Skip to main content
Global Edition
Friday, March 29, 2024

Pentagon war games included squashing domestic insurrection by young activists: report

Credit: Reuters - 3D Animations (Next Me
Duration: 01:07s 0 shares 1 views

Pentagon war games included squashing domestic insurrection by young activists: report
Pentagon war games included squashing domestic insurrection by young activists: report

The Pentagon conducted a war game in 2018 that pitted armed forces against a youth uprising dubbed Zbellion.

For story suggestions or custom animation requests, contact tips@nextanimation.com.tw.

Visit http://archive.nextanimationstudio.com to view News Direct's complete archive of 3D news animations.

RESTRICTIONS: Broadcast: NO USE JAPAN, NO USE TAIWAN Digital: NO USE JAPAN, NO USE TAIWAN The Pentagon conducted a war game in 2018 that pitted armed forces against a youth uprising dubbed "Zbellion," according to documents obtained by the Intercept via the Freedom of Information Act.

The troubling revelation came days after Secretary of Defense Mark Esper urged states to "dominate the battlespace" in dealing with Black Lives Matter protests.

Esper later withdrew the comment and signed orders to remove paratroopers from Washington, DC.

The war game envisioned members of Generation Z — radicalized by the Great Recession and student debt — would start a nationwide uprising in 2025.

The rebels would see themselves as "agents for social change" with the goal of helping to "move the world forward." According to the scenario, an insurgent group called Zbellion would start a protest movement in Seattle.

From there, civil unrest would spread to New York City; Washington, DC; Los Angeles; Los Vegas; and Austin.

The military expected tech-savvy insurgents to launch cyber attacks against financial institutions to redistribute wealth, to fund their colleagues, and to "spread a call for anarchy." RUNDOWN SHOWS: 1.

Pentagon's 2018 war games featured a generation Z insurrection 2.

Generation Z radicalized by Great Recession, student loan debt 3.

Unrest projected to spread across major U.S. cities 4.

Military concerned with cyber attacks on financial institutions VOICEOVER (in English): "The Pentagon conducted a war game in 2018 that pitted armed forces against a youth uprising dubbed 'Zbellion,' according to documents obtained by the Intercept via the Freedom of Information Act." "The war game envisioned members of Generation Z — radicalized by the Great Recession and student debt — would start a nationwide uprising in 2025." "The rebels would see themselves as, quote, 'agents for social change' with the goal of helping to, quote, 'move the world forward.'" "According to the scenario, an insurgent group called Zbellion would start a protest movement in Seattle.

From there, civil unrest would spread to New York City; Washington, DC; Los Angeles; Los Vegas; and Austin." "The military expected tech-savvy insurgents to launch cyber attacks against financial institutions to redistribute wealth, to fund their colleagues, and to, quote, 'spread a call for anarchy.'" SOURCES: The Intercept https://theintercept.com/2020/06/05/pentagon-war-game-gen-z/ *** For story suggestions please contact tips@nextanimation.com.tw For technical and editorial support, please contact: Asia: +61 2 93 73 1841 Europe: +44 20 7542 7599 Americas and Latam: +1 800 738 8377

You might like