Have we just witnessed the first shot in World War III?

By no doubt you are now fully aware of the bombing Israel has conducted against Syria. If you are not, see the video here.

Is this the first shot in WWIII?

It would seem the stage is now set, the actors are in place, and the performance is simply awaiting for the curtain to rise. Whether or not this curtain rises depends on several things. I for one hope this does not take place, however, it seems to me that in only a few more missteps, that curtain could indeed rise, and we could possibly be witness to the next World War.

The Key Players.

The key players in this scenario are the following:

Israel
USA
Syria
Iran
Russia

and also, perhaps on another front

China
Pakistan
North Korea
India
Japan

The discussion that follows is simply one interpretation of events that could possible occur.

Israel and Syria

It is clear now that Israel and Syria will be pulled into a war. This is not the first time Syria has been attacked by Israel. However, this is the first time Syria has been attacked while fighting to save its own identity. Syria is in the midst of a ruthless civil war, and the Assad led regime is quickly being backed into a corner.

I foresee Assad possibly trying to use this Israeli attack and a battle cry to try and reunite the country to a common enemy. Assad could be seen almost like a wild animal that has been backed into a corner. There simply is no telling what may happen when this backing occurs. Perhaps Assad will even start to use chemical weapons. God willing he won't.

Iran and Syria

Syria and Iran have been strong allies, and it seems to me the Iran stage is ready to do something. Iran and Syria have been staunch allies for some time now, with a common enemy in Israel. it seems to me now may be the time with Iran finally backing Syria and the Assad regime.

Syria and Russia

While admittedly, Russia and Syria's ties have been rocky at best over the past few decades, it is still a fact that Russia's main foothold into the Middle East is via Syria. Putin, starting in 2005, with settling some 12-14 billion in debt owed by Syria, has been reaffirming its foothold in Syria by having naval ports, and Oil ties in Syria. It would seem Russia, determined to keep it's presence in the Middle East, may come to the aid of Assad's regime. Russia's standpoint is that it would rather have Assad in power in Syria, then the possibility of having a rebel regime take hold that would be either democratic, or a radical Islamist regime, which would be equally anti-russian as it would be anti-western. Russia simply cannot afford to lose its one foothold into the middle east.

Israel and USA

This section is so obvious, that it doesn't even really need more than a headline. The US has been being pushed more and more into the Syrian conflict day by day. We have remained "silent" in this conflict up til now, probably because we are caught in a high noon showdown staring contest with Russia. It is more of a "who will make the first move" type scenario here. I sincerely hope this move is never made, but it stands to reason someone will screw up somewhere and make this move without even realizing it.

China, Japan, India, North Korea, Pakistan :: The second front

As you have no doubt heard, china has been making some pretty bold moves into India. It has also been lining up military assets at the border with North Korea. And Pakistan's involvement is pretty clear. India and Pakistan have been fighting for decades. If India makes a move against the Chinese interest within their borders, who knows what may happen there. In any case India would end up having a front against China, and a front against Pakistan. North Korea is just another aspect. North Korea has become the red headed step child of China, and China seems to be getting more and more impatient with them. As to what could happen between NK and China is anyone's guess. Japan will also most likely be pulled into this by China as well. It is well known China and Japan are fighting over Gas Fields and the disputed islands. Japan however, after the Fukushima disaster, has its own problems to deal with. Fukushima may be what destroys japan in the long run anyway. But that is for another thread.

So here is the player I see moving their chess pieces clearly onto the board.

"It's the Economy Stupid"

It also does not take a long stretch to say the economy of the world tends to benefit from a war time economy. With much of the European continent is economic troubles do to the Euro Zone fallout, and the economy of the USA also reeling, it would seem the economy may be yet another reason to go into a war.

Am I seeing something that is not there?

Am I seeing something that is not there? Is this scenario an impossibility? What say you ATS? Is this possibly the first shot in WWIII? Or will this just go as many others have as simply a tit for tat one time exchange?

Well if there was ever a good time for USA to be in a WW III it would probably be now because the West is in decline and China is rising. If there is going to be a war the US may be right now in the best position technologicaly and size wise as it will ever be in to fight it out. Not that I ever want there to be a WW III, but now would be better than later.

Im not so sure Russia under Putin would fully support the Chinease and Muslim side of such a war.

reply to post by xmaddness


I would not say the FIRST shot. Israel conducted a similar airstrike on Syria earlier this year.

It would say that we are as about as close to it as we were during the Cuban Missile crisis right now.

reply to post by xmaddness


The target was the facility storing missiles being shipped to Hezbollah. Made for a big blast, a lot of damage.

Des

reply to post by thesmokingman


Don't forget, Israel has fairly limited objectives in this situation. I think it is specifically to keep biologicals and chemicals from falling into the hands of "terrorists". Syria and Israel have had a kind of truce for many years.
This has involved Lebanon, Hezballah, as well as their own deterrants.

Israel is worried that certain capabilities will fall in the hands of radicals. It has a lot to gain by the civil war, mainly a weakening of a formidable military power. If Israel had anything to gain by aiding the rebels it would have helped. It would only be worried if the rebels were quickly gaining the upper hand or losing. It has perhaps inferred that Syria was getting desparate and willing to take chances with chemicals.

On the other hand Syria may bluster and try to save face, but will not draw Israel into a fight. It has nothing to gain there.

Dude. Breathe through your nose. It is gonna be OK. That is stuff we were talking about last night. You are late to the party. We saw all those youtubes. There are 4 other threads on the subject. So unless you got something new, you should self-delete.

