“The January 21 Crisis”

22Oct08

  

 

     There is an interesting story in the media this week.

     On the 19th of October, 2008, retired (former) Secretary of State Colin Powell said something unusual.

     For anyone interested, the interview on Meet The Press has been posted on YouTube at

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=pLPOeQZdHYw

     Interestingly, the original video link I posted a few months back was edited, and that very sentence that Powell spoke of involving a “crisis to come along on the 21st, 22nd of January” was deleted. The rest of the interview carried on just fine. Just that sentence was gone. One must wonder what compels YouTube to delete select sentences by US government officials. They’re obviously taking that statement of Powell’s very seriously. 

     Colin Powell, whilst speaking about his endorsement of Barack Obama, the economy and the general challenges that America faces, mentions the coming “crisis” at 2 minutes and 40 seconds into the interview that deserves not only close scrutiny but front-page news at least. In the link above it is snipped so that only that sentence appears. As said earlier, the exact sentence in focus in the original link was edited and deleted by YouTube.

     He said,

     “There’s going to be a crisis which will come along on the 21st, 22nd of January which we don’t even know about right now.”

     Ok, let’s examine this for a moment.

     January 20 is the date upon which a US President becomes inaugurated after winning the general election. At this date, the country is in a rare moment where a leader is being confirmed, and sworn in.

     The word “crisis” and “January 21-22″ and “we don’t even know about yet” say something very clear.

     During the swearing in ceremony, a calamity will unfold which the general public are at present unaware about. Something that has been planned prior to this date of January 21-22, 2009.

     I have four theories. Here is the first:

     Recently it was disclosed that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert asked US President Bush for permission to attack Iran. This request was turned down by the President, who knew that his administration (and the Pentagon) were against such an endevour. This is because they knew it would trigger a regional war in the Middle East. Bush did not want to have that pinned to his legacy. Instead, an agreement could have been made where Israel was given permission to attack just after the date of January 20, the day that Bush leaves office. Therefore it would be left on the next American president’s plate, not his. Furthermore, it would force the new US leader to take a clear position on Israel, and at the same time help the Jewish State eliminate the Iranian threat.

     The second theory:

     On the day of January 20, 2009, the new President (assuming it’s Barack Obama) will have formally taken office. Obama may use this symbolic ‘first day’ to “cut the crap” and publicly announce that the US is bankrupt. Though unlikely, a declaration of this nature is certainly possible. This would create a crisis in the global market, but by hitting rock-bottom the only way would be up. There is a method to the madness in such a declaration. Powell may be referring to this as “the crisis we don’t even know about yet”. Obama may use this symbolic occasion to embark on a “new beginning”, perhaps even abolishing the Federal Reserve. Who knows. Obama’s connections have a close eye on him, but you can’t rule that a man of Obama’s courage and intellect would do so even at the cost of his own life. That he had the courage to run for President at all demonstrates his “even if I die tonight” mentality.

     The third theory:

     Let’s assume that Colin Powell, having had inside information from the highest order, knows of a plot to assassinate Obama on the 21st or 22nd of January. Let us also assume that the plot is not only elaborate but also the work of the neo-conservatives within the old ranks of the Republican party, namely high-ranking individuals whom would stop at nothing to prevent a revolutionary from entering the White House. If Obama were assassinated, it would most certainly trigger an international crisis. The blame would be laid squarely on islamic militants and declared a 9/11 style operation. It is likely that a large-scale military operation would ensue against the nation held responsible. If it were Iran or Syria, the crisis would escalate to a regional war in the Middle East, with Israel as the primary target.

     The fourth and final theory:

     The delicate period of January 20-22 may herald a calculated and strategic move by the newly assertive Russia to seize on the political limbo of the US by embarking on a large-scale military operation in the Baltics or their southern Caucusses (ie. Georgia). This may be a pre-emptive move to send the US and NATO a powerful message that in this new change-of-the-guard it will be Russia on top and calling the shots, setting the pace and deciding the rules in their sphere of influence. The Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, would be highly instrumental if not totally central in this decision. It would involve an air, land and sea expedition by the Russian armed forces, an extraordinary show of military precision and force, which will prompt the new administration to either react irrationally or engage with Russia on their terms.

     The above scenarios are extemely plausible. Let us remember this.

     Interestingly, Obama’s running mate Joe Biden said something eerily similar to what Colin Powell said just a day later which also deserves some close attention.

“Mark my words,” the Democratic vice presidential nominee warned at the second of his two Seattle fundraisers Sunday. “It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We’re about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don’t remember anything else I said. Watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.”

Link to statement: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=dOwb9l0DtRA&feature=related

     That’s two prominent US political figures with extensive foreign policy experience practically saying the same thing.

     None of the above may happen. We won’t know until the date transpires.

     After all is said, one thing is certainly worth considering: that this was an unintentional ”slip up” is highly unlikely. It was a possible warning from a man who is openly dissillusioned with the Republicans and Neo-conservatives of which he was once a part of. And it is an important heads-up with one of the very few men who have real honesty and integrity in Washington D.C.  The reason he left the Bush Administration was because he was decieved like the rest of us about the Iraq war.

     Now he may just have let the cat out of the bag, with sweet but ominous revenge.

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Tags: Colin Powell, Colin Powell interview January 21 crisis, generated crisis, January 21 crisis, January 22 crisis, January crisis, Joe Biden