Inside the Ring [Refers to the "E" Ring or the most prestigious set of offices in the Pentagon]

The Washington Times ^ | November 3, 2006 | Bill Gertz & Rowan Scarborough

[John Carey]

The Pentagon has had two rounds of discussions with the Chinese military on the defense budget process, with the United States explaining in detail how its military spending works and China revealing very little about its secret military budget. Chinese military officials met Pentagon officials in June and provided a very limited explanation of the process Beijing uses to support its weapons and forces. "We're trying very hard to get an exchange of experts on the budgeting process so that we can understand how they create their budgets, since this is an area where we have a very large disagreement with them," a senior defense official said. China is engaged in a major military buildup but will not disclose the amounts or systems it is building. The budget secrecy, among other factors, has prompted the Pentagon to start a major force buildup in the Pacific as a "hedge" against China emerging as a threat.

[The Duke]

Good luck on that.

[SkyPilot]

The Chinese came here, and we let them into the B-2 stealth bomber.

Our military delegation went there, and they gave us a tour of a MIG 21 junkyard and "museum" (this was late 1940's technology).

We are the biggest suckers on the planet.

[TankerKC]

I don't know too many folks that under stand PPBE...our budgeting process.

As an aside...I've never heard that the E ring has the most prestigious offices. I know there are a lot of General/Flag officers there. If true, I'm moving up. I started on the A ring and now I'm on the C ring. Things must be looking up for me!

[Iconoclast2]

Over and over again, posters on this board assume that whatever the latest national security fiasco is, it is the product of mere incompetence or foolishness. Will there never come a point where people can start taking the possibility of widespread, deliberate treason seriously?

[Joe Boucher]

Not true, much of the real work gets done in the A wing. High ranking officers and dept heads offices are in the A ring. Along with their butt kissers and shoeshine officers.
5A910 here.
Comm. center.

[raybbr]

.... with the United States explaining in detail how its military spending works...

WT Frell? How stupid can we get?

[raybbr]

... with the United States explaining in detail how its military spending works...

Maybe Rumsfeld does need to go if he authorized this.

[TankerKC]

Does that mean I'm moving inthe wrong direction? ;)

[Joe Boucher]

Not if you aspire to be a general or a generals butt kisser,
Go back into the a ring or better yet get the hell out of the puzzle palace.

[SamuraiScot]

Blow them up. Now.

[SkyPilot]

Will there never come a point where people can start taking the possibility of widespread, deliberate treason seriously?

There is both.

Moreover, we are fools. We play be the Queensland Rules, they play by the Communist Rules.

[diesel00]

Over and over again, posters on this board assume that whatever the latest national security fiasco is, it is the product of mere incompetence or foolishness. Will there never come a point where people can start taking the possibility of widespread, deliberate treason seriously?

Most bureaucracies are more incompetent than anything else. Bureaucracies would be incompetent in even conducting treason. Treason (as opposed to sedition) is almost always led by a single person and conducted by a small group of people.

[Iconoclast2]

While bureaucracies are incompetent, somewhere, someone came up with the idea of "working with" the Chinese. A competent Administration would be taking a very close look at that person.

Of course, some elements within the Adminstration took steps in that direction, and then all their work was destroyed (Able Danger). I think the rot is very, very deep, and there are very, very many "single persons" selling us down the River.

[Iconoclast2]

This article raises the question, who is Admiral Fallon, and is he working in favor of U.S. interests?

****

China sub secretly stalked U.S. fleet
By Bill Gertz
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
November 13, 2006

The USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier (AFP/Getty Images)

---

A Chinese submarine stalked a U.S. aircraft carrier battle group in the Pacific last month and surfaced within firing range of its torpedoes and missiles before being detected, The Washington Times has learned.
The surprise encounter highlights China's continuing efforts to prepare for a future conflict with the U.S., despite Pentagon efforts to try to boost relations with Beijing's communist-ruled military.
The submarine encounter with the USS Kitty Hawk and its accompanying warships also is an embarrassment to the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, Adm. William J. Fallon, who is engaged in an ambitious military exchange program with China aimed at improving relations between the two nations' militaries.
Disclosure of the incident comes as Adm. Gary Roughead, commander of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet, is making his first visit to China. The four-star admiral was scheduled to meet senior Chinese military leaders during the weeklong visit, which began over the weekend.
According to the defense officials, the Chinese Song-class diesel-powered attack submarine shadowed the Kitty Hawk undetected and surfaced within five miles of the carrier Oct. 26.
The surfaced submarine was spotted by a routine surveillance flight by one of the carrier group's planes. The Kitty Hawk battle group includes an attack submarine and anti-submarine helicopters that are charged with protecting the warships from submarine attack.
According to the officials, the submarine is equipped with Russian-made wake-homing torpedoes and anti-ship cruise missiles.
The Kitty Hawk and several other warships were deployed in ocean waters near Okinawa at the time, as part of a routine fall deployment program. The officials said Chinese submarines rarely have operated in deep water far from Chinese shores or shadowed U.S. vessels.
A Pacific Command spokesman declined to comment on the incident, saying details were classified.
Pentagon spokesmen also declined to comment.
The incident is a setback for the aggressive U.S.-China military exchange program being promoted by Adm. Fallon, who has made several visits to China in recent months in an attempt to develop closer ties.
However, critics of the program in the Pentagon say China has not reciprocated and continues to deny U.S. military visitors access to key facilities, including a Beijing command center. In contrast, Chinese military visitors have been invited to military exercises and sensitive U.S. facilities.

[Paul Ross]

Maybe Rumsfeld does need to go if he authorized this.

He undoubtedly did. But I have always believed he did these things under express orders from the top:

Bush and Rice.