Chinese Army Repels Donald Rumsfeld
Yesterday in Vilnius Donald Rumsfeld took part in a meeting of defense ministers of NATO countries where there was a discussion of the process of Ukraine’s preparation to enter the alliance. The head of the Pentagon arrived in the Lithuanian capital from Southeast Asia where was discussing less pleasant subjects: increase of the Chinese military might and growing doubts among the South Koreans about the necessity of the military union with the US in its current shape.
At the loyal rivals
It was not a coincidence for Rumsfeld to go to the meeting of the NATO defense ministers in Vilnius through Southeast Asia. The situation in this region becomes more difficult for the United States. For instance, Washington suspects China, where the head of the Pentagon arrived on Oct. 18, of desiring to move the US out of Southeast Asia and establish control over this strategic region.
China does not even bother to persuade foreigners of the opposite. Rumsfeld’s visit to Beijing was another proof to it. The head of the Pentagon was refused in his request to see the General Staff of the People’s Liberation Army of China. The US Secretary of Defense’s excursion to the Command Staff of Second Artillery Corp in Tsinhe – the command post of the strategic missile forces – was limited to a computer presentation of the command structure and preparation system for the Chinese SMF (Strategic Missile Forces). Donald Rumsfeld tried to find out from the Chinese leadership, including the chairman of the People’s Republic of China and Central Military Commission Hu Jintao, why China needs ballistic missiles that can reach the US territory and why the country spends much more on defense that officially announced sums. However, he did not get any answer. Rumsfeld had nothing else to do but ask Chinese students of the Central Party School (future leaders of the country) to make China a peaceful and blooming state as well as one transparent in the political, economic and military spheres.
At the disloyal partners
Not less difficult was Rumsfeld’s mission into Seoul where he arrived from Beijing on Oct. 20. There is a growing anti-American sentiment in South Korea now that is supported by President Roh Moo-hyun who took the course for strategic approach to China. The new US ambassador in the Republic of Korea Alexander Vershbow (former ambassador to Russia), who arrived to Seoul last week, was given a task to weaken this unpleasant tendency. The task for Rumsfeld was to discuss with the Korean leadership the military side of the business. For instance, request from the South Koreans to provide them full operative control and command over the local army in war time. Americans have held this command duty since the Korean War of 1950-53. However, President Roh Moo-hyun wants to make his military forces (as well as external policy) less dependent on the US.
This issue was discussed by the Pentagon chief on Friday during negotiations with his South Korean counterpart Yoon Kwang-ung. After the completion of the negotiations, Rumsfeld said the US is ready to discuss the issue of transferring to Seoul commanding duty of Korean military forces during war time as well as problems of the reform of their defense union. At the same time, he was trying to persuade his South Korean counterparts that this union did not lose its meaning because North Korea can strike at any moment. The US Defense Secretary also criticized the growing South Korean sentiment to get rid of the American presence in the South Korean peninsula (currently the US has in South Korea about 34,000. The South Korean army amounts to 690,000 people and the North Korean Army is estimated to be more than 1.2 million.)
At Friends—Allies
From South Korea, Donald Rumsfeld left on Saturday to Mongolia for a short visit. In Ulan-Bator he praised the Mongolian leadership for support of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Currently Mongolia has 15 and 131 Mongolian troops in these two countries. Given speech to Mongolian veterans of the Afghan and Iraq operations, Rumsfeld pointed out that Mongolia, which is located between Russia and China, made a wise choice by deciding its democracy, stability and future is connected with the US. He promised that Washington will continue to provide aid to Mongolia in the area of building and modernizing its national army. However, he rejected the rumor that the US allegedly has a plan to set up a military base in this country.
After receiving a Mongolian horse as a gift (Rumsfeld promised to call her Montana) the Pentagon chief flew from Ulan-Bator to Vilnius. He postponed for uncertain time the visit to Kazakhstan which was planned for Oct. 22-23 “because of the mutual agreement due to the organizational difficulties.” While talking with the journalists on the way, Rumsfeld announced the intention of the US military leadership to conduct a speedy investigation into allegations that US servicemen burned the bodies of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan because this action of the US soldiers can provoke growth of anti-Americanism in Islamic countries.
Yesterday in Vilnius Donald Rumsfeld participated in meeting of the defense ministers of NATO countries. Its subject – to help Ukraine to comply with the conditions necessary for joining the alliance.
Alexander Gabuev, Beijing; Andrei Ivanov
All the Article in Russian as of Oct. 24, 2005
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