Pentagon: Five Chinese vessels harass U.S. ship

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Pentagon: Five Chinese vessels harass U.S. ship
By Kevin Baron, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Tuesday, March 10, 2009

ARLINGTON, VA. — Five Chinese vessels, including a Chinese Navy intelligence ship, surrounded and harassed an unarmed U.S. Navy surveillance vessel operating in international waters Sunday in the South China Sea, an act a Defense Department spokesman called "dangerous" and "immature."

In what the Pentagon says is the fourth such incident in less than a week, the USNS Impeccable, a contract ship in the Military Sealift Command carrying a civilian crew, was conducting underwater listening 75 miles south of Hainan Island when five People’s Republic of China vessels surrounded it, waving Chinese flags and telling the Impeccable to leave the area. Several of the Chinese crewmembers visible on deck also disrobed down to their underwear.

"They did what were some rather immature activities," said Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman, but was unable to further describe the actions. "I don’t know that they mooned them."

As two of the Chinese vessels closed within 50 feet, the Impeccable sprayed firehoses, but one of the Chinese vessels continued to approach within 25 feet.

Two of the Chinese ships then blocked the Impeccable’s path forcing her into an "emergency all-stop," according to a statement released Monday by the Pentagon.

Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=61231