[Mohoender]

Here is something I can put up with no copyright problems I thinks.

2008
In January, the price of petroleum hits $100 per barrel for the first time. Stock markets around the world plunge amid growing fears of a U.S. recession, fuelled by the 2007 sub prime mortgage crisis. The western world slowly enters a major economical crisis. Rising food and fuel prices trigger riots and unrest in the Third World.
In Europe, Kosovo formally declares independence from Serbia, with support from UE but opposition from others. Ireland votes to reject the Treaty of Lisbon, in the only referendum to be held by a European Union member state on the treaty. Russia stages the largest naval exercise since the fall of the Soviet Union in the Bay of Biscay. The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, along with 11 support vessels and 47 long-range bomber aircraft, practised strike tactics off the coast of France and Spain, and test-launched nuclear-capable missiles on foreign waters.
In Asia, Demonstrations by Tibetan separatists turn violent as rioters target government and Han Chinese-owned buildings.
In Pakistan, on August 18, Pervez Musharraf resigns from the post of President of Pakistan under impeachment pressure from the coalition government. Asif Ali Zardari is elected in his place but many already regrets Musharraf’s regime.
In Africa, a peace deal ends the Kivu conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Meanwhile, rebels attack the capital of Chad, N'Djamena. President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi of Mauritania is deposed in a military coup d'état.
In Latin America, PDVSA, a state oil company in Venezuela, suspends sales of crude oil to ExxonMobil. Fidel Castro announces his resignation as President of Cuba, effective on February 24 and Raúl Castro is unanimously elected as President of Cuba by the National Assembly. Venezuela and Ecuador move troops to the Colombian border following a Colombian raid against FARC guerrillas inside Ecuador's national territory in which senior commander Raúl Reyes was killed. In July, Íngrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages are rescued from FARC by Colombian security forces.
On the opening day of the Olympic Games at Beijing, August 7, the 2008 South Ossetia war begins as Georgia launch an offensive inside that separatist region. Russia reacts with brutal force and the world slowly slips toward global conflict. On August 12, Russian President Medvedev said that he had ordered an end to military operations in Georgia. On the same day, Russian president Medvedev approved a six-point peace plan brokered by President-in-Office of the European Union, Nicolas Sarkozy, in Moscow; both sides were to sign it by the 17th. Everyone started to think that the crisis was over but that was far from the truth. The USA and the EU had shown a wide support to Georgia and the Russia grew tired of this. As a result, on August 26, Russia unilaterally recognizes the independence of Georgian breakaway republics Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

At the beginning of September, Russia receives support from several former soviet republics: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kirgizhistan, Tadjikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. On September 9, Nicolas Sarkozy is again at Moscow and he receives word that the Russians will have withdrawn all their troops by mid-October. However, this goes by the Russian’s agenda and Medveded states that Russia will not back up on its unilateral recognition of the breakaway republics. A few days later, Syria recognizes also their independence and quickly gets military support from the Kremlin in return. Again, the situation starts to calm down in October 15 when the Russian troops withdraw to Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
The world forgot about the crisis as it turns its attention to the US elections. These are comfortably won by Barack Obama with Joe Biden as vice-president. Before the end of the year, President Bush and Condoleezza Rice multiply their actions at the diplomatic level. France joins NATO integrated command again and NATO accepts two new members in a hurry: Ukraine and Georgia. Meanwhile, President Bush goes again to the UN on Christmas Eve and states the following: “people have the right to self determination when facing an oppressive regime but, as democracy protect people from oppression; democracies’ territorial integrity has to be respected under all circumstances. Anyone that opposes a democracy with the force of weapons is nothing but a terrorist”. Several countries, including China and Russia, are outraged by this declaration and the world starts to worry. Before New Year’s Eve, the stock market goes down again, the dollars falls down in front of euros and the oil prices start to rise again.

