In an internal memo to the officers he commands on Friday (January 27), four-star US Air Force general Mike Minihan stated that Washington may go to war with China in the next two years, most likely over Taiwan, and urged them to be prepared. The paper in question first surfaced on social media and was later validated as “factual” by the Pentagon. Minihan, the head of the Air Mobility Command, stated in the memorandum, I hope I am wrong. (https://www.banucciteam.com) My gut tells me we will fight in 2025.”
He also stated that the main goal should be to “deter, and if necessary, defeat” China. According to Miniham in the memo, the basis behind this projection is that because both Taiwan and the United States have presidential elections in 2024, the latter will be “distracted,” giving Chinese President Xi Jinping a chance to move on Taiwan.
US Air Force generals discussed how China’s president has secured a third term and has scheduled his war council
The US Air Force generals also discussed how China’s president has secured a third term and has set his “war council” in October 2022. “Xi’s team, reason, and opportunity are all aligned for 2025,” he added. According to NBC, the US Air Mobility Command includes 50,000 service men and almost 500 planes responsible for transport and refueling.
While urging his officers to prepare, he also asked Mobile Command members with weapons credentials to “shoot a clip” at the target and “aim for the head” in the memorandum. The Pentagon later confirmed the authenticity of the document, which was initially spotted on social media, when a spokesperson reacted to an AFP question with, “Yes, it’s factual that he sent that out.”
This comes as numerous senior US officials have recently stated that China appears to have accelerated its timetable for seizing control of Taiwan, the democratically governed island of 24 million people that Beijing has long claimed as part of its sovereign territory.