Obama Administration officials have hyped their planned “Asian pivot” for awhile, an effort to get more US combat troops deployed in nations across the Pacific Rim in spite of the US not actually being in any wars there. Today Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Jim Amos revealed his branch’s plans.
The US Marines currently have two battalions “permanently” deployed across the Pacific Rim, mostly Okinawa and Guam. This will be increased to add a third battalion, with an increase in troops in Okinawa, as well as Vietnam and Cambodia.
The Vietnam mission is scheduled for July, and will center around training locals in disposing of unexploded land mines still littering the nation since the US war in that nation a generation ago, while the Cambodia deployment will increase US ties with the regime there.
Amos expressed hope that the Vietnam deployment would build relationships to the point where the Marines could establish a training and operational relationship with the Vietnamese military, while Lt. Gen. Terry Robling says that deployments into Malaysia, Indonesia and even India are also “on the horizon.”
The Asian pivot in Vietnam has nothing to do with the well-being of the Vietnamese people, or human rights and democracy, or Nixon and Kissinger's promise of war reparations for the horrendous damage we inflicted in Vietnam but the U.S. government never honored, it has to do with containing China and protecting Exxon's oil concessions a disputed EEZ of the South China Sea.
Beware of the grotesquely obese, American blob, slowly covering the entire globe.
For sure. Here we go again in Vietnam and Cambodia. Promise them a ton of money so we can be close enough to send our spooks into China and precipitate some incident that ramps up the ill-will we seem to spawn wherever our military intrudes. Without a doubt, forever war is what we seek, to maintain those trillions for "defense" which is being seriously threatened for the first time in 60 years.
Why am I skeptical of the administration's statement on this military expansion?
Why am I skeptical of the administration's statement on this military expansion?
Is it 1962?
Is it 1962?
It's 1939 and 1962 at the same time.
Marines didn't do so good first time in Vietnam
i don't think the part about explosives experts going to vietnam should be lumped in to the whole asia pivot, realigning.
it's been talked about for a while, it has a minimum of funding, and it is as long as there is a us military the right thing for them to be doing.
This is a new world order created by daddy Bush. We have to protect Vietnam and the rest of Asia from the Chinese with money borrowed from the Cinese.
Wow ! The Vietnamese deserve any messes Uncle Sam gets them into because they, of all people should know what to expect. Also I would be damned having the "CIA" and friends roam all over my country after what they did back in the day, mapping here and there for quite possible future military or who know whatever operations. all the while maybe defusing a landmine here or there.
In the end, they will bail out and leave all of those countries to deal with the wrath of the Chinese.
As the saying goes, "with friends like these……………….".
the cia does not need official cover, and map makers don't need to be standing on the ground.
i think bomb disposal is the proper thing for the us military to be doing in countries like vietnam.
btw it has a minnimum of funding and it is aways the first thing be cut, it was in talks for a very long time now, but keep not happening for what ever reason. the cia can go where they please, im sure there are some food aid programs or un programs in Vietnam that they can infiltrate
Americans returning to Vietnam ? I wonder, but if so it would be a horific insult to those milions of Vietnamese and Cambdians who gave their lives fighting for their freedom, unity and sovereignty of their countries.
demining and explosive disarming specialist,
considering the volume of unexploded weapons left in south east asia by the united states i think it is a good start to repairing relations
Agreed, as long as it is not just a ploy to get a 'foot in the door'. Americans are not so altruistic ally inclined and concerned about the welfare of people other countries.BEWARE !! there is always a catch somewhere.
Agreed, as long as it is not just a ploy to get a 'foot in the door'. Americans are not so altruistically inclined and concerned about the welfare of people in other countries.BEWARE !! there is always a catch somewhere.