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It's On: Obama Sends Destroyer To Chinese Islands, China Vows Military Response
Update: According to reports in on Monday evening, the USS Lassen has indeed sailed within 12 nautical miles of China's islands in the Spratlys.
As WSJ notes, "an American defense official confirmed Monday that the U.S. Navy ship navigated through the waters around at least one of the land masses to which China lays claim within the Spratly chain of islands in the South China Sea, crossing an area that China maintains is part of its sovereign territory."
WSJ also reiterates that this isn't likely to be a one-off event. As noted below, most "experts" believe that in order for this to be effective from a deterrence standpoint, the US will need to step up the patrols, presumably in an effort to prove to Beijing that the Pentagon is "serious", whatever that means in this context.
The ball is now squarely in China's court. The PLA has already promised to "stand up and use force" in the event its territorial sovereignty is violated. The question now is whether Beijing will back down and concede that "sovereignty" somehow means something different with regard to the islands than it does with respect to the mainland or whether Xi will stick to his guns (no pun intended) and take a pot shot at a US destroyer.
Earlier:
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 isn’t unique, the scope of it most certainly is and Washington’s friends in the South Pacific are crying foul.
Beijing has continually insisted that it doesn’t 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 we’ve pointed out several times this month, amounts to sailing by the islands just to see if China will shoot.
Now, according to CNN, Obama has given the green light and the ships may sail within 24 hours:
Just in: @USNavy prepared to sail w/i 12mi of China's manmade islands in #SouthChinaSea "w/i 24hrs", has POTUS approval -Def. Official
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) October 26, 2015
And more from FT:
The US navy is poised to start freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea in a high-stakes effort to push back against Chinese territorial claims over artificial islands in the disputed waters.
In a move that will enrage Beijing, the USS Lassen, a guided-missile destroyer, will sail inside the 12-nautical mile zones of two man-made islands — Subi and Mischief reefs — that China has built in the contested Spratly Island chain. A senior US defence official said it would sail through the area in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
China has repeatedly warned that it would not tolerate any effort to violate what it considers its territory. Earlier this month, a senior Chinese naval officer said the People’s Liberation Army would hand a “head-on blow” to any foreign forces that violated Chinese sovereignty. His comments came after the Financial Times reported that the US was poised to launch its operations.
The manoeuvre will mark the first time since 2012 that the US navy has sailed through the 12-nautical mile zone surrounding any islands claimed by China. It is aimed at demonstrating that Washington does not recognise any territorial claims over artificial islands in the South China Sea.
It's also worth noting that should the US manage to get away with this without sparking a shooting war with the Chinese, it now looks as though Washington is leaning toward making this a regular patrol. Here's a bit of color from Reuters out over the weekend:
A range of security experts said Washington's so-called freedom of navigation patrols would have to be regular to be effective, given Chinese ambitions to project power deep into maritime Southeast Asia and beyond.
"This cannot be a one-off," said Ian Storey, a South China Sea expert at Singapore's Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.
"The U.S. navy will have to conduct these kinds of patrols on a regular basis to reinforce their message."
But China would likely resist attempts to make such U.S. actions routine, some said, raising the political and military stakes. China's navy could for example try to block or attempt to surround U.S. vessels, they said, risking an escalation.
(USS Lassen)
Here are the latest visuals from Subi and Mischief (the two islands mentioned above):
Not to put too fine a point on it, but this borders on the insane. Here we have both Washington and Beijing risking an outright military confrontation over what amount to a couple of sandcastles and while there's probably some truth to the contention that China has plans for the islands that go beyond growing plants, building lighthouses, and raising pigs, it's not as though the PLA is going to invade The Philippines so at the end of the day, this looks like another example of what Vladimir Putin recently suggested is evidence that the world is losing its collective mind.
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If you like your islands, you can keep them. Ha
I wonder if the results of this measuring contest have already been worked out behind closed doors, perhaps to make the leaders on both sides appear strong? We already know there have been behind the scenes negotiations with Russia to keep our pilots from engaging each other, so why not this as well? Why send a lone vessel? If you are really serious, and you want to try and intimidate someone, then send an entire task force with the ability to project overwhelming force. This all just seems a little too contrived. Color me skeptical for now because if anything were to happen to the Lassen, it would open the door for massive criticism against the Obama administration for carrying out a careless and poorly conceived operation. I don't think even Obama would risk that outcome.
