US military a black hole for information

The recent collision of the US nuclear submarine USS Connecticut with an unknown object in the South China Sea has drawn great attention from the international community. It is not only the nuclear submarine collision itself that has caused concerns, but also the slow manner in which the US side has disclosed information about the "accident".

The collision took place on Oct 2, but the United States didn't announce it until five days later. And more than 20 days later, the US navy is still not sure what object the submarine hit or else it does not want to disclose the fact.

Covering up the truth is a tradition of the US military.

Just two months ago, the US military carried out a drone strike in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, claiming to have killed two terrorists. However, this was a complete and utter massacre of innocent people. Ten civilians, including seven children, were killed. When questioned by the media, the US army first fabricated details to try to cover up the truth, and then said it would investigate. At last, it chose to downplay the attack as a "tragic mistake".

The US military has long showcased its weapons and equipment in a high-profile fashion, and has often accused many countries of "military opacity".

Now is the time to ask whether the US military is open and transparent.

With regard to biological militarization and the safety of biological laboratories, the US is the only country that has obstructed negotiations on a verification protocol to the Biological Weapons Convention over the past 20 years, and it has more than 200 biological laboratories around the world. Many of these facilities are ill-managed and lack effective supervision.

These examples show that the US will never consider openness and transparency if it conflicts with its own interests. The so-called openness and transparency of the US military is nothing but a cover to deceive the international community and oppress other countries.

As one deception after another is exposed, the "halo" of public opinion the US has enjoyed is slipping.