China smells weakness, taunts Obama

[redrumloa]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090309/pl_ ... china_navy

Two Chinese vessels surrounded the Impeccable, while two closed to within 50 feet waving Chinese flags and telling the U.S. Navy ship to leave, the statement said.

The Navy ship responded by spraying one of the vessels with its fire hoses, but the Chinese ship closed further to within 25 feet and its crew members disrobed to their underwear, the Pentagon said.

It said the Impeccable informed the Chinese ships by radio that it was leaving the area and requested a safe path to navigate. But two of the Chinese vessels stopped directly in front of the U.S. ship and dropped pieces of wood in its path.

"The unprofessional maneuvers by Chinese vessels violated the requirement under international law to operate with due regard for the rights and safety of other lawful users of the ocean," Pentagon spokesman Marine Corps Major Stewart Upton said in a statement.

"We expect Chinese ships to act responsibly and refrain from provocative activities that could lead to miscalculation or a collision at sea."

The Pentagon said the incident was preceded by days of increasingly aggressive conduct by Chinese vessels.

 

[Glaucus]

Sail three carrier groups through there and see how close they get.

 

[Speelgoedmannetje]

Which law?

 

[FluffyMcDeath]

America IS weak. Bush took her to two wars she couldn't afford by lying about how necessary they were and how cheap they would be while happily borrowing from the Chinese to cover it. You're going to see the wheels coming off in all sorts of places not because nations perceive Obama as weak, but the US as weakened. A president can only be as strong as the country he is driving.

 

[Glaucus]

The Japanese thought the US was weak too.

 

[FluffyMcDeath]

The Japanese thought the US was weak too.

The Japanese didn't have too much choice. The US had already declared war on them.

 

[redrumloa]

The Japanese didn't have too much choice. The US had already declared war on them.

Revisionist history at it's worst. Pearl Harbor did happen and even conspiracy theories don't deny it happened.

 

[FluffyMcDeath]

The Japanese didn't have too much choice. The US had already declared war on them.

Revisionist history at it's worst. Pearl Harbor did happen and even conspiracy theories don't deny it happened.

After the US blockaded Japanese oil.

 

[redrumloa]

The Japanese didn't have too much choice. The US had already declared war on them.

Revisionist history at it's worst. Pearl Harbor did happen and even conspiracy theories don't deny it happened.

After the US blockaded Japanese oil.

..and Japan did nothing to warrant a blockade? Still, you miss Mike's point. Japan underestimated the USA.

 

[FluffyMcDeath]

..and Japan did nothing to warrant a blockade? Still, you miss Mike's point. Japan underestimated the USA.

You miss the point that Japan's action was not as capricious and free as is often made out. Japan was having a fair old war beating up on China and it was looking as if Russia could get itself involved which would provide the potential for Russia to significantly expand their influence over Asia. The US desperately wanted in on that action so provoked Japan (pretty much forcing their hand really) by blockading Japan's oil supply. Such a blockade is effectively an act of war (though no war was declared). The US then baited the trap and waited - and got their war.

 

[metalman]

..and Japan did nothing to warrant a blockade? Still, you miss Mike's point. Japan underestimated the USA.

You miss the point that Japan's action was not as capricious and free as is often made out. Japan was having a fair old war beating up on China and it was looking as if Russia could get itself involved which would provide the potential for Russia to significantly expand their influence over Asia. The US desperately wanted in on that action so provoked Japan (pretty much forcing their hand really) by blockading Japan's oil supply. Such a blockade is effectively an act of war (though no war was declared). The US then baited the trap and waited - and got their war.

The U.S. stopped selling oil to Japan in July of 1941 in protest of Japan’s invasion of French Indo-China.

The League of Nations called for countries to stop trading with Japan after its invasion of China in 1931.

 

[FluffyMcDeath]

so much more than a naval water fight

 

[metalman]

so much more than a naval water fight

The Chinese trawlers were attempting to use grapple hooks to snag the sonar equipment.

The USNS Impeccable was tracking Chinese submarines based at Sanya.

 

[cecilia]

seriously, what's to big deal?

the American ship was mapping the ocean because they were checking out the subs (like we didn't know that, der) :roll:

the chinese want to keep their shit secret...der :roll:

I was telling a friend that the American's should have pasted the Google logo on the side of the ship and claimed they were mapping for Google Ocean.

I'm going right now to see if I can spot a sub...... :roflmao:

 

[FluffyMcDeath]

The US adds another boat. China answers with another boat.