War mongering village idiot...
Ummm ... so he sends 1 destroyer against an entire navy in their territory.
What does this mean exactly. Is he sacrificing a destroyer to start a war? If so, hopefully China will not take the bait.
That's their MO for starting wars, false flags, provocation etc.
Always the victim fighting back lol
I'm sure there's more power out there than one destroyer. They've had enough time to prepare.
This is crazy.
China won't do anything since I am sure it's all talk as that is basically all that happens in the glorified professional wrestling world of today. If anything, the U.S. is planning a false flag Gulf of Tonkin attack/incident but that is probably unlikely as well.
When Xi was in Washington, a compromise was struck which allowed Obama to 'save face' by sending one ship beyond the 12 mile limit and around one island.
Obama's quid pro quo would be to drop his insistence for future freedom of navigation around the man made islands. Hopefully, that will be the end of it.
We'll have to wait and see if that's what really happened:
If the experts are right, there definitely will be a confrontation between the US and China, sooner rather than later.
I think the experts are wrong and that the Negro is very happy that ONE guided-missile warship, the USS Lassen, navigated around at least ONE of China's man-made islands
It reminds me of Captain Queeg in "The Caine Mutiny"
But I digress
So sowwy. No visa for Chinese real-estate speculators in U.S.
Why is this the business of the US?
E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G is the business of the USSA ZIO-SCUMMM* -
Besides, the Dumb Goy will be too busy slaughtering each other to care about IsIsrael's Final Solution in Gaza
(SCUMMM* - Satanic Cabal Underwriting Mass-Murder & Mayhem)
Is this the cue for Mossad to sink the Destroyer for the false flag starting WWIII??
My guess is, they'll have Zohan loaded up on the jetski by dawn.
The purpose is to destroy America, Americans and the dollar, any way possible, while spending lives and treasure for the Military Industrial Complex, banksters and the depopulation faction. You, all, keep arguing about whether democrats or republicans are better or worse. Keep reelecting them.
There must be a simmering neurological disease making people stupid, lazy and ineffectual. Or maybe it's fluoride.
Bullshit.
The Chinese will not do anything until they get their money back from their U.S. Treasuries.
Then...watch the investment (from American taxpayers) unfold.
ZH - you seem to be implying that the US ship has ALREADY passed the "islands". If that's true, apparently the Chinese didnt even know about the ship's location in real time. Hardly surprising, the Spratly's are a widely dispersed set of rocks in the sea. Unless the Chinese commit a large number of vessels, they can't even possibly enforce their so-called limit.
The point is this ... if the US ship has already been and gone, then it's too late for China to do anything.
The public has no idea what's really going on out there, and apparently a lot of Chinese radars have no idea either.
How wrong could you be?
The chinese saying: revenge is better served if it takes a long view.....
From now on, Obama and his administration will get the infamous ice treatment...no contact for any high level official....minimum contact on the staff level....any USA proposal will be blocked, frozen, and suspended.....USA won't be able to do anything in the UN....in anywhere where China is a part.....
There will be nothing left......icy cold treatment...........meanwhile, expect blowback to the US companies doing business in China.....sell Apple, GM, blah......now....
pretty certain the Chinese have developed surface radar and knew exactly where the Lassen was, not to mention the fact that a couple of Kilo class subs were most likely in tow.
Reminds me of that deep sea fish with the glowing lure dangling from its nose.. How many subs do you think are attached to that bathtub level boat?
US t bills for sale.. half price
Chicken shit Obummer ain't doing shit. Its probably another multi million dollar Obummer family vacation cruise,
If you intend to defeat the United States and all its military budget, you are going to need some Stanley knives made in China.
On 15 February 2009 at 12:25 pm, Lassen collided with a Japanese 14-ton pleasure boat in Yokosuka harbor. Four people fishing on the pleasure boat, which was at anchor, were reportedly uninjured
Hopefully,, they have a new Captain by now.
Can a destroyer do a barrel-roll?
at least gigglesworth didn't send the USS Ronald Reagan to test china's new kinectic boat destroyer weapon
The USS Lassen has now sailed within the 12-mile limit and the Chia Knees did nothing....
They/ve got BB's instead of balls....
Maybe they'll hack the Pantygon toilets and prevent them from flushing in retaliation....
