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Strategies & Market Trends : China Warehouse- More Than Crockery -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: RealMuLan who wrote (3367)	7/15/2004 7:55:26 PM
From: RealMuLan	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 6370

Pentagon War Game Based on China Threat to Taiwan Thu Jul 15, 2004 06:37 PM ET By Jim Wolf WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A crisis-simulation drill based on a growing Chinese military threat to Taiwan was played out this week by U.S. decision makers, Pentagon officials said on Thursday. The exercise, called Dragon's Thunder, was held on Monday at the Pentagon's National Defense University, or NDU, even as China prepared to stage a mock invasion of the self-governing island. Pentagon officials cautioned against reading anything into the timing of the strategy drill or into the deployment of seven U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups worldwide simultaneously. "Neither the deployment of carrier strike groups worldwide nor this NDU tabletop exercise should be seen as sending a signal to any specific country," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Flex Plexico, a Pentagon spokesman. The Defense Department announced June 5 it would deploy seven carriers to demonstrate a new Navy plan for "surging" its operations to project force if necessary. China's state media said on Tuesday the People's Liberation Army was gearing for an amphibious landing in land, sea and air exercises on Dongshan Island, a response to tension across the Taiwan Strait. The scenario in the U.S. exercises, ninth in a series prompted by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, "specifically examined responses to an increasing possibility of military action by China against Taiwan," the National Defense University said. Details of the scenario and "lessons learned" were classified, but such crisis-simulation was meant to be as realistic as possible, said David Thomas, a defense university spokesman. "Participants examined the gravity, complexity and difficulty inherent in responding to a sequence of escalating tensions between China and Taiwan," he added in a statement. "The exercise sought to understand the full range of policy options and associated consequences available to the U.S. to restore stability to the Taiwan Straits and surrounding region, while avoiding nuclear confrontation with China," NDU said. Opening the session, Navy Secretary Gordon England noted the value of such games for addressing "some of the complex security problems the nation confronts today," it said. Participants were from Rumsfeld's office, the Pentagon's Joint Staff, U.S. Pacific Command, White House National Security Council, National Intelligence Council and departments of State and Commerce, according to NDU. Also taking part were 14 members of Congress, including Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, a Maryland Republican who chairs the House of Representatives Projection Forces Committee. © Reuters 2004. All Rights Reserved. reuters.com