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Blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng is under U.S. protection in Beijing after an audacious escape from 19 months under house arrest, a U.S.-based group said on Saturday, in a drama that threatens to ignite new tensions between the two governments.
The United States has not given any public confirmation of reports that Chen, who slipped away from under the noses of guards and bristling surveillance equipment around his village home in Shandong province, fled into the U.S. embassy.
China has also declined direct public comment on Chen's reported escape, which threatens to overshadow a two-day meeting with top Obama administration officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in Beijing from Thursday.
But Texas-based ChinaAid said it "learned from a source close to the Chen Guangcheng situation that Chen is under U.S. protection and high level talks are currently under way between U.S. and Chinese officials regarding Chen's status".
"Because of Chen's wide popularity, the Obama Administration must stand firmly with him or risk losing credibility as a defender of freedom and the rule of law," Bob Fu, president of the religious and political rights advocacy group that has long campaigned for Chen's freedom, said in an email to Reuters.
On Friday, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, asked about the situation, told reporters: "I don’t have anything on this issue at all." There was no further update from the department early Saturday.
Blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng escapes from house arrest
The New York Times reported that the situation leaves the United States "with a new diplomatic quandary as it seeks to improve its fraught relationship with Beijing".
The reports of Chen's escape come nearly three months after a Chinese official Wang Lijun fled into a U.S. consulate for over 24 hours on February 6, unleashing a scandal that has rattled the ruling Communist Party months before a once-in-a-decade leadership handover.
Wang's brief flight to the U.S. consulate led to the downfall of top official Bo Xilai who had been openly campaigning for a place in the inner circle of power in Beijing.
Pu Zhiqiang, a Beijing lawyer and rights advocate, said reliable contacts also told him Chen took refuge in U.S. embassy grounds. The incident will be another damaging blot on China's security services, following Wang's flight, said Pu.
Video reveals blind Chinese activist's plight
"Everyone knew about the suffering of Chen Guangcheng and his family but nobody dared raised his head over this and ignored it," he told Reuters, referring to Chinese officials.
"Chen Guangcheng has been the most typical victim of this lawless, boundless exercise of power," said Pu. "But the day has finally come when he has escaped from it."
Chen, a self-schooled legal advocate who campaigned against forced abortions, had been held under extra-legal confinement in his village home in Linyi in eastern Shandong province since September 2010 when he was released from jail.
His confinement under relentless surveillance with his family fanned protests by Chinese sympathizers and criticism from foreign governments and groups.
Chen's escape and the furor it has unleashed could add to the headaches of China's ruling Communist Party, which is striving to ensure stability and authority before a leadership transition later this year.
It also threatens to overshadow a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who are due to visit Beijing next week for the annual "strategic and economic dialogue" between the two countries.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
first of all...get this dude some jackie O sunglasses...he deserves better eyewear
...lmao china can't repress a blind person????
good work to whoever helped chen
MSN wants you to understand that its the Republicans that are undermining the O'bama administrations efforts with China relations. Following this statement, the article then inserts...
Thought I'd help guide the Libs to the MSN pasture
Skorned - Why are you making this a Republican Vs Democrat Issue? Oh wait, that's the job of you righties...
It is much more fun...and both sides do it. Is that honest enough for you? Plus, I really enjoy reading into the mind of the author to depict bias. Texas based! Classic haha! Its like ringing the dinner bell at Pavlov's house!
Lol Skorned!
IAT: clearly you have not been a member of MSNBC/Newswhine for long.
And all this hyper partisanship is largely why Congress won't get anything done, but just prefers to cater to their bases.... Yes both sides do it, and both sides create a mess in doing it. And as to the "they do it too, nya, nya, nya"; there's an old saying about 2 wrongs not making a right. In this case, both parties can be just as bad, and both as wrong in engaging in this; when they should be putting out a budget, among other matters, and finding some common ground to come to agreement on.
Hey Skorned,
Not everyone is Texas is a Republican, if that was the case they wouldn't have to jerrymander their congressional districts. A lot of hard core liberal and other left wing groups are based out of Texas. Look how left Austin is for instance. Troll elsewhere please, what you say lacks logical foundation.
Also this is not a case of biased journalism this is a case of lazy and sensationalist journalism. They lifted the part about Obama needing to act or loosing credibility right off of ChinaAids front page. The author just took half the article off of a biased website, and only half credited the source, hence the biased tone.
Yep..... keep doing business with China no matter the cost to our people's ideals that will teach em'... what a bunch of hypocrites residing in our government.... Oh well, off to buy more cheap Chinese products for us all.
Please sign and share this petition to the U.S. government to protect Chen Guangcheng:
Many thanks!
