Posted on 01/01/2003 4:21:50 PM PST by FreeSpeechZone
US: Boeing, Hughes Helped China Illegally
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The State Department said on Wednesday it had charged Hughes Electronics Corp. and Boeing Co.'s Satellite Systems unit with illegally sharing sensitive space technology with China in the 1990s that may have helped Beijing fine-tune its missiles.
The companies, which have long denied any wrongdoing in the case, were formally charged on Thursday with 123 violations of the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, said Lou Fintor, a department spokesman.
He said he did not know whether the 123 violations applied to each of the companies or represented a combined total.
Boeing and Hughes faced fines of up to $500,000 per charge and possible bars to getting U.S. export licenses if found guilty of the charges by a federal administrative judge and later, by a top State Department official, Fintor said.
Spokesmen for the companies did not return phone calls about the case, which began with a series of failed space launches in China starting in January 1995.
But the Washington Post, the first to report on the charges, quoted Robert Marsocci, a Hughes Electronics spokesman, as saying: "We're in negotiations with the State Department, and we'll be reviewing our options."
The State Department laid out its allegations in a Dec. 26 "charging letter" that was filed without public notice in the department's public reading room. The reading room was closed on New Year's Day.
Hughes officials are alleged to have given China detailed information about rocketry to help them figure out why their rockets were failing soon after launch.
Loral Space & Communications Ltd. announced last January that it agreed to pay $14 million in fines to settle charges that it had provided sensitive data to China after a Chinese rocket carrying a Loral satellite blew up in 1996.
Loral neither admitted nor denied wrongdoing but agreed to pay $14 million in civil fines and spend $6 million over seven years to improve its compliance procedures.
"The department has had several rounds of discussion with Hughes and Boeing to explore a resolution similar to the one with Loral," Fintor said.
"We can note, however, that unlike Loral, Hughes and Boeing have both failed to recognize the seriousness of the violations and have been unprepared to take steps to resolve the matter, and to ensure no recurrence of violations in the future," he said.
Boeing is the top U.S. exporter and the third-biggest U.S. defense contractor after Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp.
In 2000, Boeing bought Hughes Electronics' satellite operations, the outfit alleged to have committed the arms-export violations with China. Hughes Electronics, the old parent corporation, now describes itself as the world's leading provider of digital television entertainment.
| The United States House of Representatives Select Committee on U.S. National Security and Military / Commercial Concerns witht the People's Republic of China IRREPARABLE HARM <<< Don't miss this..!! The Impact of Foreign Influences on the Clinton Administration, National Security, And National / International PolicyA Critical Review of the Evidence as Compiled By FreeRepublic.com ; Title Page The China Connection Makes a perfect print out. |
Creators Syndicate Thursday, December 19, 2002
WASHINGTON (Creators Syndicate) -- Early in December, two senior Defense Department officials met to wrap an early Christmas present for U.S. taxpayers.
There was no announcement, no publicity and, on the contrary, a reluctance to reveal what had happened. They had killed a generous helping of corporate pork for the hard-pressed Boeing Co.
Pentagon Comptroller Dov Zakheim and Assistant Defense Secretary (Acquisitions) Pete Aldridge, meeting as the department's "leasing panel," vetoed a sweetheart deal under which the Air Force would temporarily lease Boeing airliners at a cost of at least $20 billion to taxpayers. Actually, they postponed further consideration until March, but the handwriting is on the wall. "It was decided that no deal was to be made," a Pentagon official told me. The deal is dead.
The Bush administration has been loath to broadcast this good news for ordinary Americans because it is such bad news for the power elite: a bipartisan bloc of pro-Boeing members of Congress including House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, the Air Force secretariat, and K Street lobbyists. This marks a rare defeat for the military-industrial complex thanks to President Bush's policies, persistence by Budget Director Mitchell Daniels and alarms sounded for more than a year by pork-fighting Sen. John McCain.
What's more, the Boeing boondoggle was derailed a few days after a $1.8 billion loan guarantee for financially reeling United Airlines was rejected by the Air Transportation Stabilization Board, which was following White House guidelines. The Boeing and United denials were politically uncomfortable for Bush because both companies are now headquartered in Illinois, the home of so important an ally of the president as Hastert. Politics aside, Bush opposes in deed as well as name an "industrial policy" to rescue distressed corporations.
These two companies signed up operatives who usually overcome mere presidents. United Airlines in August hired as lobbyists former Rep. Bud Shuster, who long reigned as the king of pork heading the House Transportation Committee, and Dan Mattoon, a former aide to Hastert and now a partner in a powerhouse lobbying firm. Boeing is currently represented by 16 blue-ribbon Washington lobbyists.
Boeing appeared to have succeeded last year. In the dead of the night, congressional appropriators approved, without hearings and unrequested by the Pentagon, a deal dressed up as a wartime measure. With the market collapsed for Boeing's 767 airliners, the Air Force would lease 100 of them and then return them to the manufacturer 10 years later. The cost of conversion to military tanker and reconversion to airliner would be borne by the taxpayer. This deal, McCain told an inattentive Senate more than a year ago, is "the envy of corporate lobbyists from one end of K Street to the other."
The arrangement was concocted by Boeing, its lobbyists and its friends in Congress. The Air Force, viewing the extra tankers as found money, eagerly signed up. "I strongly endorse beginning to upgrade this critical war-fighting capability," wrote Air Force Secretary James Roche, a career naval officer who later worked for Northrop Grumman. That's the way the military-industrial complex works.
