Watch Over the Pacific

摘要

As commander of the Pacific Command (PACOM), Adm. William J. Fallon is head of U.S. military operations in one of the most complex regions of the world. In the Pacific, all eyes are on China, a surging economic power that is rapidly improving its military capabilities and expanding its political influence around the globe. Some states in the region — such as the Philippines — are breeding grounds for what Fallon calls a "worldwide terror network ... pretty much focused in Southeast Asia." Other Pacific nations long have been known for anti-American sentiment stemming from the days when the United States supported dictators such as Indonesia's Mohammed Suharto, who limited personal freedoms, allied with the West and built a fortune for himself and his family by controlling large swaths of the nation's economy.