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In other words, it shields US felons from prosecution under Japanese law, whisks them out of the country to avoid it, and creates an intolerable situation for Okinawans or wherever US forces are stationed. The Pentagon is in charge, not the host country. Imagine how that would go down in America if, say, China or Russia had bases here. Okinawans have no choice but to protest as 100,000 did in late April, to no avail.
After the Cheonan's sinking, Hatoyama agreed to change course, clearly Washington's aim that has everything to gain from stoking tensions, even more conflict, to gain popular support for diffusing a threat by a self-proclaimed nuclear power that threatens only self-defense if attacked.
Madsen said the incident occurred near Baengnyeong Island opposite North Korea, "heavily militarized and within artillery fire range....across a narrow channel."
"The Cheonan, an ASW corvette, was decked out with state-of-the-art sonar, (and) was operating in waters with extensive hydrophone sonar arrays and acoustic underwater sensors." Yet it detected no evidence of a submarine, mini-sub or torpedo in the area. Everything was quiet at the time.
However, Baengnyeong "hosts a joint US-South Korea military intelligence base," US Navy SEALS, and four US ships were in the area for a joint exercise. Further, the suspect torpedo's "metallic and chemical fingerprints" were German, not North Korean as claimed. Germany sells no torpedos to Pyongyang. It does to Israel and the Pentagon.
Other red flags further arouse suspicions, including the "presence of the USNS Salvor," a Navy salvage ship, earlier involved "in mine laying activities." Former Japan Times editor Yoichi Shimatsu reported them at lower depths, able to explode with enough force to sink the Cheonan. He also said Pyongyang has no underwater vessels stealthy enough to slip past Byeongnyeong Island's advanced sonar and audio detectors.
Navy SEALS may have attached "horizontally fired anti-submarine mines on the sea floor of the channel (or perhaps) a magnetic mine to the Cheonan, as part of a covert program aimed at influencing public opinion," stoking tensions enough to get Japan and South Korea to want our forces in the region - Washington's aim by whatever means, including perhaps sinking an ally's ship and killing 46 members of its crew, a minor externality to tighten its imperial grip, even at the risk of all out war.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.
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