alternatehistory.com

In this one, I’m trying to explore the consequences of the USSR continuing into the 90’s. Had the August Coup plotters been more “old school” in their actions, I don’t think they’d have spared anyone – let alone Yeltsin and his “liberal” crowd there in the Kremlin. Gorby might’ve been spared as the coup was ongoing. But, once they’d secured their control back in Moscow, I think his days would’ve been numbered. As would’ve been quite a few of the less doctrinaire apparatchiks who’d “infested” the Kremlin due to Gorbachev’s policies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_august_renewal

The 1991 Soviet coup d'état (19–21 August 1991), later known as the August Renewal, was a coup by a group of members of the Soviet Union's government to take control of the country from Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev. The coup leaders were hard-line members of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) who were opposed to Gorbachev's reform program and the new union treaty that he had negotiated which decentralised much of the central government's power to the republics. They were opposed, mainly in Moscow, by a short and ineffective campaign of civil resistance.[4] Although the coup was completed in only two days, the event entrenched the hold of the “hardliners” within the Soviet Union and is widely considered to have set the “New Soviet Union” on its course to war later in the decade.

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2 May, 1992, National Review - William Buckley May Day Indeed!

The West should continue to accept asylum requests of high level Soviet officials still fleeing the new round of Moscow "Show Trials." Nothing can better illustrate the failure of Soviet Communism and the success of Western democracies than the continued exodus of the USSR's "best and brightest" in the face of the new terror of the New Soviet Union. It is in the world's best interest for these asylums to continue to be granted no matter how much the tyrants in the Kremlin howl.

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20 January, 1993 Washington, DC – Washington Post – President George Bush Inaugural Special Edition Coverage

As the sun shone on this bright winter’s day, President George H. Bush addressed the crowds gathered at the Capitol steps to witness his officially assuming the office of President of the United States for a second term. In the address, President Bush repeated his administration’s central themes of a strong and vigilant America standing guard against the worsening Soviet menace. As part of the Inaugural Ceremonies there was a brief, high speed, overflight of the Capitol by the Air Force’s newest “stealth” aircraft, the F-22 and B-2. In his address, President Bush touted these new weapons as part of the his Accelerated Defense Build-up (ADB) policy, and noted that the aircraft will soon be in full production later this spring.

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18 September, 1995 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Reuters – Arms Inspectors Discover Soviet Weapons
The latest UNSCOM (United Nations Special Commission) report released today contains allegations of massive Soviet weapons sales to Iraq. If this report is accurate then it represents a direct violation of the Cease Fire Agreement which halted the Gulf War of 1991. In that Agreement, Iraq was prohibited from rearming and all nations on the UN Security Council agreed to ban arms exports to Iraq. Initial accounts of this discovery by UN weapons inspectors puts the scale of these weapon sales as being far from inconsequential. One UN inspector made an off-the-record comment that they had found “thousands of new Soviet T-82 tanks and current model SCUDS” at just one of the sites they investigated.

