 |
| Image: Flickr User - Naval Surface Warriors |
By Ankit Panda
U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter finally comes out with a comprehensive account of the USS Lassen‘s FONOP.
56 days. That’s how long it took for a senior U.S. government official to come out on the record and clarify the precise nature of the October 27 freedom of navigation operation undertaken by the USS Lassen in the South China Sea. The USNI News, a project of the U.S. Naval Institute, acquired and posted a letter dated December 22, 2015 from U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter to Sen. John McCain (R-Az.) outlining the Lassen‘s mission. As reports in The Diplomat and elsewhere had noted back in October and early November, much of what was available publicly on the Lassen‘s operation was based on anonymously sourced leaks from within the U.S. Department of Defense – some of which turned out to be inaccurate – and ambiguous statements by Pentagon spokespeople. Carter’s letter, however, finally sets the record straight, once and for all.
I’ve highlighted specific sections of interest below for Diplomat readers, but the whole letter is available at USNI News’ website and is provided below as well:
On October 27, 2015, the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Lassen (DDG-82) conducted a FONOP in the South China Sea by transiting inside 12 nautical miles of five maritime features in the Spratly Islands — Subi Reef, Northeast Cay, Southwest Cay, South Reef, and Sandy Cay — which are claimed by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines. No claimants were notified prior to the transit, which is consistent with our normal processes and with international law.
Read the full story at The Diplomat