Gates pledges wider U.S. military presence in Asia

[bloomington-lib]

Source: usa today

SINGAPORE (AP) — In a parting pitch to Asian allies, retiring U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the Pentagon is considering steps to widen its military presence across the Pacific Rim. He said budget woes won't interfere.

"America is, as the expression goes, putting 'our money where our mouth is' with respect to this part of the world — and will continue to do so," he told Asia's premier security conference, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, on Saturday.

On his final overseas trip before stepping down June 30 — and his seventh to Asia in the last 18 months — Gates insisted that Americans' war weariness and debt worries should not be seen as setting the stage for a shrinking of U.S. commitments in Asia. On the leading sources of U.S. security concerns in Asia — North Korea and China — he made only brief mention.

But he did highlight a Pentagon commitment to developing ways of countering "anti-access" technologies of the kind that the U.S. says China is working on — advanced anti-ship missiles, for example, that could make it harder for U.S. aircraft carriers and other warships to operate in Asia seas.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2011-06-03-robert-gates-china_n.htm?csp=34news

[Lasher]

1. Unfortunately, he's putting our money where his mouth is.

Somebody secure this loose cannon.

[ChrisBorg]

2. You don't think this is admin backed policy?

They get the newspapers. Gates has been saying thing recently and has not been taken to the wood shed yet. I think this is Gates speaking in public what is already know in private.

[Lasher]

6. You're right.

On the way out, saying out loud what all of them want. I was thinking of the plan Gates has been pushing to screw retired vets out of their health care insurance so that the Pentagon will have more money to waste on things like this dangerous expansion in Asia.

The whole damned bunch of them is out of control but you're right, Gates is not acting as a lone wolf. That makes this even more disturbing.

[No Elephants]

4. Gates is 100% company man. Whatever else this turd may be, he 's no loose cannon.

[No Elephants]

3. "He said budget woes won't interfere." Of course they won't.

[cascadiance]

7. Once again, Eisenhower keeps becoming more prophetic every day!

The military industrial complex will kill this country just like its equivalent killed the Soviet Union!

[Scottybeamer70]

5. He's right about one thing.......

"the budget woes won't interfere". The budget woes NEVER interfere with the killing machine industry.

[obxhead]

8. No deficit can be too large....

to stop the military from expanding.

[Hubert Flottz]

9. "budget woes won't interfere"

Regardless of what we the people think, want or need..."Democracy" your ass!

[valerief]

10. Hey, fuckhead, our mouths are here in the U.S. Can you put some money here??? nt

[defendandprotect]

11. Gates is what we pictured when we voted for Obama?

[DesertDiamond]

12. I have suspected since the first Gulf War that they are killing education and the job market to ....

force millions into the military. The best way to have a really big army is to leave people with no other option.

[Fearless]

14. The North Korea option.

[City Lights]

13. We'll never run out of money for war.

:puke:

I'm truly sickened.

:puke:

[awoke_in_2003]

15. another desperate attempt...

to keep a crumbling empire together

[JDPriestly]

16. The American people cannot afford this and, eventually, will

refuse to pay for it. Actually, Americans won't need to refuse to pay for it. Americans just won't be able to pay for it. Is Gates planning to borrow more money from China to pay for putting American troops at China's doorstep?

What a foolish plan.

[BadtotheboneBob]

17. China, China, China...

I see this as an effort by the US to reassure ASEAN that we will 'protect' them from that big, bad 'Red Dragon' to the north. Even Vietnam and Cambodia have moved closer to the US. Thailand, Singapore and The Philippines have looked to the US for years. US-ASEAN military exercises are a routine event. COBRA GOLD has been an annual US-Thailand exercise for many years. Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have gladly granted unimpeded US Naval passage through the strategic Strait of Malacca. I feel that ASEAN wants a continued US military presence to counter-balance China growing naval capabilties... Now, it sure would be nice if they'd 'pony up' for some of the costs of our muscle. As said above, we're broke and falling apart and have our own mouths to feed...