly, they warn that the U.S.-Russia relationship has deteriorated to such an extent that the danger of even an accidental or cyber attack triggering of full-scale thermonuclear war has become so great that urgent action is required.
Such a situation could develop around Ukraine. NATO Commander Gen. Philip Breedlove testified last week to the House Armed Services Committee that Russia was tightening its military control of the independence movement in Donetsk and Luhansk, which is preparing for a new offensive. However, he was forced to admit that he does not really know what Russia’s intentions are, due to gaps in NATO’s intelligence systems.
Ukrainian President Poroshenko continues to beat the war drums, as the fascists and Russophobes in the country consolidate their influence. During a TV interview April 30, he vowed that the war would continue until Kiev regains control of Donbas and Crimea, no matter how long it takes.
Just one day before, in reference to the May 9 commemoration ceremonies of the victory over Fascism and Nazism in World War II, known in the former Soviet Union as the Great Patriotic War, Poroshenko declared that “the only Patriotic War” fought by Ukraine was that of “2014-2015.”
Another flashpoint remains Southwest Asia. The recent purge in the Saudi leadership has tightened the grip on power of the faction within the royal family, which is close to the radical Wahhabi faction, associated with the spread of Salafism and al-Qaeda. King Salman has reached a rapprochement with both Turkey and Qatar, and accelerated the drive to overthrow the Assad government in Damascus. At the same time, the Saudis—with aid from Britain and the U.S.—are committing genocide in Yemen.
According to reports, President Obama could try and win Saudi nominal support for the P5+1 deal with Iran in exchange for U.S. support for the Saudi-led war drive.
