China's Hu urges navy to prepare for combat

December 6, 2011 – BEIJING – Chinese President Hu Jintao Tuesday urged the navy to prepare for military combat amid growing regional tensions over maritime disputes and a U.S. campaign to assert itself as a Pacific power. The navy should “accelerate its transformation and modernization in a sturdy way, and make extended preparations for military combat in order to make greater contributions to safeguard national security,” he said. Addressing the powerful Central Military Commission, Hu said: “Our work must closely encircle the main theme of national defense and military building.” His remarks, which were posted on a statement on a government website, come amid growing U.S. and regional concerns over China’s naval ambitions, particularly in the South China Sea. China claims all of the maritime area, as does Taiwan, while four Southeast Asian countries declare ownership of parts of it, with Vietnam and the Philippines accusing Chinese forces of increasing aggression there. In a translation of Hu’s comments, the official Xinhua news agency quoted the president as saying China’s navy should “make extended preparations for warfare.” But the Pentagon on Tuesday downplayed Hu’s speech, saying that Beijing had the right to develop its military, although it should do so transparently. “They have a right to develop military capabilities and to plan, just as we do,” said Pentagon spokesman George Little, but he added “we have repeatedly called for transparency from the Chinese and that’s part of the relationship we’re continuing to build with the Chinese military. U.S. undersecretary of defence Michelle Flournoy is due to meet in Beijing with her Chinese counterparts on Wednesday for military-to-military talks. “Nobody’s looking for a scrap here,” insisted another spokesman Admiral John Kirby. “Certainly we wouldn’t begrudge any other nation the opportunity, the right to develop naval forces to be ready. Our naval forces are ready and they’ll stay ready.” Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao last month warned against interference by “external forces” in regional territorial disputes including in the South China Sea, a strategic and resource-rich area where several nations have overlapping claims. And China said late last month it would conduct naval exercises in the Pacific Ocean, after Obama, who has dubbed himself America’s first Pacific president, said the U.S. would deploy up to 2,500 Marines to Australia. China’s People’s Liberation Army, the largest military in the world, is primarily a land force, but its navy is playing an increasingly important role as Beijing grows more assertive about its territorial claims. –Yahoo News excerpt http://news.yahoo.com/chinas-hu-urges-navy-prepare-combat-160509787.html


Chinese President Hu Jintao Tuesday urged the navy to prepare for military combat amid growing regional tensions over maritime disputes and a US campaign to assert itself as a Pacific power. The navy should "accelerate its transformation and modernisation in a sturdy way, and make extended preparations for military combat in order to make greater contributions to safeguard national security," he said. Addressing the powerful Central Military Commission, Hu said: "Our work must closely encircle the main theme of national defence and military building." His remarks, which were posted on a statement on a government website, come amid growing US and regional concerns over China's naval ambitions, particularly in the South China Sea.

China claims all of the maritime area, as does Taiwan, while four Southeast Asian countries declare ownership of parts of it, with Vietnam and the Philippines accusing Chinese forces of increasing aggression there. In a translation of Hu's comments, the official Xinhua news agency quoted the president as saying China's navy should "make extended preparations for warfare."

read more at link http://news.yahoo.com/chinas-hu-urges-navy-prepare-combat-160509787.html

New intelligence indicates that North Korea is moving ahead with building its first road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile, an easily hidden weapon capable of hitting the United States, according to Obama administration officials.

The intelligence was revealed in a classified Capitol Hill briefing last month. Its existence was made public in a letter to Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta from five House Republicans.

“As members of the House Armed Services subcommittee on strategic forces …, we write out of concerns about new intelligence concerning foreign developments in long-range ballistic missile development, specifically ballistic missiles capable of attacking the United States,” the Nov. 17 letter said.

“We believe this new intelligence reiterates the need for the administration to correct its priorities regarding missile defenses, which should have, first and foremost, the missile defense of the homeland.”

Officials familiar with the intelligence said government analysts believe the missile could be a variant of North Korea’s new Musudan intermediate-range missile, first disclosed publicly in October 2010.

Other intelligence indicates that the new ICBM may be under development at a huge missile testing facility on North Korea’s western coast.

Prior to its mobile ICBM, North Korea’s long-range missiles were the pad-launched Taepodong-1 prototype, and the Taepodong-2 (TD-2) dual-use ICBM and space launcher. The TD-2 was test-launched in April 2009.

‘Direct threat’

Mobile missiles are difficult for tracking radar to locate, making them easier to hide. They also can be set up and launched much more quickly than missiles fired from silos or launchpads.

China's military recently deployed two new mobile ICBMs, the DF-31 and DF-31A. It is not known whether North Korea’s new mobile missile is based on Chinese technology. China in the past has provided missile technology to North Korea, a fraternal communist ally.

The first indications of Pyongyang’s new mobile ICBM were made public in June by Robert M. Gates, who was defense secretary at the time.

After a speech in Singapore, Mr. Gates said, “With the continued development of long-range missiles and potentially a road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile and their continuing development of nuclear weapons, … North Korea is in the process of becoming a direct threat to the United States.”

Read more at link http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/dec/5/north-korea-making-missile-able-to-hit-us/

So is this the next war the ptw are setting us up for do you think?

Who knows? It could be the Mid-East or Eastern Asia. One of the poorest, costly, stupid ways that nations use to help their economies is to go and blow up, murder and kill innocents - then steal their wealth.

December 6, 2011 – WASHINGTON – North Korea is advancing efforts to construct an ICBM that could strike the United States, the Washington Times on Tuesday quoted the Obama administration as stating recently. The weapon is also believed capable of being transported on roadways, which would make it more difficult to track with radars. Obama officials discussed the information with House lawmakers in a November closed-door briefing. The intelligence was addressed in a letter in which five GOP representatives urged Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to prioritize developing national anti-missile capabilities over European missile defense, according to the newspaper. “As members of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces …, we write out of concerns about new intelligence concerning foreign developments in long-range ballistic missile development, specifically ballistic missiles capable of attacking the United States,” the Nov. 17 document reads. We believe this new intelligence reiterates the need for the administration to correct its priorities regarding missiles defenses, which should have, first and foremost, the missile defense of the homeland,” the Republican lawmakers wrote. Then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned in early 2011 that Pyongyang was within half a decade of wielding a long-range ballistic missile capable of striking the continental U.S. The Republican letter to Panetta did not single North Korea out as the developer of the new missile, but it referenced Gates’ statements earlier this year about the North Korean ICBM threat. Informed sources said government experts think the new road-mobile missile could be derived from the North’s intermediate-range Musudan missile, which was first unveiled last October. Separate information points to the new missile being built at the Stalinist state’s enormous west-coast missile trial site at Dongchang-ri. Road-mobile missiles are tricky for radars to monitor, which makes it easier for them to escape detection. They also can be readied and fired in a significantly shorter amount of time than missiles fired from fixed locations. (left) A mobile U.S. missile radar detection system deployed in Hawaii. –Global Security