Global War: Trend, Accident, or Conspiracy?, page 3

I was hoping for a little more discussion on the events thus far, but it seems people just want the story to continue. Therefore, I have determined it is time for me to move on. Here is the vaunted part 2D.

1700 EST, Saturday, September 19, 2009: The EAS allows President Obama to broadcast his speech on every TV channel and all radio stations, as well as the Internet. Those who have chosen to watch pause, watching with determination for their fate. He starts off by confirming that indeed, the U.S. and China have entered a nuclear stand-off and that according to their intelligence, China has both the capability and, if pushed, the inclination to reduce major American cities to rubble. He notes that some advisers have encouraged the crisis to continue that the U.S. cannot appear weak. At the same time, he acknowledges at the end of the day, it is not worth losing decades of economic and political progress with China, nor is it worth endangering the lives of U.S. servicemen and women, and the American people themselves. As a result, Obama announces that he will not go to war with China. The U.S. forces he has positioned west of Japan will be recalled. However, he also states that he is not walking away from the Middle East. He calls upon China to remove its forces from Kazakhstan, to end its support to hostile guerrilla forces in Sudan, and most importantly, for their entire military to stand down. Only then will nuclear war truly be averted. Obama ends his speech by quoting Premier Nikita Khrushchev at the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis: "Mankind won. Thank you and God bless America."

Immedietely, the Chinese contact the White House and negotiations ensue. For the next hour or so, terms and conditions are discussed, and to make a long story short, the Chinese also decided they were not going to be responsible for World War III. China accepted the conditions and immedietely rang up orders to withdraw its forces from Kazakhstan and agreed to stop supporting Sudanese guerrillas. Its military forces stood down, and an hour after that, the U.S. military went to DEFCON 2. Behind closed doors, the Chinese resigns itself to the fact Iran is probably toast and chooses not to challenge the U.S. any longer.

In the minutes and hours following the announcement, reserved celebration rings out across America. Relief over the fact that nuclear war has been avoided is tempered by the fact America lies in ruins. Many cities still burn and the damage done across the nation will later be estimated to be in the low trillions.

The next three days are marked with chaos and confusion. Although the military drops back to DEFCON 3 within the three days, a state of emergency still exists, as does martial law. Many opportunists continue to loot and wreak havoc, forcing the National Guard and Marine Corps to engage in a campaign of pacification. Thousands of arrests are made and the confrontations often become violent. By that third day, much of the country has had order restored.

September 27, 2009: To the dismay of many, the People's Republic of China celebrates its "victory." At Tiannamen Square, hundreds of troops and civilians gather for a parade to celebrate China's subjectively successful capitulation of the U.S. Many historians will later agree that China presenting itself as the first serious threat to the U.S. since the USSR indeed signified a "passing of the torch." While China has many detractors, she also has many admirers, especially the countries of Iran, Sudan, North Korea, and Venezuela, for forcing the U.S. to back down against China, although it continues to pursue its foreign agenda in the Middle East.

Late September - December 2009: The next two months or so is a national healing period. By the beginning of October, the state of emergency and martial law are both lifted and most families have return to their homes. Those who have lost their homes, however, are given housing by FEMA or placed in special housing camps while a massive clean-up and reconstruction effort is underway. Thousands of detainees are housed in other special camps out in the Mid-West, as the government tries to determine how to go about prosecuting them. Safety is not a guarantee any longer, however, due to the diminished law enforcement and the multitude of criminals and opportunists still on the run. The entertainment and sports industry has largely come to a screeching halt, with Major League Baseball canceling the entire 2009 post-season for the first time since 1994. With many without cars, homes, and the high cost of fuel, social networks begin to form in neighborhoods and streets in order to cope with this new reality.

In the midst of this extraordinary crisis, however, the situation in Saudi Arabia is quickly taking a turn for the worse. A prominent Saudi Arabian insurgency leader, Khalid al-Aziz, has unified large groups of insurgents together. Intelligence reports coming out of Saudi Arabia are not encouraging: the attacks are going up and the insurgency seems to be capable of carrying out large-scale attacks. In spite of the growing instability, with the U.S. in societal shambles, the recession in high gear, the continuing crisis with Iran, and gas prices now reaching five dollars a gallon, the U.S. asks Saudi Arabia to increase production. After much discussion, the kingdom reluctantly agrees to increase production, knowing this could embolden the insurgency.

Saturday, October 17, 2009: Indeed it does. Local terrorists stage an attack on the upscale Riyadh Sahara Mall in Riyadh which (after intervention by Saudi special forces) kills some 300 Americans employed multi-national oil companies in the country. American public opinion and morale sinks to another low, close to the hopelessness seen during the nuclear alert. With the power of the insurgency now readily apparent and big business directly threatened, and the security of America's energy supplies in doubt, Obama agrees to stretch the military a bit more: the U.S. sends troops into Saudi Arabia to protect the oil infrastructure, adding to the already considerable U.S. military presence in the Middle East. This action is very polarizing in terms of public opinion: those who believe the U.S. most obtain oil at all costs supports the deployment, while others believe Obama is continuing the very policies that have doomed America in the first place.

As October turns into November, winter sets in and gas lines take a back seat to critical shortages of heating oil during a bitterly cold winter, with thousands dying in the cold over the next several months. The government grapples with possible solutions to the economic crisis, while also contemplating the commencement of war with Iran. During the process of the British MI6 uncovers evidence that Khalid al-Aziz is planning to intervene should U.S. forces press on into Iran. It is not clear what exactly he is planning to do, but intelligence makes it clear that al-Aziz has in his possession a considerable amount of resources. The U.S. and U.K. agree to follow up on this lead and keep watchful eye on al-Aziz and the Saudi insurgency.

Meanwhile, U.S. troops in Sudan face a quickly-deteriorating situation in Sudan. Emboldened by the revelation of America’s weakness, guerrillas wage open asymmetrical war against AFRICOM’s forces and commit even more atrocities against starving refugees. The strain caused by the persistent presence in the Persian Gulf and the new deployments to Saudi Arabia has the Pentagon and White House considering abandoning this peacekeeping humanitarian mission, considering it an “unnecessary burden” at this point. However, they also agree such a course of action would be political suicide and political suicide is completely unnecessary at this point.

November - December 2009: The nation mourns the death of the 300 Americans and attempts to adjust to the new social order. By now, many have lost their jobs, life savings, and young adults have come home from college, due to an inability to afford an education or signfiicant disruptions to these educational institutions. Although order has been restored, crime is still at an all-time high. Hundreds of U.S. companies are facing financial turmoil, and people are dying from violence, diminished health care, and police brutality. There is a growing gulf between the state and the populace, with the only certainty of employment being in the federal government, law enforcement, emergency services, and the military. Thanksgiving comes and goes, and it is a quiet, solemn holiday, with no parade in New York City, and no after-Thanksgiving sale. The President surprises the sailors aboard the USS George Washington in the Persian Gulf by joining them for Thanksgiving dinner. For the first time in a long while, Americans collectively have one thing to be absolutely, no-questions-asked thankful for: they avoided nuclear war.

November 30, 2009: Upon returning from the Persian Gulf, Obama commences a two-week tour of the nation's areas most devastated by civil disorder. At his first stop, Boston, Obama announces the "Nuclear Crisis Recovery Program," which will not only provide funding, but employment as well in an attempt to rebuild these devasted areas and provide housing and basic needs to all who were displaced or adversely affected by the crisis. For the first time in many months, Americans have something to feel good about.

Thus, that ends the protracted Part 2. Part 3 coming up soon.