Emergency
Preparedness Against The 'Universal Adversary' By Michel
Chossudovsky
"The Homeland Security agenda consists of breaking within America all
forms of social resistance and opposition to the 'war on terrorism.'"
Orwellian
"Scenarios"
A recent Report
of the Homeland Security Council entitled Planning Scenarios describes in minute
detail, the Bush administration's preparations in the case of a terrorist attack
by an outside enemy called the Universal Adversary (UA).
The Universal
Adversary, is identified in the scenarios as an abstract entity used for the
purposes of simulation. Yet upon more careful examination, this Universal
Adversary is by no means illusory. It includes the following categories of
potential "conspirators":
"foreign
[Islamic] terrorists" ,
"domestic radical
groups", [antiwar and civil rights groups]
"state sponsored
adversaries" ["rogue states", "unstable nations"]
"disgruntled
employees" [labor and union activists].
According to the
Planning Scenarios Report :
"Because the
attacks could be caused by foreign terrorists; domestic radical groups; state
sponsored adversaries; or in some cases, disgruntled employees, the perpetrator
has been named, the Universal Adversary (UA). The focus of the scenarios is on
response capabilities and needs, not threat-based prevention activities." (See
Planning Scenarios )
The domestic
radical groups and labor activists, which visibly constitute a threat to the
established political order, are now conveniently lumped together with foreign
Islamic terrorists, suggesting that the PATRIOT anti-terror laws together with
the Big Brother law enforcement apparatus are eventually intended to be used
against potential domestic "adversaries".
While the
Universal Adversary is "make-believe", the simulations constitute a dress
rehearsal of a real life emergency situation:
"The scenarios
have been developed in a way that allows them to be adapted to local conditions
throughout the country"
Fifteen Distinct
Scenarios
The scenarios
cover the entire array of threats:
15 distinct
threat scenarios to the Security of America carried out by four categories of
enemies: Islamic terrorists, radical groups, rogue adversaries and labor
activists.
The scenarios
simulate operations carried out by the Universal Adversary (UA). They include
inter alia a nuclear detonation (with a small 10-Kiloton improvised nuclear
device, anthrax attacks, a biological disease outbreak including a pandemic
influenza, not to mention a biological plague outbreak. Various forms of
chemical weapons attacks are also envisaged including the use of toxic
industrial chemicals, and nerve gas. Radiological attacks through the emission
of a radioactive aerosol are also envisaged. (See Text box below)
What is revealing
in the "doomsday scripts" is that they bear no resemblance to the weaponry used
by clandestine urban "terrorists". In fact, in several cases, they correspond to
weapons systems which are part of the US arsenal and which have been used in US
sponsored military operations. The description of the nuclear device bears a
canny resemblance to America's tactical nuclear weapon ("mini nuke") , which
also has a 10-kiloton yield, approximately two-thirds of a Hiroshima bomb. That
Homeland Security should actually envisage a make believe scenario of large
scale nuclear attacks by 'domestic radicals' and/or Islamic terrorists borders
on the absurd.
With regard to
the nerve gas attack scenario, in a cruel irony, it is the same type of nerve
gas (as well as mustard gas) used by the US military against civilians in
Fallujah.
Building a
Consensus
These simulations
are applied to sensitize and "educate" key decision makers. The simulated data,
the various categories of 'conspirators", the types of deadly weapons envisaged
in the simulations are part of this knowledge base. The political objective of
the Bush administration is to create a broad consensus: a feeling of allegiance
and commitment within the emergency preparedness community.
The nature of the
adversaries and the dangers of the attacks (ranging from nuclear detonations to
nerve agents and anthrax) become "talking points". In the scenarios, the
conspirators including the "domestic radical groups" and "disgruntled employees"
are described as being in possession of "weapons of mass destruction".