Perhaps it is time for the US to end all diplomatic ties with Communist China. Since they don't like the US government interfering in their business anyway, maybe its time for all the good Republican companies like Walmart and Apple to fend for themselves.
I have growing doubts that the cynical Obama administration will protect this blind dissident from the thuggish Chinese regime.
Obama lacks convictions. He'll gladly do deals with tyrants. He doesn't want to offend China so it will support U.S. initiatives elsewhere and also continue to buy U.S. debt.
To hell with that! America stands for freedom and should immediately grant asylum to Chen.
If Obama throws Chen under the bus and turns him over to certain imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Chinese regime, he deserves to be thrown out of office!
Dan-542129 - The republican's don't want to have Chen turned back over, because it hurts their money train of using cheap labor and materials at the expense of the American People.
Obama has more than once spoke on the LACK of Chinese basic human rights. Do some research before you make these false claims.
Guys give me a break here with this right/left bantering. You are the exact reason our system is bugged. Bicker and back bite. Give it a rest.
This guy Chen is a champion of freedom and human rights in HIS country. We honor and respect that and we should help where we can. BUT we can't be an escape route for every foreign political refugee. Let's use some logic here.
The super pacs thrive off this sort of thing. Divide and conquior really is a pretty old trick. Sadly, it still works, and perhaps for those who don't really support the supposed divisions they trump up in their rhetoric? If all these politicians were really so divided as these political ads suggest; then why for instance would HW Bush and Clinton be best of buddies, who have commonly played golf together? Sometimes, just sometimes taking the opposing stance, might not be such a matter of conviction. Not that it would help much to counter this; when Romney (and he is not alone) can take quite different stances on the abortion issue, depending on which voting demographic he happens to be speaking to.
But outside of their own interests, their own battles on who will rule today/tomarrow; it really doesn't help us all that much to always take one of their sides, as if these parties or politicians were really all that sincere, or even cared one iota for the average voter (outside being a toll to be "persuaded" into giving them another vote, so tey can turn around and represent the lobbyists and the PACs to the exclusion of all em voters, anyhow).
When are we going to stay out of other countries affairs.How would this country like it if China pointed out all the persons in our own jails that shouldn't be there.I wish msn and others would quit playing politics.
"People in our jails that shouldn't be there"? Like who? Are you referring to people convicted on non-violent drug offenses through laws properly established and vetted through a democratic process? Or the people in Guantanamo that aren't our citizens and thus not protected by our laws in the first place?
If China pointed that out, we'd laugh at them. That's how much we'd like it. Not saying that our legal system is perfect, but it works to imprison legitimate offenders and protects people from unjust imprisonment (though that may depend on your exact view of what "just imprisonment" is). Their legal system works to help maintain the Communist party's grip on power and control over a society that might undermine their rule.
And btw, we will never stay out of other countries' affairs. Another difference between us and China.
I agree with you Dan and I could not have said it better. We, the United States, must finally draw the line in the sand. If we say we defend freedom, they do it. Keep him on US soil, i.e. A car transporting him, the plane that will fly him to America. Make sure we have fighter jets close by to escort him here. Then we see what we can do about getting his family free.
Semper Fi, Always and forever.
Why do you think he wants to go to the US? My guess is that he wants to make changes in his own country.. not live out his life in obscurity abroad, as so many other Chinese dissidents are doing. If simple escape was his goal, he could've made his way to the Swedish or German embassies. He went to ours because of the maximum publicity for his cause - which is or should be OUR cause - not because he wants a free ticket to the US.
CaliforniaFirst, you are idiot just like the blind idiot is. He is undermining Chinese government effort to control population explosion. Even with one child policy, China is facing growth out of control. Anyone half witted is aware of the tremendous challenge that our planet is facing by population explosion. You obviously think that Earth can support unlimited number of residents. Well, if you do, then just google: "population explosion" and you will find answer to Chinese efforts to control population growth. Overpopulation in regions as India and most of the Arab countries where contraception, let alone abortion is taboo, is leading to disruption of food supplies and threatening world security. Maybe after you contract disease that started in crowded slums of overpopulated country, one that can travel the world, maybe then you change your mind.
Chinese government should be applauded for their efforts, not critisized by dimmwitt like you.
Obama will lose my vote if he returns him.
Obama should NEVER have had your vote. You were deceived.
How does one explain to their bosses in intelligence, that you've lost a blind man? I'm sure lots of heads are going to roll over there, too funny!
Obama has my vote 100%. He didn't take us into a war over lies of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Yeah, because Obama has such a STRONG record on domestic issues. You libs still whining about WMD's that Democrats sitting on the Senate Intelligence Committee supported the information of? We've got bigger issues to deal with now...
