June 26, 2004

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  The Panama Canal, American Sovereignty and Self-Defense, Part III of III

  
  

   

  
  

  Also see

  
  

  Part 1

  
  

  Part 2

  
  

   

  
  

  

  
  

   

  
  

  Panama: Tomorrow’s Cuba?

  
  

   

  
  

  At the dawn of the new millennium began a new and even more controversial era for the Canal. Hutchison Whampoa, Ltd., a Chinese company took over control of the Panama Canal after a lucrative deal with the Panamanian government, which went directly against the direct national interest of the United States and the will of the people of Panama. As some might know by now, the Chinese government swore that war with the US would transpire by 2008 at the latest*, but the Clinton administration in another act of “Benedicting” chose to look the other way. And who could blame him, he owed the Communist Regime in China for funding his election efforts and stroking his ego- something a bit bigger perhaps than that which Monica became acquainted a few years earlier and to which Mr. Clinton would very recently quip quite revealingly that the latter was initiated simply “just because [he] could”. Character as we have learned, does matter. The details of course relating to Chinagate and the rest of it were outlined everywhere but in the mainstream press which found it contrary to their political interests to expose the real scandal and treachery in the Oval Office. The facts, though under-reported point to Clinton’s game of footsie with the Communist Chinese who have sworn enmity with us and for that matter might well cost us—and them an incomprehensible number of lives at the end of the day. And if anyone were ever to doubt this, they simply need to see what his neglect of the Al Qaeda problem has cost us thus far. Regardless if war comes from China in the near future or not, the prospect of war from limitless other sources most certainly is more likely in the aftermath of an era in which we had become perceived as naïve and weak; something of which Osama Bin Laden was quite aware.

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  According to an ABC poll reported by the BBC back in April of 2001 immediately following the capture of the American EP-3E Aries II reconnaissance plane and crew by the Chinese government, only 20% of the American public knew enough to consider China an enemy. Many are still shocked to discover the degree of saber rattling and war preparations which have been underway in East Asia for a great number of years. Indeed, hostilities have run on and off since the beginning of the Korean War in the 1950’s where the US squared off directly with Chinese troops pouring over the boarder to take part in the conflict. American troops were shocked by the sheer numbers who, by virtue of this alone literally over-ran positions with their “human waves.” What many do not see is a long term plan set about by the Chinese leadership for military superiority and confrontation set in gear decades ago with their “Five Year Plan” strategy, a method of quantifying their progress over a period of time. China is currently nearing the end of that strategy where it relates to us, embarking on one of their final Five-Year terms during this decade.

  
  

   

  
  

  Despite warnings from US intelligence at the Defense Intelligence Agency in 1998**, along with senior members of Congress and the Pentagon, the Clinton administration chose not to act when it was warned of the threats posed by a stated enemy controlling a strategic American Naval waterway. A waterway no doubt of necessity if we came to blows with the Asian power. And certainly Beijing was aware of its significance. China was willing to not only dole out 22.5$US million a year to Panama, but also according to some Panamanian sources, passed along “Bucket-loads of money” in the familiar under-the-table way that worked so well in funding Clinton’s re-election a year or so prior. Still, the go-ahead with the US pullout was completed in 1999, replaced shortly thereafter by the Chinese PLA front company, Hutchison Whampoa despite overwhelming support for a continued US presence in Panama among Panamanians polled at the time.

  
  

   

  
  

  

  
  

   

  
  

  Law No. 5 with side of Egg Roll or Wan Tan Soup

  
  

   

  
  

  And so China, originally fourth among original bidders, won the 50 year lease. Law Number 5 was passed in Panama on 16 January 1997. The law, in direct violation of the Panama Canal Treaty (articles V and VI) which Panama signed with the US twenty years earlier in 1977, was hardly noticed by President Clinton or the vast American press.  The articles of the treaty in violation pertain to the rights of American warships to be granted “expedited” and “head of line” passage through the Canal. 

