U.S. defense chief calls China, India 'threats'

Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Messages
29,797
Likes
48,276
Country flag
U.S. defense chief calls China, India 'threats' | Reuters

(Reuters) - Defense Secretary Leon Panetta appeared to call China and India "threats" on Thursday, in comments that the Pentagon quickly sought to correct.

Panetta, addressing workers at a submarine plant in Connecticut, was talking about emerging challenges facing the United States as it looks beyond the Iraq and Afghan wars.

After detailing the threat of cyber warfare, Panetta turned to concerns over "rising powers."

"We face the threats from rising powers, China, India, others that we have to always be aware of," Panetta said.

"And (we have to) try to make sure that we always have sufficient force protection out there in the Pacific to make sure they know we're never going anywhere."

His remarks came the same day that President Barack Obama said on a visit to Australia that the U.S. military would expand its role in the Asia-Pacific region despite budget cuts. Obama declared America was "here to stay" as a Pacific power.

Pentagon spokesman Captain John Kirby moved to correct the record, saying Panetta believed that relationships with both China and India were absolutely vital.

"Any suggestion that he was implying either country was a military threat is just false," Kirby said.

Kirby said Panetta was referring instead to the challenges that China and India face "within themselves."

"And (he was referring to) the challenges that we share with them as we try to forge better relationships going forward in a very turbulent, dynamic security environment," Kirby said.

Panetta made the comments after touring a nuclear-powered, Virginia-class attack submarine in the very final phase of construction. The U.S. submarine fleet is considered one of the most important counters to China's growing military might, which includes advances in missile technology that make surface targets easier to reach.

Obama also announced this week that the United States will extend the military's reach into Southeast Asia with Marines, naval ships and aircraft deployed to northern Australia from 2012.

China has questioned the deployment to Australia, raising doubts whether strengthening such alliances will help the region pull together at a time of economic gloom.
 

W.G.Ewald

Defence Professionals/ DFI member of 2
Professional
Joined
Sep 28, 2011
Messages
14,139
Likes
8,594
"We face the threats from rising powers, China, India, others that we have to always be aware of," Panetta said.
Pentagon spokesman Captain John Kirby moved to correct the record, saying Panetta believed that relationships with both China and India were absolutely vital.

"Any suggestion that he was implying either country was a military threat is just false," Kirby said.
Panetta is a weasel.



Kirby is a high-ranking flak-catcher for the weasel.
 

SHASH2K2

New Member
Joined
May 10, 2010
Messages
5,711
Likes
730
He should ask USA to immediately stop sales of weapons to India. Who knows we may use same weapons when we decide to attack them. This shows double speak of USA. In long terms we are also a threat to them .
 

W.G.Ewald

Defence Professionals/ DFI member of 2
Professional
Joined
Sep 28, 2011
Messages
14,139
Likes
8,594
He should ask USA to immediately stop sales of weapons to India. Who knows we may use same weapons when we decide to attack them. This shows double speak of USA. In long terms we are also a threat to them .
It shows Obama appointees are hopeless idiots.
 

kickok1975

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2009
Messages
1,539
Likes
350
"China is America's apparent threat. India is America's potential threat." That's probably what these US officials are thinking privately. Every major county grows dramatically yet not fall into US comp, will be consider as threat or potential threat.
 

trackwhack

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2011
Messages
3,757
Likes
2,589
Ewald, I've known you only through this forum and you come across as a well meaning American and most Americans are so. But well meaning Americans dont write policy. Panetta had a blooper moment there but the blooper wasnt that he said something wrong. Instead it was that he said it at all.

No one can predict how long you or me are going to be around, but there will be conflict involving 2 of or all three of US, China and India. Its unavoidable. The scale, intensity and frequency will determine how bad. But unless the planet suddenly transforms itself into some kind of limitless resource utopia, conflict is just a matter of time.
 

SHASH2K2

New Member
Joined
May 10, 2010
Messages
5,711
Likes
730
It shows Obama appointees are hopeless idiots.
1000 % agree with that . Obama has always been anti India . When I say it doesnt mean whole America but a few who are in position to influence opinion of common people and also the policy of the country. Unfortunately only selected few have chance to make or destroy reputation of a country.
 
Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Messages
29,797
Likes
48,276
Country flag
pannetta has bad timing, India is being offered SCO membership by Russia and if India is pushed towards SCO it will be further decline for the west in economic,military terms as wells as resorurces.
 

