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Vigilant Shield 2008

U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) has just announced plans for an anti-terrorism exercise called Vigilant Shield 2008. The series of exercises is mandated by the US government to prepare, prevent and respond to any number of national crises that would call for the use of the military inside the United States.

Terrorism, Air Defenses, and the Deployment of the U.S. Military in American Streets

Vigilant Shield 2008 builds a scenario of a domestic disaster in the U.S. (terrorist attack or natural disaster). It posits the domestic use of the U.S. military including a special role for the U.S. Air Force.

Hypothetically, a terrorist event could trigger the massive deployment of the U.S. military as part of a national emergency. If a terrorist incident were to occur and Iran were to be blamed for the attacks, the military could also be used to shunt anti-war opposition within the U.S.

A precedent for the domestic use of the U.S. military within U.S. cities was established in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.

Vigilant Shield 2008 is said to be designed to deal with a terrorist or natural disaster scenario in the United States. Yet, the deployment of the U.S. forces in the upcoming U.S. military-security exercise, organized by Homeland Security and the Pentagon, resembles a war-time air scenario over North America and the Pacific rather than an anti-terrorist drill. Canadian territory is also involved through NORAD and so is Guam in the Pacific Ocean.

The Iran Link: Air War Scenario?

The involvement of a Pacific front suggests a scenario of confrontation with Russia or China. The Pacific Ocean, along with an arctic route across Canada are the most likely routes for hypothetical Chinese and Russian aerial attacks in response to a broader global war resulting from attacks on Iran. These assumptions were actually built into last year’s Vigilant Shield exercise (Vigilant Shield ’07).

ANNEX I

United States Northern Command

Exercise Vigilant Shield ’08 slated for October

Click to download the VS-08 Fact Sheet

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – USNORTHCOM’s primary exercise venues for VS-08 include locations in Oregon, Arizona and a cooperative venue with USPACOM in the Territory of Guam... These linked exercises will take place October 15-20 and are being conducted throughout the United States... Emphasis Added

ANNEX II

United States Northern Command

USNORTHCOM prepared for hurricane response

Aug. 29, 2007

By Petty Officer 1st Class Joaquin Juatai
NORAD and USNORTHCOM Public Affairs

USNORTHCOM coordinates movement of equipment and personnel in support of the primary responding agency, whether that is the Federal Emergency Response Management Agency, the National Guard or another primary responding agency.

...We have been conducting exercises and working with our federal partners to be better prepared for a future catastrophe...

Personnel at the command have identified many of the resources that may be needed during a disaster and established a process to move them quicker.

The mission of USNORTHCOM is homeland defense and civil support. The command conducts operations to deter, prevent, defeat and mitigate threats and aggression aimed at the United States, its territories and interests within the assigned area of responsibility and, as directed by the President or Secretary of Defense, provides military assistance to civil authorities including consequence management operations.

This article was originally published by Global Research at www.globalresearch.ca
It is herein reprinted with permission.

Posted May 04, 2008

URL: www.thecitizenfsr.org SM 2000-2011

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