Germany: Command Center for Direct Warfare

17.02.2023 | www.kla.tv/25138

Woman: Not that Putin will send us a bomb here. Moderator: No more war! Enough of this cruelty and endless suffering. And that is why we are standing here today. Woman: It’s clever of the Americans. The majority of the population is probably not aware of the USA’s enormous strategic military presence in Germany. Man: Otherwise give me Putin’s phone number and I’ll talk to him, too, okay? ... Woman: If I die full, everything is OK. MODERATOR / M1: It is common knowledge that the US Army maintains military bases in many countries. Of course also in Germany, like here in Erbenheim near Wiesbaden. MODERATOR / M2: When you hear “Ramstein”, you probably know that the deadly drone missions in Afghanistan were controlled from there. But would you have known that the US Army maintains at least 100 other military sites on German soil besides Ramstein? M1: Many of them are not even known to the public. Welcome to a special programme by Kla.TV! Military sites in Germany and worldwide After the end of the Second World War, the US Army took over and expanded numerous military bases in Germany. Prof. David Vine of the American University in Washington D.C. speaks of 119 (!) military locations; as of 2021. Germany, specifically Stuttgart-Vaihingen, is home to the strategic headquarters of the United States’ European Command (EUCOM) and that of NATO’s supreme allied commander: Supreme Allied Commander Europe. They command all US forces “in 51 predominantly European countries”. Also in Germany, is AFRICOM, the supreme command over US military operations on the African continent with the exception of Egypt and Djibouti, which was established in 2007. No African state made itself available as a location for this. The majority of the population is probably not aware of the enormous strategic military presence of the USA in Germany and it probably has little to do with friendly relations (as is always claimed in the media). Lord Ismay, the first Secretary General of NATO, once said that the aim of the Western defense alliance was “to keep the Americans in, the Russians out and the Germans down”. This sums up Washington’s intention to maintain a permanent presence in a subservient Germany and thus at the same time to adopt a hostile position towards Russia. Worldwide, the US maintains over 750 (!!!) military bases and has more than 173,000 soldiers in 159 countries. By comparison, Russia and China each have less than 20 foreign bases. Up to 2019 this cost the American taxpayer 51.5 billion US dollars per year just for the construction and maintenance of the infrastructure used abroad and another 150 billion US dollars per year for the bases including personnel. According to the United Nations, only one fifth of this sum – i.e. 30 billion US dollars – would be enough to end world hunger. 02_ M1: Here, in this military base, major changes have been taking place in recent weeks or months that have such dramatic consequences for each of us that we have to report on them. This is the location where the Pentagon has set up its command center for the war in Ukraine. The military support to Ukraine by a coalition of 40 countries created at the beginning of the conflict, is to be bundled and coordinated from here. Other tasks include the logistics of weapons deliveries and the combat training of soldiers. Kla.TV asked the people who live here to what extent they are informed about this. INTERVIEWS M2: What do you know about this barracks? Man: What should I know about it, that it’s been here for ages, and ... Well... M2: Do you know anything about it? Woman: No. Because there’s nothing coming out of Clay Barracks. That’s American territory, we don’t have anything to do with that. They don’t spread the media there. M1: Yes, many people don’t know about it, that's why we took the opportunity to do a survey. It’s amazing, two thousand Ukrainian soldiers are being trained here and heavy weapons are being stored. Woman: It’s not right that we don’t know that. Woman: Oh dear, that’s bad. I think it’s bad! Not that Putin will send us a bomb here. M2: And did you notice that the Americans trained 2,000 soldiers in this barracks for the war in Ukraine? Man: No. Man: No, no, not heard. Man: No. M2: You don’t know that? Man: No. M2: But you are living here? Man: I am living here. M1: Would it make you uncomfortable to live somewhere near a location that makes such important decisions in a war? Man: No, not at all. It has to be done somewhere. M1: How many US military sites do you think we have in Germany? Woman: Too many, to be true. Yes, America, that is, the USA, does have a good influence on Germany, yes ... On the one hand, it’s good because we know how strong the Americans are, militarily. They can defend us, but on the other hand it’s not good because we then make ourselves dependent on the USA, although we just had the debate that we shouldn’t make ourselves dependent on Russia. Woman: We've only seen Bundeswehr gear here, some American soldiers here in town, we wondered if there was still a barracks somewhere .... M1: Would it worry you if that were the case, if all strategic decisions for attacks or defense came from there? Woman: It’s all worrying, the whole situation, no matter from which location something like that happens. M2: We informed ourselves a little bit and that's why we would like to know what the residents think about it. Woman: It’s not what we think about it … we aren’t told anything about it. You just notice when there are more, let’s say planes in the air, or more movement, that something must be going on in the world. M2: Okay, thank you very much. Woman: I find that disturbing. I find that disturbing. Nobody knows that. It’s not in the papers either. M1: How do you feel about it? Woman: Yes, it really makes you feel