As
elite branches of the US military prepare to hold military training in seven southwest states, with some troops operating incognito among civilians, some Americans fear the training is actually preparation for imposing martial law.
Operation
Jade Helm, which is scheduled to kick off in July and run for eight weeks, will involve the participation of
1,200 troops from the US military’s most elite fighting forces, including
Green Berets, Navy SEALS and
Special Operations from the Air Force and Marines.
The troops will be participating in
what has been called Realistic Military Training in towns in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas and Utah.
In an effort to simulate the type of battlefield conditions soldiers may face in foreign countries, the US military has designated the remote training areas where they will operate as in a
“hostile" territory, a description that has irked some residents.
Meanwhile, Texans living in close proximity to the operation will be asked to report any
“suspicious activity” during the exercise, a request that seems to contradict the belief laid out in the
US military training document,
leaked by The Houston Chronicle, that Texans are
“historically supportive” of military efforts to
“fight the enemies of the United States.”
The training exercise, according to Shadow Spear, a publication of USASOC,
“will be conducted on private and public land with the permission of the private landowners, and from state and local authorities.”