U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis saw Indonesian troops drink snake blood, roll in glass, break bricks with their heads, walk on fire, and more, in a rare military demonstration on Wednesday meant to show the unique skills of Indonesia’s military. Pentagon chiefs are accustomed to seeing foreign forces carry out more routine military demonstrations during foreign travel and, ahead of Wednesday’s event, the press traveling with Mattis was expecting a hostage rescue drill. The ceremony at Indonesia’s armed forces headquarters was far more theatrical, however, even featuring a blindfolded soldier shoot out a balloon held between the legs of one of his colleagues. At least one shot missed, although no one appeared injured. To the sounds of beating drums, the Indonesian soldiers performed a series of gripping martial arts techniques, breaking what appeared to be concrete bricks with their heads. They also smashed stacks of burning blocks with their hands. Perhaps the highlight was a demonstration involving live snakes, which Indonesian forces brought out in bags and scattered on the ground, just feet from where Mattis was standing. That included a King Cobra, which widened its neck as it if were going to attack. The soldiers then cut off the snake heads and fed the snake blood to each other, as the crowd looked on. At least one Indonesian soldier bit a snake in half. At the end of the demonstration, to the tune of the movie “Mission Impossible,” the Indonesian forces carried out a hostage rescue operation, deploying stealthily… [Read full story]
*** Hanoi-based AFP News Agency on June 5 said US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has hailed "Vietnam's amazing economic achievements" at the start of talks in Hanoi on military relations between the two countries. Mr Rumsfeld, only the second US defense secretary to visit Vietnam since 1975, was welcomed by his Vietnamese counterpart Defense Minister Pham Van Tra. He congratulated Mr Tra on Vietnam's amazing economic achievements that have occurred in just the last 11 years. "Last night, after I arrived, I was able to take a short walk around Hanoi and feel the vibrancy and energy. There has been…... [read more]
WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was admitted to a New York hospital on Sunday with a blood clot linked to a concussion she suffered earlier this month, the State Department said in an announcement that looked sure to fuel speculation over the health of one of America's best-known political figures. Photo: Reuters Clinton, 65, has been out of the public spotlight since mid-December, when officials said she suffered a concussion after fainting due to a stomach virus contracted during a trip to Europe. "In the course of a follow-up exam today, Secretary Clinton's doctors discovered a blood…... [read more]
Rumsfeld has not discussed the controversy with the White House and was not considering resigning, said Eric Ruff, a spokesman for the secretary. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush believes Rumsfeld "is doing a very fine job during a challenging period in our nation's history. "We are a nation at war and we are a nation that is going through a military transformation. Those are issues that tend to generate debate and disagreement and we recognize that," he said. Retired major general Charles Swannack, a former commander of the 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq, and retired major general John…... [read more]
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Beijing on Jan. 9, beginning his four-day visit to China with an aim of improving military ties between the countries after frictions last year. During the visit, Gates is scheduled to have separate meetings with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Vice President Xi Jinping, vice chairman of China 's Central Military Commission Xu Caihou and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, according to Xinhua news agency. The US military top official held talks with his Chinese counterpart Liang Guanglie, agreeing to set up a working group to accelerate dialogues on strategic issues. Gates also planned to…... [read more]
US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has paid a two-day visit to Vietnam- his third visit to the country. Many major news agencies such as AFP, AP, Reuters, VOA and BBC gave wide coverage of the visit. *** Hanoi-based AFP News Agency on June 5 said US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has hailed "Vietnam's amazing economic achievements" at the start of talks in Hanoi on military relations between the two countries. Mr Rumsfeld, only the second US defense secretary to visit Vietnam since 1975, was welcomed by his Vietnamese counterpart Defense Minister Pham Van Tra. He congratulated Mr Tra on Vietnam's…... [read more]
