Did he apologize for the war crimes?
"Panetta sends message to China on Vietnam visit" June 04, 2012
CAM
RANH BAY, Vietnam - Defense Secretary Leon Panetta used a visit Sunday
to Vietnam to make clear Washington’s intent to help allies in the
Asia-Pacific region develop and enforce maritime rights in the South
China Sea, which Beijing largely claims.
Oh, they got the message, Leon. Did you?
On a historic stop in Cam
Ranh Bay, the strategic deep-water port that was a US base in the
Vietnam War, Panetta could gaze out from the flight deck of the USNS
Richard E. Byrd toward the sea and reflect on the significance of the
harbor, which represents both a painful past for the American military
and a challenging but hopeful future....
If it is painful for us just imagine how the Vietnamese feel.
Also see: Vietnam: The Forgotten Victims
Panetta told reporters on the deck of the cargo
vessel [that] the United States would use the Vietnam port and
others in the region to move ships from the West Coast to stations in
the Pacific.
Like who?
It was Panetta’s first visit to Vietnam, and his stop
at the Cam Ranh Bay made him the most senior US official to go there
since the Vietnam War ended.
Panetta never mentioned China as he
spoke to crew members on the Byrd and later to reporters. But with the
South China Sea as a backdrop, he left no doubt that the United States
will maintain a strong presence in the region and wants to help allies
protect themselves and their maritime rights.
His visit, however,
will probably irritate Chinese leaders who are unhappy with any US
buildup in the region and view it as a possible threat.
Just wondering how AmeriKa would react if China were to patrol, say, the West Coast of the U.S. and the Gulf of Mexico. You can forget about the East Coast from what I see today.
Panetta,
in remarks Saturday to a defense conference in Singapore, rejected such
claims about the shift in US military focus. But US officials are wary
of China’s increased military buildup and expanding trade relations with
other countries in the region....
But.... (sigh)
--more--"
Related: Closing the Book on China
Also see: Hanoi opens three MIA search areas