insecure. Woman: A huge feeling of insecurity. M1: Do you think it would be right for the mass media to report about it in more detail? Woman: Very important. Of course, so that people know what they are getting into. That there is something. That danger is ahead, so to speak. M2: Did you notice that the Pentagon has opened kind of an outstation here? They have seconded 200 soldiers and sent them here to Wiesbaden. Man: No. M2: Okay. Woman: I don’t know, sorry. No. Woman: ...I just know that the Americans were and are stationed here in Erbenheim, that’s all. M1: So you are aware that all strategically important decisions concerning the Ukraine-Russia war are made in Erbenheim now? Frau: I suppose so, otherwise they wouldn’t have put the three-star general here, would they? Like in the star kitchen, if no one comes, nothing will happen, right? M1: And do you think that’s good, or a bit of a queasy feeling in your stomach to have that right outside your door? Woman: If I die full, it’s fine. M1: Excuse me? Woman: If I die full, it’s fine. MODERATION M2: Unfortunately, hardly anyone knows what is happening just a few hundred meters behind me here, behind the barracks gates! Maybe it has something to do with German history? Historical review Since the end of World War II, our thinking in Germany has been shaped to accept the USA as a necessary organizing power that protects the world from the threat of Russia and, since 9/11, from the danger of terrorism. Germany is becoming more and more actively involved in the military actions of NATO, the Pentagon’s strategic arm in Europe. Drone attacks in countries such as Pakistan, Libya, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen and Iraq have been or are being controlled from the US site in Ramstein, where the headquarters of the US Air Force in Europe is located . This is happening despite the fact that Article 26 of our Basic Law stipulates the mandatory prohibition of a war of aggression: “(1) Acts tending to and undertaken with intent to disturb the peaceful relations between nations, especially to prepare for a war of aggression, shall be unconstitutional. They shall be criminalised..” But are we really masters in our own country? The German government still seems to be dependent on Washington’s approval for essential decisions. That this is so, and that Washington basically does not tolerate any contradiction has just recently become clear again with regard to Nord Stream 2. Joe Biden had in fact long since threatened the attack on Nord Stream as follows: “If Russia invades, that means tanks or troops crossing the borders of Ukraine again, then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it.” Statements like this, that are uttered entirely past the German politicians and completely ignore the interests of the local population, strengthen the impression that the US occupation law introduced at the end of World War 2 still applies today. This would be a real scandal and would have major financial, legal and political consequences for Germany. Since the collapse of the USSR, the USA has repeatedly tried to extend its monopoly of power to the former states of the Soviet Union and also to Russia. The Ukraine war has now led to a momentous development. Obviously, Germany is being positioned by the Pentagon as Russia’s direct war opponent. Shortly before the outbreak of the war in February, American troops were withdrawn from Ukraine “for security reasons”. On 4 November 2022, the US Department of Defense announced that the USA wanted to concentrate its assistance to the Ukrainian military at the Wiesbaden-Erbenheim site. The new command officially bears the name Security Assistance Group Ukraine (SAGU). In the summer of 2022, a group of logistics specialists (high-ranking officials from over 25 countries) were already established in Wiesbaden. Their task: to coordinate donations of weapons and equipment to Ukraine from over 40 countries. Herbert Martin, President of the International GeoPolitical Institute in Vienna, comments: “And if the USA now establishes this military headquarters for Ukraine in Wiesbaden, Germany will thus become precisely the focal point of a possible attack by Russia, because in this case Germany, together with America, is a party to the war. Germany becomes the target of a direct confrontation with Russia. This is exactly what the US is planning – to spark a war in Europe.” MODERATION M1: Germany as the target of a direct confrontation with Russia ...? It sounds unbelievable – perhaps even like a conspiracy theory for many. But if the USA arms, supplies and trains Ukraine from German soil with an alliance of 40 countries, then Germany is obviously becoming Russia's direct enemy in the war. Washington and the Pentagon are more than 6000 km away, so it is more than obvious that in the event of a conflict, the Pentagon’s branch in Erbenheim will be attacked first. Kla.TV has also been on the spot with this question. Interviews (2) M2: Doesn’t it worry you that something could happen to us here, that we could suddenly become the focus of war? Man: Yes, I do have that fear. Woman: An English writer said that the nations have not learned from history, history shows that. It’s such a pity. And what’s happening now, again, between us and Russia, these wounds... it takes generations for that to scar over to some extent. M2: And that’s a completely different aspect, that we’re now directly involved in this war… do you share a certain concern with me here? Mann: Well, the madness of war itself, is an almost unspeakable stupidity on the part of our world, our society, and our politicians. Man: In my opinion, there should be – especially if we join together in the whole population, there should definitely be ways to somehow contain the whole thing without having to continue to lose lives for it. And I think this