Obama loosens missile technology controls to China

[drwayne]

President Obama recently shifted authority for approving sales to China of missile and space technology from the White House to the Commerce Department -- a move critics say will loosen export controls and potentially benefit Chinese missile development.

The president issued a little-noticed "presidential determination" Sept. 29 that delegated authority for determining whether missile and space exports should be approved for China to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.

Rest of the story:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/200 ... g-2059116/

 

[dragon04]

Is he out of his mind? What's next? Donating half our nuclear arsenal to the Chinese Red Army?




Crikey.

 

[brandbll]

Is he out of his mind? What's next? Donating half our nuclear arsenal to the Chinese Red Army?




Crikey.

I think that Nobel has gone to his head...

 

[dragon04]

The article goes on to say that "no controls will be loosened" despite the title, but in what way is the Secretary of Commerce versed in what is or is not in the best interests of our National Security in terms of THAT kind of technology?

That's like asking a Master Mechanic to do brain surgery. Or a brain surgeon to do a trick engine rebuild.






Re-Crikey

 

[MannyPim]

This is very disturbing.....

I have been thinking about WHY wold obama make such a move ?

The best I can come up with is that obama has placed us in such a position of dependence on the Chinese buying our out of control , INSANE amount of debt.... that obama has to look for incentives to keep them underwriting his Marxist vision of America.

Either that or it's a simple barter deal where the Chinese came up with the offer: We'll buy your debt and you save us a couple of decades of missile / space technology development.

 

[a_lost_packet_]

...Either that or it's a simple barter deal where the Chinese came up with the offer: We'll buy your debt and you save us a couple of decades of missile / space technology development.

It's possible, sounds reasonable and all that..

But, it would be a stupid, naive move. China NEEDS to buy our debt. It the biggest form of "self-stimulus" they have right now. It's a circle of trade. Money flows out of US to China, financing their growth stabilization plan then money flows from China to the US. If US trade and industrial investment slacks, Chinese growth slacks and that is their number one priority right now. Until China develops more firm markets and investment incentives in other countries, they'll continue pumping money into the US to keep that lifeline going. IMO

I'm sure you haven't forgotten Clinton's China relationship and the tech that made its way there. This seems like more of the same to me. http://www.salon.com/news/1998/05/29newsa.html (The deal during the Clinton Admin)

"...A senior administration official, however, said it was hardly a case of the president simply doing what the bureaucracy wanted him to. "Despite the effort by the White House to distance the president from his own policy, this has been a president who has been fully engaged on this issue," said the official. "It's yet another example of them placing trade policy ahead of nonproliferation concerns." " (From the article written in 1998! Seems prescient...)

 

[gamma_ray_burst]

Here's a novel idea. How about we stop racking up debt? Just a thought.

 

[a_lost_packet_]

Here's a novel idea. How about we stop racking up debt? Just a thought.

Good idea.

Now, all we need is to implement a plan!

<pats down pockets>

Errrm...

<looks under notebook>

Anyone have one? I seem to be fresh out atm...

 

[steve82]

The question is, who is benefiting from this? I don't think even Obama would go this far out of his way to help China unless it was benefiting one of his financial contributors or something.

 

[a_lost_packet_]

The question is, who is benefiting from this? I don't think even Obama would go this far out of his way to help China unless it was benefiting one of his financial contributors or something.

Despite claims of "transparency" there really isn't much transparency in any administration's foreign affairs. There are always wheels within wheels, as it really should be.

I'm all for double-deals and hidden meanings there... Just so long as we are getting done the things that need to be done. So, appeasing some leader's populace by giving them an empty concession doesn't bother me. But, giving a real concession or controversial one and then getting prodded in the rear would certainly concern me a whole bunch....

 

[Kerberos]

Do you mean like canceling a planned missile-defense site in order to please another country, then having that other country tell you to forget about sanctions on Iran?

 

[SpacexULA]

Do you mean like canceling a planned missile-defense site in order to please another country, then having that other country tell you to forget about sanctions on Iran?

Sort of like the Russia allowing some logistics transports for Iraq and Afghanistan to be Russian sourced, then the US arms the heck out of Georgia and installs fast attack missiles within countries that hate them across their border...

Seriously doubt the US will allow China to purchase weapons from the US that are much more sophisticated than the ones they are currently purchasing from Europe and Russia. This agreement just allows the US arms companies to become a more serious provider of weapons to China.

 

[a_lost_packet_]

Do you mean like canceling a planned missile-defense site in order to please another country, then having that other country tell you to forget about sanctions on Iran?

