http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/pentagon-chief-visits-us-carrier-in-scs/154977.html
Pentagon chief
visits US carrier in SCS
Carter says Beijing
to blame for South China Sea tension | Visit to USS Theodore Roosevelt
infuriates China
board The USS
Theodore Roosevelt, November 5
US Secretary of
Defence Ash Carter flew to a US aircraft carrier transiting the disputed South
China Sea on Thursday and blamed China for rising tension in the region on a
visit sure to infuriate Beijing.
Carter's visit to
the USS Theodore Roosevelt with Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein
came just over a week after the USS Lassen, a guided-missile destroyer,
challenged territorial limits around one of China's man-made islands in the
Spratly archipelago with a so-called freedom-of-navigation patrol.
China claims most of
the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes
every year. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival
claims. "Being here on the Theodore Roosevelt in the South China Sea is a
symbol and signifies the stabilising presence that the United States has had in
this part of the world for decades," Carter told reporters as the carrier
sailed about 150 to 200 nautical miles from the southern tip of the Spratlys
and about 70 nautical miles north of Malaysia.
Asked about the
significance of his visit at such a time, he said: "If it's being noted
today in a special way, it's because of the tension in this part of the world,
mostly arising from disputes over land features in the South China Sea, and
most of the activity over the last year being perpetrated by China."
The warship was
"conducting routine operations while transiting the South China Sea",
Carter said on Wednesday after a meeting of defense ministers from Southeast
Asia in Malaysia, a forum marred by the US-China disagreements over the sea
lane.
Beijing has rebuked
Washington over the patrol while China's navy commander has warned that a minor
incident could spark war in the South China Sea if the United States did not
stop its "provocative acts". "China has consistently respected
and safeguarded all countries' freedom of navigation and overflight enjoyed
under international law," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua
Chunying said on Thursday when asked about the Carter carrier visit before it
took place.
"...What we
oppose is waving the banner of freedom of navigation to push forward the
militarisation of the South China Sea and even provoke and endanger other
countries' sovereignty and security interests. In this aspect, we hope the
relevant actions and intentions of the US can be made open and above
board."
The US Navy plans to
conduct patrols within 12 nautical miles of artificial islands in the South
China Sea about twice a quarter to remind China and other countries about US
rights under international law, a US defence official said on Monday.
US defense officials
have said Carter would not be on any warship carrying out such patrols.
"Teddy Roosevelt's presence there and our visit is a symbol of our
commitment to our rebalance (to Asia) and the importance of the Asia-Pacific to
the United States," Carter said on Wednesday.
In July, Admiral
Scott Swift, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, was on board a Boeing P-8
surveillance plane as it carried out a seven-hour flight over the South China
Sea.
Swift said his
flight was routine, but it drew a rebuke from China. In May, Beijing called a
US P-8 surveillance flight carrying a CNN team over the South China Sea
"irresponsible and dangerous". — Reuters
India can play
constructive, positive role: China
China on Thursday
asked India to play a "constructive and positive" role in
safeguarding peace and stability in the disputed South China Sea, in a guarded
reaction to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's call for ensuring freedom of
navigation in the strategic waters amid escalated Sino-US tensions.
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/navy-officers-arrested-as-terror-suspects-in-a-mock-drill-gone-wrong-1240575?utm_source=ndtv&utm_medium=top-stories-widget&utm_campaign=story-7-
http%3a%2f%2fwww.ndtv.com%2findia-news%2fnavy-officers-arrested-as-terror-suspects-in-a-mock-drill-gone-wrong-1240575
Navy Officers
Arrested as 'Terror Suspects' in a Mock-Drill Gone Wrong
Daman: Armed with AK-47s, a group of men in uniform
were tracked and arrested by the local police in Daman today on suspicion of
being terrorists. In an antithesis of a suspected terror plot, the men turned
out to be naval officers whose mock-military drill was thwarted by the
vigilance of the locals.
After the police was
alerted by residents of the Nani Daman town of suspicious activities of men in
uniform, the investigation led the police to an unattended boat at the Kadaiya
coast.
"We launched a
manhunt. We also found a CCTV footage showing these uniformed men," said
Superintendent of Daman Police Eish Singhal.
Further investigation
led the police to a mini-truck near the Coast Guard Air Station.
"We then found
five persons, who were not in uniform, standing by a mini-truck. They told us
that they had come here to take the delivery of some material which weighs 200
kg," said Mr Singhal.
Raising more
suspicion, the police intensified their search. Finally at 1.45 am, six men in
uniform were tracked and placed under arrest. "They were in full uniform
and carrying AK-47 rifles," Mr Singhal said.
They were only
released later after the Navy confirmed their identities to the police.
After detailed
questioning, we found that all of them were Navy officers who had come here by
their boat 'Gemini'. They had been sent here by the Navy for a mock-drill
called 'DGX' -- Defence of Gujarat Exercise."
The mini-truck was
logistic support which had come to pick up the '200 kg' boat 'Gemini' in which
the officers had arrived. The mock-mission led by Lieutenant commander Rahul
Mishra was not successful. However, the police say it was miscommunication on
part of the Navy who had not intimated them of the drill.
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/india-russia-joint-army-exercise-indra-to-begin-this-week-1240544
India-Russia Joint
Army Exercise 'Indra' to Begin This Week
New Delhi: India and Russia will begin their joint army
exercise 'Indra' focusing on counter-terrorism operations this week.
A 250-member strong
Russian army contingent would arrive in Bikaner for the joint exercise to be
held with the Indian Army from November 7 to November 20.
Exercise Indra-2015
is the seventh edition in a series of bilateral exercises under this banner.
The joint exercise this year would focus on 'Counter Terrorism Operations in
Desert Terrain under a United Nations Mandate', an army statement said.
To achieve
inter-operability in joint operations in the future, troops from an Independent
Russian Motorised Brigade and Indian Army's Infantry Battalion would initially
acquaint themselves with the approach to such operations, Command and Control
systems as well as arms and equipment of each other.
The joint training
would also focus on ensuring a high degree of physical fitness, tactical
drills, techniques and procedures.
A comprehensive
training programme for a period of four weeks has been worked out for the same.
During the exercise,
participants will engage in a variety of missions including joint planning,
cordon and search operations, search and rescue, joint tactical drills and
special arms skills.
The exercise would
be conducted in two phases, namely 'Combat Conditioning & Tactical
Training' and 'Validation' phases.
The exercise would
be witnessed by senior Indian as well as Russian Generals.
"The broadened
and unprecedented scope of the exercise stands as a testimony to the deep and
mature, people to people as well as military to military ties between Russia
and India, the statement said.
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