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1 November, 1995 Damascus, Syria – Al Jazeera – American Spies Attack Iraqi Civilians
The government of Iraq released an official statement today condemning the unprovoked and senseless attack by American spies upon Iraqi civilians. The Americans, posing as UN inspectors, raided a milk factory and began attacking the civilian workers at that plant. Iraqi security forces were then called in to assist the beleaguered civilian workers. In the firefight that followed all the American spies were killed. President Saddam Hussein has declared this unprovoked attack a deliberate plot by the United States to restart the Gulf War and continue to oppress the innocent Iraqi people.
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3 November, 1995 Tel Aviv, Israel – CNN – More War In the Gulf
Just five hours after the last UNSCOM personnel were successfully evacuated from Iraq the US and Coalition forces commenced a new aerial campaign against the military forces of Saddam Hussein. Cruise missiles launched from US Navy ships in the Persian Gulf struck Iraqi military targets throughout that country.
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2 January, 1996 Sioux City, Idaho – Los Angeles Times – Clinton Sets Himself Apart
In a move that sets him apart from his fellow Democratic Presidential contenders, Bill Clinton called upon President Bush to do more against Iraq. Calling the year long stand-off “a failure of will” on the President’s part, candidate Clinton promised the crowd at the Daily Grind Café that once they elected him President he would ensure that Saddam Hussein was “out of a job!” Whether this is just political pandering for the upcoming caucuses in Iowa or a new “hard line on defense” strategy, Clinton’s competitors have been quick to make their own bellicose positions known. Later that day in Boise…
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14 April, 1997 Washington, DC – AP Nation Mourns First Lady
A steady stream of mourners passed through the Capitol Rotunda this day to pay their last respects to First Lady Hillary Clinton. The day’s service started with a brief ceremony led by President Clinton. Still recovering from the attack the previous week and with his left arm still bandaged in its sling and dressings still on his face and over his left eye, the President made a few brief remarks before walking over to her casket where he remained, silent, for a few minutes. President Clinton seemed to be in a better and stronger condition than when he last addressed the nation on the 8th, just five days after the attack…
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20 April, 1997 West Berlin, West Germany – Reuters – Standoff Continues
The city is emptying out rapidly. The Bonn government has been sending extra trains into West Berlin to accommodate the evacuation of citizens from the city. Few inbound passenger jets are arriving at Templehoff with any passengers aboard but are departing completely full. The authorities have yet to release any official statement whether NATO will challenge the pending Soviet moratorium on air traffic set to commence at Noon tomorrow. The Soviet threat to close all ground traffic at Noon on the 22nd is of more pressing concern for Berliners.
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21 April, 1997 Ankra, Turkey – NBC – American Dead Returned From Iraq
At this border outpost along the Turkish / Iraqi border a convoy of military vehicles makes its way out of Iraq and into Turkey. On board several of the trucks are caskets containing the remains of the American troops and the international aid workers who died during the Iraqi nerve gas attack on the Kurdish refugee camp on the 12th of April. Coalition forces only recently retook that camp and began recovering the dead there. No photographs were allowed at this time but a US military spokesman said that more information would be available at a press briefing later today.
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22 April, London, United Kingdom – BBC - Prime Minister Major Addresses Nation – Urges Resolve and Courage
In perhaps the most important address of his life, Prime Minister John Majors addressed the nation today and urged all Britons to maintain their resolve and their courage in the face of the impending Soviet crisis. “We will not back down from this ‘New Soviet Union.’ Our forces stand ready with our NATO allies to defend this country and Europe. Soviet aggression will not be tolerated and Iraq shall be brought to heel.”
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22 April, 1997 New York city – New York Post – Giuliani Announces New Curfew – Is Martial Law Next?
Pointing to the string of bombings and the arrests of numerous members of leftist groups suspected of being behind those bombings – groups the Mayor has labeled as “Soviet agents,” Giuliani has now called New York to join the growing list of other cities and institute a city wide curfew. Standing in front of yet another bombed out building, the Mayor issued this call after first reading an FBI report which detailed the Soviet connections of two of Thursday’s bombers.
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22 April, 1997 San Francisco, California - San Francisco Chronicle – Bay Bridge Bombed! Golden Gate Attack Stopped!
Political extremists – allegedly Soviet agents – bombed the Bay Bridge today, destroying one span on the Oakland side. FBI agents and San Francisco police, in what turned into a multi-hour long running gun battle through the Presidio and Fisherman’s Wharf, thwarted an attempt to bomb the Golden Gate as well. Two FBI agents, three SFPD officers and sixteen civilians were killed in the gunfight and eighty three others were wounded. None of the extremists survived the battles as they refused calls by the police to surrender and detonated their bomb. Authorities estimate it will be at least a week before the Wharf is able to reopen.
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23 April, 1997 Washington, DC Washington Post Column “The View From the Rotunda” – Nation’s Capitol Shut Down As War Breaks Out
The city has largely emptied itself. All passenger flights have been canceled. And the Federal government has issued a shutdown notice for all non-essential workers. Congress is conducting an emergency session but it’s not doing so here in town and no one is telling anyone where they are doing it. The White House is neither confirming nor denying that the President is still in DC either. The atmosphere is tense among what few people remain here in DC. “We don’t know if the Soviets are gonna nuke us today or what!” said one Capitol Police security guard who wished to remain nameless.
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23 April, 1997 Damascus, Syria – Al Jazera Online – Baghdad Is Gone
Baghdad is gone! Survivors streaming out of Iraq report that a nuclear bomb has been used on the capitol of Iraq. All communication with Baghdad has been cut off and there is no official word from the Iraqi government confirming or denying these reports. We will continue to post updates as they come in.
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23 April, 1997 London, UK – BBC – Berlin Has Fallen
Our reporter in the British Sector of West Berlin, Jennifer Dules, reported seeing more Warsaw Pact troops advancing on her location just before contact was lost from Berlin. A NATO spokesman reports that heavy fighting is occurring in the area but that no further details are available.
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23 April, 1997 London, UK – CNN – Air Raids on London
Royal Air Force fighter jets shot down two attacking aircraft just ten miles north east of downtown London last night. The dead of night attack is but the latest in a series of aerial battles since the fighting began between the Warsaw Pact forces and NATO. A government spokesman refused to speculate on what the target of the attack was…
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24 April, 1997 Bonn, West Germany – US Armed Forces Radio
NATO forces have stopped the Soviet advance on this city. Soviet airstrikes continue however. The fighting on the ground also continues but at a NATO briefing this morning, word was released that our forces are starting to push the Warsaw Pact back at several key locations.
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27 April, 1997 Frankfurt, West Germany – Boston Herald – A Quiet Day
Germans are still reeling from the nuclear attack on Bonn. Everyone here is hunkering down wondering if the next round of nukes will be headed our way. There’s no report of new ground fighting at the front as each side is digging in their troops in anticipation of more nuclear weapons being used. There are reports – all unconfirmed – that the US and the Soviet Union are fighting it out deep in Russia’s heartland with the US Air Force destroying Soviet missiles in their siloes before they can be launched.
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2 May, 1997 Washington, DC – Official Press Release from the Office of the President of the United States of America. The War Is Over. We Won.
As of Midnight this morning, East Coast Daylight Time, the fighting between NATO forces and the forces of the Warsaw Pact has ceased. All remaining Warsaw Pact forces are to lay down their weaponry and surrender to the nearest NATO military units. All military forces of the Soviet Union are to immediately cease combat operations and turn themselves over to the nearest NATO military units.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/world_war_three_1997#m…
The fighting in Moscow lasted for six days and ultimately involved four brigades worth of Red Army troops, tanks, armored vehicles, helicopters and attack aircraft. Eyewitnesses reported massive fires burning unchecked throughout the city as the fighting between the differing factions was too intense for fire crews to put out the blazes. In the end, the pro-peace faction finally succeeded in overwhelming the last hardliners held up in the White House, Russia's parliament building, leaving the structure a shot out and gutted ruin in the process.[62]
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41 of 116 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Pure Bullshit!., December 16, 2001
By wardawg - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Operation Paladin: The Most Important Mission of World War Three (softcover)

