COLUMN: Inside the Ring, By Bill Gertz, The Washington Times, June 29, 2007

Remember Tom's last trip to Hawaii, meeting with SOCOM folks, including observers from China? You won't believe this, but someone in the DOD didn't like it!

A Defense Department official is upset that the U.S. Pacific Command recently hosted a meeting in Hawaii of representatives of U.S. and foreign special operations forces that included commands from China's special operations forces.

"We shouldn't be inviting the Chinese to these meetings," said a special forces operator opposed to the meeting.

A former special operations officer was also upset that the Pentagon's Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict office is promoting Chinese participation in such meetings since the Chinese military continues to view the United States as its main enemy and is using such forums to gain information that could be used against the United States in a future conflict.

Put it this way: Tom doesn't really agree.