China Moves Forces into Afghanistan

DEBKA ^ | Oct. 6, 2001 | debka

[aaaDOC]

China Moves Forces into Afghanistan
6 October:

Before even the launching of the major US military offensive in Afghanistan, long Chinese convoys were carrying armed Chinese Muslim servicemen through northwest China into Afghanistan, according to DEBKAfile's intelligence experts.

They were sent in to fight alongside the ruling Taliban and Osama Bin Laden Al Qaeda.  Their number is estimated roughly between 5000 and 15,000.  Our sources report another three convoys are behind the first 3000, who crossed the frontier Friday, October 5.

They are entering Afghanistan along the ancient Krakoram Road to the Afghan-Pakistani border, through the Kulik Pass of Little Pamir, which is situated in one of the highest and most remote regions of the world.

Beijing is deploying this force in two places:

A.  Whakyir, the Kirgyz tribal encampment near the Little Pamir-Tadjik frontier, opposite the swelling concentration of US and Russian Special Forces and air strength

The Chinese have brought with them Kirgyz fundamentalist militants from the Ferghana Valley of Central Asia, as interpreters.

From Whakyir, the Chinese generals believe, with Bin Laden and the Taliban's tacticians, they will be able to block off the movement of the US-led force from its rallying point in Dzhartygumbez, Tadjikistan, no more than 35 miles from Little Pamir, into the mountains of Hindu Kush.

B.  Jalalabad in north Afghanistan, at the foot of the Hindu Kush range.

DEBKAfile's Chinese sources reveal that, immediately after the terrorist strikes in the United States on September 11, the Chinese intelligence service, MSS, handed in to the defense ministry in Beijing their estimation that the United States would go to war to overthrow the Taliban regime, for the sake of which it would sign a pact with Russia.  The Chinese leadership viewed this eventuality as the most significant shift in the global balance since the 1962 Chinese-Russian feud, with dangerous implications for China world standing and its interests in Central and Southwest Asia.  They decided it must be counteracted.

The only satisfactory outcome of the Bin Laden crisis in Chinese eyes is the redeployment of Japanese-based US troops to the Persian Gulf, when the Kitty Hawk carrier moved the 3rd Marines Division out of Okinawa last week.

Chinese intelligence did not miss the absence of fighters and reconnaissance craft on her decks.  The planes stayed behind, but the very fact that the Kitty Hawk is no longer within operational range of the Straits of Taiwan leaves the disputed island with diminished protection.

Beijing also took note of additional US military movements, including the Army's 10th Mountain Division based at Fort Drum, New York and that of another formerly Pacific-based unit, the 25th Infantry Division, out of Hawaii to the Persian Gulf.

According to DEBKAfile's Far East experts, the removal of substantial US military strength from the Pacific Rim opened the way for Chinese intervention in Afghanistan and its effort to slow down the US-Russian advance.
 

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Good analysis. Thanks.

[Clinton's a liar]

Try reading this thread. You're the one everyone's laughing at.

[Clinton's a liar]

If these are ex-Israeli intelligence guys, they must have the destruction of Israel at heart. I don't buy it. Ex-Israeli intelligence guys wouldn't be this stupid.

DEBKA is a radical Islamist propaganda site. The overwhelming amount of the garbage they put forth assists Usama bin Laden's efforts by threatening the fragile Arab/US-coalition relationship -- which would be fatal to Israel upon collapse.

Regards.

[Star Traveler]

You're the one everyone's laughing at.

I hear laughter is good for your health. Perhaps it will help your mental abilities. :-O

[Star Traveler]

If these are ex-Israeli intelligence guys, they must have the destruction of Israel at heart. I don't buy it. Ex-Israeli intelligence guys wouldn't be this stupid.

Yep, you don't buy what doesn't "fit the propaganda" that you're spewing [of course... :-) ].

[Campion]

I was going to add that, if the Chinese are moving their Islamic militants in to fight alongside the Taliban, it's for one reason, and one reason only ...

So the US will kill them, and spare Beijing the trouble!

[longleaf]

I have always gotten the impression that the so-called People's Liberation Army is not really firmly under the control of the civilian authorities in Beijing, so I would have to think anything is possible.

