A scenario released by NATO details the hypothetical lead-up to the Able Archer exercise, which was used by the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington D.C. and the British Ministry of Defence in London. The war game was intended to be a be "Blue" forces representing NATO and "Orange" forces representing the Warsaw Pact. The scenario envisioned proxy conflicts in Syria, South Yemen, and Iran escalating after Yugoslavia shifted to the Blue bloc with "Orange" forces invading Finland, Norway, and West Germany. Dr. Gregory Pedlow, a SHAPE historian explains the war game: