Cyber Warfare and the New World Order

They Are All Bad Choices

As the reports continued to flood in from the Rudong and Nantong, it was becoming clearer that the invasion was not going according to plan. They had anticipated stiff resistance by the PLA, but what they were encountering was nothing short of madness. The PLA had started to throw multiple militia divisions at the invasion force while they positioned the 14^th Army to join the fray. The battle for Rudong was turning into a complete slaughter — not of the US Marines who were spearheading the invasion — but of the militia forces that were attacking them.

The drone feeds from the battle and some of the videos they had been reviewing from the battle helmets of the Marines was brutal. The number of bodies piling up in the streets and parks was horrific. The Chinese kept throwing more and more militia soldiers at the Marines, despite the endless slaughter. At the same time, the wave-after-wave assaults were starting to inflict a terrible casualty rate among the Marines. What was worse, the PLA was not allowing the civilians to flee the city. They had blocked the roads, clogging the streets up and creating an even worse humanitarian crisis. The General was not going to be pleased with what was happening. The US had been working hard to avoid civilian casualties, but it appeared that the PLA was going to use the people of Rudong, Nantong and Shanghai as human shields.

Major General (MG) Peter Williams walked over to where General Gardner was standing and waited for him to finish speaking with General Black. MG Williams had been with General Gardner since the start of the war in the Middle East over two years ago, and he had continued to remain his executive officer as he transferred from one Command to the next. He had a relatively good understanding of how the general thought, what he wanted to have done and how he wanted things to run.

A minute later, General Gardner turned to MG Williams and said, “I assume you’ve gotten caught up on the reports flooding in?”

MG Williams just nodded and waited to see what his friend would say next. Gardner began, “We are taking significant casualties, even though we are slaughtering their militia forces. It also appears the PLA is using the civilian population as human shields preventing them from fleeing the city,” he said, disgusted.

“I think we should revise our invasion plans and send the EHDs into Rudong,” Williams proposed, hoping Gardner would agree.

“I had wanted to save them for our summer invasion, but I think you may be right. This is a fight that is more suitable for the EHDs. What I’m not sure of is what to do with the civilians. If the PLA is not going to let them flee the area, they are going to get caught up in the fighting. I do not want to limit our ability to provide air or artillery support for fear of hitting civilians,” he stated.

“What are you going to do?” asked Peter, also very concerned about the situation.

“I have a call with the President and General Branson shortly. I am not going to do anything until I have clarity and support from the President.” Gardner checked his watch again; his telecom was going to start in five minutes.

President Stein had been monitoring the progress of the invasion since it started, sifting through miles of information and data feeds in the bowels of the PEOC. Like the others in the room, he was appalled by what appeared to be the senseless slaughter of the PLA militia forces. Now they had to contend with the PLA’s blockading of the civilians from fleeing the cities.

Stein had tried to call President Jinping to implore them not to use civilians as human shields. Unfortunately, Jinping would not take his call. Instead, one of his functionaries told him, “China does not use human shields. We expect the Allies to not intentionally target civilians who are trying to flee the city.”

When General Gardner came on the call, he breathed a sigh of relief. “General, I want you to do whatever is necessary to support our forces on the ground. Obviously, Jinping has no value for human life, using his people as speed bumps and bait. Enough is enough.”

“What do you want me to do about the civilians, Sir?”

Stein responded, “This war has been dragged out long enough. I am not going to lose more soldiers because the PLA refuses to protect their civilians. If you have to kill every civilian in the area to defeat the PLA, then so be it. This war is going to end.”