I've been researching for legal precedent. It's not an easy task since the United Nations' Convention on the Law of the Sea wasn't ever ratified by the United States. This was much the same situtation with the MOU to aid and protect Ukraine. The requests for US muscle by the convention's signatories came about two years ago. I get it that McCain is a busy man, but I think that this opportunity to intervene has passed. i.e. that ship has sailed.
As for diplomatic precedent, there is no close parallel.
All I could come up with is this:
The first whore to get picked up while trolling the streets is a very attractive whore. The whore that doesn't get picked up at all, is just a dirty whore. The US should learn from this. The US needs to go home, take a shower and put on something much more attractive -- perhaps a freshly-painted aircraft carrier that still has that new-carrier smell. Get out there on the streets and try walking it by again! Definitely let the Chinese know that they are welcome to use their UnionPay credit cards at the ship's commisary if they decide to board.
We need some fireworks for New Year's eve in 65 days. Plenty of time to set up the live transmission.
U.S.S. Lassen = Obama's Falseflag to call attention from the debt ceiling bullshit.
I feel sorry for the crew and their families.
Amen.
There are 2 stories side by side in BBC breaking news right now. One is about the US sailing this destroyer near the islands. The other story is about the NSA warning about future cyberattacks. I believe these two stories are related.
All this chest thumping is going start a war if we don't cool it.
It sailed at expense of US tax payers.
"It sailed at expense of US tax payers. "
Unfortunately, even the body bags will be at the expense of US tax payers when the shootin starts.
Lets show our support and encourage the elite in Washington to be on the next cruise. Mebbe the Chicoms might take a pot shot and save the US.
What if China decided to stop selling Made in China to the U.S.? How long until the U.S. runs out of imported products from China? What impact would that have on the U.S. supply chain? What impact would that have on the U.S. consumer?
My hope.is that it will force us to dust off our lathes, mills and drill presses and rebuild our manufacturing base here at home.
much to do about nothing
yet
huffing and puffing
don't get all worked up
yet
Obama has no idea what's gonna hit him....in short, NO SOUP for you from now....
No one with any notable title in China will answer Obama's call from now on...ask Tony Blair, he went through it....ice treatment is on...no cooperation from China side to any USA proposal....all cooperation frozen solid from now till the day Obama bowed out White House...
Meamwhile, time to sell apple, GM, any US tech companies.....soon, chinese won't buy anything from US companies for suffering the humililation.....
Obama has no idea how much it will cost him and the USA.....
So, the excitement on the zerohedge....It's ON>>>>>>>>>>>more like USA sneaked around and claimed she did it...guilty as charged....but really no one knows if it was true.......pathetic...if you are gonna challenge, then set time and place to openly do it.....a real dual.....not a.......pathetic.....
Chuck Fina
Is that itty bitty ship flying a false flag?
I hope they are not pushing China into a Pearl Harbor. Something like 88% of Americans opposed WWII until Pearl Harbor. These idiots have been pushing both China and Russia the same way they pushed Japan in order to enter the conflict as Hitler could not be bated being that he was aware that US involvement would put him at a major disadvantage. Prior to WWII the US oligarchs continuously provoked Japan through their vassal intelligence, business and military apparatus in an attempt to find a justification to enter the war and just neglected to run any of this reality in the MSM, sounds familiar. Hawaii was shocked but the puppet FDR..... not so much.
Exactly. Sadly you are in a small minority of Americans who know this.
CabalA$$LickerLiarObamma : 'What , dey are building islands of sand, dat iz a grass violashun of yumman rites, bomb dem (& loot deir gold)'
Satan America (probably) bombed China ( thats the genetic footprint) , waited for regime change , nothin happened , now in mad rage, it does what it does always , invade , attack, wage war .
Hah ha fighting China is like banging your head against a great stone wall (without helmet)
Btw the wall is so big, it is seen from space
We are basically dependent on the organ harvesters and the former communists to prevent WWIII at this point. We live in a seriously warped world when those are your good guys.
China halts TV export to USA... football collapes
China cuts off Walmart... US goes naked.
Because doubling down on WWIII is the right thing to do...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-weighs-movi...
There a guy on here who keeps posting a link about Obama not finishing his second term. Im starting to believe him.
That would be the "change" one could "hope" for.
Obama will order the navy to speed by the little "islands";
The Chinese will not shoot because they will not see the ship.
Game over.
No one loses "face."
