Panetta calls NKorea 'reckless,' criticizes China

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By ROBERT BURNS

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan (AP) - U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Monday lashed out at North Korea for "reckless and provocative" acts and criticized China for a secretive expansion of its military power.

Panetta, who arrived at this U.S. air base on the second leg of a weeklong Asia tour, spoke out about North Korea and China in an opinion piece published Monday by Japan's Yomiuri newspaper before his arrival.

He wrote that Washington and Tokyo share common challenges in the Asia-Pacific. "These include North Korea, which continues to engage in reckless and provocative behavior and is developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, which pose a threat not just to Japan but to the entire region," he wrote.

At a question-and-answer session with U.S. and Japanese troops at Yokota, Panetta said that despite coming budget cuts there will be no reduction in U.S. forces in Asia and the Pacific.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20111024/D9QIJEMO0.html

[jakeXT]

1. I thought we were provoking recently

US, Filipino marines hold combat drill near South China Sea shoal disputed by Beijing, Manila

SAN ANTONIO, Philippines — More than 200 U.S. and Filipino marines staged an amphibious assault on a beach in a combat drill Sunday near a South China Sea shoal disputed by China and the Philippines.

U.S. Marine Brig. Gen. Craig Timberlake said the exercise at a sprawling Philippine naval reserve in the coastal town of San Antonio in Zambales province would allow the military allies to operate jointly in a range of scenarios, including responding to disasters.

He refused to discuss whether or not the annual drill, which has been staged for 28 years, was now being held partly to address concerns by Asian countries like the Philippines over China’s growing naval power. China has expressed unhappiness in the past over such drills near disputed South China Sea regions.

The Oct. 17-28 military maneuvers involve about 2,000 Marines and 1,000 Filipino counterparts. Both sides have said the exercises were not aimed at China or any country as an imaginary target.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/us-filipino-marines-hold-combat-drill-near-south-china-sea-shoal-disputed-by-beijing-manila/2011/10/23/gIQAGhj48L_story.html

[lib2DaBone]

2. Not only have we shipped our jobs to China.. we have given them our technology.

They are FOOLS if they think they can win a war against China.

Remember it was CHINA fighting along with the North Vietnamese who defeated us. It was CHINA fighting along with North Korea in 1950. (to this day we still dont have a peace treaty in Korea.. just an "agreement")

[Muskypundit]

4. And they are fools if they think they can win a war against us.

It would get nuclear quick.

[classysassy]

7. There will be no winners in a nuclear war

just a few survivors.

[Imajika]

6. China would not win an actual shooting war against the US right now...

They are still way, way too far behind us when it comes to having a 1st world military. We outspend them about 6 to 1. China has a lot of cannon fodder, but a very small number of 1st world capable military forces.

Their military is still mostly designed for internal security, not force projection. The vast majority of their equipment is antiquated junk - based off the old Soviet model of having a lot of low technology hardware. What worked during the Korean war time period wouldn't today. Our military would simply pick them apart.

Could we invade and conquer them? No. But that isn't the kind of war that is likely. A war, for example, over Taiwan would still end badly for China.

[classysassy]

8. If your statement is true

why didn't we win the Korean war?

[Imajika]

9. It was a different time....

Mass numbers of soldiers and hardware could make a much bigger difference back then.

Not so much now. A small part of China's military is 1st world, but the vast majority is junk. They still use thousands upon thousands of T55 variant tanks for example. Those are complete trash on the battlefield now. If they threw those at us, our military would destroy them before they even got within range to fire at us. Our stuff, by and large, is just that much better.

[Hugabear]

3. Our continued presence in Japan and South Korea is a provocation

There's no legitimate reason to keep forces in Japan or South Korea except as a provocation to China and North Korea.

[DonCoquixote]

5. True

save for the fact NK keeps threatening to nuke SK and Japan.

[christx30]

11. If Kim Jong Il

were to start something, the initial attack would be devestating to South Korea, but the counterattack would be brutal as hell, and North Korea would be smacked down hard. I doubt an actual war would last long. Their soldiers are better fed than the rest of the population, but they are still half starved.

[No Elephants]

10. LOL!

Sorry, but, sometimes things are so ridiculous that "LOL" really is the only sane response.