The US Army raised eyebrows this week when the armed forces branch released plans for a major restructuring. Gone are the special operations forces, tight combat teams, and security force assistance brigades that helped troops face irregular fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan. In are counter-drone operations, long-range strike teams, and Pacific region task forces.
The proposal was yet another sign the United States sees war with China on the horizon.
But the US has been sending signals about its plans for Asia even when pursuing conflict in other regions, argues peace activist and political analyst KJ Noh. Noh joined host Garland Nixon on Sputnik’s The Critical Hour program on Wednesday to discuss the latest machinations of Western neoconservatives.
“One, two wars are not enough, one genocide is not enough – they want more,” said Noh, referring to Ukraine and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. “As we speak, the United States continues to prepare to engage in yet another war against China. The term 'transnational kill chain'... is their language, and they're saying, ‘this is what we need to prepare against China, in the Pacific.’”
Noh explained that the United States just sold a $75 million weapons package to authorities in Taiwan which included a system known as Link 16. Link 16 allows armed forces in Taiwan to share data with weapons platforms in other countries, enabling Taiwan separatists to fight alongside the United States, Japan, Korea, Australia, and others against China.
“I refer to it as painting the eyes on the Buddha because when you build a Buddha sculpture or you paint a Buddha painting, the eyes are the very last thing you draw,” said Noh. “It brings it to life. It makes it alive and seeing.”
“And in some metaphorical sense, this is the final weapon sale that makes Taiwan's weapon sales lethal moving forward.”
Although victory in the Donbass increasingly appears to be eluding the Ukrainian regime and its Western backers, Noh believes the United States is mindful of the message that’s sent by their stewardship of the conflict there.
“If they were to cut and run, then it sends a message that this is what they're going to do [in Taiwan],” said Noh. “And they can’t be so conspicuous about it. They need a decent interval, as they used to say about Vietnam.” Thus, more Ukrainian lives are likely to be lost so the United States can save face.
Above all, Noh claims foreign policy hawks are keen to maintain the United States’ projection of power and neutralize the threat to America’s status as global hegemon that they perceive from China before the opportunity is lost.
“The neocons who are pushing all these wars, I think they really have a sense of urgency,” said the analyst. “They have a sense of panic. They have a sense of fear. They know that their power is slipping away from them.”
“Centrifugal forces are building up in Europe, certainly all across the Globe South,” Noh added. “And specifically with China itself they are very, very aware that the clock is running down on their power. Rand Corporation warned about 10 years ago that they needed to go to war with China by 2025 in order to prevail. If they don't, it just gets harder.”
“And so we have a General [Mike] Minihan saying that we will go to war [with China] in 2025,” Noh said. “Admiral [Philip] Davidson said we'll go to war in 2027. Whatever it is, the question in Washington right now is not if we will go to war, but when, and they want it sooner rather than later.”
The United States is willing to do nearly anything to maintain its hegemony, said Noh, up to even allowing “the reconstitution of fascism and fascist tendencies all across the world.” Noh argued the dynamic can be seen at play with extremist leaders in Europe, Taiwan, and Korea.