does not only apply to the Ukraine war, but to all conflicts in the world. Woman: Really clever of the Americans, yes. It’s very clever, from German soil, to take Germany as … a target to attack. Man: I think Americans should stay out of it. I think Ukrainian and Russian people are one brother and foreign people should not interfere at home. M1: If Putin is now cornered even further and he maybe targets Erbenheim or Ramstein instead of Kiev? Mann: Well, we are all involved. I mean, we still have a situation here in Europe as it is, including NATO ... so, Germany is part of the whole thing... Man: One is afraid as a citizen, here in Germany, about what will happen when Russia really strikes. M1: Now, when the extended arm of the Pentagon is there and strategically important decisions for the war are made there – wouldn’t you have a bit of a stomachache, to have something like that directly on your doorstep? Woman: No. M1: You feel absolutely safe? Woman: Yes. M1: And if the Russians are provoked, it doesn’t matter? You feel well protected? Woman: Whether I feel safe or not has nothing to do with it. If the Russians are provoked, then they are. I can't help it. Man: Let me put it this way, this has been an American station for ages. If things really go bang, Wiesbaden, as the center of the Rhine-Main region anyway, will be among the first to go. I’m assuming that.... If there’s a bang, there's a bang anyway. Man: In general, war is never good. And I think it's an absolute pity that we in Germany don't have the courage to say: OK, here's a point where maybe we shouldn’'t continue to support the whole thing. Man: I think that if it happens, the whole of Europe, not just Erbenheim, but the whole of Europe will suffer. Woman: After all, a missile hit Poland and that’s not far from Germany. Man: We are observers and unfortunately have little influence, we can only work towards this democratically through the media or through our freedom of expression, otherwise give me Putin's phone number and I’ll talk to him, too, okay? Yes, with pleasure, I would even make my farm available so that a bit more peace can come into people’s heads again. MODERATION M2: If you think we’ve gone too far with this question, I must remind you of the beginning of the Ukraine war: On 24 February 2022, Putin, completely unexpectedly for many, attacked Ukraine. Most of the military and political assessments shown in the media turned out to be wrong. Better not to fool ourselves! Should Russia feel too cornered – it’s hard to imagine how quickly a catastrophic war could break out right here, in the middle of Europe. Drone warfare from Germany As a result of 11 September 2001, US law allows terrorist suspects to be killed at any time and in any place. Deutsche Welle writes: “In 2015, former US drone pilot Brandon Bryant testified before the NSA investigative committee of the German Bundestag that Ramstein had been “the central relay station” for the killing missions: The drones circling over a mission area communicated via satellite with the base in Germany. There, the signal was amplified and sent to the USA via fibre optic cable. From endpoints in the US, targets would be marked and lethal missiles or drones would be released.” It is a scandal that Ramstein in Rhineland-Palatinate serves as the central hub for these worldwide unlawful US drone attacks. The German government and individual politicians keep downplaying this fact. MODERATION M2: US interventions – to call a spade a spade: we are talking about wars! – are usually justified with empty words: - It’s about “national security strategy” - or “conflict deterrence” - about “democratic solutions” - or “securing peace”. These formulations are deeply hypocritical. Wars are always inhumane. They are first and foremost about raw materials like oil and geostrategic advantages. M1: If wars really brought peace, shouldn’t that be clearly reflected in the record of the US anti-terror wars? The exact opposite is the case: M2: The “Watson Institute For International And Public Affairs” of Brown University, in the USA, has published a project study on the human and economic costs of the US wars after September 11, 2001. Here is a brief summary of the main findings: M1: → at least 929,000 people died as a result of direct war violence (armed forces on all sides, civilians, journalists, humanitarian workers). M2→ countless losses due to indirect consequences of war: Malnutrition, damaged infrastructure and environmental destruction. → Displacement of 38 million people through the wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and the Philippines. M1→ erosion of civil liberties and human rights at home and abroad. M1→ much of the funding for humanitarian aid and civil society reconstruction has been lost to fraud, waste and abuse M1→ cost of the post 9/11 wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria (and others): about $8,000 billion. M1: After the unimaginable horror and suffering of the two world wars, people swore “Never again war!” What can be seen on the net in terms of images and strokes of fate from the current war zones allows for a single conclusion: M2: Enough war, enough cruelty and endless suffering. And that is why we are standing here today to make this call as loudly and decisively as possible before it is too late! M1: Please don’t just go back to business as usual. Watch more programs and learn facts about this issue. Cover photos and links: USA - Russia: No more playing with fire! https://www.kla.tv/21399 Current arms deliveries to Ukraine – In the felt of the arms lobby https://www.kla.tv/24679 The cost of the USA’s anti-terror wars after 9/11 https://www.kla.tv/24540 Is Germany already at war? https://www.kla.tv/24902 M1: Share this important contribution! Let it wake you up. M2: That’s it for today, live from the US site in Wiesbaden.

