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Editorial: It's time for the public to face facts

`Israel puts its own interests first when its interests clash with the US, and it is not afraid of upsetting the Americans. In 1981, for instance, Israel was determined to bomb a nuclear power plant under construction in Iraq. Despite the US' vehement opposition, Israel still took action to serve its own national interests. In hindsight, Israel's move not only benefited itself but also other Western countries, who now appreciate Israel's courage.'

According to the US Department of Defense's annual report to Congress on China's military power, there has been talk in Taiwan about attacking high-value targets in China, such as the Three Gorges Dam, if the nation comes under attack from China. Immediately, some media outlets began to portray this as a suggestion by the US that Taiwan attack, or interpreted it to mean that the nation is actually planning such an attack.

This is of course all very irresponsible and the whole story could not be further from the truth. This is not to mention that the story has created unnecessary anxiety in Taiwan.

It is imperative to point out that Taiwan could not possibly make a first strike against China in any event. If it did, it would lose all international support, in particular that of the US, which is the lifeline onto which it has been hanging in the face of increasing Chinese threats. Even talk of enhancing Taiwan's sovereignty or adopting a new constitution has triggered pressure from the US, which has repeatedly emphasized that the US is obligated under the Taiwan Relations Act only to help Taiwan in its self-defense, not in other situations; so it is not hard to imagine what would happen if Taiwan made a first strike. Under the circumstances, it is completely erroneous to depict Taiwan as planning such an attack or the US as suggesting such a thing.

But it is an entirely different matter to think about what could be done in self-defense if China attacked. Attacking the Three Gorges Dam is merely one among many options that might be discussed against such a backdrop. There is really no need to highlight such a scenario -- doing so would only create a hawkish image of Taiwan, when in reality China is the biggest threat to peace in the Taiwan Strait and in fact the entire Asia-Pacific region.

When pressed by legislators on Wednesday about the nation's ability to attack the Three Gorges Dam, Vice Minister of National Defense Tsai Ming-hsien (蔡明憲) said it was possible.

Though Tsai was telling the truth, the strange thing is that such comments probably created anxiety instead of comfort among the public. This reflects the mindset of the people of Taiwan: They do not want any talk of military hostility between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. Many people can't seem to face the genuine nature of the cross-strait relationship -- that is, that China is a very hostile country waiting eagerly to take over the nation. While the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have been engaging in close economic, social and cultural exchanges, the Chinese government has never altered its hostile attitude.

Tsai also indicated in the Legislative Yuan that China may very well launch a small-scale attack as early as 2006 or 2008. He was of course condemned for encouraging hysteria and paranoia. The truth of the matter is that while giving a precise timetable about an attack is probably unwise, the possibility of an attack is real. The topic is now taboo precisely because the possibility is so real.

The day that the people of Taiwan finally face the truth and adjust their mentality may be the day that the current "national identity" crisis becomes a thing of the past.
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