Allen West warns of looming world war

(WND) – Allen West, retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and former congressman from Florida, pointed to the recent downing of Russia’s jet by Turkish fire and said history buffs ought to beware: the next world war could be on its way.

He wrote on his AllenBWest.com blog: “For those who know history, recall how we stumbled into World War I after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sophie Duchess of Hohenberg, by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip, June 28, 1914. The subsequent series of events led to what would become known as the ‘war to end all wars,’ World War I.”

He then referenced the lead-up to World War II, and the aggression of Germany’s Adolf Hitler and Italy’s Benito Mussolini.

“And now, as we sit back and watch the disintegrating situation in the Middle East, we must begin to ask, are we close to a World War IV? (OK, I consider the Cold War World War III; it was not fought by the major adversaries, but instead fought globally by proxy, from Korea to Vietnam to Africa to Central America to Afghanistan, between the U.S. and the Soviet Union),” he wrote.

And what’s taking place now – Turkey’s firing and downing of a Russia jet flying near Syria – could very well lead to the next global battle, he said.

“The recent downing of a Russian fighter bomber could be the spark igniting a new global conflagration,” West wrote.

As WND previously reported, Russia President Vladimir Putin has doubled down on claims the Russian pilots did not enter Turkey airspace, and vowed “significant consequences” for the Turkish government. Turkey, however, said it warned the Russian pilots several times in the span of just a few minutes that it was violating airspace. NATO, meanwhile, has summoned members for an emergency meeting.