2009
When Barack Obama gets into office, on January 20, he is already facing a major crisis. Russia has moved more troops in both Abkhazia and South Ossetia and it is slowly reducing the amount of gas and oil that it exports to the West. Two days earlier, Russia and China have signed a major energetic agreement that makes China the priority customer for Russian gas and oil. The crisis gets worse, on January 22, when Russian leaders from Crimea declare their independence from Ukraine and ask for Russia’s protection. On January 24, a number of Russian units enter Crimea but no fighting take place. On the next day, a NATO task force is already on the way but it will never reach the Black Sea as Turkey resigns from NATO and closes the Bosphorus to military ships.
U.S. President Obama calls for the Russian troops to leave Crimea but this call is ignored by the Kremlin which, in addition, shut down all gas export to Ukraine. On March 10, after more than a month of negotiations, both the USA and the UE stop all exportations to Russia. This was expected to end the crisis but it only increases it as Russia turns on China. A new commercial agreement is quickly signed between the two giants and that affects greatly the world economy. As China increases its exports to Russia, it reduces commercial relations to the West and this result in major consequences. By the end of June, inflation has gone up by 10%, the western economy has lost 20% of its monetary value, and oil market is up to 180$ a barrel. Hopefully, India pushes its production and that slows down the effect of the Sino-Russian Trade Union.
On August 4, after several month of increasing tensions Russia and its allies meet at Astrakhan. On August 9, Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin and Hu Jintao announce the creation of Warsaw Pact 2. This new military alliance is signed primarily between Russia and China but it includes also several other countries: Belarus, Kazakstan, Kirghizistan, Serbia, Syria, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Immediately, all countries in Warsaw Pact 2 forbid NATO to supply its forces in Afghanistan through their territories. In addition to this, a growing instability starts to shake Pakistan and, as a result, NATO is facing increasing difficulties and casualties in Afghanistan. On December 11, they withdraw and Hamid Karzai regime is left alone.

A primary move from the countries in Warsaw Pact 2 is to start a new arm building. Russia and China start to increase their arm production and their most recent design are going out of the production lines at an increased rate: Type 99 MBT, T-95 MBT, BMP-3, BTR-90, Su-35, Su-34, J-10, Borey-class... All countries in the Pact are receiving new equipments and many of their ancient ones are being refited. China transfers the aircraft carrier Varyag to the Russian Pacific Fleet while Russia starts building a third ship: the “Ulyanovsk”. Meanwhile the Russians are sending teams of specialists in order to help the Chinese refit the Kiev and the Minsk.
In the West, reactions are largely different from one country to another. Various equipments that were to be scrapped are now being stored and some countries increase their production of weapon systems. France, for example, renounces to reduce its armed forces any further and a sister ship to the Charles de Gaulle is planned. Moreover, the Foch is slowly refitted in order to be put back in action. Countries in East Europe are quickly increasing their arm forces and units that were disbanded are created again. Sweden put all surviving equipments, such as the Saab Viggen, in stores. In the US, President Obama, feeling that he must give a chance to peace, accepts only minor changes concerning defence but he launches a major naval refitting program. All ships that were not scrapped have to be refitted and put in reserve.

2010
This is a year of growing tensions. The USA are quickly appearing as entering a phase of depression as the GDP growth rate is largely negative, businesses continue to go bankrupt, unemployment is growing and wages are going down. Because of this, U.S. President Obama slow down all military modernisation and programs such as the Joint Strike Fighter are postpone. Pulling out of Iraq has proved difficult and the U.S. forces remain overstretched there while the continuous operations are costing much of the available money. Old ships continue to be recommissioned and the navy reserve grows but this is not true for both the Air Force and the Army but plans are made to quickly expand them in case of needs. Nevertheless, small nuclear warheads are made again to be fitted with the tomahawks and the anti-missile shield system continues its deployment.
The UE also experiences a time of depression but this is not as harsh as what happens in the states. The unemployment rises again but the GDP growth rate is only slightlly negative. The effects on NATO are real nevertheless. The Eurofighter and the Rafale continues to enter production and the older aircrafts are put in reserve, allowing for a quick increase in various Air Forces. France launches the Richelieu (sister ship to the Charles de Gaulle) and the Foch achieves refit. However, the UK cancels their new aircraft carrier program and concentrates on their Type 45 destroyers. Most countries are expending their military budget and old units are slowly reactivated while new equipments are being built for both armies and air forces. This is especially true for the eastern countries of Europe as for Ukraine and Georgia.
With the slow rearming of Western Europe, the countries in Warsaw Pact 2 increase their cooperation and the former soviet republics are forming the “Russian Union of Sovereign States” when the 1991 treaty is finally ratified. Moreover, the modernisation of military equipments is quickly accelerating and this allows for the reactivation of several units and cold war figures are met again. In China, the Kiev and the Minsk (renamed Beijing and Shanghai) achieve their refit and brand new Yak-141s are received from Russia. North Korea joins Warsaw Pact 2 when an American U-2 is shot down while flying off its coasts.
In Georgia and Ukraine, skirmishes occur on a regular base between Russian troops and the military forces of these two countries. In the Caucasus, Azerbaijan joins with NATO and its claims on Nagorno-Karabakh are met with support from the West. This is done to the dismay of Armenia and that other country joins with Warsaw Pact 2. Nevertheless, Armenia is surrounded and, in case of conflict it can only hope for a quick push by Pact forces through Azerbaijan and Georgia. NATO is well aware of this and a small US force is stationed in the region while NATO presence in Iraq is increased again. This is taken as a threat by Iran and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declares his country in favour of Warsaw Pact 2. Nevertheless, Iran doesn’t join the Pact as a full fledge member and consequently it receives more limited help than Syria.

