Axios’ Jonathan Swan is reporting that it was actually Defense Secretary Mark Esper who “ordered a back-channel message in October” to reassure the Chinese that the U.S. was not preparing a pre-election attack:
New reporting from @jonathanvswan: Milley wasn't the only one who feared China was consuming bad intel about the possibility of a surprise U.S. strike by Trump.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper ordered a back-channel message in October to reassure them. https://t.co/yL080jzoB4
— Zach Basu (@zacharybasu) September 15, 2021
A “Senior Defense Official” confirmed this account to the Washington Post’s Josh Rogin, adding “Milley was absolutely not going rogue”:
Senior Defense Official confirms to me @axios reporting on Esper's role in China calls.
"Milley was absolutely not going rogue. Esper took the initiative on this in October, Esper asked his own policy folks to backchannel the message. Milley’s message followed Esper’s."— Josh Rogin (@joshrogin) September 15, 2021
More from Axios:
In mid-October 2020, top Pentagon officials grew concerned about intelligence they'd seen. It showed the Chinese were consuming their own intelligence that had made them concerned about the possibility of a surprise U.S. strike against China. https://t.co/wN0mP6eUTs
— Axios (@axios) September 15, 2021
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Then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper worried the Chinese were misreading the situation and that their misperception could lead to a conflict nobody wanted. https://t.co/WBkdvIcB2E
— Axios (@axios) September 15, 2021
Esper directed his policy office to issue a backchannel message to the Chinese to reassure them the U.S. had no intention of seeking a military confrontation. https://t.co/WBkdvIcB2E
— Axios (@axios) September 15, 2021
Well, then. Both Esper and Milley should testify in front of Congress ASAP.
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