Posted on 12/14/2001 10:34:47 PM PST by spycatcher
Last spring, President George W. Bush faced his first major foreign-policy challenge when an American EP-3E surveillance plane was hit by a Chinese fighter and forced to land on Hainan Island. Tensions flared even further as China detained the 24 American crewmen for 10 days, the standoff eventually resolving after both plane and crew were finally released. Still, U.S.-Sino relations remained ominously chilly throughout the year, until they were overshadowed by the events of Sept. 11.
Post 9-11, the Bush administration's focus has, of course, been riveted on the terror war, and China has gone off the main radar. But despite Beijing's public support for the coalition's war on terror, regular rumblings of Chinese complicity with the terrorists have surfaced. Among them was a WND report of some Chinese fighters assisting the Taliban.
Now, author Gordon Thomas has written a book claiming that Beijing had an actual role in the Sept. 11 attack on America. In "Seeds of Fire," Thomas purports to show how Beijing is positioning itself to become America's "new major enemy."
An investigative journalist from Ireland and author of 38 books, Thomas points out that on Sept. 11, a transport plane from Beijing landed in Kabul. A Chinese delegation had gone to Afghanistan to sign a deal with the Taliban – reportedly brokered by Osama bin Laden – to provide the Afghans with missile-tracking technology, state-of-the-art communications and air-defense systems. In return, says Thomas, the Taliban would order Muslim separatists in northwest China to stop their activities.
In a Sept. 13 report, the Washington Post confirmed that Beijing had just signed a deal with the Taliban to provide Afghanistan "with much needed infrastructure and economic development assistance."
Due to the fall of the Taliban at the hands of opposition forces and the United States, however, "the goods were never delivered," Thomas told WorldNetDaily.
The delegation, says Thomas, included senior officers of the People's Liberation Army and the Bureau of State Security, as well as managers from two of China's leading defense contractors.
In his book, Thomas contends that hours after the plane landed in Kabul, CIA Director George Tenet received a coded "red alert" message from Israeli Mossad agents that presented a "worst case scenario" – that China would use a surrogate, bin Laden, to attack the United States.
Thomas also claims that the head of Pakistan's intelligence service was in Washington to meet with Tenet on Sept. 11, and that he briefed Tenet that day on the links between bin Laden and China.
The intelligence agent "told [Tenet] that China had made a decisive decision," wrote Thomas. "It was prepared to infuriate America and its allies in supporting bin Laden and the Taliban because Afghanistan fitted into China's own long-term strategic plans."
Saying that bin Laden has traveled to China numerous times to meet with officials there, Thomas contends that "almost certainly he talked to them about obtaining" material to build weapons of mass destruction.
China's President Jiang Zemin, adds Thomas, waited three days to contact Bush about the Sept. 11 attack and told the U.S. president that, vis-à-vis the war on terrorism, China would find itself in a "difficult situation, given our well-known position of opposing any interference in the internal affairs of any country."
Washington sources say that Bush "gritted his teeth and said he would push on without China," Thomas wrote.
The author also cites what he calls the "happy parties in the streets of Beijing" following the 9-11 attacks. "They're selling videos there with commentary saying, 'America had it coming,'" said Thomas. "Their message is: 'America can be defeated.'"
On another note, Thomas believes President Bush's decision to pull out of the ABM treaty will cause Russia and China to strengthen their ties – to the detriment of the United States. "It's in China's interest to see the U.S. destablilized," he added.
Absolutely not. That was a DEBKA report, not World Net Daily's, and we all know how reliable they are.
And in case you hadn't noticed, Afghanistan has nothing to do with the terrorists excepting on a coincidental level.
Didn't stop us from bombing it further into the stone age. (first rule: the targets of the war machine can't have the ability to fight back).
They struck first, we struck back.
Afghanistan struck first? That Flintstone-land couldn't even strike a match. Just go back to your nice war propaganda now, you'll feel much better.
Well, there is no evidence presented that clearly puts them at the helm of 9/11. But even if so, the nation of Afghanistan is not related to Al Quaeda. In fact if you want to allow for this kind of sloppy logic, we need to start bombing Canada, England, Germany and The U.S. because all allowed Al Quaeda to operate within their borders.
The nation of China clearly brought down one of our planes. If we weren't bullies, then we could have easily attacked China justifiably. Why didn't we? Because we don't like the odds.
Yes. Rule 2. Never use your own fighting forces on the ground if you can help it. Use theirs. That way, the American people won't ever be shocked and amazed when their own sons and daughters are killed by the dozen.
Best to only allow that to happen onsey twosee because it's all about politics rather than what's just.
Columbia is off of everyone's radar screen but we're kicking the crap out of their civilian population in an effort to step up the "war on drugs."
Don't forget Peru, where we destroyed a thriving democracy and brought back the Sendero Luminoso and the drug trade. But I don't expect the other flag-draped posters here to know anything about this.
Best to only allow that to happen onsey twosee because it's all about politics rather than what's just.
Besides, onesee-twosee make for more patriotic and moving funerals. Keeps the war juices flowing. A funeral of 50 would not have the same effect.
As to getting others to fight: recall that Maddog McCain last week said we should use the Kurds in Iraq like we did the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan. God have mercy on any country Uncle Sam comes in to "help."
Possibility #1: he has such fabulous sources in such quantity that he need not worry about burning a few dozen in every book he writes.
Possibility #2: he is either a member of or close buddies with persons assigned to Operation STARGATE, the remote-viewing program run by the CIA--the same folks who supposedly "remote-viewed" a "large, Saturn-like object" (was it the wagon or the sedan) behind the Hale-Bopp Comet.
Possibility #3: he's just repeating everything the little voices tell him.
Possibility #4: he's a BS artist.
I vote for #4, myself.
Well, now I'm really beginning to suspect that you're being intentionally contrarian.
That, or you're just plain stupid.
The Northern Alliance didn't move for nearly three weeks while U.S. bombing decimated supply lines, aircraft, airfields, armaments, fuel and ammo depots...basically the entire military infrastructure of the Taliban.
WE did the heavy lifting. The NA assaults were essentially mop up operations.
Just like in 79, when Carter started funding the Mujahedin, we are using others to do our dirty work.
Rooting out terrorists IS dirty work, Demigod, but, then, I'm sure you don't like to see your heroes reduced to simpering children.
No. We did the heavy bombing on a country that had no air force and no surface to air defense capabilities. Keep pretending to yourself that this is "heavy lifting."
All of the fighting and dying that is going on excepting the occasional helicopter crash and friendly fire incidents are by Afghani peoples.
Well, now here's ole schismatic Zviadist joining his butt-buddy Demigod in trashing America.
You guys ought to get a room. This wet-kissing between you two is embarrassing.
Are you troubled that the American body count in Afghanistan was not higher? That the numbers at the WTC were insufficient to sate you or something?
Well, now here's ole schismatic Zviadist joining his butt-buddy Demigod in trashing America.
At least I am not a pathetic troll, cruising the threads for cyber-fights like George Michael cruised the public restrooms of Malibu. Get a hobby. You're boring.
Of course he was.
Demigod, the apostate Zviadist, tex-omar and their lapdogs are seething that more Americans weren't killed.
I don't understand those who don't recognize these anti-American blatherskites for what they truly are.
They're not with us, Torie.
How are we suppose to fight a nation as strong as us when they don't exist? As for the last 50 years, you might want to consider the power behind North Korea and North Viet Nam...they weren't in it alone.
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