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  

  
  

  Law Number Five didn’t stop there. It also gave the company operated by the Chinese government which has sworn inevitable war with us the right to operate the piloting services, tugs, workboats, piers, access roads particularly at strategic points of entrance and so forth. Additionally, Hutchison Whampoa was given permission to transfer the rights of control to any third party it so wished.  Hutchison was also granted first rights to the US Rodman Naval Station, on the Pacific entrance to the Canal- a base capable of holding any modern deep-water warship. And many argue that this could lead to a standoff not altogether dissimilar to the Cuban Missile Crisis. China could easily conceal short range missiles at the Panama port until they felt the time was right. Or China could simply impede our passage in a different crisis, forcing us to look at the prospect of direct confrontation with China in order to use the Canal. They could also use the port to illegally smuggle in other technology, including weapons for drug traffickers, insurgents and American crime gangs, as they have done at least once before when 100,000 AK-47’s were seized at a Los Angeles port en route to local gang members care of the Chinese government a few years ago. This as China is also beginning to cozy-up to various Latin-American countries. According to China’s own news sources, military ties are being developed and strengthened with a number of Latin American interests, many of whom are already openly politically opposed to the United States (some have been looking into developing a nuclear weapons program), which could be the stepping stone for establishing a fortified foothold at our very doorstep. 

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  Lastly, in a future where trends continue and there is a much weaker America plagued with infighting and apathy, a much stronger China or another country could use Panama as an invasion force staging ground. Travel back down the roadway of history and you will see a lot of such roadkill- nothing is impossible, rather everything is likely. Any of these scenarios naturally be they immediate or seemingly far-fetched at present could easily cost many precious American lives.

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  
  

  

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  But the legality of the Hutchison contract isn’t only in question with regard to the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977. The contract with China also is said to violate the Panamanian constitution as well as the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine prohibits foreign powers from setting up shop in the Americas or the Caribbean. Where in the world do we have a vested national interest deserving of a real strategic investment? The answer must be avoided no further.

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  Congress hears noise in the night, goes back to sleep

  
  

   

  
  

  Not altogether lost in the late 90’s by Elected US officials, Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson and other members of Congress called on the US to intervene in her own interest and dubbed the known Chinese front company given control of the Canal, Panama Ports Company (under Hutchison Whampoa, LTD.) “an agent of espionage — economic, military, and political — for China.”  Not altogether out of character for the Communist regime which in the late 90’s acquired the Pacific island of Tarawa, located between the Continental United States and China and sits just 1,500 miles off of Hawaii, according to an article from that period. The island is able to monitor American communications,  satellite and missile tests and other exercises in the area. In addition to testimony and statements by members of Congress regarding Chinese control of the Panama Canal zone, testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in June of 1998 Thomas Moorer, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and one of the United States’ most acclaimed Navy Admirals as well as a World War II hero and Pearl Harbor survivor voiced ominously, “we are on what I consider to be a collision course with disaster in the very near future…I truly can’t remember a time when I have been more concerned about the security of the country.” Since then however, little has been discussed publicly in the halls of Congress or within the Bush administration to deal with this foreboding catastrophe.

  
  

   

  
  

  What can be done to stave off this dire threat to our national security? A list of what are arguably some very common-sense suggestions are made in a well put together article of the time in the Eagle Forum:

  
  

   

  
  

  “1) Renounce or renegotiate the Panama Canal Treaties in light of new evidence that the United States and Panama did not ratify the same text. The DeConcini Reservation, which was added to get the treaty through the Senate, gave us the unilateral right to intervene in Panama if we believe the Canal is threatened.

  
  

   

  
  

  Carter hid from the American people the fact that Panama ratified the treaty without our reservation. Panama‘s version contains a three-paragraph counter-reservation, never submitted to the U.S. Senate, that requires Panama‘s “cooperation” before we try to defend the Canal. Another reason to renounce the treaty is that Panama‘s Law No. 5 violates the Panama Canal treaties over and over again.

  
  

   

  
  

  2) Demand that Panama nullify the lease agreements granted to the Chinese and initiate a new bidding process that is open and fair. No one should be bound by the current agreements because the process was corrupt and discriminatory against a U.S. company.