The Messiah

Bow Before Me!
Senior Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2010
Messages
10,809
Likes
4,619
He is telling the truth.

Only an idiot would believe the yanks are well meaning. We have to be strong and we have to be strong alone.

Till then they will try to use us and we should try to use them.
 

SHASH2K2

New Member
Joined
May 10, 2010
Messages
5,711
Likes
730
He is telling the truth.

Only an idiot would believe the yanks are well meaning. We have to be strong and we have to be strong alone.

Till then they will try to use us and we should try to use them.
In geopolitics no one is friend or enemy . We both need each other and we both are using each others . Its other thing that as of now we dont have aukat to do anything to AMerica while they do have .
 

thakur_ritesh

Ambassador
Joined
Feb 19, 2009
Messages
4,435
Likes
1,733
Leon Panetta went a little too much ahead of time, it aint 2025 that India also stars getting painted as a real threat sir, still time for that!

We can still talk about common values, natural partners and all that for now.
 
Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Messages
29,797
Likes
48,276
Country flag
I don't understand if Obama knows anthing about foreign policy?? He has alienated Israel, made the Japanese and Pacific allies jittery and he has thrown all the hard work Bush did to build ties with India away. This is the worst President I have seen as far as US foreign policy goes. He is also leaving Iraq with Iran ready to pounce on them when leaving Afghanistan first would have made more sense??
 

The Messiah

Bow Before Me!
Senior Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2010
Messages
10,809
Likes
4,619
In geopolitics no one is friend or enemy . We both need each other and we both are using each others . Its other thing that as of now we dont have aukat to do anything to AMerica while they do have .
In geopolitics no one is friend but there are certainly always enemies.

Yes we need each other but they need us more than we need them. Besides they will never have our trust till they keep funding the pakis. We will have plenty of aukaad if goi grows a pair of balls....for starters we should make a true icbm and in yesterdays newspaper in toi drdo has said they can make it but needs nod from goi. This is the same cowardice attitude that makes us lag behind in other areas aswell.
 

thakur_ritesh

Ambassador
Joined
Feb 19, 2009
Messages
4,435
Likes
1,733
I don't understand if Obama knows anthing about foreign policy?? He has alienated Israel, made the Japanese and Pacific allies jittery and he has thrown all the hard work Bush did to build ties with India away. This is the worst President I have seen as far as US foreign policy goes. He is also leaving Iraq with Iran ready to pounce on them when leaving Afghanistan first would have made more sense??
LF,

from what i have read about the foreign policy of a few republican presidential candidature hopefuls, if obama is bad, a few republican candidates are going to be many times worse. obama in front of those still comes across as a much saner bet.
 
Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Messages
29,797
Likes
48,276
Country flag
LF,

from what i have read about the foreign policy of a few republican presidential candidature hopefuls, if obama is bad, a few republican candidates are going to be many times worse. obama in front of those still comes across as a much saner bet.
Obama's change premise claimed to end both wars,he may end one soon while he started a 3rd against Libya. With the mess that the US economy is right now , I hope I am wrong but the view seems to be only a war policy will pull America thru this. Every candidate will have to continue this war policy it is only that Republicans are more honest about it.
 

W.G.Ewald

Defence Professionals/ DFI member of 2
Professional
Joined
Sep 28, 2011
Messages
14,139
Likes
8,594
Ewald, I've known you only through this forum and you come across as a well meaning American and most Americans are so. But well meaning Americans dont write policy. Panetta had a blooper moment there but the blooper wasnt that he said something wrong. Instead it was that he said it at all.

No one can predict how long you or me are going to be around, but there will be conflict involving 2 of or all three of US, China and India. Its unavoidable. The scale, intensity and frequency will determine how bad. But unless the planet suddenly transforms itself into some kind of limitless resource utopia, conflict is just a matter of time.
US has had conflict with China (Chinese "volunteers" in Korean War). India had conflict with China in 1962. China and India share borders. Those are reasons I believe it is unlikely US and India would be belligerents.

If there are policy-makers at DoD or DoS who see India as a threat, I would like to know why. If analysts are giving briefings based on such a scenario, their managers should be challenged. Panetta is entirely a political person and isn't big enough to be in the job he holds.

As for presently limited resources, there is technology in the future we can't
yet imagine.
 

Latest Replies

Global Defence

New threads

Articles

Top