http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/topstories/story/0,4386,259015,00.html
Hrm… scared?
Why the hell are we playing the aggressor yet again here? Isn’t Iraq enough for one summer?
Doesn’t the US routinely condemn China for their blatent displays of force (launching missles over Taiwan, etc.)? What are they thinking here? With the US .mil currently unable to fight another major war, why would they possibly want to intimidate the world’s largest army?
Hmmm. And how close is this to the Korean Peninsula?
And why the hell does the American media not pick up on stories like this?
ONE aircraft carrier is sent to a trouble spot as a reminder of US presence. This was done several times in the past, when tension was high in the Taiwan Strait.
TWO carriers show serious concern, as was the case when China test-fired missiles over the strait in 1996.
THREE OR FOUR are sent in combat situations - as in the Gulf War in the early 1990s and the recent Iraqi war.
Sending SEVEN carriers in peace time to the same region is unprecedented. The US plan to do this after mid-July, in the Pacific Ocean near China, is a message to Beijing for its threat to use force to stop Taiwanese independence.
I can’t find this on American news sites, but I can find it on our Navy’s site: http://www.cffc.navy.mil/summerpulse04.htm
Holy fucking Christ. This seems more than overkill for an exercise. What the hell is going on?
This does sound very odd and threatening to me. I doubt it’s just sabre rattling for votes because big business is really interested in dealing with China and relocating plants over there. Not in Bush’s best political interest to start sparring with China right before an election.
And I agree that if this is true, that doesn’t just sound like a commonplace show of force or excercise.
Expect we’ll hear more about this if there’s anything to it soon.
This is just totally wrong! Armageddon is supposed to start in the Middle East!
Well, the tone of the documents on the Navy’s site really downplay the whole thing. Initial press releases went out last month.
The folks over on freerepublic.com are all asking WTF too - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1146624/posts
I never understood these moves. It’s not like anyone’s actually going to start a war over this.
Mr. Aszurom, I commend you on finding a news story before Midnight Son. It’s a rare and precious feat. Savor this moment, sir. It may never come again.
You want something, bwah?
No, I’m ok.
Check www.instapundit.com about it. The seven carrier groups were in FIVE DIFFERENT THEATERS.
Only two, I believe, were actually anywhere near China. The others were participating in the exercises from places like, oh, the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
Why oh why won’t the American conspiracy news media pick up on this blatant attempt at outdoing idiocy by the Bush administration? </sarcasm>
The exercise is scheduled after the middle of July.
Why oh why won’t the American conspiracy news media pick up on this blatant attempt at outdoing idiocy by the Bush administration?
Who said anything about Bush’s idiocy? I’m just wondering why 7 out of 12 carriers are suddenly being sent to the Pacific. As previously mentioned, it seems extreme for a show of force or even for practice maneuvers. There may be a valid military reason for it. I’m just wondering what it is.
As previously mentioned, all 7 carriers are not operating off the coast of China or even in the Pacific theatre.
Why 7? This is the ‘debugging’ of the new Fleet Response Plan.
It’s not like there aren’t any number of military news sources to check before flying off the handle and making assumptions.
A very impressive exercise, to put it mildly.
No, I’m ok.[/quote]
Ah hahahaha! Funz!