Posted on 12/21/2001 7:25:53 AM PST by francisandbeans
Edited on 07/12/2004 3:36:28 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
China continued to supply arms to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terrorist even after the group began the September 11 attack on America, says a senior U.S. official.
The official said that a week after the terrorist attack, the ruling Taliban and the al Qaeda fighters embedded among them, received a shipment of Chinese-made SA-7 missiles. The shoulder-fired anti-aircraft weapons are similar to the U.S. Stinger.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Gertz is revealed as a DEBKA-spouting complete moron in this article and it's an embarassment for Drudge that this is his headline, and an embarassment for FR that so many people are unquestioningly accepting the article.
What in hell's name will we do, what with the US-China business community firmly entrenched, and in control of the levers of power at the White House, State and Congress. Seems like DOD and CIA will be the only areas willing to stand up to the PRC.
You are right, there needs to be a national campaign now for a SERIOUS boycotting of Chinese products and a campaign of harassment against their PLA-trading firms in the US, who stand squarely in the camp of wanting to murder US troops on the field. How can we wave and salute the American flag at Walmart and then go down the aisle and fund the PRC through purchases that then go on to target our very servicemen in the field.
What a great, timely article!!
What is the shipping time from China to whereever it is that Al Quieda received the arms.
The official said that a week after the terrorist attack, the ruling Taliban and the al Qaeda fighters embedded among them, received a shipment of Chinese-made SA-7 missiles. The shoulder-fired anti-aircraft weapons are similar to the U.S. Stinger.
Book the vessel - one week ahead of time (minimum).
Shipment to the port in China - 3 days ahead of sailing (minimum).
Sailing time to Afghanistan - one week (minimum).
Clearance at the delivering port - 3 days minimum.
Let's rewrite the story to make it accurate.
The official said that 3 weeks (minimum) before the terrorist attack, the ruling Taliban and the al Qaeda fighters embedded among them, ordered a shipment of Chinese-made SA-7 missiles. The shoulder-fired anti-aircraft weapons which are similar to the U.S. Stinger, arrived in Afghanistan one week after the terrorist attack.
Not nearly so exciting, is it, but it is a whole lot more accurate. As originally written, the story is deceptive - purposely so. Now look at the lead.
The lead says China continued to supply arms after the September 11 attack. Using a anology of a hose and water, the water might still have been coming out of the end of the hose even if the valve was turned off after the attacks occured. Is this continuing to supply?
You have to read with a very critical eye. This story is purposely deceptive. The writer certainly knew the shipping times involved. The story was written for the maximum sales benefit while still remaining literally correct.
And they say the China Daily is full of propoganda.
China also has a badly overhyped military at the moment. Problem is, you don't get a balanced view of their military problems from Bill Gertz, Newsmax, etc. etc.; everything is absurd hype based on the latest superweapon of the week they've bought from somebody, or some cockamamie article about how they've taken over somewhere in some nefarious plot.
The various military analysts popular with the right overhype the PRC just as much as the left overhyped the Taliban and the Iraqi Republican Guard. The negatives about their military forces are swept under the rug.
They don't have the capability to do pretty much any of the things they'd like to do...they can't invade Taiwan, etc. They don't have 600,000 troops in the Sudan. And they don't control the Panama Canal.
Pointing out the Chinese are overrated and they aren't behind all evil in the world doesn't mean I support the PRC. Far from it.
I suspect the Communist government collapses a la Eastern Europe in 1989, within 5-7 years or so. Worry is China descending into warlordism again, though.
When did he say this???
Although the gloves which were made in America cost $6 more than a comparable Chinese version, I happily paid the extra money rather than finance those scalawags, the Chicoms.
The Chinese are a great people and deserve a decent government. It will happen when the next generation takes power. China has always been one generation behing the Russians.
What "official?" From what country? While it's certainly possible that arms were shipped directly to Afghanistan from China, the article only implicates the PLA by innuendo. It's more likely - much more likely - that the arms were smuggled from China by profiteers or trans-shipped from another Moslem country. The trans-shipping of military arms is an on-going problem even for American made materials.
No matter how much I respect Gertz's work... this is one of the poorest examples of journalism that I've ever seen him produce... especially given the gravity of the accusation. If the Chinese kleptocracy knowingly - intentionally - supplied arms to al Queada after 9/11, then somebody is going to have to prove it. You don't send boys off to die in a war over rumors and anonymous tips.
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