Written by James Holbrooks; Originally appeared at TheAntiMedia.org
A day after the director of the CIA called China the greatest threat to the United States — and right as China began live-fire naval drills off the Korean Peninsula — an admiral of the U.S. military said Thursday that he would be willing to launch a nuclear strike against China.
“The answer would be: yes,” Admiral Scott Swift, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, answered at a security conference in Australia when asked whether he would nuke China if ordered to do by President Donald Trump.
“Every member of the US military has sworn an oath to defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic and to obey the officers and the president of the United States as commander and chief appointed over us,” Swift said.
Continuing, the admiral warned against the notion of the U.S. military going rogue and operating under its own directives and said following the orders of a non-military leader cuts to the very heart of American principles and values:
“This is core to the American democracy and any time you have a military that is moving away from a focus and an allegiance to civilian control, then we really have a significant problem.”
As Swift was making his comments in Australia, the Chinese navy was beginning high-profile drills involving its lone aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, in the Yellow Sea off the western coast of the Korean Peninsula.
The drills are scheduled to last through Saturday and thought by most analysts to be a flexing of military might ahead of the 90th anniversary of the founding of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Ni Lexiong, a military affairs commentator based in Shanghai, for instance, told the South China Morning Post that while the drills are likely meant to be “a very subtle message to North Korea,” as the Hermit Kingdom continues to refuse to abandon its nuclear ambitions, China’s leaders also probably had the United States in mind:
“Ni said the naval drill could also be sending a message to the US at a time when tensions have resurfaced over a slew of issues including the South China Sea dispute.”
Noting that “the US has been quite active in the region recently,” Ni said Thursday the drills may be a counter to recent joint maritime exercises conducted by the U.S., Japan, and India in the waters of the East and South China Seas.
News of the Chinese drills comes only a day after CIA Director Mike Pompeo told the Washington Free Beacon he thinks the Asian nation has “the capacity to present the greatest rivalry to American” military and that the Chinese have to come to “see themselves as a rival superpower” to the United States.
“I think China presents probably the most…well it’s hard to pick between China, Russia and Iran to be honest with you,” he answered when asked which nation poses the greatest security threat to the U.S. “I guess if I had to pick one with a nose above the others, I’d probably pick China.”
Continuing, Pompeo stated that much of that reason has to do with the robustness of the Chinese economy.
“They have a real economy that they have built, unlike Russia that lives and dies on how many barrels of oil they can pluck out of the ground,” he said. “And Iran that is similarly very single sector derivative and not to the scale of China population wise.”
Like Ni told the South China Morning Post regarding the Chinese naval drills, Pompeo says China is “very much focused on countering U.S. power projection” and that part of the country’s strategy is “to reduce the relative power of the United States” through bolstering its own.
Indeed, says Director Pompeo, China frames its perception of itself as a global superpower in terms of how it is viewed against the U.S. — and the U.S. alone.
“But I think it’s very clear when they think about their place in the world, they measure their success in placing themselves in the world where they want to be vis-à-vis the United States and not as against anyone else.”
Time to take the US out. How can we bring the empire of evil down without causing an earth devastating nuclear war, that’s the big question.
We can’t, as of now they’re just shit talking…the real escalation will happen in the North of Syria, israhell will push the US/NATO & EUROPE to commit suicide, if a nuclear war happens earth will survive.But you can kiss goodbye to most of North America/Europe & parts of Eurasia !
Most of the Nukes pointed towards the North America 99% are at the US and it’s various bases, many bases in Europe are also targeted along with European bases as with Asian and Middle East bases.
Not sure about the middle east, these bases don’t really need nuclear strikes, just conventional weapons.Turkey will be invaded by Syria/Russia/Iran/Hezbollah/Iraqui pmu and other resistance groups in the region
I would advice all the world leaders to impose total sanction and isolate america from the rest of the world. Let them build theirs own walls. The world does not need america to exist. America is of the past and does not fits the future
That’s a war crime, https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7fd0e6a0370a89b8570f14277c6a201a56882b2305ba1ff0f5bebeca0ea13a08.png your going repeat same holocaust for what you did for Japanese cities.
