Posted on 09/18/2001 3:08:03 AM PDT by American in Israel
Reading the Arabian Nights it's all about praise allah and may you win your battles.
I don't deny that China controls both ends of the Panama Canal, and I've also heard they control the port at the entry to the Suez Canal. They clearly have some strategic strength there. But it's far from their homeland and I'm not sure that their Army could defend these ports militarily if they decided to close them in an attempt to harm U.S. interests.
Here's what American in Israel said about China:
The facts don't support these statements. China doesn't have even one completed aircraft carrier. China has one partially built aircraft carrier. It's currently being towed (because it has no engine) in circles in the Black Sea (because Turkey won't allow it to pass) by a Ukranian tugboat (presumably because the Chinese don't have the proper boats to even tow the carrier, or maybe because they bought the aircraft carrier, which they claim they want to make into an offshore hotel/casino complex, F.O.B. Macau and expect the Ukranians to deliver it).
China has obtained Aircraft carriers. That is a thing they have no use for in invading Taiwan, China is an unsinkable Aircraft Carrier. Aircraft Carriers are for FORWARD force projection. Also interesting China has secured the panama canal and placed bases on the tip of the cape horn. Plug the canal, nuke the shores of America and send all those Costco ships over to the states under Aircraft Carriers air cover, and you got invasion.
This will hardly provide the air support for an invasion force as American in Israel postulates. It won't even provide air support for moving a defensive force to the ports on the Panama Canal to defend those positions if China wanted to close the canal.
I don't have my head in the sand. I'm not saying that China isn't a threat. What I'm saying is that they don't have nearly the assets that American in Israel is saying they have. At least they don't have that much yet.
the times do, indeed, seem to demand it. Seeing your tag changed from one low-key, ominous one to another one only confirms how challenging life is about to become.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.