U.S. Commander Warns China! W. Ben-Carl - 8/10/2004 6:42AM A message for China in US naval deployment: Amid a flurry of increasingly strident warnings from China over the fate of Taiwan, the commander of US military forces in Asia and the Pacific has quietly cautioned the Chinese not to miscalculate American capabilities and intentions. During a visit to Beijing, Admiral Thomas Fargo told Chinese political and military leaders that US Pacific sea and air forces maintain a high state of readiness, in contrast to the drain on ground troops from deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldiers and Marines from the West Coast, Hawaii, South Korea and Okinawa are either already stationed in Asia or on the way. The admiral, according to US officials, repeated President W. George Bush's admonition that the US expects neither China nor Taiwan to change the status quo either by force or unilaterally. In private but not in public, Fargo told the Chinese his command was prepared to use armed force to help defend Taiwan if the president so ordered.... Beijing's protests escalated last week when President Hu Jintao telephoned Bush to demand that the sale of advanced weapons to Taiwan cease. Hu told Bush the Taiwan issue was "very sensitive" and China would "absolutely not tolerate Taiwan independence." Earlier last month, Bush's national security adviser, Condoleeza Rice, got the same message when she visited Beijing. Fargo heard similar lectures.... In hostilities over Taiwan, the brunt of US engagement would be borne by air and sea power, some based on Guam. Fargo pointedly stopped there on his way to China. Air power would be projected by Navy carriers, of which six are in the Pacific fleet, and from Guam and possibly the Japanese island of Okinawa. The US frequently flies B-1 and B-52 bombers to Guam from the US and, in a change from its previous secrecy, makes sure the Chinese and the world know. In addition, Fargo has asked for another carrier to be shifted to the Pacific. At sea, the US has moved two nuclear-powered attack submarines to Guam from Hawaii to put them closer to areas of possible operation. A third submarine is due to be assigned there shortly. 8/09/04 -[NOTE: Ok, here it is folks - in the last couple of days they're starting to lift the veil of secrecy off this entire situation and the U.S.'s deployment in the Pacific that we've been discussing for weeks! - Which I believe means we are now fully deployed, and they are beginning to prep the public in advance of this entire situation possibly exploding! While noting all the other prior intel. concerning Russia, N. Korea, & etc... Could this situation simply just pass away, sure; could it explode into full blown war? - absolutely!]-ed. WarReport-