Chinese strategic nuclear forces are not as strong as they can be, it is unknown how many tactical nuclear weapons they posses in case of tit for tat limited nuclear war in Pacific.
The US, China,Russia, like many nuclear countries never discuss what is actually there , but unfortunately the US has been looking to upgrade its obsolete Nuclear arsenal, by going to congress for more money.
The US is always wanting to nuke everybody , we already know how the US responds to those who threaten it with adjectives such as Rogue ,Dictator, Evil leader , Crazy Maniac ,Despotic Ruler, Madman then saying things like leadership needs changing etc. This same adjectives can be used to describe the US and it’s current tirade and vitriol against all opposing nations today. The US has no leadership except the same old cronies that never left after the previous President and their terms should end the same day as the new one takes office along with the staff. Then bring an end to all of this BS of not allowing a government to run properly and institute any abuse to be charged as an act of sedition and treason to the people.
This is where the US military should step in and clean out Washington’s traitors. Since they are supposed to be defending the constitution from threats foreign or domestic. The biggest threat is Washington’s on going dismantling of the constitution.
The US Military have become part of the swamp and abrogated its duty to refuse an immoral and unconstitutional order long ago. General Schmedley Butler gave his ” War is a Racket” speech in 1935 he was a Socialist and opposed Fascism which we see today.Unfortunately his ilk left the Military long ago, and left us with politicians serving it.
Unfortunately your assessment is correct.
Admiral Strangelove. Yet another frightened old man, afraid to die alone. He wants to take the test of with him.
USA fear attack North korea with conventional arms…Imagine Attack China with Nukes…by the way Russia as well as China know that aircarrier battle group is easy to wipe out with Nuclear tactical attack..and without navy USA forces will remain in American continent where also can be aniquilate by Nukes!
“…an admiral of the U.S. military said Thursday that he would be willing to launch a nuclear strike against China…[if ordered]”
Yawn… And any Chinese or Russian commander would nuke the US or each other if ordered by their superiors (but I’m guessing they would be much happier with US targets, as would most of the rest of the planet).
James Holbrooks is a good writer, but seriously.. a military leader in a nuclear-armed nation would follow orders to nuke somebody? Am I suppose to be shocked by that? Admiral Scott Swift’s willingness to do that or not is immaterial. He is paid to follow the orders of his civilian boss, who is the only one that can give an order to ‘nuke’ anyone.
I’m not following why Holbrooks added the CIA Director Pompeo’s delusional views of Russia and China being a threat. The only ‘threat’ they pose is to US psychopathic leaders’ world dominance schemes. Like all deranged psychopaths, they must destroy what they cannot control. The REASON the US developed nukes is to threaten and force their control on otherwise disobedient nations. The threat that the US would use them on anyone perceived as ‘enemies’ has been there for sixty-plus years.
Nuking the US would solve the problem of the ‘Insanity gene’ being passed down to other generations I suppose. All decent and sane Americans should perhaps think of leaving whilst they can :)
I highly doubt that the Chinese doctrine is centered around the US military. They have something else to do, while the US military has to watch how its might is going down the drain. China is an empire still in its beginning, it still doesn’t have all the capabilities an empire needs to secure its place. However, that is just a matter of time, while the US empire will cease to exist.
A tree falling creates more noise than a forest growing.
In the end, this Admiral only stated what every soldier has to be ready to do, his job. As such, it’s no news whatsoever anyway.
Now a few words from our complaint department. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5935f3c545e3bc94bf65e7268ea9c712148c17c29964a61bee7d70a15c99c131.jpg
Those crazy cowboys are so dangerous that they would unleash the nuclear world war which would destroy our planet. This time it will not be like when those crazies sent 2 nukes on Japanese cities because nowadays nukes are so much more powerful , numerous and other nations can retaliate against the madness of the US elite.
How is china threatening the united states constitution?
They seriously are not the brightest bulbs in the box.
The bio of this Admiral.
http://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/navybio.asp?bioID=366
this article is big communistic bullshit!
how many times i read soviet or later russian commanders, who told the same word. i am ready to launch misiles… this is the duty for green monkyes, independently, where they are. i have video of little putin with big mouth in october 2 years ago, when began the syrian gyme. he told also about using of nuclear weapons, russia, american, the same idiot horde!