Doomsday war games: Pentagon's 3 nightmare scenarios

csmonitor ^ | Anna Mulrine, Staff writer

[BenLurkin]

Pentagon planners have plenty to deal with these days – Iran in search of nuclear-weapons technology, suicide bombings in Afghanistan, and the final pullout of US troops in Iraq potentially leaving behind a security vacuum in the Middle East. But in war games in Washington this week, US Army officials and their advisers debated three nightmare scenarios in particular. Here are the doomsday visions that Pentagon planners have been poring over....

[OB1kNOb]

4) Iran declares they have several nuclear ballistic missiles and intend to usher in the age of the al-Mahdi, shuts down the straits of Hormuz and threatens anyone attempting to take retaliatory action with launching all missiles at Israel and oil fields of Saudi Arabia.

Is this scenario even plausible?

[reformedliberal]

If there is chaos and no communication, plus scores of opportunistic follow-on events, how would you or anyone even know who the perps might be?

[reformedliberal]

Eminently plausible, IMO.

[ctdonath2]

My main concern re: #2 is the serious gender inequality there, and historical willingness to “correct” demographics thru war attrition.

[M Kehoe]

Unfortunately, I don't see any scenario that FReepers posted that would be mutually exclusive.

Strap yourself in, it's going to be a bumpy ride...

5.56mm

[Political Junkie Too]

Collapse of Mexico.

-PJ

[bert]

Who ordered the planning?

[SargeK]

Reminiscent of the Cold War US nuclear doctrine.

Tactical (cannon artillery) nukes in the field were supposed to be just another round of ammo. No special signature to give away what units might be carrying them - The Prescribed Nuclear Load (PNL).

Of course we had permissive action links that required release codes from the NCA. I doubt the Paks have such safeguards.

[no-to-illegals]

In relation to post #19, flight path. In relation to multiple attacks simultaneously not involving EMPs, once more flight path or hole-up location. The enemy would be foolish to consider attacks (imho), though enemies are most of the time ...

[no-to-illegals]

In the olden days ... think it was called *moving toward the sound of the guns.* Guess the same principle could be applied in a world gone mad, minus communication.

My apology for a second post.

[reformedliberal]

No apology necessary.

I suppose the folks in the Big Bunkers will have some way of determining origins. But I can see scenarios where someone has managed to kill satellites and there so many lines of attack that no one has a clue.

Which must be why it is titled *Doomsday*.

I think I will go hide under something, now.

[ravager]

“Collapse of Pakistan” is not really a nightmare scenario. Pakistan has been slowly crumbling and collapsing for a while now. The real nightmare scenario is a rise of a Iran-Pakistan nuclear superstate backed by Pakistan. The downing of the drone in Iran has set off a militant fervor across both Iran and Pakistan. And China has explicitly stated their intention to launch WWIII if Iran is attacked.The real nightmare situation will be when US will have to fight against giant armies on multiple fronts. Pakistan, China and North Korea don’t have small armies like Iraq and Afghanistan.

[ravager]

Correction: ..... Iran-Pakistan nuclear superstate backed by CHINA.