- Two of America's top former military commanders warn
that America could quickly find itself in a global war.
-
- In an exclusive interview as part of NewsMax's Presidential
Briefing series, Adm. Thomas Moorer and Gen. Jack Singlaub reveal several
disturbing concerns about a major escalation in the months ahead.
-
- Their interview, America on the Brink of Global War,
is part of NewsMax's Presidential Briefing series.
-
- Both have unassailable credentials. Adm. Moorer served
as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation's highest-ranking
military official, and helped bring the Vietnam War to an end.
-
- Gen. Singlaub is former chief of staff for U.S. forces
in South Korea. In addition to serving as a field commander, he was also
assigned to the CIA and is an expert on unconventional warfare.
-
- Moorer and Singlaub have held combat command positions
in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
-
- Both share the view that the likelihood of a greater
war is strong, and fear that if several fronts opened up against the U.S.
in hot spots like Taiwan and Korea, the results could be catastrophic for
the United States.
-
- "It's not like any war we have been in before, but
we have got to have it," Adm. Moorer explains.
-
- Moorer and Singlaub say the nature of this war will require
several steps, with the first military moves aimed at eliminating terrorist
cells.
-
- But Moorer believes that the war will do the job only
if we go after the nations that support terrorism, including Iraq, Iran
and Syria.
-
- "I think the war is going to broaden. I think that
the president made it quite clear that this is a pure case of good vs.
evil and those who want to live in peace must unite and eliminate those
who want to kill one another," Gen. Singlaub says.
-
- He adds ominously, "We just have to recognize that
it's going to develop into a larger war and there are lots of people and
nations involved."
-
- In "America on the Brink of Global War," Moorer
and Singlaub make several key points, the same ones they would tell the
president if they were in the Pentagon today:
-
- Focus on the Likelihood of a Bigger War. Both military
commanders insist that while they would have Pentagon strategists working
to deal with Osama bin Laden, the Pentagon's main focus should be to prevent
and prepare for a major war.
-
- Singlaub explains: "We have to be thinking along
those lines and not get ourselves committed in one area."
-
- Possible Flashpoints: Taiwan and Korea. Moorer and Singlaub
see these as strong possibilities for the outbreak of a larger war.
-
- Noting the diminished size of the U.S. military, now
40 percent smaller than it was just 10 years ago, a country like China
may make a play for Taiwan while American military resources are so focused
in the Mideast.
-
- Worse, North Korea may launch its long-awaited invasion
of South Korea. More than 30,000 American troops still sit near the Korean
Demilitarized Zone, and Gen. Singlaub, an expert on Korea, doubts U.S.
forces could repel an armored invasion. The U.S. may have to use tactical
nuclear weapons to stop an advance, he believes.
-
- Moorer adds: "This is the whole point if the U.S.
focuses so much strength in one area," one or more of America's enemies
may seize the opportunity to attack.
-
- Oil Kingdoms, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, at Risk. Despite
the large U.S. buildup in the Middle East, both commanders believe there
is little the U.S. could do to stop Saddam Hussein from invading and capturing
Kuwait as he did in 1990. A similar threat exists to Saudi Arabia. Singlaub
observed that during the Gulf War the U.S. had five divisions in Germany
that were quickly moved to the region, with the air and naval support to
move them there.
-
- That isn't true today, he said. By the time we mobilize
to prevent an Iraqi offensive, it will be "too late."
-
- Moorer agrees. He thinks U.S. forces could eventually
dislodge Hussein, but it would take much longer and the U.S. could expect
heavy casualties this time.
-
- Secure the Panama Canal Now. Both veteran military experts
advise the U.S. to immediately secure the Panama Canal. Moorer says the
U.S. has no troops in Panama now, and we need to make arrangements with
the Panamanian government to ensure there is no interruption of Navy movement
between the Atlantic and Pacific.
-
- Singlaub notes that any interruption by terrorists, or
by the Chinese company that controls the canal, could have catastrophic
consequences for U.S. forces in Asia if, say, South Korea was invaded.
Both commanders say in such a scenario even a matter of days could prove
critical in preserving thousands of American lives.
-
- "We cannot afford to lose the most strategic waterway
in the world to our enemies," Gen. Singlaub says.
-
- Get the full story - order your copy of the Moorer-Singlaub
interview, which comes with a Special Report, The Threat - Weapons of Mass
Destruction, which includes a recently declassified CIA report.
-
- All Rights Reserved © NewsMax.com Posted by permission
of NewsMax.com http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2001/10/2/222750.shtml
|
