THE
ART OF WAR
30,000 soldiers arrive in Europe without masks
by
Manlio Dinucci
The United States have raised the
alert for the corona virus in Italy to level 3 - (« avoid non-essential
travel »), and taken it to level 4 for Lombardy and Veneto (« do not
travel »), the same level as for China. The airline companies American Airlines and Delta Air
Lines have cancelled all their flights between New York and Milan. US citizens
who are travelling to Germany, Poland and other European countries are at alert
level 2, and must take « increased precautions ».
But there is a category of US citizens which is exempt
from these standards : the 20,000 soldiers who have begun to arrive from
the United States to the ports and airports of Europe for the Defender
Europe 20 exercises, the greatest deployment of US troops in Europe in the
last 25 years. With those who are already present, approximately 30,000 US
soldiers will be participating in the execises in April and May, alongside
7,000 others from the 17 member countries and partners of NATO, including Italy.
The first armoured unit arrived from the port of Savannah,
USA at Bremerhaven in Germany. A total of
20,000 pieces of military equipment are arriving from the USA at six European
ports (in Belgium, Holland, Germany, Latvia and Estonia). 13,000 others are
provided by the stocks that were pre-positioned by the US Army Europe, mainly
in Germany, Holland and Belgium.
These operations, explains the US
Army Europe, « require the participation of tens of thousands of soldiers,
military personnel and civilians from numerous nations ». At the same
time, the majority of the contingent of 20,000 soldiers arrive from the USA,
landing at seven European airports. Among this number are 6,000 from the
National Guard of 15 States : including Arizona, Florida, Montana, New
York and Virginia. At the start of the exercise in April – explains the US Army
Europe – the 30,000 US soldiers « will deploy throughout the European
region » in order to « protect Europe from any potential
threat », with a clear reference to the « Russian menace ».
General Tod Wolters – who commands US forces as well as the NATO forces in
Europe, as Supreme Allied Commander - assures that the European Union, NATO and
the United States European Command, have worked together to improve the
infrastructures ». This will allow military convoys
to move quickly along the 4,000 kilometres of transit routes.
Tens of thousands of soldiers will cross the frontiers to
perform exercises in ten countries. In Poland, US soldiers will arrive in
twelve training areas, equipped with approximately 2,500 vehicles. US
paratroopers from the 173rd Brigade based in Venetia, and Italians from the
Brigade Folgore based in Tuscany, will go to Latvia for a joint launching
exercise.
Defender Europe 20
is being carried out in order to « increase the capacity of deploying a
major combat force in Europe from the United States ». It is taking place
according to times and procedures which make it practically impossible to
submit tens of thousands of soldiers to the sanitary standards set up to deal
with the coronavirus, and prevent their contact with local inhabitants during
their rest periods. Furthermore, the US Army Europe Rock Band will be giving a series of free concerts in
Germany, Poland and Latvia, which are sure to attract a large public.
The 30,000 US soldiers, who will « deploy throughout
the European region », are thus exempt from the preventative standards set
up to deal with the coronavirus crisis which, on the other hand, do apply to
civilians. The assurance
given by the US Army Europe suffices : « we have the coronavirus
under surveillance » and « our forces are in good health ».
At the same time, no-one is
considering the environmental impact of a military exercise of this scale. US Abrams tanks will be taking part –
each of them weighs 70 tonnes, with armour-plating made of depleted uranium,
and consumes 400 litres of fuel for 100 kilometres, producing heavy pollution
in order to achieve maximum power.
In this situation, what is the
reaction of the European Union and national authorities, and what is the WHO
doing about it? They are covering their faces with maskes, not only to cover
their mouths and noses, but also their eyes.
il manifesto, 04 March 2020
Translator : Pete Kimberley
DECLARATION OF FLORENCE
FOR AN INTERNATIONAL FRONT NATO EXIT
DANSK DEUTSCH ENGLISH ESPAÑOL FRANÇAIS ITALIANO NEDERLANDS
PORTUGUÊS ROMÎNA SLOVENSKÝ SVENSKA TÜRKÇE РУССКИЙ
DANSK DEUTSCH ENGLISH ESPAÑOL FRANÇAIS ITALIANO NEDERLANDS
PORTUGUÊS ROMÎNA SLOVENSKÝ SVENSKA TÜRKÇE РУССКИЙ
Manlio Dinucci
Geographer and geopolitical scientist. His latest books are Laboratorio di geografia, Zanichelli 2014 ; Diario di viaggio, Zanichelli 2017 ; L’arte della guerra / Annali della strategia Usa/Nato 1990-2016, Zambon 2016, Guerra Nucleare. Il Giorno Prima 2017; Diario di guerra Asterios Editores 2018, Premio internazionale per l'analisi geostrategica assegnato il 7 giugno 2019 dal Club dei giornalisti del Messico, A.C.
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