  
  

   

  
  

  3) Exercise our rights under the 1978 Panama treaties to protect and defend the Canal beyond the year 2000. Halt any more transfers of U.S. military installations, including Howard Air Force Base, the most important U.S. base south of the Rio Grande; Rodman Naval Station, a deep-draft port capable of logistic support for any warship; and Fort Sherman, our only base specializing in jungle warfare and survivor training.

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  Depending on Panama to defend the Canal against China‘s aggressive acts, or against the Colombian drug cartel, is a bad joke. Panama has no army, navy or air force, and the country’s police are completely unable to defend the canal against sabotage or terrorism by narcotics-funded forces coming in from Colombia.”

  
  

   

  
  

  As one of my previous “Philosophical Notes” (#16) has stated before, “Moral matters can often be very complicated… for the ambivalent”. Let’s not hope that our politicians and those who were elected to represent our best interests in Washington have any ambivalence as to which national interest they should serve. The world is fast approaching the moment for that decision.

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  

  
  

   

  
  

  Footnotes

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  *Cited as a possible deadline for war by Several Chinese officials and very much a hot topic all over Chinese and Asian news outlets and message boards today, particularly in light of a possible Taiwan bid for independence during the 2008 Olympics which are to be held in Beijing (anyone remember Berlin?. Indeed the Chinese military have long admired the former NAZI regime’s own military.) All of this while scandal has broken out due to diverted funds meant for construction at the Olympic event sites in China

  
  

   

  
  

  Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Chi Haotian publicly said: ‘War [with the United States] is inevitable; we cannot avoid it. The issue is that the Chinese armed forces must control the initiative in this war. … We must be prepared to fight for one year, two years, or even longer.”

  
  

  
  

   

  
  

  **A report from the Defense Intelligence Agency with the title “Panama: China Awaits U.S. Departure”, said that “Li Ka-shing, the owner of Hutchison Whampoa Lt. (HW) and Cheung Kong International holdings Ltd. (CK) is planning to take control of Panama Canal operations when the U.S. transfers it to Panama in December 99.”  “Li is directly connected to Beijing and is willing to use his business influence to further the aims of Chinese government,” the report states. An army intelligence analyst is quoted in the report as noting that “Li’s interest in the canal is not only strategic, but also a means for outside financial opportunities for the Chinese government.”

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  Additional Resources

  
  

   

  
  

  

  
  

   

  
  

  If you can read Chinese, an interesting essay might be of interest to you. It is titled, “Why China Needs a War”.

  
  

   

  
  

  Report says Hutchison Whampoa is seeking commercial control of vital ports on US mainland was the plan of some Democrats in the Senate in 2002. HW controls about 70% of the worlds shipping container needs, but a plan in the works was to allow them in on a port-security plan meant to keep out bombs and other no-no’s in order to secure the Homeland. The Defense Intelligence Agency had some misgivings, naturally. Compared by opponents to something akin to letting the foxes guard the hen-house, the idea ran afoul with many, to say the least.

  
  

   

  
  

  Hutchison Whampoa also has holdings in the Bahamas

  
  

   

  
  

  Hutchison Whampoa moving into the high-tech communications market

  
  

   

  
  

  Hutchison Whampoa top player in China

  
  

   

  
  

  76 Million USD strong and growing

  
  

   

  
  

  Hutchison Partners

  
  

   

  
  

  Video of Human Rights Abuses in China 

  
  

   

  
  

  China Facts

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  Related Blogbat articles:

  
  

   

  
  

  Making War with Lilliputians (and other giants)

  
  

   

  
  

  Lilliputian follow up article in which claims that Libya would be found passing nuke secrets were exposed in the world community and lamented by IAEA director

  
  

   

  
  

  Notes from the Garden Journal spotlight: Human Rights in China

  
  

   

  
  

  More on Chinese war plans and the Human Rights scene in the country which spans more than 9,596,960 square kilometers

  
  

   

  
  

  
  

  -Blogbat

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

   

  • 3:27 am
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