And the alternative? The not quite human Romney, who arguably shouldn't get a vote either.... To put this in South Park terms; people are arguing over which of the 2 shouldn't get people's votes more; a giant dousche or a turd sandwitch.
no itsabouttime he didnt take us into war. he has kept us there. even when the objective of getting bin laden was done. he does not have my vote. he lied about bringing the troops home as soon as he got into office.
problem with the domestic issues is it will be even worse under romney 10tatcle. you will most likely see even more jobs with him sent overseas to pander to his cronies that payed for his election. that way they can make even more of a gross profit by child labor.
the only way you will get change is to have a middle class party started made up of middle class people who put middle class individuals into office.
10tacle, I gotta laugh at your comment. Bush drove the economy off the cliff and it's Obama's fault that he could not stop it from hitting the canyon floor? The GOP way, cut the portion of government's income (taxes) coming from the rich but don't cut their spending. Actually the opposite, increase deficit spending with not one but two unnecessary wars. I bet your grandfather blamed Mr. Hoover's deprecession on FDR. The economic trouble was entirely cause by the GOP bill that removed the Glass Steagel laws that prevented banks and corporations from the crap they pulled that caused the ecomomic bubble and then burst it. Clinton handed Bush a surplus and a strong economy. This economy is exactly what removal of government regulation produces. It's no accident that the 2 largest depressions started after 8 years of a Republican president and congress.
Putting aside the usual Dem/Rep banter (and really Devil, blaming Bush for Obama's problems at this stage smacks of desperation), I'm with Cody.
I for one don't see much actually changing if Romney were to take office (people always overestimate how much power the POTUS really has), so events like this are important to me. Obama had my vote up until now for finding Bin Laden and taking him out (or for being in charge when his people did it... whatever). If he would turn over an abused democracy advocate just to smooth over a diplomatic meeting, I cannot and will not support that.
Hey Devil: I duly take note you don't address ONE SINGLE POINT that was made under nearly three and a half years of leadership of your beloved leader Obama. I expected as little, and was not disappointed.
And if you want to talk about Clinton handing Bush a "surplus" then clearly A), you have not seen the federal deficit numbers growing for over a half century and B), missed the fact that it was Republicans led by none other than Newt Gingrich that dragged him to the budget table kicking and screaming (in between discussing the Big Bang theory with fat ugly interns anyway).
The rest of your liberal drivel is not even worth the time to address.
ItsAboutTime-3704531,
The Bush Jr 2002 Iraq AUMF referenced the 1998 AUMF about WMD that Clinton used in the Iraq Bombing campaign...
Problem # 3,000,000,000 that we should be worrying about.
Don't freakin care.
Besides, big business and this country is OWNED by China anyway.
US should not meddle in China's internal affair.
Obama will get my vote if he returns him.
Your opinion is completely groundless. I suspect your name is a front for an employee of the NSA, or perhaps China's employee through some onshore business front. Your grammar is not correct, and your LOGIC is absent.
Actually, that ship has already sailed.
We have Chen in our custody. China wants him back.
If we take him to safety, then we're providing refuge for people seeking to flee China. If we give him back, then we're repatriating political refugees and cooperating with China's internal power structure. Either way we're getting involved in China's affairs.
I say meddle away. Get Chen out of there and throw it their face. Give him air time, a book deal. Let his story get out. The administration can either play this up and start putting pressure on the Communists, or he can just shrug his shoulder and tell them he can't turn Chen over. Either way let's get this democracy train chugging.
Actually, I think he should stay at the US embassy, get him a microphone, set up some speakers, and let him make speeches once a day from a balcony overlooking the street. Should drive the Chinese govenrment crazy, they can see him, they can hear him, they just can't have him.
Also, give him a contract to sell sunglasses, he looks pretty good in them.
Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if a Chinese intelligence service drove him, and driopped him off, at the US embassy just to create an embarrasing situation. Like Sf Accountant said, what do we do now, give him back and look like idiots, or keep him and create an incident that China can get mileage out of?
American government leaders need to clean up their own activities before wagging a finger at China. The passing of hr 347 now makes it a felony to peacefully protest on federal land. S1867 has extended the Patriots Act power to now detain American citizens without trial indefinitely. Lets not forget the FEMA funding of detainee camps hr 645. Oh I forgot those aren't really camps LOL. President Obama signed off on all of these bills that are designed to limit and control American freedom of speech. It is a predominately Republican party that helped push through these bills. I have been saying for years we need a third party that is Legally Responsible to do what they have been hired to do.
If this corporate government does not back off they will bring on a revolution and they may just find their military unwilling to play along.
Funny how you would mention the repubs pushing the bill. It took Democrat support to PASS the bill. We don't need a third party. We need all current and future congresses to be legally responsible.