I'll take this one on.

I highly doubt we will see ww3 anytime soon.

Israel and Syria: As you mentioned, these two have gone to war before or at least, Israel has with its neighbors. There will be countries picking sides but its a regional conflict and won't spread out. Basically there is not a lot of interest for anything in this region by the worlds major players so they will say their words and stay out of it.

Iran and Syria: Yes they do have ties but it appears Iran is going to get their nukes and they are not going to threaten that by siding against Israel. They will of course condemn it but they will not risk giving Israel and the US a reason to bomb them. Israel still may but the US will not as long as they don't enter into a conflict. Iran is simply too close to getting the weapon to risk it now, however that will change once they do develop nuclear weapons but not now.

Syria and Russia: This is the most complicated because Russia needs that port in Syria so their main goal is to do whatever that will ensure their access to that region. I believe Russia will step up arm shipments and try to end this civil war but they will not risk hitting Israel back simply because there is no need to. It doesn't help them keep their base so why take the political fallout from it? Russia also is broke and cannot afford to get into an expensive conflict at the moment and the final thing is that Putin does not have the political capital to spend trying to sell a war to his people. They already are relatively upset with him so they will never support going into the Middle East to fight.

Israel and USA: Obama is in the same situation as Putin in a way. The American people are tired of war and will need a very good reason to send soldiers to another conflict. Obama also seems very hesitant to put troops on the ground anywhere and prefers to hit with drones and sanctions. The feeling in the US seems to actually be more anti-Israel now anyways which further complicates the issue of the US getting involved. Sure we can mostly support sending them aid but we are not going to help them in their little bombing campaigns. Given the fact that its unlikely that the US or Russia have any motivation to go there and fight I find little reason why a world war would develop.

China, Japan, India, North Korea, Pakistan :: China is actually a major player but here again, what they stand to lose compared to what they would gain from a war is very unbalanced. China is actually investing very heavily in Israel so is not going to attack them. China seems to be playing all sides because they are an economic powerhouse, not an expansionist nation at the moment. I can see them funding all sides in the way just to keep profits up but their desire to help in conquests seems almost nothing. China also is heavily invested in Iran so that also limits the US options of going to war over there since China may be forced into defending their access to oil which they need to keep their economy up and running.

If WW3 breaks out it does not matter what happens after.

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It all depends on how specific you want to be about WW III.....It can be argued that the next world war started after WW II and resulted in a generational stalemate during the "Cold War" (which is on the verge of going hot at any time). The first shot of WW II could have been a rubber projectile shot with an air device used to kill anti-communist General G. S. Patton in post war Germany during a staged "wreck"....... (the projectile used to break his neck and he died 12 days later in the hospital).

www.americanthinker.com...

Assad has less ability than ever to take on Israel. This will be no different than the last time israel slapped Syria around. The world will watch and do nothing.

Oil is running out in the Middle East, and soon those nations will be irrelevant.

Russia has no need for a presence in the Middle East. The new frontier is the Arctic Ocean.

Iran can not do anything.

Islam is at war with the world, and has been since the religion was conceived. It could be considered a world war, but is in general, called the War on Terror.

Originally posted by GrantedBail
reply to post by Hopechest

 

I had to stop at your second paragraph. There you go again spouting off bs. You know just enough to make yourself dangerous.

Ever read Brzezinski. If you would have you would understand the geo-political goals in this region.

You are so full of it. Seriously. You need to stop spouting off disinformation and read a book.

Really?

Your going to take advice from an advisor to Carter who was one of the worse foreign affairs presidents we have ever had?

I could go into a list of things this man is absolutely wrong about and if you'd like to make a new thread about it I will happily add to it.

I know his views very well and often incorporate them into research papers as examples of things we should not do.

Really wish the West and Israel were happy with the parts of the middle east they have already conquered and let Iran and Syria be.

reply to post by xmaddness


Although I have nothing thought provoking to add, I still think your thread is an important one and laid out in a simple but accurate manner. Long ago I got the hit that I should watch Syria, at that point it was not even a known name in the theater. Perhaps now that it is I sink into hopeful ignorance and denial of that trusted hit I received so long ago, perhaps praying something came along to change the importance of my intuitive knowing.

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This is what I think.. Its just my opinion, I am not going to debate over it with trolls or people that want to learn thru debate.. just an opinion..

I think North Korea, is going to attack South Korea, and when that happens and all United states resources start shifting over there, Syria/Iran maybe even Russia, are going to start some stuff in the Middle East, If America, is in a war in Korea, and a war in the Middle east the odds are better for the ones fighting America.

Now this is just my opinion, you can see that angle developing if you look closely at the current events..

I think its about timing now, North Korea, is going to attack South Korea, its just going to be timing, might still be working out alliances etc.

That is my opinion.

I am just guessing I have no inside information, I am no self proclaimed know it all, or pretending to USED to be type of spy or special intelligent agent etc.

reply to post by GrantedBail


Last time I looked, there were no other threads linking so many different topics and talking about the start of a new global war.

So please stop trying to limit the thread others freedom of speech please, thanks.

P.S. I have recently seen you in other threads telling them to "delete" or "stop posting" because something isn't new news. I hope you realize that this is a discussion board and that is what we are doing.

You are not a moderator, they will do their job if threads get to plentiful

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You left out Egypt. I believe they will also be involved in a war against Israel. Probably a major backer for Syria along with Iran....


But that's just a hunch based on something I dreamed about many years ago.