Ex-admiral: US should defend reef off Philippines

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Ex-admiral: US should defend reef off Philippines

Updated 12:29 pm, Wednesday, July 13, 2016

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific says the U.S. should be willing to use military force to oppose Chinese aggression at a disputed reef off the coast of the Philippines.

Dennis Blair has made the recommendation to a Senate panel Wednesday, a day after an international tribunal invalidated the legal basis of Beijing's expansive claims in the South China Sea.

Blair says the objective is not to pick a fight with China at the disputed Scarborough Shoal, but to set a limit on its military coercion.

The Philippines is a U.S. ally but their treaty is ambiguous about whether the U.S. would come to its defense in disputed territory.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/politics/article/Ex-admiral-US-should-defend-reef-off-Philippines-8357177.php

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[center]

Dennis Blair [/center]

[Ford_Prefect]

1. Another loose cannon ex-Admiral looking for new empire missions? Or does he have a point ?

[uawchild]

2. Is THAT the same map?

Why does that picture remind me of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution photo?



Can you say quagmire, boys and Girls? I knew you could.

[AntiBank]

5. jesus h christ

good catch

[FairWinds]

3. Hey, time to break out . .

that spiffy new Littoral Fleet !!

I just KNEW we'd be able to invent a mission for them.

Hey wait! Say Whaaaaa? They don't work?

OK, fuggetaboutit !

Veterans For Peace

Queue the DU militarists in 3 . . 2 . . 1

[AntiBank]

4. we DO NOT need to be fucking about with China ffs

[jybarz]

6. China is emboldened

The weaker the US in defending the Philippines against China, the more emboldened the communist rotten China in bullying and thieving Philippines territorial waters.

It's time for US to have some balls against aggressive criminal China.

[FairWinds]

7. You and your kids go first, OK?

folks are always real brave with OTHER PEOPLE'S loved ones.

[The Second Stone]

8. I agree with the Admiral

China needs to be stopped now, not later.

[ripcord]

9. If China tries to occupy the reef or use force in any way against the Filipinos

We have an obligation under the mutual defense Treaty of 1951.