In the
comprehensive 2005 anti-terrorist TOPOFF-3 exercises , (similar to war
exercises, conducted recently under the auspices of Homeland Security) precise
data sources were simulated and used to identify potential conspirators.
This "world of
fiction" underlying the scenarios becomes real. The data sources "replicate
actual terrorist networks down to names, photos, and drivers license
numbers."
The scenarios
create for the more than 10,000 TOPOFF-3 participants, a carefully designed
"reality model" which shapes their behavior and understanding:
"Planners
included the threats they considered most likely or devastating, said Marc
Short, a [Homeland Security] department spokesman."
The "reality
model" script of threats and conspirators replaces the real world.
These fabricated
realities penetrate the inner-consciousness of key decision makers. The reality
model script molds the behavior of public officials, it builds a "knowledge" and
"understanding", namely a shared ignorance regarding the war on terrorism and
the "adversaries" who oppose the administration's war and homeland security
agendas.
A world of
fiction becomes reality. The scenarios "enable exercise players to simulate
intelligence gathering and analysis", in preparation of an actual emergency
situation which, according to the scenarios' assumptions, would lead to mass
arrests of presumed terror suspects.
Fiction becomes
fact.
Conversely fact
becomes fiction. "Ignorance is strength". The "scenarios" require submission and
conformity: for those key decision-makers at the federal, State and municipal
levels, the US government, namely the Bush Administration is the unquestioned
guardian of the truth. The outright lies concerning Osama, Zarqawi, the "rogue
enemies" of America, "weapons of mass destruction", not to mention 9-11, are
upheld as indelible truths.
What we are
dealing with is a process of indoctrination, which develops a new righteousness
and which ultimately abolishes the Rule of Law. In the words of Central Command
General (ret) Tommy Franks:
"A terrorist,
massive, casualty-producing event [will occur] somewhere in the Western world it
may be in the United States of America that causes our population to question
our own Constitution and to begin to militarize our country in order to avoid a
repeat of another mass, casualty-producing event." (Cigar Aficionado, December
2003)
"Reality Model"
Script based on "Flimsy Intelligence"
The process of
emergency preparedness could be launched, even in the case of a threat based on
"intelligence", which proves at some later date to be unfounded. In the scripted
"scenarios", the pictures and IDs of potential conspirators in police data banks
are real, leading immediately in the case of an actual emergency to mass
arrests.
Known and
documented, several of the post-911 terrorist threats were in fact based on fake
intelligence. Several of the high profile code orange terror alerts had been
fabricated outright. (See Fabricating Intelligence as a Justification for War,
See also http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO505D.html)
Acknowledged by
Tom Ridge, upon retiring from his position as Sec of Homeland Security:
"there was only
flimsy evidence to justify raising the threat level& Ridge [said] .he often
disagreed with administration officials who wanted to elevate the threat level
to orange, or "high" risk of terrorist attack, but was overruled... There were
times when some people were really aggressive about raising it, and we said,
'For that?' " (USA Today , 10 May 2005)
Fake intelligence
is part of the disinformation campaign. It plays a key role in building the "war
on terrorism" consensus. It builds a justification for war. The national
security doctrine rests on the existence of an outside enemy, which threatens
the Homeland.
The falsehoods
created by this "flimsy intelligence" are embodied in the terror attack
"scenarios" and exercises. Lies are transformed into indelible truths. The
latter are shared by State officials, private sector decision-makers and "first
responders" in a national emergency situation, if and when it occurs.
In other words
these Orwellian "scenarios" assume that the various threats must be taken
seriously, irrespective of the source of the intelligence or the reliability of
the intelligence. The scripted "scenarios" and anti-terror TOPOFF exercises are
based on fake terror threats, which requires the production of fake
intelligence.
