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US `earnest' about sales of weapons

"Clearly, we want Taiwan to have diesel-electric submarines."

Peter Brookes, US deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific affairs

The US is intent on delivering on its commitment to sell Taiwan up to eight diesel submarines and stands by US President George W. Bush's commitment to do "whatever it takes" to help Taiwan's defense, a senior US military official has told the Taipei Times.

Peter Brookes, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific affairs, made the comments in an exclusive interview at his office in the Pentagon on Thursday.

"Clearly, we want Taiwan to have diesel-electric submarines," he said. The Bush administration's commitment last year to get the submarines built "was made in earnest," he said.

Since the US has not made such vessels for more than 40 years and has none in storage, many observers in Washington have questioned the administration's sincerity when it made the commitment in annual arms-sales talks last April.

Brookes repeatedly stated that the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) remains the foundation of US military ties with Taiwan, and that Washington will fulfill the act's commitment to supply Taiwan with all the military items it needs for its defense.

He also said recent high-level US-Taiwan military contacts, at the so-called "defense summit" in Florida sponsored by the US-Taiwan Business Council, were consistent with the TRA.

Responding to criticism voiced in Washington recently about the competency of Taiwan's armed forces, Brookes said the country's military was "very capable." He also approved two defense laws enacted last year that reformed the military's structure.

"I support this and I believe it will make Taiwan a more effective fighting force," he said.

On a US commitment made last year to sell Taiwan up to four Kidd-class destroyers, Brookes said the vessels would provide Taiwan with important anti-submarine and other naval capabilities, but noted that Washington was still waiting for a formal request for the ships.

However, he refused to comment on whether the Bush administration would agree in the future to give Taiwan a number of weapons systems it rejected during the last annual arms-sales talks.

These include AEGIS-equipped destroyers with advanced anti-missile-detection and combat capabilities.

Also see story:
US commitment to Taiwan remains firm
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