Source: Global Research - Michel Chossudovsky
According to CNN, the Pentagon is "to establish regional teams of
military personnel to assist civilian authorities in the event of a
significant outbreak of the H1N1 virus this fall, according to Defense
Department officials."
"The proposal is awaiting final approval from Defense
Secretary Robert Gates.
The officials would not be identified because the proposal
from U.S. Northern Command's Gen. Victor Renuart has not been approved
by the secretary.
The plan calls for military task forces to work in conjunction
with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. There is no final
decision on how the military effort would be manned, but one source
said it would likely include personnel from all branches of the
military.
It has yet to be determined how many troops would be needed
and whether they would come from the active duty or the National Guard
and Reserve forces.
Civilian authorities would lead any relief efforts in the
event of a major outbreak, the official said. The military, as they
would for a natural disaster or other significant emergency situation,
could provide support and fulfill any tasks that civilian authorities
could not, such as air transport or testing of large numbers of viral
samples from infected patients.
As a first step, Gates is being asked to sign a so-called
"execution order" that would authorize the military to begin to
conduct the detailed planning to execute the proposed plan.
Orders to deploy actual forces would be reviewed later,
depending on how much of a health threat the flu poses this fall, the
officials said." (CNN, Military planning for possible H1N1 outbreak,
July 2009, emphasis added)
The implications are far-reaching.
The decision points towards the militarization of civilian
institutions, including law enforcement and public health.
A nationwide vaccination program is already planned for the Fall.
The pharmaceutical industry is slated to deliver 160 million vaccine
doses by the Fall, enough doses to vaccinate more than half of
America's population.
The Pentagon is already planning on the number of troops to be
deployed,. with a view to supporting a mass vaccinaiton program.
It is worth noting that this involvement of the military is not being
decided by the President, but by the Secretary of Defense, which
suggests that the Pentagon is, in a key issue of of national interest,
overriding the President and Commander in Chief. The US Congress has
not been consulted on the issue.
This decision to mobilise the Armed Forces in the vaccination campaign
is taken in anticipation of a national emergency. Although no national
emergency has been called, the presumption is that a national public
health emergency will occur, using the WHO Level 6 Pandemic as a
pretext and a justification.
Other countries, including Canada, the UK and France may follow suit,
calling upon their Armed Forces to play a role in support of the H1N1
vaccination program.
US Northern Command
Much of the groundwork for the intervention of the military has
already been established. There are indications that these "regional
teams" have already been established under USNORTHCOM, which has been
involved in preparedness training and planning in the case of a flu
pandemic (See U.S. Northern Command - Avian Flu. USNORTHCOM website).
Within the broader framework of "Disaster Relief", Northern Command
has, in the course of the last two years, defined a mandate in the
eventuality of a public health emergency or a flu pandemic. The
emphasis is on the militarization of public health whereby NORTHCOM
would oversee the activities of civilian institutions involved in
health related services.
According Brig. Gen. Robert Felderman, deputy director of USNORTHCOM's
Plans, Policy and Strategy Directorate: "USNORTHCOM is the global
synchronizer – the global coordinator – for pandemic influenza across
the combatant commands"(emphasis added) (See Gail Braymen, USNORTHCOM
contributes pandemic flu contingency planning expertise to trilateral
workshop, USNORTHCOM, April 14, 2008, See also USNORTHCOM. Pandemic
Influenza Chain Training (U) pdf)
"Also, the United States in 1918 had the Spanish influenza. We
were the ones who had the largest response to [a pandemic] in more
recent history. So I discussed what we did then, what we expect to
have happen now and the numbers that we would expect in a pandemic
influenza."
The potential number of fatalities in the United States in a
modern pandemic influenza could reach nearly two million, according to
Felderman. Not only would the nation's economy suffer, but the
Department of Defense would still have to be ready and able to protect
and defend the country and provide support of civil authorities in
disaster situations. While virtually every aspect of society would be
affected, "the implications for Northern Command will be very
significant."
"[A pandemic would have] a huge economic impact, in addition to
the defense-of-our-nation impact," Felderman said. The United States
isn't alone in preparing for such a potential catastrophe. (Gail
Braymen, op cit)
Apart from the CNN dispatch and a FOX news report, there has been
virtually no mainstream press coverage of this issue. No statement has
been made by USNORTHCOM. The Fox New Report suggests that US troops
would be involved in organising military quarantines (see videoclip
below).
See also: Fox News Report
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtGofsHaj3M
We invite our readers to review Global Research's News Highlight
Dossier: H1N1 Swine Flu Pandemic Dossier. The latter contains a
collection of articles and analytical reports.
Related Article: Michel Chossudovsky, Martial Law and the
Militarization of Public Health: The Worldwide H1N1 Flu Vaccination
Program, Global Research, July 2009.
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