Martial
Law
Both the
"scenarios" and the TOPOFF-3 anti-terror exercises were barely mentioned in the
media. In other words, ww are not dealing with a propaganda ploy directed
towards the broader American public. The propaganda in this case is targeted. It
takes the form of "training" and emergency preparedness:
"We are moving
forward in applying lessons learned to anticipate and address all possible
attack scenarios," an F.B.I. spokeswoman said, asking not to be named because
her department was not the lead author of the document. "With enhanced law
enforcement and intelligence community partnerships, we are able to better
detect terrorist plots and dismantle terrorist organizations." (NYT 26 Feb
2005)
The "Scenarios"
were developed for "Use in National, Federal, State and Local Homeland Security
Preparedness". They instill in public and private sector officials and
participants a sense of responsibility, duty and awareness in relation to
something which is ultimately fictitious.
The "scenarios"
and anti-terrorist exercises develop observance and compliance by public
officials, law enforcement, intelligence, military and civilian federal and
State employees, etc.
Moreover, the
scenarios also envisage the circumstances under which Martial Law could be
triggered in the case of a threat by the Universal Adversary. In other words,
fake intelligence could indeed be used to trigger a martial law situation in
America, much in the same way as (deja vu) fake intelligence was used "to fit
the policy" of invading Iraq, as revealed in the controversial Downing Street
Secret Memo.
In a real life
emergency, instructed by the relevant authorities, law enforcement officials
would proceed to arrest the Universal Adversary, including members of radical
groups, labor activists, etc.
Law enforcement
officials would no longer be instructed to uphold the Rule of Law. In fact quite
the opposite.
The arrests would
be conducted on behalf of officials in high office, who have broken the law, and
who are known to have committed extensive war crimes.
In the "reality
model" script, the US State, its military-intelligence apparatus and war
planning machine become the guardians of the peace. The State is above the
law.
The "reality
model" script not only sets the stage for Martial Law, it also constitutes an
obvious political and legal safeguard against prosecution and/or impeachment of
the President and his entourage.
Some 88 members
of Congress, in a letter addressed to President Bush, have recently demanded
"whether there was a coordinated effort with the U.S. intelligence community
and/or British officials to "fix" the intelligence and facts around the policy
[of waging an illegal war on Iraq] as the leaked document states?"
Under martial
law, the Rule of Law is banished. The lies, crimes and atrocities of the real
world are substituted by a "reality model" script of fictitious attacks by
fictitious "conspirators". Those who in any way question to existence of the
Universal Adversary would themselves be the object of possible arrest or
prosecution.
Financing the
Police State Apparatus
A large amount of
"real money" from tax payers pockets is used to protect America against a
non-existent enemy, the Universal Adversary.
Under the guise
of emergency preparedness, the administration has allocated more than of 40
billion dollars to beefing up the police state apparatus, an amount broadly
equivalent to the "official" budget of the CIA.
The scenarios and
exercises of terror attacks are being used by Homeland Security Sec Michael
Chertoff, to push "risk-based planning" as a central theme of the DHS, also with
a view to boosting the Homeland Security budget.
Out of the $41.1
billion, some $27 billion are allocated to discretionary expenditures. A hefty
$3.6 billion are allocated "to train and equip first responders [i.e. consensus
building], such as police officers, firefighters and emergency medical
technicians." (http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0205/020705c1.htm)
.
A multibillion
dollar Domestic Nuclear Detection Office is envisaged, with a mandate to "detect
and report attempts [by conspirators] to import, assemble or transport nuclear
explosive devices, fissile material, or radiological material intended for
illegal use"
The ultimate
result (and intent) of these various counterterrorism initiatives, is not to
"make America safer" against possible attacks by a non-existent Universal
Adversary. Quite the opposite, emergency preparedness is the pretext for the
militarization of civilian justice and law enforcement (See Frank Morales,
"Homeland Defense" and the Militarisation of America, Frank Morales, Sept 2003
http://globalresearch.ca/articles/MOR309A.html
The Homeland
Security agenda consists of breaking within America all forms of social
resistance and opposition to the "war on
terrorism".
* * *
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