China is a totalitarian regime that needs to have their feet held to the fire. Their recent affirmation with North Korean support is another finger in the eye. The DPRK would have folded years ago and the peninsula reunited if it wasn't for China's ongoing support for them.
Nobody in Washington has the stones to sanction them for their transgretions.
We are so much better, we have to star in porn for the TSA whenever we fly. Its porn in every definition alright.
FFF, this isn't about our government wagging a finger at China. This is about Chen pressing the issue of whether we're going to stand up for democracy even if it could cause serious diplomatic tension and threaten economic ties.
Your post, while informative and much less hysterical than most (I'm looking at you, Matador), is entirely off-topic.
SF I do not consider how I framed my post within the argument of the American politicians pointing their fingers at China to be off topic. But everyone is entitled to their opinion.
Liars I find it interesting that you do not recognize that I see both parties as a problem. I even mention Obama's complicit behavior in the stripping of American freedoms. While it is easy to criticize the possible solution of a third party legally responsible to do what they have been hired to do, I do not see your proposal as even remotely possible as the current governent is corporate owned and unable to clean itself up. When a house becomes infested with vermin you have to clean the whole house before you can live in it again. So far they continue to disregard what they were voted to do. The majority of Americans want the border closed they want to be out of wars they want clean energy they want their freedoms restored they want the banks and wallstreet held accountable for their crimes against America and most Americans who have educated themselves about GMO's want them labeled or outlawed.
@freedom
What would you prefer the US do with regards to the Chen Guangcheng? Even if you believe we don't have our house in order that doesn't mean we shouldn't support ending his detainment and offering protection for him. Do you want us to give him back? Even hypocritical actions aren't necessarily wrong if the goal is right. I'm not implying I agree with everything else you said either.
Matador I am not sure that your strategy of finding a correlation between porn and TSA searches will bear fruit in changing peoples minds about the practice. I would say that although I am against S1867 hr347 and hr645 I am not against searches on anyone coming into or leaving American soil. Given the threat of terrorism in our country and what I have researched about these threats it is prudent. Travel visas are a privilege not a right. Other countries have the right to search anyone coming into their country to protect their citizens and the US certainly does not want someone traveling from the US carrying biological weapons or any other destructive device going to another country. In addition we do not want these types of weapons coming into America.
Dust It is not possible for Americans to bear the weight of all the problems in the world. This may seem cold hearted but America is under fire from within. We need to focus on our own house first. Our first duty is to our country. The people in China must make their own determination what kind of government they want. We can not do it for them. These articles while thought provoking are also distractions from the very real problems and dangers Americans must face if our Democratic process is to be reinstated.
@ freedom
But what does it cost us to provide safe harbor for this dissident? Slightly worse relations with the Chinese in the short term? It's not as if it's a mutually exclusive deal. We can improve our government while helping him. It sounds as if you want our government to be perfect before it does anything good in the world.
"It sounds as if you want our government to be perfect before it does anything good in the world."
A curiously common sentiment, given how often I hear "take care of America before we worry about other countries!"
As if a nation can ever be truly free of problems, and as if (even more laughably) the government would be the one to solve them.
Obama's got a problem here....the article OF COURSE does not remind the readers exactly WHAT Mr. Chen Guangcheng is protesting against for which he is a prisoner under house arrest...but I WILL TELL YOU...the ONE CHILD policy of China...where women are forced to abort second children, and thus a cause of gender related abortions (girl babies). This is an abhorrent problem for Obama - and Hilary - who basically AGREE with China's gestapo policy. Chen is a RIGHT-TO-LIFE hero and prisoner of conscience! THEREFORE - I predict that President OBAMA (not personally because it is an election year) but under Hilary Clinton's aegis - will throw the fish back! Obama doesn't want Chen, and won't take him. Maybe, just maybe, Obama will allow Chen to be transferred to some other country....but he will not be allowed to get press access and shoot his mouth off, or have real old fashioned (and now non-existent) American freedom.... You heard it from me.
Chen is China's problem - not the United States'. He should be returned to their government. As for their policy of only one child per family, it is THEIR policy! What would you think if China gave sanctuary to a US citizen that was protesting the US policy of allowing as many children as you want - like the Octomom (Wait, I would like that!)? If you have a socialist country in which the government has to provide everything for everyone, then you have to limit the number of people you have to care for.
If things got so bad that political protesters needed to flee to CHINA to escape our government, I would absolutely support the Chinese government taking them. What an absurd question.
Randy you make an excellent point. It is China's policy. Given their huge overpopulation problem it is understandable that a one child policy exists. I believe however that China does allow a second child if a fine is paid. The cultural practice of devaluing females has lead to parents abandoning or even killing their little girls in the hopes of trying for a boy baby. As a result of this stupid practice, there are now not enough females for males in China. Chinese men are now purchasing poor women from Vietnam under the ruse of marriage but many find themselves being shared by multiple men and are essentially treated as prostitutes.