The flag wavers for warmongering Mafia USA will the standing there shaking their fists at the sky with mushroom clouds around saying it isnt fair.
Fucking warmongers. ALL of them. Selling us weapons with fear. Every now and then they make us use them.
There's always this possibility, my goofball pals:
Who's to say that the engine room on the Lassen, when that guided-missile destroyer was exactly 12.6 nautical miles from China's islands in the Spratly, got this order from its captain....
"Aye, aye," said the first mate, " right full rudder, reverse starboard engine"
And the USS Lassen made its turn and, in doing so, just skimmed outside the buoy which marked the 12 mile territorial limit of China.
'Mates," said the captain, "not a living human being saw when we turned, so not a word to the MSM about not entering the 12 mile limit."
"Aye aye, captain" said the crew.
And so to this day we never learned whether or not the USS Lassen broke through the 12 mile limit at the Spratlys.
"
What do they expect China to do? Dismantle the islands? Blow them up? It's a bit fucking late to start showboating now.
This move shows Western weakness.
You either dismantle these man made islands or you don't.
If Ziohollywood has taught us anything it is that this will all end with a dance off or unicorns puking rainbows and shitting skittles, you mark my words.
China of today reminds of Japan in the 1930's.
If the US escalated trouble with China in their backyard then say goodbye to NATO and US allies in Europe, likewise look for nuclear armed subs within missile range of the USA and its fleets. Nobody would then fault China or its response to US provocations.
Aircraft cariers and battle fleets are pointless useless except for fighting WW2 and small nations. The dont posses enough counter measures to stop their destruction in short time if that is wanted by a foe. A single battlefield tactical nuke exploding in the vicinity of a fleet would rendered it useless.
When you are fighting a big war a real war then its nukes of all types and sizes and last man standing.
Escalated what? 12 nautical miles. Just following the letter of the law.
Don't like it? Too fucking bad.
McCain probably gave a lick and a promise two years ago to the Filipinos and Japanese.
This sail-by surely ought to have covered that promise. If the Filipinos and Japanese are wise they won't ask McCain for any more "help".
McCain is like a crappy lawyer representing you in a ticket that you got for causing an accident by following too closely. After McCain gets involved your ticket still hasn't been dismissed plus you are also facing 3-5 years for sodomy.
Agree. A single EMP weapon renders all the advanved electronics aboard US ships and their planes, .... utterly useless. They would be floating around like driftwood or like sitting ducks afterwards.
Only the irradiated will be left standing and not for long. However some maniacs think they can survive in underground caves. But the only ones who have those are super wealthy that can't change a spark plug. Machines break and someone has to fix them...or not.
Can't we just HAARP the islands with some big waves? Blame it on global cooling... global warmin... climate change. Then we could all get back to our early Christmas shopping and mojito mix.
imo China has been at war with us for a long time a la Sun Tzu
All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.
– Sun Tzu, the Art of War
Everybody quotes Sun Tzu as a genius. To me his analysis and advice always state the blindingly obvious.
but he said it in Chinese and that makes Westerners swoon
Meanwhile, in The South China Sea, Beijing has built 3,000 acres of new sovereign territory
So why do the Chinese have to build their own Okinawa ?
It is as always a good day to die. Bring on the nukes...
Yes! for me, with cancer in my system and at age 75, it could be a "Good day to die". However, for the majority of the people in this country, no day is "a good day to die". What kind of psycopath are you?
1 fly over with a certain type of Russian plane and all sailors will mutiny to get a.s.a.p. off that "destroyer" ...
That has to be a possibility next time.
Or perhaps China will blockade the islands or even mine the approaches and provide prior warning to the US Navy.
Well,
If we all decide that man-made structures extend territorial waters, there's no reason why that rule should apply only to China.
I'm pretty sure we have enough retired oil platforms to cover all the Pacific Sea lanes with a 24 mile separation. Think of all the fees the container ships will pay!
BP alone could similarly close the North Sea & Baltic.
Or we could agree that the idea that building extensions to territorial waters is ridiculous.
You know. RIDICULOUS like the idea that authoritarians will deal fairly with anyone.
Under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, 12-nautical mile limits cannot be set around man-made islands built on previously submerged reefs.
Ever more dramatic headlines and content... the tabloid suit does not fit you ZH.
If the Russians have shared their stuff with the Chinese, we can all look forward to watching this boat limp home, too. Without a "shot" fired.