Taiwan Prepares for Possible Air Attack

[dArKeR]

TAIPEI, Taiwan - Taiwanese fighter jets practiced landing on a highway that was temporarily closed to traffic early Wednesday, a rare drill to prepare pilots for the possible bombing of air bases by China, officials said.

The island has not held such an exercise in 26 years, and it comes as China conducts war games that Beijing's state-controlled media have said are practice for a long-threatened attack on Taiwan.

The rivals, separated since 1949, usually hold large-scale military exercises at this time of year when the weather is good in the Taiwan Strait, the 100-mile-wide body of water that separates the island from the Chinese mainland.

The drills are partly about posturing, with China trying to warn the Taiwanese against seeking a permanent split. Taiwan — which has repeatedly rebuffed Beijing's demands to unify — wants to show that it is ready to fend off any invasion.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=516&ncid=2069&e=1&u=/ap/20040721/ap_on_re_as/taiwan_china_war_games

If Bush's America can unprovoked go in and murder and take over a country than so can any country in the world. Bush and the GOP leadership have brought The Valley of the Shadow of Death which was always their intention!

[Syrinx]

1. if the neocons want a real war

China could provide their wish.

[Supply Side Jesus]

2. like a bully

they'll only pick the ones they can win.

[Syrinx]

3. I agree

But I don't want them to pick on China either. Some things are more important than pride. Like your life and mine. ;)

[shraby]

4. Whaddya mean "they only pick

the ones they can win"? I hadn't noticed they had won the Afghanistan war or the Iraq war yet. The poppies are a bloomin' in Afghanistan and they can't hold elections in either country cause people are still shooting and bombing one another.

[LeftistGorilla]

5. Sorry to say...

Taiwan doesn't have a prayer if China really wanted to invade....

[daleo]

6. China just has to claim Taiwan has a "hunger" for WMD

According to the Republican Senator Warner, that is good enough to provide a justification to invade. At least, it was good enough for Bush to invade Iraq.

[Nevernose]

7. If China does invade, it'll be before Nov 2

My personal theory: If China really does intend to invade, they'll have to do it before Novemeber. Not only are our forces/logistics tied up in the ME, but the Chinese KNOW that the Shrub has no testicles.

[Baltimoreboy]

8. There you are wrong

China invading democratic Taiwan would force the U.S. to respond and defend it, winning Bush the election as a defender of freedom.