Sham No Varunah.

This is coolbert:

From the Chicago Tribune only today:

"World briefing"

"India will protect oil interests, navy chief says"

"NEW DELHI - - The Indian navy is prepared to deploy vessels into the South China Sea to protect the nation's oil interests, the navy chief said Monday amid growing international fears over the potential for naval clashes in the region."

"India has sparred with China over the its gas and oil exploration block off the coast of Vietnam,. China claims the entire mineral-rich South China Sea, Other nations such as Vietnam,. Philippines and Malaysia have competing claims."

India in part importing oil from Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei? That South China Sea area such a point of contention! THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE SPRATLY ISLANDS IS A HOT BUTTON ITEM IF THERE EVER WAS ONE!

And this will be perceived as a tit-for-tat measure too? China for some time now engaging in machinations to secure the sea lanes from the Persian Gulf to China. This is referred to as the "String of Pearls" strategy!

India sending a message to China - - we can play the same game you can play? You poach in our territory and we can poach in yours?

OR, so it can be reasonably inferred, this is too a response rapid fire to the Chinsese passport flap? Devoted readers to the blog can arrive at their own conclusion.

At this very moment too, I am reading the Tom Clancy novel, SSN! American submariners in mortal combat with the Chinese, the vicinity the Spratly Islands and the South China Sea. Fiction! For now!

coolbert.