from jm.

Sources/Links: Infographic: US military presence around the world https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/10/infographic-us-military-presence-around-the-world-interactive
The US Army in Germany: Facts and Figures Infographic https://www.dw.com/de/die-us-armee-in-deutschland-zahlen-und-fakten/a-50151636
Stuttgart: US Regional Command for Africa fully operational as sixth US war headquarters worldwide www.lebenshaus-alb.de/magazin/005283.html
The US military bases in Germany 2018 – Banana republic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9X7DzjdXlc
US military bases abroad www.overseasbases.net/uploads/5/7/1/7/57170837/deutsche_die_fakten_obracc.pdf
Reasons for the closure of US foreign bases https://worldbeyondwar.org/de/Grundlage/
USA plans Pentagon branch in Germany: Ukraine will become the second “Afghanistan” www.wochenblick.at/brisant/usa-plant-pentagon-zweigstelle-in-deutschland-ukraine-wird-zum-zweiten-afghanistan/
New US army command planned in Wiesbaden www.nd-aktuell.de/artikel/1167480.usa-und-ukraine-neue-kommandantur-der-us-armee-in-wiesbaden-geplant.html
Germany’s co-responsibility for drone attacks in violation of international law https://verfassungsblog.de/ramstein-deutschlands-mitverantwortung-fuer-voelkerrechtswidrige-drohnenangriffe/
Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany Art 26 www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gg/art_26.html
Nordstream attack openly threatened on TV! www.kla.tv/24728
Brutal findings on Nordstream blast www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7ui377puWE
Bundestag, Transitional Treaty and “Enemy State Clauses” in the light of the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Germany under international law. www.bundestag.de/resource/blob/414956/52aff2259e2e2ca57d71335748016458/wd-2-108-06-pdf-data.pdf
Federal Press Conference: Why does US occupation law still apply in Germany? www.pravda-tv.com/2019/05/bundespressekonferenz-wieso-gilt-noch-immer-us-besatzungsrecht-in-deutschland-video/
“Ukraine Command Centre of the USA” in Wiesbaden https://telegra.ph/Ukraine-Kommandozentrale-der-USA-in-Wiesbaden-Ein-neues-Spiel-des-Trainingsweltmeisters--Geopolitiker-09-30
Ukrainian troops train in Germany www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/soldaten-deutschland-ukraine-krieg-russland-100.html
US Army sets up Ukraine assistance centre in Wiesbaden www.hessenschau.de/politik/us-army-richtet-ukraine-hilfszentrum-in-wiesbaden-ein-v1,us-militaerstuetzpunkt-wiesbaden-ukraine-100.html
US quietly announces new Ukraine command with 3-star general. https://uncutnews.ch/kein-ende-des-krieges-abzusehen-usa-kuendigen-in-aller-stille-ein-neues-ukraine-kommando-mit-einem-3-sterne-general-an/
“Germany is a kind of telephone exchange of death” www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/drohnenkrieg-der-usa-deutschland-ist-eine-art-100.html
Ramstein military headquarters is the hub for all drone activity. www.tagesschau.de/inland/ramstein-drohnen100.html
Ramstein Airbase, logistics hub for US forces https://www.dw.com/de/ramstein-us-militärbasis-in-deutschland/a-61593746
The cost of the USA’s anti-terror wars since 9/11 https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/papers/summary