Randy, (and whoever "fight for freedom" is) you both have a very poor grasp of the situation. First, Truth and Freedom are Universal constants, and to say that it's China's problem just ignores the whole perspective of what the United States is supposed to be the champion of...i.e. Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq, Grenada? etc. etc. etc. So, your comments are a cop out. Second, on one hand you say China is way overpopulated (that's the key to their success, and India too - remember "people are our most important product"?) and yet ON THE OTHER HAND you point out there are not enough girls. That is part of the problem with the one child policy Chen is protesting! If the people were taught the Billings Method of Birth Regulation, and given incentives to not have children, then the population would be manageable and everybody would be happy.
@mortimer
Your grammar is not correct, and your LOGIC is absent.
If US is supposed to be the champion of Truth and Freedom, how can nothing has been done to the human right abuses in Saudi Arabia and Bahran.
mort Your argument that we must be involved in the world's problems seems high minded but it has caused as much suffering as it has solved. Each culture must seek their own path. There is no denying that a country that overpopulates its carrying capacity becomes vulnerable to war revolt starvation and disease. You have also ignored the point that the reason why there is an imbalance between the ratio of men to women is due to their cultural practices of devaluing females. If you think that India and China do not have severe poverty and that overpopulation is contributing to it then you have obviously never studied populations and how too many of any species puts out of balance the whole eco support system. It will be your children and theirs that will feel the horrors of this archaic growth model that is no longer an acceptable method of management. You seem to think that we don't have a full grasp of the situation. I say you are looking at only one aspect of this problem and I find it typically arrogant and narrow in scope.
"If US is supposed to be the champion of Truth and Freedom, how can nothing has been done to the human right abuses in Saudi Arabia and Bahran."
You know exactly why. Because Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are US allies, they can get away with more without causing as much fuss. That's not moral, and I dislike it, but that's how it is, and Obama is obviously in no mood to put principles above policy.
That doesn't mean we shouldn't intervene elsewhere, though. Why should we ignore oppression everywhere and anywhere because we aren't willing to censure friendly governments? At least we can do SOME good.
Furthermore Henrich, mortimer's grammar and logic are a far sight better than yours. Just thought I'd point that out.
If America wanted to do some good in the world and secure important resources they would be stopping the genocide of African indigenous tribes as well as Christian groups by Muslims who call them dogs and slaves. Rape forced conversions and murder are daily events in many parts of Africa. Unfortunately too little too late has been done and China has put their hooks in. Now their citizens who travel there to set up business are being kidnapped and murdered. As the stomach turns Jihad style.
It's nearly impossible to help anybody in an violent conflict in Africa while upholding "justice" because most of the time neither side is any better or more just than the other. Rebels fighting against a legitimately cruel and corrupt authority usually start wiping out villages and using slave labor.
Defending Christians against Muslims is an issue I'm less familiar with. Are we talking about government-sponsored drives of oppression or simply individuals and mosque groups committing heinous acts?
We are talking about groups of Jihadists or any group that conducts genocide on a whole village. Example Darfur. We can not stop individual acts of revenge within a community.
Then you have the current genocide happening in Sudan. George Clooney recently got arrested for protesting what was happening there. He has been in Sudan and seen what is happening to these indigenous African people. They have been their long before Muslims came and started conquering parts of Africa.
Who cares about this guy. He will be pirating discs and DVDs before you know it. Just like the Russians who move abroad, it seems they always find some unsavory things to get into. Yes your country sucks, but we are trying to unsuck ours as well, so take a number.
chen just jumped from the fry pan into the fire.
when im arrested as a american citizen which embassy should i run for?ndaa allows american goverment to arrest anyone witout charges and hold them forever with no representation or trial.at least chen got a trial in china.
Chen did, but not everyone does.
And a trial doesn't mean much when the judiciary is controlled by the same party as the executive branch. There's no separation of powers in China.
How can the United States talk about human rights violations when it keeps its prisoners in Gitmo locked up for 10 years without even charging them with a crime and still hasn't prosecuted the Bush administration for the torture and murders that it committed in Abugraid and Gitmo?
Yeah, and when are we going to prosecute Obama for illegally bombing Libya with out provacation?
moneyos1 right after we Punish Former President Bush for starting two illegal wars during his reign of stupidity.
They weren't illegal. Think about it, dont you think Pelosi and Reid would have prosecuted him it they were? Stop parroting Rachel Maddow...Bush had authorization. At least he followed the constitution.
Both wars had congressional approval, idiot Eddie.
None was asked for when it comes to Libya.
What murders do you speak of in Abugraib and Gitmo?
