The Crazy Rumor of the Texas Invasion

The shooting that occurred on May 3 in Texas during a competition for cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad has eclipsed the controversy, but it nevertheless made its way to the Pentagon during a press conference with U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter on Thursday, May 7. When questioned, he assured with a half-amused, half-serious “no” that the federal government did not intend to take control of the Lone Star State.

At the beginning of March, the Army announced plans to perform a series of maneuvers called “Jade Helm 15” in the southern United States, from July 15 to Sept. 15, notably involving the special forces, Green Berets and Navy Seals. The states involved appeared on a map, which quickly ignited the mobilization of conspiracy theory lovers. On the document in question, Texas, Utah and southern California are listed as “hostile” areas. No more was needed to create the fantasy of imposing martial law in the minds of those least disposed to President Barack Obama.

The U.S. Army’s “Hostile” Intentions

After a week of rumors, the spokesperson of the Army’s Special Operations Command Mark Lastoria took pains on March 21 to denounce any intention of invading Texas. Still, one month later, he was faced with an assembly of 100 people in the small city of Bastrop, southeast of Austin, where the exercises are supposed to take place, who were also convinced of the Army’s “hostile” intentions.

In addition to the worries provoked by the map, there is another equally fantastical idea floating around — that the closing of certain big box stores like Wal-Mart is hiding the transformation of these buildings into processing centers, once the soldiers master the terrain, or the creation of tunnel networks used to facilitate their crime.

On April 28, the Republican Governor of Texas Greg Abbott entered the scene. Instead of reinforcing official denials, including those of Wal-Mart, the former state attorney general, elected in November, announced that he would deploy the Texas national guard during “Jade Helm 15.” The goal: Control the Army’s movements to ensure that they are not infringing on the civil rights of Texans.

Chuck Norris Gets Involved

Mr. Abbott is not the only person to take literally the alarmist theories dispersed on social networks. Although his predecessor Rick Perry, also a Republican, expressed his disagreement, Senator Ted Cruz, candidate for the Republican nomination for president, decided to question the Pentagon, and a Republican representative from the same state, Louie Gohmert, publicly speculated that the maps of maneuvers targeted the states that “cling to their guns and religion,” in other words, states that can be considered “hostile” by Democratic President Barack Obama. For good measure, the actor Chuck Norris, aka “Walker, Texas Ranger,” added his share of doubts about the government’s intentions.

In a little more than two months, the 1,200 men mobilized by “Jade Helm 15” will enter the scene. It is more than likely that their drills will be followed like never before in the history of U.S. military maneuvers.