[extropy-chat] CHINA: Threat proponents not chicken littles...

Fri Jun 10 17:13:50 UTC 2005

It is easy enough to find if you wish.  I will not spoon feed you.
On Jun 10, 2005, at 8:30 AM, Mike Lorrey wrote:

> "we helped them"? Could you provide details. Last I checked they
> weren't flying F-16s....
>
> --- Samantha Atkins <sjatkins at mac.com> wrote:
>
>
>> IIRC we helped them build more than a little of that military
>> capacity so I seriously doubt these claims of surprise.  IMHO, the
>> only "surprise" is that they may be a bit harder to keep under our
>> thumb than anticipated.
>>
>> - s
>>
>> On Jun 9, 2005, at 9:07 AM, Mike Lorrey wrote:
>>
>>
>>> http://www.washtimes.com/national/20050609-120336-4092r.htm
>>>
>>> Analysts missed Chinese buildup
>>>
>>>
>>> By Bill Gertz
>>> THE WASHINGTON TIMES
>>>
>>>
>>> A highly classified intelligence report produced for the new
>>>
>> director
>>
>>> of national intelligence concludes that U.S. spy agencies failed to
>>> recognize several key military developments in China in the past
>>> decade, The Washington Times has learned.
>>>     The report was created by several current and former
>>>
>> intelligence
>>
>>> officials and concludes that U.S. agencies missed more than a dozen
>>> Chinese military developments, according to officials familiar with
>>>
>>
>>
>>> the
>>> report.
>>>     The report blames excessive secrecy on China's part for the
>>> failures, but critics say intelligence specialists are to blame for
>>> playing down or dismissing evidence of growing Chinese military
>>> capabilities.
>>>     The report comes as the Bush administration appears to have
>>>
>> become
>>
>>> more critical of China's military buildup.
>>>     Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said in Singapore over the
>>> weekend that China has hidden its defense spending and is expanding
>>>
>>
>>
>>> its
>>> missile forces despite facing no threats. Secretary of State
>>> Condoleezza Rice also expressed worries this week about China's
>>> expanding military capabilities.
>>>     Among the failures highlighted in the study are:
>>>     •China's development of a new long-range cruise missile.
>>>     •The deployment of a new warship equipped with a stolen Chinese
>>> version of the U.S. Aegis battle management technology.
>>>     •Deployment of a new attack submarine known as the Yuan class
>>>
>> that
>>
>>> was missed by U.S. intelligence until photos of the submarine
>>>
>> appeared
>>
>>> on the Internet.
>>>     •Development of precision-guided munitions, including new
>>> air-to-ground missiles and new, more accurate warheads.
>>>     •China's development of surface-to-surface missiles for
>>>
>> targeting
>>
>>> U.S. aircraft carrier battle groups.
>>>     •The importation of advanced weaponry, including Russian
>>> submarines, warships and fighter-bombers.
>>>     According to officials familiar with the intelligence report,
>>>
>> the
>>
>>> word "surprise" is used more than a dozen times to describe U.S.
>>> failures to anticipate or discover Chinese arms development.
>>>     Many of the missed military developments will be contained in
>>>
>> the
>>
>>> Pentagon's annual report to Congress on the Chinese military, which
>>>
>>
>>
>>> was
>>> due out March 1 but delayed by interagency disputes over its
>>>
>> contents.
>>
>>>     Critics of the study say the report unfairly blames
>>>
>> intelligence
>>
>>> collectors for not gathering solid information on the Chinese
>>>
>> military
>>
>>> and for failing to plant agents in the communist government.
>>>     Instead, these officials said, the report looks like a bid to
>>> exonerate analysts within the close-knit fraternity of government
>>> China
>>> specialists, who for the past 10 years dismissed or played down
>>> intelligence showing that Beijing was engaged in a major military
>>> buildup.
>>>     "This report conceals the efforts of dissenting analysts [in
>>>
>> the
>>
>>> intelligence community] who argued that China was a threat," one
>>> official said, adding that covering up the failure of intelligence
>>> analysts on China would prevent a major reorganization of the
>>>
>> system.
>>
>>>     A former U.S. official said the report should help expose a
>>> "self-selected group" of specialists who fooled the U.S. government
>>>
>> on
>>
>>> China for 10 years.
>>>     "This group's desire to have good relations with China has
>>> prevented them from highlighting how little they know and
>>>
>> suppressing
>>
>>> occasional evidence that China views the United States as its main
>>> enemy."
>>>     The report has been sent to Thomas Fingar, a longtime
>>>
>> intelligence
>>
>>> analyst on China who was recently appointed by John D. Negroponte,
>>>
>> the
>>
>>> new director of national intelligence, as his office's top
>>> intelligence
>>> analyst.
>>>     Mr. Negroponte has ordered a series of top-to-bottom reviews of
>>> U.S. intelligence capabilities in the aftermath of the critical
>>>
>> report
>>
>>> by the presidential commission headed by Judge Laurence Silberman
>>>
>> and
>>
>>> former Sen. Charles Robb, Virginia Democrat.
>>>     According to the officials, the study was produced by a team of
>>> analysts for the intelligence contractor Centra Technologies.
>>>     Spokesmen for the CIA and Mr. Negroponte declined to comment.
>>>     Its main author is Robert Suettinger, a National Security
>>>
>> Council
>>
>>> staff member for China during the Clinton administration and the
>>>
>> U.S.
>>
>>> intelligence community's top China analyst until 1998. Mr.
>>>
>> Suettinger
>>
>>> is traveling outside the country and could not be reached for
>>>
>> comment,
>>
>>> a spokesman said.
>>>     John Culver, a longtime CIA analyst on Asia, was the co-author.
>>>     Among those who took part in the study were former Defense
>>> Intelligence Agency analyst Lonnie Henley, who critics say was
>>>
>> among
>>
>>> those who in the past had dismissed concerns about China's military
>>>
>> in
>>
>>> the past 10 years.
>>>     Also participating in the study was John F. Corbett, a former
>>>
>> Army
>>
>>> intelligence analyst and attache who was a China policy-maker at
>>>
>> the
>>
>>> Pentagon during the Clinton administration.
>>>
>>>
>>> Mike Lorrey
>>> Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
>>> "Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
>>> It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
>>>                                       -William Pitt (1759-1806)
>>> Blog: http://intlib.blogspot.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>
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>
>
> Mike Lorrey
> Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
> "Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
> It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
>                                       -William Pitt (1759-1806)
> Blog: http://intlib.blogspot.com
>
>
>
> __________________________________
> Discover Yahoo!
> Find restaurants, movies, travel and more fun for the weekend.  
> Check it out!
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