International Affairs
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Islamic Total War, and the Winner Is ...
A recent article on a popular German news site describes an Islamic seven-stage plan, which is intended to lead to Islamic world domination. Supposedly we are in the seventh stage – “total war.” This final stage, however, may lead to a world far different from that envisioned by the Islamists, but even more threatening to the West in general and America in particular.
According to Die Welt, the plan goes from 2000 to 2020 and is considered of divine origin. Early on, Al-Qaida was the standard bearer for the establishment of Allah's will on earth, but the Islamic State has usurped Al-Qaida's place as the most important force waging the final war.
The Die Welt article describes the various steps to a supposed Islamic victory but finds no branch of Islamic militants capable of carrying out the seventh stage, which envisions millions of Muslims rising up and destroying all resistance on earth to Islam's ultimate victory.
Islamic militants can, of course, still cause great damage, but they will be defeated and their dream of final victory will be just that – a dream. The world following an Islamic defeat, however, could still be a very dangerous place.
Russia stands to gain the most, and there is already speculation that Russia is using its position as anti-terrorism participant to extend its military reach. Remarks by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev at the close of the recent APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) 2015 Summit demonstrated that Moscow intends to use its actions in the anti-terrorism campaign to pressure the West into ending the sanctions imposed following Russia's annexation of Crimea and intervention into eastern Ukraine.
Medvedev declared criticism of Russia as “immature and undignified,” and stated that he hoped that “the position of our partners will change and foster a wide anti-terrorist coalition,” according to a report from RIA Novosti, an official Russian government news agency.
For Russia, much is at stake.
Russia still needs Western technology for the development of its military machine, a top priority for Russian president Vladimir Putin. Sanctions, however, have cut off Russia from this needed technology source and have slowed, or possibly endangered, the modernization of Russia's military.
One of the most obvious and significant blows to Russian military development is the loss of two “Mistral” class helicopter carrier/amphibious landing craft. The French had agreed to the sale of the ships, but delivery was halted after imposition of sanctions. The Russian navy not only lost the ships, but also the opportunity to reverse engineer the ships' advanced design.
If Moscow can pressure the West into removing the sanctions, not only will Russia again have access to Western technology, but also will be seen as having a carte blanche for further aggression. With sanctions lifted, Moscow would have a free hand in eastern Ukraine, easily leading to Ukraine's complete destruction as an independent State – a Putin priority. Much of Eastern Europe will shudder at the prospect of Russian expansion, unhindered by any effective Western response.
Even more alarmingly, Russia is not acting alone. There is a de facto alliance between Russia and the Peoples Republic of China for the advancement of the interests of Moscow and Beijing – and against the United States. Russian and Chinese military forces train together, share technologies and are linked politically, with frequent governmental exchanges at all levels.
Cooperation between Russia and China is world-wide in scope, from the Western Pacific to Latin America and extends even to outer space. This mutual cooperation is aimed at nothing less than the establishment of a New World Order, which was first advocated in a joint statement in 1997 by the Russian and Chinese leaders of the time, Boris Yeltsin and Jiang Zemin.
It is a World Order in which the United States is subordinate to the dominant partners, Russia and China. There will be no room for personal freedom beyond that granted by the government in a world at least as restrictive and totalitarian as that advocated by Islamic extremists.
We will eventually defeat Islamic militancy, but we will need the same or greater determination to counter the growing Russia-China axis.
Toby Westerman publishes
International News Analysis - Today
An uncompromising weekly analysis of the world situation
Contact T. Westerman at
www.inatoday.com
or P.O. BOX 5182, Rockford, ILL, 61125-0182
According to Die Welt, the plan goes from 2000 to 2020 and is considered of divine origin. Early on, Al-Qaida was the standard bearer for the establishment of Allah's will on earth, but the Islamic State has usurped Al-Qaida's place as the most important force waging the final war.
An ISIS training camp near Iraq's Kirkuk
Islamic militants can, of course, still cause great damage, but they will be defeated and their dream of final victory will be just that – a dream. The world following an Islamic defeat, however, could still be a very dangerous place.
Russia stands to gain the most, and there is already speculation that Russia is using its position as anti-terrorism participant to extend its military reach. Remarks by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev at the close of the recent APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) 2015 Summit demonstrated that Moscow intends to use its actions in the anti-terrorism campaign to pressure the West into ending the sanctions imposed following Russia's annexation of Crimea and intervention into eastern Ukraine.
Medvedev declared criticism of Russia as “immature and undignified,” and stated that he hoped that “the position of our partners will change and foster a wide anti-terrorist coalition,” according to a report from RIA Novosti, an official Russian government news agency.
For Russia, much is at stake.
Russia still needs Western technology for the development of its military machine, a top priority for Russian president Vladimir Putin. Sanctions, however, have cut off Russia from this needed technology source and have slowed, or possibly endangered, the modernization of Russia's military.
One of the most obvious and significant blows to Russian military development is the loss of two “Mistral” class helicopter carrier/amphibious landing craft. The French had agreed to the sale of the ships, but delivery was halted after imposition of sanctions. The Russian navy not only lost the ships, but also the opportunity to reverse engineer the ships' advanced design.
If Moscow can pressure the West into removing the sanctions, not only will Russia again have access to Western technology, but also will be seen as having a carte blanche for further aggression. With sanctions lifted, Moscow would have a free hand in eastern Ukraine, easily leading to Ukraine's complete destruction as an independent State – a Putin priority. Much of Eastern Europe will shudder at the prospect of Russian expansion, unhindered by any effective Western response.
Russian troops at a camp on the Ukraine border
Cooperation between Russia and China is world-wide in scope, from the Western Pacific to Latin America and extends even to outer space. This mutual cooperation is aimed at nothing less than the establishment of a New World Order, which was first advocated in a joint statement in 1997 by the Russian and Chinese leaders of the time, Boris Yeltsin and Jiang Zemin.
It is a World Order in which the United States is subordinate to the dominant partners, Russia and China. There will be no room for personal freedom beyond that granted by the government in a world at least as restrictive and totalitarian as that advocated by Islamic extremists.
We will eventually defeat Islamic militancy, but we will need the same or greater determination to counter the growing Russia-China axis.
Posted November 30, 2015
International News Analysis - Today
An uncompromising weekly analysis of the world situation
Contact T. Westerman at
www.inatoday.com
or P.O. BOX 5182, Rockford, ILL, 61125-0182
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