[A-List] U.S., Vietnam: Former Foes Now "Military Mates"

[Nadja Tesich]

Tony and others,
 Knowing and not doing makes you feel angry and impotent.
 
Maybe I should leave this list and the present country and go somewhere
far and no computer.
Nadja
---------------------------------------
> From: tal1 at cogeco.ca
> To: a-list at lists.econ.utah.edu
> Date: Sun, 8 Aug 2010 20:58:04 -0400
> Subject: [A-List] U.S., Vietnam: Former Foes Now "Military Mates"
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Rick Rozoff
> To: stopnato at yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Sunday, August 08, 2010 9:34 AM
> Subject: [stopnato] U.S., Vietnam: Former Foes Now "Military Mates"
>
>
>
> http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gUMael2GN4bo5IGD5wVmRBK2uANQD9HFAIQG0
>
> Associated Press
> August 8, 2010
>
> Former enemies US, Vietnam now military mates
>
> ABOARD THE USS GEORGE WASHINGTON: Cold War enemies the United States and
> Vietnam demonstrated their blossoming military relations Sunday as a U.S.
> nuclear supercarrier cruised in waters off the Southeast Asian nation's
> coast — sending a message that China is not the region's only big player.
>
> The visit comes 35 years after the Vietnam War as Washington and Hanoi are
> cozying up in a number of areas, from negotiating a controversial deal to
> share civilian nuclear fuel and technology to agreeing that China needs to
> work with its neighbors to resolve territorial claims in the South China
> Sea.
>
> The USS George Washington's stop is officially billed as a commemoration of
> last month's 15th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations between the
> former foes. But the timing also reflects Washington's heightened interest
> in maintaining security and stability in the Asia-Pacific amid tensions
> following the sinking of a South Korean warship in March, which killed 46
> sailors. North Korea has been blamed for the attack, but has vehemently
> denied any involvement.
>
> Last month during an Asian security meeting in Vietnam's capital, Hanoi,
> U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton also angered China by
> unexpectedly calling on the Communist powerhouse to resolve territorial
> claims with neighboring Southeast Asian countries over islands in the South
> China Sea.
>
> "The strategic implications and importance of the waters of the South China
> Sea and the freedom of navigation is vital to both Vietnam and the United
> States," Capt. Ross Myers, commander of the George Washington's air wing,
> said aboard the ship Sunday as fighter jets thundered off the flight deck
> above.
> ....
> Chinese navy ships were seen shadowing the USS George Washington at a
> distance over the past several days as the supercarrier made its way
> throught the South China Sea along Vietnam's eastern coast, U.S. Navy
> officials said Sunday.
>
> China claims the entire sea and the disputed Spratly and Paracel islands
> over which it exercises complete sovereignty. But Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia,
> Brunei and the Philippines also have staked claims on all or some of the
> territory, which straddles vital shipping lanes, important fishing grounds
> and is believed rich in oil and natural gas reserves. Clinton announced that
> the U.S. has a national interest in seeing the claims resolved.
> ....
> The formidable USS George Washington is a permanent presence in the Pacific,
> based in Japan. As one of the world's biggest warships, it is a floating
> city that can carry up to 70 aircraft, more than 5,000 sailors and aviators
> and about 4 million pounds (1.8 million kilograms) of bombs. It lurked
> Sunday about 200 miles (320 kilometers) off the central coast of Danang,
> Vietnam's jumping-off point for the disputed islands.
>
> A group of high-ranking Vietnamese military officials was flown onto the
> carrier Sunday along with other Vietnamese government officials and the U.S.
> ambassador to the country.
>
> The supercarrier came to Vietnam following four days of high-profile
> military exercises last month with South Korea aimed at showing solidarity
> following the sinking of the 1,200-ton Cheonan navy ship. The drills enraged
> Pyongyang and drew repeated criticism from its Chinese ally.
>
> A Chinese newspaper ran a front-page story last week strongly hinting that
> China also is not happy about reports that Vietnam and the U.S. are
> negotiating a civilian nuclear fuel and technology deal that could allow
> Vietnam to enrich uranium on its own soil.
>
> U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said China had not been
> consulted about the talks, but he would not discuss the specifics of the
> enrichment provision....
>
> The aircraft carrier's visit is particularly symbolic as it cruises off the
> coast of central Danang, once the site of a bustling U.S. military base
> during the Vietnam War, which ended April 30, 1975, when northern communist
> forces seized control of the U.S.-backed capital of South Vietnam, reuniting
> the country.
>
> Some 58,000 Americans and an estimated 3 million Vietnamese were killed
> during the war.
>
> Relations have thrived since the former foes shook hands in 1995. The U.S.
> is Vietnam's top export market and Americans are the country's No. 1 foreign
> investor. Two-way trade reached $15.4 billion in 2009.
>
> Military ties have also grown since the first U.S. warship ship visited Ho
> Chi Minh City in 2003, including high-level defense talks and training.
>
> The USS John McCain destroyer will pay a port call to Vietnam later this
> week. The two navies are expected to have cultural exchanges along with
> training exercises, such as search and rescue operations.
> ===========================
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