The PLA is the only "entrepreneurial" army in the world that I know of, with its own slave-labor industrial base. It alone has a huge balance of payments surplus with the U.S.

[horse_doc]

They've already given great amount of aid to the Taliban over the past few years. The Communist Chinese Party reasosn exactly oppositie as you did -- they aid the Taliban, Iraq, Iran etc.. so that they will not help the rebels in Xinjiang.

The Communist Chinese have given just enough aid to lots of factions in order to stabilize Central Asia and expand their influence. They gave enough to keep the Taliban afloat, but not enough to make them a threat to anyone except other Afghans.

Their aid was designed to keep the Muslims squabbling among each other. But this is different - if the Taliban were to somehow successfully defy the USA, then Xinjiang melts down overnight. And Bejing knows it.

And you'd better believe that we've made it clear that we'll pour all the gas on that fire that we can, aided by a Russia that is not happy about the prospect of a Sino-ized Central Asia. Something tells me that Putin would probably drive the first truck full of AK-47's to the border himself.

[darth]

Every news site, including DEBKA, has its own spin. Every actor in the conflict puts out dezinformatsia to confuse their enemies or push a point. I find it useful to read a wide variety of sources such as DEBKA and Foreign Correspondent in order to try to analyze what is going on. However, if you want to understand the world you must have a high tolerance for ambiguity. Its like X-files; the Truth is out there and ordinary citizens rarely know the true story. I have been astounded a few times when one of my cherished beliefs came smack up against hard evidence. If you learn the entire story from CNN or Fox, its an accident. As for the story, yeah, I could see the Chinese sending some of their Muslim troops into the meat grinder of U.S. airpower. A massacre would make great propaganda in the Northwest provinces. It could make the U.S. look bad to the locals while at the same time removing a future Muslim threat to Beijing.

[Clinton's a liar]

"I hear laughter is good for your health."

Then all of FR is going to be very healthy laughing at you! Thanks for the gift of health!

[Star Traveler]

Then all of FR is going to be very healthy laughing at you! Thanks for the gift of health!

Is your mind getting any clearer? We can only hope!

[Clinton's a liar]

ROTFLMAO! You're engaging in transference, if you didn't know.

What's the status of the Chinese troops off the coast of Florida that DEBKA reported? We're all DYING (of laughter) to know! Are they planning to invade now that the US has slammed the Taliban?

[Star Traveler]

ROTFLMAO! You're engaging in transference, if you didn't know.

I'm sorry, but it doesn't seem to be working for you. Your "Goebbels Propaganda syndrome" and your irrational rantings about DEBKAfile has not gone away. Hmmmm..., a failure of "laughter as good medicine". Sorry, can't win them all.

Say, Osama bin Laden needs an attache over there. You want to apply for the job? He needs someone to "muddy the waters" for him and introduce more confusion into the world.

[Clinton's a liar]

Where's that Florida report? We're dying (laughing) waiting for it!

I do believe I've done my part here on this thread in exposing your and DEBKA's fraud.

I'm sure I'll see you on the next DEBKA post to expose you there!

Have fun in your state of ridicule.

[Republican Wildcat]

yada

Such an intelligent, informative response.

[Southack]

"long Chinese convoys were carrying armed Chinese Muslim servicemen through northwest China into Afghanistan, according to DEBKAfile's intelligence experts. They were sent in to fight alongside the ruling Taliban and Osama Bin Laden Al Qaeda. Their number is estimated roughly between 5000 and 15,000. Our sources report another three convoys are behind the first 3000, who crossed the frontier Friday, October 5. They are entering Afghanistan along the ancient Krakoram Road to the Afghan-Pakistani border, through the Kulik Pass of Little Pamir..."

One big problem with that fantasy is that road goes through the Northern Alliance, not the Taliban's territory.

[Republican Wildcat]

I don't think that CNN, ABC, CBS, "et al" come under so much criticism

CAL, along with most FReepers, have had nothing but high praise for these networks over the years. You are so right.

[Star Traveler]

I do believe I've done my part here on this thread in exposing your and DEBKA's fraud.

Only in your own mind. That's the danger of believing your own propaganda.

[Star Traveler]

Such an intelligent, informative response.

"Yada..." -- just replying to the same level of intelligence shown [i.e., "blah, blah, blah..."] :-)