That is a demonstration of carrying out an ill-thought tit-for-tat diplomacy plan with Russia. Russia doesn't "do" tit-for-tat... The Russian exchange rate for political and diplomatic favors is no less than 3:1. You have to stretch inches into miles for Russia, IMO.

For the record - I'm not "biased" against Russia. At least, not the country or the people themselves. Not at all. In fact, I admire them. They have come a very, very, very long way under extremely stressful circumstances and managed to retain their dignity and sovereignty along the way. I don't know any other country that could have survived a complete collapse and then rebuilt themselves so quickly and efficiently. I attribute their successes, in a great part, to the spirit and solidarity of the Russian people. But, my admiration there does not have to come at the expense of my own country's interests and what I believe are in the best interests of the region and the World.

Note: The only time I can recall something that approached 1:1 diplomacy were the grain export issues in the 80s. However, because of USSR dependence on that at the time, it's importance was certainly magnified. Russia isn't the USSR but many of the styles of diplomacy seem to remain.

 

[jimglenn]

This does not matter for several reasons. China already steals the IT and IP they need from us, mostly.
All those "students" are buying stuff on ebay at night, sophisticated items that are shipped back home,
and they penetrate corporations by working for them, putting proprietary data on memory stix.

What they can't get, russia sells them, or they even develop it. They have the money, remember?

It is another masterful plan by O to outsource aerospace gear, if you could buy an IMU or gyro for your new
missile at a dolla sto', you'd save money. Plus, this will encourage China to cooperate with the space program,

maybe build a bamboo gazebo extension to the ISS.. :lol:

 

[Eman_3]

A never-ending source of amusement.

I have seen a lot of posters complaining about government becoming too big. In fact, many appear to be complaing that this issiue is one of their main concerns. So what happens? Obama actually moves responsibility to the agency appropriate to the need. The Commerce departmant has the staff and procedures to do this task, and avoid having the White House having to duplicate them. It's actually good business.

Now, if something has a security issue, trust me, that technology won't be passed along to the Chinese, regardless if either the White House or Commerce Department was overseering it. So get over it, this change in procedure will not open up a gap in security. That kind of talk comes from right-wing fundamentalist zealots like Osama Bin laden or Glenn Beck who would rather spout lies and baseless accusations. There are thousands of hard-working and dedicate people involved in securing technology, and they are doing a good job.

Of course the Chinese are stealing and copying any technology for their purposes. It's a lot cheaper that way, it just makes good business sense. .But most of the technology drain comes from other sources, notably other nations. For instance, the new Chinese fighter, the J10 bears more than a passing similarity to the US/Israeli Lavi fighter. In fact, the Israelis were involved in the development of the J10. For example, Israel has offered its Elta EL/M-2035 radar. As well, one proposed engine variant was reverse-engineered from the core of a CFM56.

Additionally, Pakistan has orders for this aircraft. Think about it. The US pours billions into Pakistan. Pakistan supports the Chinese fighter development.

Bottom line is that the flow of US military technology to China goes through nations associated with US defence programs. That's the big hole in security, and if anything needs to be addressed, this is it.

 

[jimglenn]

I am still amazed at the pilot who tried to cut off our giant invincible spy plane with his little jet, sort of

air road rage. :lol: His toy plane blew up and sent him to Allah. But you know they got some good antennas
and spy junk off the plane, our people should have sank it, and swam away on lifeboats.
http://www.chinesejetpilot.com/index.php?ID=185

Squadron leader Wang Wei, China's Guardian of Territorial Airspace and Seawaters. Wang Wei sacrificed his life protecting China from the wild and arrogant U.S. Air Force. Wang Wei stood eight feet tall and laser beams shot from his eyes. Wei and his talking hoverjet, the 81099, protected the globe from barbaric acts of U.S. hegemonism.

Wang Wei and 81099 were chopped to bits when they flew into the propellers of an American EP-3E spyplane. Even comrade Wei was no match for the school of sharks that consumed him in the waters of the South China Sea.

Wei died a glorious death as a revolutionary martyr. The United States said it is very sorry.

Above: Chinese jet pilot Wang Wei, tailing an American spyplane, points to his email address written on a piece of paper.

 

[warpfactor999]

But its really...."ALL BUSH'S FAULT"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jimglenn]

Probably. He must have told Loral Space Systems to sell them that fancy, classified, computer program that

helps design missile nose cone shrouds. Their's kept breaking until they got the software package. They said they
needed it for civilian rockets, but for sure now are using it on missiles. That boosts the threat to the USA, and

Bush could then have an excuse to spend more money on missile defense.