Time: Mon Mar 24 07:25:34 1997 by primenet.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id GAA03576; Mon, 24 Mar 1997 06:51:50 -0700 (MST) by usr01.primenet.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id GAA15987; Mon, 24 Mar 1997 06:51:43 -0700 (MST) Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 07:24:17 -0800 To: (Recipient list suppressed) From: Paul Andrew Mitchell [address in tool bar] Subject: SLS: The Washington Times -- Top Story (fwd) We have MANY foreign investors in this country. Some of them are in my back pocket right now, as I speak these words!! /s/ Paul Mitchell > [The Washington Times] [Top Story] [Image] >Published in Washington, D.C. March 23, 1997 -- Edition "America's News= >paper" > [Navigation Bar graphic, see text links below.] > [Image] > China's California [TWT House Ad 1] > base stirs a furor > ----------------------------------------- > By Rowan Scarborough > THE WASHINGTON TIMES > ----------------------------------------- > [R]epublicans and Democrats on March 12 > raised national-security concerns > about Communist China establishing its > first U.S. commercial beachhead on a > prime piece of Pacific real estate amid > a cluster of U.S. Navy bases and defense > plants. > The deal to bring a huge Chinese > shipping fleet to Long Beach, Calif., is > backed by the Clinton administration, > and a senior Republican congressman > suggests it may be linked to the > Democratic fund-raising scandal. > California's two senators, both > Democrats, urged a review to see whether > national-security interests may be > compromised by the deal. > "Everywhere we turn, we see China > taking active measures to compromise, > infiltrate, neutralize or otherwise > undermine American economic and security > interests," said Rep. Gerald B.H. > Solomon of New York. > "Is this what China is getting in > return for its big donations to Clinton > and DNC [Democratic National Committee] > campaign coffers?" > Mr. Solomon, chairman of the House > Rules Committee, urged Attorney General > Janet Reno to appoint a special counsel > to investigate a plan to lease the > abandoned U.S. Naval Station at Long > Beach to Beijing's huge state-owned > merchant fleet, the China Ocean Shipping > Co. (Cosco). > The two senators on March 12 released > a letter urging the Defense Department > and White House to review the deal's > national-security ramifications. > Questions were raised earlier about why > the White House National Security > Council did not conduct such a review > earlier. > The two senators, Barbara Boxer and > Dianne Feinstein, were among six members > of Congress warned last year by the FBI > that China might try to influence them > through illegal campaign donations. > Some private analysts professed > puzzlement. "I am astonished that we > would be providing Cosco, a known tool > of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, > a beachhead anywhere in California, but > especially Long Beach," said Richard > Fisher, an Asia expert at the Heritage > Foundation, noting Long Beach's > defense-rich environment. > "I can't even begin to imagine the > degree or amount of under-the-water, > on-top-of-the-water and land-based > surveillance that would be needed to > ensure that Cosco did not use this port > for intelligence gathering, insertion or > recovery of agents or other forms of > espionage," Mr. Fisher said. > But members of the Republican > congressional leadership seem not > concerned at all. > House Majority Whip Thomas DeLay, > Texas Republican, discounts prospective > harm to national security. "We have > foreign investors in this country in > many different ways," he said. "Now, how > it came about, how this particular deal > was made, I don't know enough about." > A spokesman for Rep. Dan Burton, > Indiana Republican and chairman of the > House committee investigating the > fund-raising scandal, did not respond to > a question about the Long Beach deal. > House Speaker Newt Gingrich's office did > not return a phone call seeking comment. > Cosco, with 600 ships, has a record of > gun-running, safety problems and tariff > violations. But Mr. Solomon's concern > has more to do with any Chinese scheme > to pour illegal money into the American > political process. > Long Beach's decision to bulldoze the > sprawling base and lease the land to > Cosco for $14 million annually comes > amid allegations that China set up a > secret multi- > million-dollar fund to help re-elect > Mr. Clinton and influence congressional > races. > The president himself worked to bring > Cosco to Long Beach in 1995 and 1996. > During this time, foreign Asian sources > -- possibly including the Chinese -- > were making illegal campaign > contributions to the Democratic Party. > The Associated Press reported that Mr. > Clinton attended a 1995 meeting with top > aides and Long Beach officials to urge > the Cosco-Long Beach marriage. > Candidate Clinton in 1992 campaigned > with promises to deny China the > most-favored-nation trade status because > of its poor human rights record. As > president, however, he extended the > eagerly sought trade designation to > Beijing. > Other national-security experts view > the Long Beach transaction as a natural > progression between two interlocking > trade partners eager to exploit each > other's consumer markets. > "I'd rather see the Chinese infuse it > with maritime activity to keep it as a > maritime base than having it turned into > a shopping center and hotels as has > happened to other ports," said John > Lehman, secretary of the Navy in the > Reagan administration. > "So I think it's a good thing," Mr. > Lehman said. "I think building links and > increasing trade is a good thing as long > as we are not sacrificing national > security, and I don't see that problem > because it's no longer an operating > base." > Cosco has not always played by > international maritime rules. > The U.S. Customs Service last year > intercepted a shipment of 2,000 Chinese > automatic weapons aboard the Cosco ship > Empress Phoenix docked in Oakland, > Calif. The suspected arms dealer, Wang > Jun, met with Mr. Clinton at one of the > White House coffees linked to improper > Democratic fund raising. > In 1992, the U.S. Federal Maritime > Commission imposed a $400,000 penalty on > Cosco to settle allegations the company > engaged in kicking back part of its > published fee schedule to customers in > violation of the 1984 U.S. Shipping Act. > Bruce Carlton, associate administrator > of the U.S. Maritime Administration, > said Cosco's legal problems aren't > pertinent. > "That's a law enforcement matter," > said Mr. Carlton, whose agency promotes > U.S. shipping interests. "If the company > knowingly or unknowingly is engaged in > illegal activities, the fact they have a > terminal [in Long Beach] is neither here > nor there." > As for the fund-raising scandal, Mr. > Lehman appears to see no connection > between the Beijing government and its > trading companies. > "I think whatever political issues > there may be really have to do with the > government of China and not with Cosco," > he said. "They're fundamentally a > commercial organization and will bring > jobs to Long Beach. I think basically > it's a good thing. Why not have Chinese > money do it?" > Norman Polmar, an author and naval > expert, says a Cosco terminal amid U.S. > Navy docks and air stations "makes it > easier" to eavesdrop on the American > military but won't get China more > information. > "No more so than any Chinese merchant > ship calling at the port today," Mr. > Polmar said. "It makes it easier, but > they're not going to learn much more > than Chinese merchant ships do, than > Chinese tourists do, or Chinese > diplomats do. They could [spy] from a > van parked in a parking lot or in a > building. That's such a minor > consideration." > > Go back to the top of this article. > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > > Published March 23, 1997 -- Edition, in The Washington Times > Copyright =A9 1997 News World Communications, Inc. > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > > This edition's highlights: > Top Story | Culture | Exclusive | Letters | Watch | Subscribe > Today's Washington Times: > Whitewater | Front Page | Pruden on Politics | Inside the Beltway | To= >p > Editorial | Suzanne Fields > > >-------------------------------------------------------------------------= >------------------- >To subscribe or unsubscribe, email >-------------------------------------------------------------------------= >------------------- >To subscribe or unsubscribe, email >majordomo@majordomo.pobox.com with the message >"subscribe ignition-point" or >"unsubscribe ignition-point". >http://ic.net/~celano/ip/ > > > >-> Send "subscribe snetnews " to majordomo@world.std.com >-> Posted by: burro@panama.gulf.net > > ======================================================================== Paul Andrew, Mitchell, B.A., M.S. : Counselor at Law, federal witness email: [address in tool bar] : Eudora Pro 3.0.1 on Intel 586 CPU web site: http://www.supremelaw.com : library & law school registration ship to: c/o 2509 N. Campbell, #1776 : this is free speech, at its best Tucson, Arizona state : state zone, not the federal zone Postal Zone 85719/tdc : USPS delays first class w/o this ========================================================================
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