This book is pure bullshit! I don’t know whether McKneely is a paid stooge for the Russian Federation or just has a hardon for Putin but there’s nothing in this steaming pile of crap that holds up.

No one in NATO was in contact with the coup leaders in Moscow. NO. ONE. The NATO strike planners who set up the interdictions on those Red Army units in Poland, did so without any knowledge of why those units were on the move. They were on the road that was targeted and that’s all that there was to it.
We got lucky, that’s all. Yes, had they gotten back to Moscow in time they’d have put down the coup and the war would’ve gone on. No one is debating that. But to say that it was Vladimir Putin who told NATO to stop those troops is pure bullshit.
There was no damn secret “back channel” communiqués between Putin and NATO or the President or anyone else. Put was just a minor level KGB colonel at that time and it’s only because he was good at dodging bullets during the coup that he was around afterwards to take so much credit. This is all just post-war bullshit coming from Putin to try and build himself up to the west. And McKneely is either in on it or is too stupid to recognize he’s being played.
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“I don’t care if he is an opportunist and I don’t care what his motivations are – this Putin guy led the revolt and that stopped the war. We all know those Communist fanatics were going to start using their nukes on our cities. “Putin’s Coup” or what ever you want to call it, put a stop to those plans. The guy is a hero!” Pat Buchanan. June 18th 1997 Face The Nation


To be continued
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