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NATO is ready and waiting to attack
Manlio Dinucci
Just
like any good household appliance, the
Allied
Joint Force Command
in Naples, Italy, (JFC Naples) is officially on
stand by, that is ready to enter into action, to go
to war, at any moment.
The
Commander in Chief of NATO in Europe (always a
United States General named by the U.S. President)
has ordered the response forces, composed of ground,
aerial and naval units equipped with the latest
technology, to maintain a maximum level of
readiness, to be able to undertake any mission
whatsoever, in any location, within 48 hours.
The
JFC Naples headquarters at Lago Patria in southern
Italy, constructed to house more than 4,000 troops -
and which could be expanded as NATO grows - is abuzz
with activity. Officials from all NATO member
countries are arriving to join the staff, to carry
out a series of maneuvers which will prepare JFC
Naples for military operations like Unified
Protector, the 2011 war against Libya.
JFC
Naples' preoccupation today is Syria. Although
NATO's involvement is not officially recognized
anywhere, by way of infiltrated forces it is
carrying out an undercover operation in the country,
which could at any moment become official with the
imposition of a no-fly zone, the strategy used to
openly intervene in Libya.
The
advanced base of this operation against Syria is in
Turkey, where NATO has 20 bases - for both air and
naval forces, as well as electronic espionage.
Beyond these resources, NATO now also has LandCom,
responsible for the ground forces of 28 member
countries, established in Izmir (Smyrna).
The transfer of this command center to Turkey - at
Iran and Syria's door steps - is a clear indication
of U.S. - NATO plans to use European ground forces
in this strategically important region.
This
was confirmed when General Philip Breedlove,
recently named Commander in Chief of NATO forces in
Europe by President Obama, traveled to Izmir in
July, to ensure that work underway to reach full
operational capacity at the LandCom installation was
speeded up. Immediately thereafter, U.S. General
Frederick Hodges, Izmir commander, traveled to Italy
to coordinate LandCom activity with that of JFC
Naples. He was received there by Admiral Bruce
Clingan, who is commander of both U.S. naval forces
in Europe and allied forces in Naples, in addition
to CentCom naval forces.
On
the table are the three playing cards which allow
the Pentagon to maintain its command position, as
was the case with Libya. In 2011, the U.S. first
used CentCom and later JFC Naples, both with the
support of U.S. naval forces in Europe.
And
Europe? According to statements made by the Supreme
Commander to a U.S. Congressional committee, Europe
is important to the United States. The country's
bases in Europe are not simply residual left-overs
from the Cold War, but rather advance operational
command centers which allow the U.S to maintain
CentCom, the U.S. Army Central Command which
includes the Middle East. These bases are essential
to 21st century security, guaranteed by a powerful
and efficient alliance directed by the U.S. which
possesses 24,000 combat aircraft, 800 ships and 50
AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System equipped
planes).
Little discussed is the fact that NATO's military
budget has grown to more than billion dollars a
year. Such is the cost of maintaining command
centers perpetually on stand by, as the alliance
does in Naples, a city with a record number of
unemployed who are also on stand by, waiting in vain
for a job. (Voltaire)
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