Posted on 10/26/2015 1:46:41 PM PDT by amorphous
For anyone who might still be somehow unaware, the US is currently in a superpower staring match with both Russia and China. The conflict in Syria has put Moscow back on the geopolitical map (so to speak), creating an enormous amount of tension with Washington whose regional allies have been left to look on in horror as Russian airstrikes and an Iranian ground incursion dash hopes of ousting President Bashar al-Assad.
Meanwhile, in The South China Sea, Beijing has built 3,000 acres of new sovereign territory atop reefs in the Spratlys and although the reclamation effort itself isnt unique, the scope of it most certainly is and Washingtons friends in the South Pacific are crying foul.
Beijing has continually insisted that it doesnt intend to use the islands as military outposts, but the construction of runways and ports seems to tell a different story and so, Washington felt compelled to check things out over the summer by sending a Poseidon spy plane complete with a CNN crew to the area. Once the PLA spotted the plane the situation escalated quickly with the Chinese Navy telling US pilots to Go Now!
After that, an intense war of words developed with Defense Secretary Ash Carter insisting that the US would sail and fly anywhere it pleased and Beijing assuring the US that sailing within 12 nautical miles of the islands would prompt a harsh response from the PLA.
For weeks, the US was rumored to have been planning a freedom of navigation exercise in the Spratlys which, as weve pointed out several times this month, amounts to sailing by the islands just to see if China will shoot.
(Excerpt) Read more at zerohedge.com ...
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to fix up the basement with bottled water and dried/canned food.
Things can always get hairy.
These are artificial islands built by China. One good typhoon and they’re history.
He will live well for the rest of his miserable life.
He detests America and all the good and decent things she stands for.
He will continue to do all he can to bleed her to death.
He is a very Evil man and he is demonically driven.
Oh well, time to put that radiation detection kit together. :-)
That’s how it was relayed to me by an retired captain with inside info. Obama was the problem.
What do you mean Mr. Soetro doesn’t draw clear lines? Didn’t he say biological weapons were a clear red line for Syria? That seemed pretty clear to me...
CNN Camera Crew? Are they now part of the military?
“Washingtons friends in the South Pacific are crying foul.”
What? Suddenly Obamica gives a damn for its allies?
I actually looked it up to see who the Capt was, I thought it was someone 0bama was trying to throw into the spotlight for political reasons..
I was wrong.
“This business” has been totally out of anything like control for so long it doesn’t even qualify as a CHARLEY FOXTROT.
JMHO, absolutely nothing is going to happen except that LASSEN is going to sail by just as has been done for since forever, the PLA is going to puff up and do a really hot presser and....The 0 is going to go play golf. Nice Kabuki and I’m sure somebody “covering” this is going to get a couple of upticks on their ratings for a couple of days. (And who really cares what may happen to a couple hundred sailors if somebody screws the pooch?)
Same Sh**, Different Day.
(Thanks for the picture, anyway.)
China knows full well that if they shoot, hit an American Destroyer and cause casualties, Obama will race to his knees and beg forgiveness from his Communist Chinese masters.
Good to hear. Thanks for letting me know. Is he a Lt. Commander?
Ship Captains are first rate officers.
We are so screwed.
We should hear something soon, it's Tuesday morning there now.
The rectum didn't even take on the attackers of the Consulate in Benghazi.
Remember the Maine!
Hopefully it will work, meanwhile pray hard that a super typhoon washes away China’s manmade island. After all if the ocean can wash away new volcanic islands in Iceland, no reason it can’t do that in S. China Sea.
We sunk some folks.
#SouthChinaSea Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/hashtag/SouthChinaSea?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc^tfw
From the WSJ:
U.S. Navy Ship Sails Near Islands Claimed by China
U.S. navigates near Spratly islands in South China Sea, challenging Beijings claim of sovereign territory
By
Gordon Lubold
Oct. 26, 2015 9:09 p.m. ET
WASHINGTONA U.S. Navy destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of artificial islands claimed by China, in a direct challenge to Beijing that raises the stakes in an expanding, multination territorial dispute.
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