China leans on GOP?

Secret GOP struggle
Pentagon officials were puzzled by the presence of a well-knownChinese military intelligence officer at the Republican NationalConvention in Philadelphia last week.

People's Liberation Army Maj. Gen. Chen Kaizeng, a former defenseattaché in Washington, was working the convention as part of adelegation of Chinese officials who attended and met top defense andforeign policy advisers of Republican presidential candidate George W.Bush.

The presence of the Chinese general raised eyebrows among a number ofRepublican insiders. Gen. Chen, demonstrating his collection skills,managed to get hold of the draft China plank of the GOP platform writtenmostly by Robert Blackwill, a former arms control official and friend ofCondoleezza Rice, Mr. Bush's chief adviser on national security.

The Blackwill version prompted what we are told was a small butsecret "struggle'' inside the Republican platform committee againstefforts to soften language on China. The early draft excluded the word"strategic'' in describing China as a competitor, and also left outimportant references to arms sales to Taiwan, a U.S. defense of Taiwanand China's "stifling'' of religious freedom.

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The final platform document was rescued by several congressionalstaffers and former Rep. Bob Livingston, Louisiana Republican, who saidthe squishy language did not represent Republican views.

The final document reflected recent speeches by Mr. Bush. It calledChina a strategic competitor -- not a partner -- and urged "timely''U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, a dig at the Clinton administration'snear-moratorium on weapons sales.

It also called for defending Taiwan if it is attacked by themainland: "We deny the right of Beijing to impose its rule on the freeTaiwanese people.''

The Chinese government officially protested the tougher language. AForeign Ministry spokesman expressed "concern and regret'' of theplatform criticism of China.

Conservative Republicans were left wondering how Mr. Blackwill hadso much clout over the platform writing process. He is close to the PLAas director of the China Initiative program at Harvard that has broughtsome 50 Chinese military officers to the United States. Critics havecalled it "spy training'' for the Chinese military in Boston.

The program is funded by a mysterious Hong Kong patron, Nina Kung,who supplied $7 million for the exchanges that also include a separateprogram for visits to Harvard by civilian Chinese officials.

All the PLA colonels are hand picked for their visits by Gen. XiongGuangkai, China's military intelligence chief who suggested in 1995 thatChina would use nuclear weapons against Los Angeles if the United Statesdared to defend Taiwan from Chinese attack.

Mr. Blackwill declined to comment for the record on the platformprocess.

Pentagon fraud charged
Peter Leitner, a senior strategic trade adviser within thePentagon's Defense Threat Reduction Agency, DTRA, is charging the agencywith "waste, fraud and abuse.'' In a memorandum, he asserted the Clintonadministration is guilty of "the reckless export decontrol of much ofour advanced military and military-related manufacturing and operationaltechnology.''

The three-page memorandum to the Pentagon inspector general, Mr.Leitner, a critic of Clinton administration export policies, chargedDTRA with padding its personnel rolls "to create the false appearancethat U.S. national security is being protected in response to a seriesof critical congressional and IG hearing and inspections.'' He calledthe effort "a Potemkin village.''

The staffing issue also is an attempt by "anti-export control forceswithin the Pentagon'' to further isolate and weaken the Pentagon groupin charge of monitoring exports of strategic goods -- those that can beused for foreign nations for weapons development, especially to nationsthat might use those weapons against the United States.

Mr. Leitner also stated that the DTRA has an inherent conflict ofinterest with the export control branch within it known as the DefenseTechnology Security Administration. DTRA currently is seeking to carryout "a series of ill-advised exports ... to Russian nuclear end-users''that the export control branch is questioning.

"In addition,'' he writes, "several DOD officials are trying toundermine the State Department-managed arms transfer regulations byhaving dangerous nuclear-weapons related technologies transferred toCommerce Department jurisdiction where its export to even the mostdangerous foreign end users, particularly China, is all but assured.''

Mr. Leitner asked the IG to investigate the issues and warned, "Thelast few months of the current administration will likely see additionalattempts by current officials to curry favor with potential futureemployers at the expense of national security -- the one chip they haveto trade.''

A spokeswoman for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency said the agencyhas no knowledge of an inspector general probe, a sign the IG may haveignored Mr. Leitner's appeal.

Truckers
Stewart & Stevenson Services Inc. wants U.S. permission to startselling its military trucks overseas. But the State Department has laiddown some strict guidelines to ensure weaponized versions don't fallinto the wrong foreign hands.

The Texas company has provided about 11,000 trucks to the U.S. Army,primarily to carry troops and supplies. But the family of MediumTactical Vehicles can also serve as a weapons platform.

A State Department letter we obtained states that any truck modifiedto carry weapons would make the U.S. Munitions List and must winapproval from a host of agencies, including the Pentagon.

"We have no sales lined up at this point,'' said company spokesmanPaul Justice. "We have some possibilities.'' He said Communist China isnot among them.

Clark, the civilian
Friends of retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark say, three months afterthe Clinton administration unceremoniously ended his career, the generalstill doesn't know exactly who orchestrated his early departure.

But Gen. Clark -- first in his West Point class and the head of twofour-star command billets, isn't living in the past. He has charged intocivilian life on many fronts.

He holds a chair at the Center for Strategic and InternationalStudies; is making paid speeches; lectures at the National DefenseUniversity; is on retainer to Stephens Inc., an investment banking firm;and does pro bono work as well, educating groups on internationalaffairs.

As if his plate's not full enough, the energetic field commander isalso writing a book. He declined comment when we asked if his memoirswill touch on the Pentagon officials who waged war on Gen. Clark himselfas he led NATO's bombing campaign against Serbia.

"I loved being in the military,'' the 55-year-old Gen. Clark says.

"It was enormously satisfying to participate in the rebirth of theAmerican Armyafter Vietnam and then serve in Washington and participate in highpolicy formulation and execution.''

Of his NATO stewardship, he says, "NATO commander was just awonderfulexperience, an incredible experience. And we won.''

After a year in Washington, Gen. Clark plans to return to his nativeArkansas in a full-time job with Stephens, exploring high-techinvestments.

"I went to West Point because I believe in duty, honor and countrybefore I went there,'' he says. "I was given an opportunity and I'mincredibly grateful for it.''

Despite his detractors within the administration, Gen. Clark went tothe White House on Wednesday to receive the Presidential Medal ofFreedom, the nation's highest civilian award.