In Afghanistan, the country is again in a stage of civil war and Hamid Karzai government falls in May. Fighting among the various tribes continues and this civil war starts to spread in Pakistan. That other country has experienced numerous unrest and riots since Musharaff resigned and this only stops in October when a new military coup is staged by that same Pervez Musharraf. The army is moving everywhere but fighting continues in the tribal regions with Taliban and in the southern Baluchi’s region with “Jundallah” (the Sword of Allah). The first is backed by Iran and China while the second receives help from the U.S.
In Latin America, no country enters Warsaw Pact 2 but the Latin Social Union (L.S.U.) is created under Hugo Chavez initiative. This union is composed of Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru and Venezuela and its first move is to stop part of their exportations to the West. As a result, oil market rises above 200$, a level it had not reached so far. Russian troops (Division Latin America) are sent to Venezuela while all countries buy new equipments from Warsaw Pact 2. In response to this new threat, the U.S. reinforces their positions in Panama, the 4th U.S. Fleet is fully reactivated and Columbia gets more funding.
With the world economic crisis growing all year long, instability rises again in the third world and insurgent movement that had been down for some times are becoming active again. This is especially true for Africa where most countries are experiencing some kind of unrest. The situation worsens slowly and by the end of the year, some countries on that continent are almost in a stage of civil war. Outside of France, most western countries don’t have the time and power to care about this and the African Union dissolves on Christmas Day. In South America, the various guerrillas are becoming active again with the support from one side or another. The Warsaw Pact and the Latin Social Union are supporting several groups: El Salvador, Guatemala, the EZLN in Chiapas, and the FARC in Columbia. This last group almost dissolved in 2009 but it regains power with the new backup coming from Ecuador and Venezuela. The Western countries also support several groups such as the Nuevo Contras (Nicaragua) or the Shinning Path (Peru). In the Middle East, NATO is most active as it backs both the PKK (Kurdistan) and the Baluchis of Iran and Pakistan (Jundallah) but Russia is supporting Hezbollah (Lebanon) and the Iraqi sunny resistance. In Asia, none of the two blocks are directly involved but several insurgencies are gaining strength again: Tamil in Sri Lanka, Moro in the Philippines, Kachin Independent Army in Burma and some growing unrest in Indonesia. Even India, slowly becoming very wealthy, is facing growing unrests from National Democratic Front of Bodoland (North East) and from the Communist Party of India (Maoist).

2011
From the beginning of the year, the global economy shows a few signs of recovering as the Western Countries change their production policies and turn toward new energy sources. Renewable energies are taking a larger place, low consumption engines are becoming the rule and all the countries that have it (among them Canada and USA) start to exploit oil shale. On March 2, the oil price goes down and stabilizes at about 160$. Meanwhile, Warsaw Pact 2 has increased its military expenditures but it seems that NATO might soon catch up.
The situation is very different when one looks at the third world. In these regions the situation is far from improving and the various unrest that evolved toward insurgency continue to grow. Food riots appear again in many countries and the various insurgent movements are quickly getting stronger, putting a heavy weight on most governments. Drug cartels are also increasingly powerful and put more weight on the authorities trying to fight them.
On April 24, an Ukrainian Brigade launches an attack on a Russian Battalion. The Russians are taken by surprise and no one survives. Three days later, it is released that all Russian taken prisoners had been shot in the head and that attack becomes know as the “Easter Massacre”. The Russians are outraged and the army move more units to the Ukrainian border. Claiming that it wants to regain control over Crimea, Ukraine launches an offensive on May 3. For a week this attack is successful and the siege of Sevastopol is starting. On May 20, troops from R.U.S.S. launch a counter-offensive along the entire Ukrainian border. Within 5 days, the Ukrainian troops are retreating from all positions except in Crimea.