Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

California names China future threat

China being a future threat is something about which we have not heard much before.

Washington has labeled China as our number one threat. Slowly and almost imperceptibly China will overtake terrorism as our main antagonist as we are programmed to accept the true nature of the war into which Bush wants and is rushing.

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-Am

Leaders highlight need for military bases in state

By Associated Press /
Published on Thursday, December 9, 2004
URL: http://www.examiner.com/article/index.cfm/i/120904b_militarybases

SACRAMENTO -- Potential for trouble with Pacific Rim countries was the top reason cited Wednesday by members of new state council trying to protect California's military bases from being closed.

"I think we have to recognize if you're talking about future threats, you're talking about North Korea, you're talking about China, you're talking about threats in the Far East that for the future are going to demand that California play a very large role in our defense," said Leon Panetta, co-chair of the Council on Base Support and Retention.

The group of military, business and civic leaders convened for the first time to discuss strategies on how to protect the state's 62 military bases from closures being announced in May by the Department of Defense. The Pentagon is expected to recommend closing up to 100 of the nation's 425 bases.

California lost 29 bases during the last round of 91 closures between 1988 and 1995, costing it thousands of jobs, but giving it a potential edge now over other states, said Panetta, a former California congressman.

http://www.sfexaminer.com/article/index.cfm/i/120904b_militarybases