Diarrhea of the keyboard once again.
You have to understand that the campaign of hatred waged against Bush and Cheney by the left and the mainstream media was very effective. I think most of the people that hate Bush dont really know why, they just do for some reason. He wasn't the best president in history but I had plenty of prosperity while he was in charge and had a congress that was willing to work with him. Once the leftists took over congress, the economy tanked. I'm proud that he crushed Saddam and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Not sure about all the illegal murders and tortures that they're talking about. I think these are also fabrications from people like Maddow, Schultz, Olbermann, et al...If they really did happen, where is the evidence. Lots of charges yet no evidence...
Did the United States Congress under Article 1 - Section 8 of the Constitution declare war on Iraq or Afghanistan? NO. Congress did NOT approve of the war, they only approved the funding of the TROOPs that Bush committed as "Commander and Chief".
Moneyos1. Many people hate Obama for the wrong reasons, as do most with former President Bush. I don't hate anyone, that's to strong of a word, but Bush was by far and away the worst president in US History.
They were Illegal. Only The United States Congress can declare war. Article 1 - Section 8. So do not tell me that what Obama did in Libya was illegal. Bush was the worst president in US History.
ItsAboutTime-3704531,
The USA has not declared WAR sense 1942...
The US Congress issues AUMFs to provide funding and Congressional authorization for deployment of the US Military...
This effectively blocks the enforcement of the Geneva Convention and other International Laws, that would restrict the US Military & CIA actions. While also keeping US Officials from being held ACCOUNTABLE for VIOLATING these Laws & Regulations...
So you would just sit on you hands while World Terrorist attacked the USA???
That worked real-well for Clinton, when he was IGNORING the terrorist actions against the US Military & US Embassies. While the; funding, planning, placing the key terrorist in the USA, and training for 9-11 - ALL occurred during Clinton's watch...
"Chen (A BLIND MAN), who slipped away from under the noses of guards and bristling surveillance equipment"
LMFAO! All I can visualize is the old Richard Pryor-Gene Wilder movie "Hear no evil See no evil".
Face it, this is just another wag the dog tactic. Americans have been lied to for over one hundred years and now with the truth out there two thirds won't look for it and fifty percent won't acknowledge it and ninety nine percent won't do anything about it.
It like the person said, we don't need a third party, LOLOLOL, yeah ! the two party lie has done so well for us. The only wrong being done is that those of us that have clue still are screwed becuse we have to go along with the majority rule BS.
Chen Guangcheng, Just another useless lawyer trying to make a name for himself.
Bring him to the US. Bring him through the Mexican border so he will have full benefits.
He could come to the US. Attend school under a different name. Claim to have been born in Hawaii and maybe be president one day!
Isn't that part of the "Dream Act"?
Why do so many people want to vote for Obama. He is, by far, the WORST president in U.S. history. Here's some proof:
1. he promised to support Catholics(like me), yet he supports abortion and has done NOTHING to help us.
2. The unemployment rate has increased even though he claims to help it go down.
3. He actually wants to build a church for Muslims right where the twin towers used to be. His excuse? He thinks by rewarding the Muslims for terrorizing us that they will leave us alone, which is will never happen.
4. He is against a pipeline from Canada(forgot name) even though they offered it to us first, and it would help bring gas prices down. He is trying to make us like Europe where only the rich and wealthy people have cars while we have to ride trains and buses.
5. The state media(NBC,ABC,CBS) NEVER say any bad about Republicans, but will do anything to make Republicans look bad. FOX is literally the only channel to make both sides look bad and actually say good things about republicans.
6. This was a while ago, but he was at some meeting and they said the pledge. but of all the people there the only person not saying it(or put his hand on his chest) was Obama. The president of the U.S. was the only person(out of 50-100 people) to not do the pledge.
Even a 13 year old boy like me knows that if Obama is re-elected, we are screwed.
And why should anyone vote for Romney?? He is by far the most unstable opponent the Republican Party could find!! Romeny doesn't have any 'idea' of what it takes to be a leader. What really amuses me, is that all of the finger pointing, and verbal attacks aganist Obama, only adds up to pure hatered that he will not, and has not stoop to the level of ignorance that the rigjhtwinger's take great pride showing. Your posted BS proves my point!!
!. Separation of church and state. The taxpayer isn't supposed to be supporting the richest religious institution in the world.
2. Unemployment has gone down even though the Bush/Cheney recession continues.
3. They own the property (Repub #1 talking point- rights of property owners) and the Constitution protects the Catholics and Muslims right to worship and the right to have a place to do so.
4. It's been shown the pipeline will create few U.S. jobs (Foreign contractors building it) and will actually increase fuel prices in the Midwest because they will easily be able to transport the oil to the gulf for shipping out of the country.(Hence not reducing fuel prices here.)
