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Feb.- Told pentagon not to expect any additional funding this year until after Sec. Rumsfeld completes a review of all current programs. (Feb. 12) - President Bush reassured U.S. troops Monday that he intends to lift military morale, carrying to the field a promise of $5.7 billion in new spending to improve quality of life in the armed services. If approved, the funds would not be available until after the first of next year. (Feb. 16) - Pres. Bush authorized an air attack on five military installations in Iraq. Twenty four U.S. and British aircraft took part in the strike. The administration says this was a "purely defensive and routine strike." All aircraft returned to their bases safely. No injuries or battle damage was reported. The President was in Mexico meeting with Pres. Fox when the attack took place. Mar. Selected individuals to fill posts Secretaries of Army, Navy and Air Force. (go to link for Key People at top of page) (Apr. 1) - A collision between a US Navy EP-3E prop. driven reconnaissance aircraft and a Chinese F-8 jet fighter occurred over international waters off the coast of China. The fighter crashed and the pilot was reportedly lost. The US aircraft was badly damaged and made an emergency landing on the Chinese Island of Hainan. The American crew reportedly destroyed all classified material aboard the aircraft before being incarcerated by the local Chinese military. China alleged that the US plane had caused the crash and demanded an apology. Pres. Bush refused to apologize for the incident. An official letter was sent to the Chinese Government saying the US was sorry for the loss of the Chinese pilot. The US demanded the release of the 23 crew members and the return of the aircraft. The US alleged that the Chinese pilot was a "Hotdogger" who had been known to swoop close to and harass previous reconnaissance flights. After eleven days the US crew members were released. They stated in debriefing that the Chinese pilot was at fault, and that they were not badly treated by their captors. As of Apr. 21 the Chinese still have our aircraft. Negotiations over it's return continue. (Apr 23) - President Bush rejected Taiwan's request to buy high-tech U.S. destroyers equipped with the Aegis combat radar system, but left open the possibility of future sales if China continues to pose a military threat to the island. Bush approved the sale of four Kidd-class destroyers, which have a much less potent ship-borne radar system that Aegis radar but would still be a step forward for Taiwan's navy. The Kidd-class system could be available by 2003, providing more immediate defense than the Aegis system, which would take until 2010 to build. The Aegis system would still be available to Taiwan in 2010 if Bush decided at a later point to offer it. Bush also agreed to sell Taiwan up to eight diesel submarines and 12 P-3 aircraft, along with various helicopters, assault vehicles and other arms. Besides the Aegis, the U.S. deferred sales of Apache helicopters and tanks requested by Taiwan. (Apr 24) - Pres. Bush announced that the government would cease the policy of holding an annual review and sale of arms to Taiwan. He said the US would henceforth rearm Taiwan on an "as needed basis." (April 25) - President Bush, who has approved a big arms sale to Taiwan, says he would use military force to defend the island against any attack from China.
Asked in an interview aired Wednesday on ABC's ''Good Morning America, '' if the United States has an obligation to defend Taiwan, Bush replied: ''Yes, we do, and the Chinese must understand
that. Bush was then asked, "With the full force of the U.S. military?
" (May 1) - President Bush committed the United States to building a defense against ballistic missile attack and indicated he would not allow a Cold War-era arms treaty to stand in the way. ''We need a new framework that allows us to build missile defenses to counter the different threats of today's world,'' said Bush, who spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin before announcing his plan. (May 7) - Spy plane flights resumed off the coast of China today. There was no reaction by China to the EC-135 aircraft's flight. (May 8) - China said on Tuesday it would not allow a U.S. spy plane crippled in a collision with a Chinese fighter to leave the country and that it had told Washington as much several times. The official Xinhua news agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi as saying U.S. officials had been told of Beijing's decision in negotiations after the collision sparked a tense 11-day diplomatic standoff. ''The Chinese side has several times stated clearly in relevant Sino-U.S. negotiations that it is impossible for the U.S. EP-3 plane to fly back to U.S. from Hainan Island,'' Sun was quoted as saying. (May 28) - President Bush honored America's veterans Monday with the Memorial Day signing of legislation to construct a World War II monument at a controversial site on the National Mall. (May 31) - President Bush is likely to ask Congress for an additional $5.6 billion to pay for military health care, higher energy costs and other Pentagon expenses through September, a defense official said Thursday. Some members of Congress say the extra money is too little and will not fully cover the Pentagon's current expenses, The Washington Post reported Thursday. The supplemental budget request was submitted to the White House on May 21, the Post reported, and officials said it could be sent to Congress any day. The largest single item in the Pentagon request is $1.9 billion for military personnel benefits, including salaries and housing. Of that total, $1.4 billion is for defense health insurance costs that were authorized by Congress last year but not funded in the federal budget for fiscal 2001, which ends Sept. 30. (June 14) - President Bush said Thursday the Navy will end its bombing exercises on Vieques Island off the coast of Puerto Rico.
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Copyright © 2000,
2001, 2002 Thomas and Ann Pickett |
