U.S. eyes return to some Southeast Asia military bases

[alp227]

Source: Washington Post

As the Obama administration revamps its Asian strategy in response to a rising China, the U.S. military is eyeing a return to some familiar bases from its last conflict in the region — the Vietnam War.

In recent weeks, the Pentagon has intensified discussions with Thailand about creating a regional disaster-relief hub at an American-built airfield that housed B-52 bombers during the 1960s and 1970s. U.S. officials said they are also interested in more naval visits to Thai ports and joint surveillance flights to monitor trade routes and military movements.

In next-door Vietnam, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta this month became the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the naval and air base at Cam Ranh Bay since the end of the war. Citing the “tremendous potential here,” Panetta enthused about the prospect of U.S. ships again becoming a common sight at the deep-water port.

The Pentagon is also seeking greater accommodations in the Philippines, including at the Subic Bay naval base and the former Clark Air Base, once the largest U.S. military installations in Asia as well as key repair and supply hubs during the Vietnam War.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-seeks-return-to-se-asian-bases/2012/06/22/gJQAKP83vV_singlePage.html

[lib2DaBone]

1. If we are so worried about a "Rising China".....

Why do we send all our technology and manufacturing there?

[FreakinDJ]

3. Exactly - China is stealing Asian Oil Fields

[obxhead]

2. That's exactly what we need!

More bases and more use out of the ones we already have.

[may3rd]

4. Seen this movie before

Looks like the cast of charters had a wardrobe change

&feature=related

[stockholmer]

5. America's Pacific Century: Containing China

http://nilebowie.blogspot.se/2012/06/americas-pacific-century-containing.html

Dr. Chandra Muzaffar, President of the International Movement for a Just World analyses a wide variety of issues including the emerging BRICS nations, the crisis in Syria, and the implications of Washington’s policy shift to the Asia-Pacific region.

In January 2012, US President Barack Obama unveiled the 2012 Defense Strategic Guidance report, entitled, “Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense,” which confirmed America’s plans to drastically increase its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region to counter China, now the world's second-largest economy. Following a speech by US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta at the eleventh annual Shangri-La Dialogue defense summit in Singapore calling for the expansion of American alliances with defense treaty partners in the Asia-Pacific such as Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand, the United States would announce its plans to reposition 60% of its navy to the region by 2020. The increasing militarization of the Asia Pacific highlights a growing emphasis on containing China, in a move to enhance Washington’s presence in one of the most economically viable parts of the world.

Suggested Reading:


AMERICA THREATENS CHINA: Pentagon Prepares for Confrontation in the Asia-Pacific Region, Centre for Research on Globalization, June 3rd, 2012

NATO ENLARGEMENT: From the North Atlantic to the South Pacific, Centre for Research on Globalization, June 5, 2012

MILITARIZATION OF ASIA-PACIFIC: America Revives And Expands Cold War Military Alliances Against China, Centre for Research on Globalization, June 9th, 2012

THREATENING CHINA: South China Sea: U.S.-Japan Military Deployments Put Region At Risk, Centre for Research on Globalization, May 5, 2012


snip

[Kolesar]

6. China invaded Vietnam in 1978 to "reset" the politics in that country

There has long been a contention over the Spratly Islands that have offshore oil fields.
---
first letter at the WaPo article. I did not write it:

Vietnam and the Philippines have good reasons to "put out the welcome mat for the Americans again" due to Beijing's latest move in the multi-nation territorial dispute. China has announced the establishment of a new city, Sansha, under the authority of Hainan province. The new city government replaces three "administration offices" that manage the South China Sea, Paracel and Spratly archipelagos, and the Macclesfield Bank. China is in dispute with Vietnam over the Paracels and Spratlys, while the Philippines also claims the Spratlys. Taiwan claims all three groups - in parallel with the Mainland. Beijing has recently summoned Vietnam's ambassador to China to deliver a protest as Hanoi's new maritime law formally incorporates the Paracel and Spratly islands into Vietnamese territory. These islands are now known as Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha respectively in China. The city government is to be located on the Paracel island of Woody, known as Yongxing Island in China.

[may3rd]

8. '78 They got their asses handed to them in less than a 10 mile incursion by a battle hardened

neighbor


That's when they knew they had to build up an army.
Even the Tianimain square insurrection handling was a fiasco being forced to bring in troops from distant provinces instead of using the "local peoples" army...in fear of 'defections' similiar to the current regime changes going on today

[sulphurdunn]

7. The Vietnam War

was fought largely to ensure control of the naval base at Cam Rahn Bay. It and the base at Subic Bay gave the US strategic control of the South China Sea. A return to Cam Rhan Bay of American war ships would rank as one of the most tragic ironies in all of American and Vietnamese history.

[4bucksagallon]

9. That explanation is way too simplistic.

If I said it had more to do with the "domino theory" I would be closer to the truth. However there is much more to this story and it has to do with colonial ideology going back ages I would guess.

[sulphurdunn]

10. The Dominoe Theory

was, as you state, a rationale in support of colonialism. It was the ideological justification for virtually all American interventions during the Cold War. Wars, however, are not fought over theories. They are fought over resources (Cam Ranh Bay) justified by strategic doctrines (The Domino Theory) which are themselves predicated upon ideological rationale such as "freedom" and "democracy." It became pretty clear, or should have, pretty fast to anyone who was there that the Vietnam War had nothing to do with helping the Vietnamese people and everything to do strategic resources.

[nanabugg]

11. Gotta have some place to send those troops. No jobs here. nt