Posted on 05/26/2011 4:57:11 AM PDT by Pan_Yan
(AP) BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese general's call for land attacks on Somali pirate strongholds is being seen by analysts as another sign of the armed forces' growing assertiveness, even if the proposal is unlikely to result in action.
Speaking at a news conference Wednesday in Washington, Gen. Chen Bingde said he believes land bases must be assaulted in order to eradicate piracy.
"I think that for our counter-piracy campaigns to be effective, we should probably move beyond the ocean and crush their bases on the land," Chen said, adding that those funding and organizing piracy must be targeted along with rank-and-file brigands.
Chen's call was interpreted among analysts more as a statement of desire than intent, with the People's Liberation Army ill-equipped to carry out such missions and little appetite among other nations for dispatching troops to the African mainland.
His remarks, however, fit a pattern of greater outspokenness among PLA leaders that sometimes diverges from the official government line, especially in areas outside China's core interests of Taiwan, Tibet and its South China Sea territorial claims.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Let the ChiComs do it! It will take some of the heat off us!
Might be a good idea as it could be used as an instant riposte against the Chinese when they get on one of their canned anti-colonialist rants.
The bad side would be that they’d get some serious hands on training.
China’s right about this one (and would be filling a vacuum left by the absence of US or Western action).
“Wars of conquest in places no one really cares about would seem to be one answer.”
Yes indeed. Military beachheads under the guise of a policing action are the perfect cover for establishing the initial occupation force for the Chicom conquest of the African continent.
And the press will swoon over how safe the seas have become in the area.
Perhaps this will be their charter carrier strike force’s first mission?
I have seen this claim several times, but no documentation.
Do you have a reference?
“However, if China is serious I say go for it.”
They’ll never leave once they arrive.
Ya....this is about 5 years late.
In all fairness, Bush SHOULD have implemented this!
Last line of the article:
“People don’t even want to have to deal with pirates captured at sea,”
The Russians beg to differ.
The ChiCom apparently still have some cahonies that the West has lost somewhere along the way. Africa appears to be a resource rich power vacuum available for the picking. Does history repeat itself? Youbetitdoes.
“Why call for it? Just do it.”
First thing that comes to mind is perhaps the Chinese don’t want the inevitable analysis of their military strategies, nor their capabilities at this point in the massive buildup of their military.
Me thinks they are trying to bluff others to show their hands. They will probably offer some “support”, something to get what they want, but keep their own cards face down.
Beat me to the punch... (ie: I second your sentiment)
The Chicom leader ship couldn’t give a rats ass about their troops suffering.
A United Nations report in 2006 said that, in the absence of the country's at one time serviceable coastguard, Somali waters have become the site of an international "free for all," with fishing fleets from around the world illegally plundering Somali stocks and freezing out the country's own rudimentarily-equipped fishermen. According to another U.N. report, an estimated $300 million worth of seafood is stolen from the country's coastline each year. "In any context," says Gustavo Carvalho, a London-based researcher with Global Witness, an environmental NGO, "that is a staggering sum."
It’s not like they need much in the way of conventional military amphibious shipping to take on the Somalis. Load up some container ships and some lighter stuff and go.
This is probably the first time I agree with a political decision made by China.
Pay the next ransom in cash laced with a deadly biological agent that has a 5-7 day incubation period. That will sicken not only the pirates who share in the loot, but their families and those who sell to them. Whole pirate villages will cease to exist in a matter of weeks.
Repeat as necessary.
This also points to Somalia’s basic problem. It has not had an organized and recognized government since the ouster of President Barre in 1991. At that time and before it was a under the Soviet Sphere of influence. With the end of the Soviets and the Cold war, there was no one to prop them up and so they have fallen into this lawless land. The Pirates are only a symptom of all of these warring tribal factions trying to gain control of the country and none of them able to fend off any outside interference from other countries such as this fishing problem.
Methinks you guys over estimate the reach and power of the Chinese military and underestimate what would happen if an occupying force came into Somalia. All of the tribes would band together for common cause and work to oust the invader IMO. It would be a long and bloody affair with most of the world lining up to denounce China. Now, if they just went in, wiped out the pirates and left, that would be achievable. However, the pirate problem would only be gone for maybe a couple of years. It would then come back. Power abhors a vacuum and some leader of some tribe would step in to be the next Captain Kidd. Piracy is merey a symptom of the problem in Somalia. The problem is there is no organized and recognized government. The current one is useless and powerless...
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