John McCain did not give up. During the past summer, he bombarded the administration with unavailing requests for information about the leasing deal. In letters to Mitch Daniels and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, McCain concluded with an identical plea: "The American taxpayers are counting on you."
The trust was not misplaced. After I heard the Boeing deal had been killed, I spent days trying to confirm it. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) wanted any confirmation to come out of the Defense Department, and official channels at the Pentagon were mute. McCain's office was similarly rebuffed when it sought information. Not until I had learned by unofficial means of the "leasing panel's" action did an Air Force spokesman deceptively say there would be "no final decision" until March.
The Pentagon was not inclined to confirm that the secretary of the Air Force had been overruled, and the OMB did not want to pick a fight with the speaker of the House. Nevertheless, such good news should not be suppressed. No administration has ever really assaulted corporate welfare, and denying bailouts to Boeing and United marks a good start for George W. Bush.
The chicks come home to roost and YOU called me crazy. YOU said I was stupid. Where is Global now? What has happened to AOL Time Warner? What has Loral done for us lately? And furthermore, it is the F-18 Hornets that will be used in any war in the Middle East. Hard drives full of classified info were stolen from Lockheed less than six months ago in Tampa. Who do you trust, sink?
The recent fifth round of consultation on defense affairs between China and the United States in Washington is believed to be an important step towards the normalization of Sino-US military ties.
The recent fifth round of consultation on defense affairs between China and the United States in Washington is believed to be an important step towards the normalization of Sino-US military ties.
Sino-US military relationship is an important component of bilateral ties. Observes say the two sides have come to realize that the normalization of military ties is conducive to the stable and healthy development of state-to-state relations. In this regard, leaders of the two countries have made efforts for its improvement.
The improvement of relations between the two countries has in turn created a favorable atmosphere for the resumption and improvement of military ties.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin and US President George W. Bush met three times in one year, reaching some important consensus on the resumption and development of Sino-US military exchanges.
The two sides have made efforts to carry out the consensus reached by the two heads of state.
The USS Paul F Foster, a destroyer of the US Navy, began on Nov.24 a five-day visit to Qingdao, a seaport city in east China. It marked the 10th visit to China by a US warship since 1986.
The Capstone Delegation of the People's Liberation Army National Defense University left for the United States on Nov. 29.
On Dec. 6, the second meeting of China-US Military Maritime-Air Safety working group was held in Qingdao, within the framework of the Military Maritime Consultation Agreement.
The annual consultations between the defense departments of the two countries are held since Chinese President Jiang Zemin's visit to the United States in October 1997. Consultations have been held in Washington and Beijing respectively.
China has always held a positive attitude towards the development of China-US military ties, said Xiong Guangkai, deputy chief of general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), adding that China will continue to conduct military exchanges with the US.
China is ready to work together with the United States to remove all the disturbances and obstacles that stand in the way of the development of military relations and to contribute to the constructive relationship of cooperation between the two countries, Xiong said.
Douglas Feith, US undersecretary of defense for policy, said the armed forces of the United States support President Bush's decision to develop a constructive and cooperative bilateral relationship with China and resume military exchanges. He said the United States hopes the exchanges can provide opportunities for mutual understanding.
The US side is willing to keep the defense consultations with China as an important channel for expanding consensus and narrowing differences, in an effort to promote the development of bilateral military ties, he said.
Several days after Xiong Guangkai and Douglas Feith held the fifth round of Sino-China defense consultation, Thomas Fargo, commander-in-chief of the Pacific Command of the United States Armed Forces, came to China on Dec. 12. During his stay in Beijing,he met with Liang Guanglie, chief of the general staff of the Chinese PLA, Xiong Guangkai and Vice Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing.
Fargo also visited the cities of Chengdu, Nanjing, Shanghai and Ningbo and the units of the PLA's air force, army reserve and navy.
Observers say Sino-US relations have become one of the most important bilateral relations in the world, due to China's opening-up and changes in the international arena. Sino-US military exchanges benefit both sides and the start of the new year sees military ties getting warmer with the concerted efforts of the two sides.
PART I--CRIMES
CHAPTER 115--TREASON, SEDITION, AND SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES
The eight years of Clinton is the gift that just keeps on giving....
And might enacting the DEATH PENALTY for TREASON, SEDITION, AND SUBVERSION ACTIVITIES originating from the industrial complex/research/military sieve help send a message?
There apparently is better exit security at a Wal-Mart then at any U.S. 'Top Secret' lab.
Amen.
We are in BIG trouble when the U.S. Department of State so eagerly accepts a payoff in response to blatant treason.
Loral Space & Communications Ltd. announced last January that it agreed to pay $14 million in fines to settle charges that it had provided sensitive data to China after a Chinese rocket carrying a Loral satellite blew up in 1996.
Loral neither admitted nor denied wrongdoing but agreed to pay $14 million in civil fines and spend $6 million over seven years to improve its compliance procedures.
"The department has had several rounds of discussion with Hughes and Boeing to explore a resolution similar to the one with Loral," Fintor said.
I guess the 1st places to look would be DNC, klinton/gore '96; and gore/lieb '00?
You ARE crazy.
I have no earthly idea what you're talking about. Maybe you could put your alcohol-addled rant into some context.
You're stupid and crazy for expecting me (or anybody else) to remember some obscure post from TWO YEARS AGO!
And I STILL don't know what you're talking about!
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