5. The conservative owned media rarely comments on it's owners bought and paid for property.
6. Some meeting, somewhere, some time ago. Just chock full off facts and what's your point? Was he updating his FB account? Should we count how many people sing and hold their hands over their heart at baseball games, school assemblies, etc? Yet they are still allowed to vote and have constitutional protections. Even allowed to post uninformed comments online.
Nice dress by the way.
Time for the US to really stand up for human and individual rights! Demand that China realease all political prisoners now!!
I hope we grant him asylum - turning him back over to the Chinese authority would be a death sentence for the poor man - he'd surely "accidentally" die of "natural causes" during one of those "intense interrogation" sessions. Symbolically it would be more valuable for the USA to stand up for its convictions than to gains some points with Chinese leadership - we are already heading for a break down in relations with the state, so why bother to "rebuild relations"? I'd rather we go to war sooner, before China is ready.
If we did, what some say had occured with operation Keelhaul; then a few Chinese officials would no doubt make him disappear; if you catch my drift.... A corpse might not even be found after they'd be done...
We need to do what is best for America's national interests.. and for maximum diplomatic advantage, preferably at China's greatest possible expense. I doubt that means letting him hide out on our embassy grounds forever.
There are times when the nation's principles have to stand before the nation's interests.
That was the case in Libya. It took some arm-twisting, but Obama was eventually dragged into it.
Now is another of those times.
Again, you're assuming that you know what Chen wants. It's far from clear to me that escape is his goal.. instead of maximizing publicity of his cause and the plight of his friends and relatives, all of whom would suffer if he were to get on a plane in Chicago. Those Chinese dissidents that have made their way to the US faded into obscurity back home. He may want to the US to negotiate a deal that will let him stay in China safely.. or as safely as possible... and given what's been going on China, this may very well be possible.
If Obama gives this guy back to China it will be a bad sign of things to come.
Actually, we should assure his safety (through guarantees from the Chinese) and then let him go, assuming that he wants, which I suspect he does. He can do more inside of China than out, and Hillary will want to arrange this to maximally mess with China's government. He has immense diplomatic value for the US, and we should use him for maximum effect, and that means we shouldn't leave him to sit on his hands inside the US embassy.
i am so glad our govt is standing up for this chinese activist...but on the other hand, many of us who dare to criticize our own govt or stand up for our freedoms to choose our own foods do not get that same protection.
Wow. This whole situation is absolutely hilarious (at the expense of China's government). Their secret police has, in the most public and humiliating manner possible, allowed one of the highest profile prisoners under their charge - a prisoner who just happens to be blind - escape from their custody, from right under the noses of a dozen or more of their finest agents.
... and all this at the time, when that secret police is fighting for its very political survival as an agency. The secret police is headed by an evil piece of work named Zhou Yongkang, who also heads one of the most powerful parliamentary subcommittees in China and has effective control over a million member armed militia. Zhou is also believed to be responsible for many of China's worst policies, like support for North Korea, torture, religious repression, the nastiness in Tibet, etc, etc.
Zhou is already under a cloud of suspicion because of the bad deeds of his murderous buddy, Bo Xilai, who is now off being interrogated by Zhou's enemies (China's ruling triumvirate of Wen, Hu and Xi - the premier, president and vice president of China, respectively) somewhere well beyond Zhou's sphere of influence... likely in military custody. Bo is widely believed to be giving up the goods on Zhou, in exchange for his life or at least less torture.
Zhou is also the head of the faction inside of China's Communist Party most opposed to that of their president, so no doubt Wen and Hu will see this whole mess as an opportunity to plant a few more hatchets into Zhou, moving forward the moment when they can move openly to crush Zhou's whole security clique and their personal militia.. which would be a bloody and drawn out affair.
This allows us to mess with China's whole government, keeping them on edge for months and ultimately giving the more sympathetic faction within China's government an advantage over their rivals. They may even have to turn the army against the militia and police. With luck, when this is all over, Zhou and his faction will be the ones packing up for a desert gulag, and that would be a very good thing for the whole world.
For those of you trying to turn this into a partisan US political issue, cut it out. You're just embarrassing yourselves. This is global geopolitical realpolitik, not tiddlywinks.
lol, maybe that's what this is really about, an internal power struggle designed to discredit somebody before the head of the regime changes.
Maybe he was "allowed" to escape to the US Embassy courtesy of another faction. Provides an opportunity to get rid of a member of the opposition, and sends a dissadent to the US where he can no longer be a pain in the butt.
After all, he's blind, it's not like he could have driven himself......
I don't think this needs to be conspiracy of some type. Nobody ever accused Zhou's goons of competence before. They're perfectly capable of losing a prisoner any 200 of 'em were guarding. But now that this has happened, I believe you're right about the opportunities it presents the current regime...
