Two articles that seem not to go together, but, maybe they do?The ways of waging war are many. The result death, destruction, disease and chaos are the consistencies- And though the method may change it seems past targets can still be future targets..From the past:
A recent collaborative project between(you'll want to check the image at the link) the Future of Life Institute and Nukemaps has created a visual representation of U.S. plans to use nuclear weapons against the Soviet bloc in 1959. The strikes, derived from a declassified list of U.S. nuclear targets published by the National Security Archive, reveals the big plans that the United States had for war in East Asia.
In the prosecution of nuclear war against the Soviet Union and its allies, the United States planned to launch numerous nuclear strikes against Chinese, North Korean, and Soviet territory. North Korea alone would suffer at least 11 strikes, with China and Soviet Pacific territory faring far worse. Targets included industrial centers, communication centers, transit hubs, and major military installations. Long range bombers would have delivered the bulk of the strikes.
It’s worth remembering that the U.S. military had engaged in extensive military conflict in East Asia in recent memory of 1959. U.S. troops had fought Chinese, Korean, and Japanese military forces in the region since 1944. This mean that the United States often had detailed knowledge of target sets in the region, with a good sense of how to maximize the destruction of Communist military, economic, and political targets.One point worth noting is that the United States intended to liberally use nuclear weapons against territory still claimed by U.S. allies. On Taiwan, Chiang Kai Shek and the Republic of China still pretended to rule Mainland China, much of which would have been reduced to nuclear rubble by the U.S. strategic offensive. Similarly, Syngman Rhee’s Republic of Korea would have had some responsibility for cleaning up the mess that resulted from the nuclear devastation of North Korea. Notwithstanding Japanese claims of sovereignty over Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, both would have received significant nuclear attention from U.S. bombers. South Sakhalin alone, at the time still inhabited by large Japanese and Korean minorities, would have suffered nearly a dozen strikes. Kunashir Island, sitting just a short distance from Hokkaido, earned two nuclear bombs.The absences are also notable. Despite the establishment of a Communist regime in North Vietnam, Hanoi remains untouched. The left-leaning Sukarno regime in Indonesia also misses out on the fun. And undoubtedly in deference to the preferences of Her Majesty’s government, the United States would have avoided nuclear attacks in close proximity to Hong Kong (although the Guangzhou area would receive three strikes, and Huizhou one). Mongolia, for reasons unclear, escaped the notice of Strategic Air Command.The target list concentrates on the expected strategic offensive against the Communist world. As the war developed, additional tactical weapons would have been used against the fielded forces of China, North Korea, and the Soviet Union, presumably causing even greater destruction. Had North Vietnam or some other country intervened on the Communist side, it likely would have found itself subject to the same kind of attack.
In the prosecution of nuclear war against the Soviet Union and its allies... To the present:ISIS mulls establishing caliphate in South East Asia
MILITANTS of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) are said to be eyeing South East Asia to consolidate its presence in the region as it loses control over occupied Middle Eastern territories.Experts have warned that they are looking into the region to perpetuate its claims to a establish a caliphate.According to The Straits Times of Singapore, counter-terrorism analysts said the region’s long history of militancy and rising number of extremist groups adopting ISIS ideology make it attractive to the Sunni extremist network.An article in the paper pointed out Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore as potential targets, where the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) and Jemaah Anshar Khilafah terror networks, as well as the Abu Sayyaf, operate.SEE ALSO: Malaysia, US bolster cooperation to fight terrorism
Patrick Skinner from New York-based security consultancy The Soufan Group (TSG) said: “These are existing sanctuaries that the Islamic State would love to plug in,”“There is no such thing as a clandestine caliphate, they need sanctuary, they need a place for these people to go to, where they can say: This is where our flag is,” he was quoted saying.Skinner said this when testifying at the US House Committee on Homeland Security about the terrorism threat in the region.In a recent TSG report, the former case officer with the Central Intelligence Agency wrote what ISIS was likely to establish a South-east Asian wiliyah (state) as its control in Syria and Iraq weakened.He added that the terrorist group was also facing problems remaining and expanding in Libya, and places such as the southern Philippines would be its next priority.In the Straits Times report, analysts from the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) also confirmed that ISIS has started a campaign to establish an Islamic caliphate across Asia.
East Asia:Russia and China- targeted by NATO. And ISIS set to go conveniently to an ideal staging area..What are the odds?All this news brings to mind:Malaysian Airlines Flight 370- The search for this still missing plane will officially end in 8 weeks.
PETALING JAYA: If no trace of the MAS Boeing 777 aircraft is detected by the end of June this year, the international search for MH370 that went missing over the Indian Ocean on a routine flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing more than two years ago, will be called off. According to UK’s Express, Australia’s Transport Safety Bureau confirmed yesterday that there was only eight weeks left to locate MH370 in an area less than 6,000 square miles involving the Indian Ocean’s sea bed.
location, location, location