This is the same government who would like to make their own choice for who the successor to the Penchin Lama will be for the Tibetan people... In so many ways, it would have been better for China if the Tianamin Sq demonstrations of 1989 were successful, and the ruling party in China fell....
*shrugs".. blame that one on Bush I. He could've done a lot to ensure that democracy prevailed in 1989, but he utterly failed to act. We sat on our hands, and we've been paying for it ever since.
I remember the speech well... I was 16 when the massacre happened; and heard the whole speech wrt prefering to give them MOST FAVORED nations trade status, over actually taking a stand. I think the priorities were clear that day, for those who were calling the shots. I don't think I will ever forget that, until the day I die...
We might yet see "karma" if you will, of a less then positive kind come about due to the decisions which were made in that regard.... The short term benefits, of our multi-nations could expand into the Chinese markets which they chose to see as more important then the considerations of the freedoms and liberties of the people in China who were demonstrating; might turn out to be just that. Short term, where the long term costs might well be a matter yet to be reckoned with...
What Bush I did, or failed to do, is going to go down in history as one of the worst diplomatic blunders in modern American history. There's nothing we can do about it now.. but it is important to give credit where credit is due.
More blame Bush crap from a lefty troll. Didn't see that coming.
Nothing to do with blaming Bush or partisan US politics. Bush I messed up on China. A democrat would likely have done the same, but that doesn't change the fact that he messed up. This isn't really up for debate.
All I have got to say, is this coudl go both ways. If a Chinese man can escape to a american embassy for laws that we find B.S...
If someone get's captured, and thrown in prison for being a SUSPECTED "terrorist", under the new NDAA, should they be able to run to a different countries embassy? Maybe french?
We need to stay out of the internal affairs of other countries. We get all sorts of pissed when other countries refuse to return US citizens charged in this country. We should just leave other countries and their dissidents and their problems alone. We have enough of our own, including $hithead dissidents.
"Obama Administration must stand firmly with him or risk losing credibility as a defender of freedom and the rule of law"
We are not some Third World Country with tyrannical rule, trying to stuff and suppress each and every person who dares to question or campaign against our government. I feel we should take the heat and keep Chen from being returned to China, tension or not. Just my opinion.
This is not far from our future here in America. Obama just recently signed into law that if a secret service agent doesn't like what you say at a protest you can and will be charged as a felon. Our free speech is being taken away along with other freedoms. So if you go to an Obama rally and yell out "you lie" you to could find your self arrested. Sounds just like China.
Gluck, you can thank Pres. Bush for the Patriot act! Remember him? Bush the Dictator?
first of all it's Glock with a o not a u. 2nd I'm not for the patriot act either. 3rd if you think Bush was a dictator look at are current pres. 4th you would be lying if you said you weren't with Bush when he stood on the ruins of the trade center and said we are going to kick some ass ( his approval rating was like 90% after that) even my most liberal, we should all be friends with everyone friends wanted to nuke Iraq. 5th even though Bush got the patriot act passed Obama has expanded it not reduced it . 6th if your only answer to any negative comments about Obama is to blame Bush it just show how ignorant you are. Obama had 2 years with a majority in both houses and he didn't do one thing he promised. Now 6 months before the election he is trying to make it look like he is doing something, what took so long?
Glock is right. Bush hasn't been in power for 3 years. Blaming him for our country's problems just looks desperate.
Sometimes I think the Democrats wish Bush WERE still in power. All they can talk about is how bad things were when he was in charge and all the stupid/nasty things he did... it just starts to look a little suspect after a while, you know?
@sf accountant and any other republicans...
bush started us into 2 wars that we are still in...are you happy? Is it your kids that are dying?
do you think the day that obama became president we could just pick up and leave?
give us some answers..you started the fight..now end it dumb fukers
..and btw..the united states has less credibility than it has had since ww2....it's all because of president bush!!! anyone who doesn't see that is a fool.
Actually cincy, yes, when Obama was president, we could have picked up and left. We could have been out of Iraq in a week. Month, max.
We could have left Afghanistan right after Bin Laden was done in. "Mission Accomplished," and all that. But we didn't. I know there are perfectly good reasons for that, but they're hardly any different from the reasons the Republicans gave for the war. Setting up a proper infrastructure, enabling security, protecting institutions, yadda yadda.
It's obvious to me that Obama was never the miracle worker leftists and Democrats thought he was; even you seem to think that America is still in decline (and ironically, I actually disagree), so obviously he hasn't turned things around. It just seems implausible to me that Bush did SO MUCH damage that Obama has been completely helpless during his entire first term. Obama is either incompetent or wrong in his approach to governing.