NSC head urges public to stay calm

National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) yesterday called on the public to remain calm in the face of the government's anti-terror preparations.

"The public should indeed take precautions against potential terrorist attacks, but there is no need to panic," Chiou said.

"Police have raised their alert level, but only to level two, rather than level one. The military does not act the same way. It maintains routine combat preparedness," he said.

Chiou made the remarks in response to media inquiries about the terrorist threat during a recess at a forum on national security and defense.

The forum was staged by the Taiwan New Century Foundation.

Chiou said at the legislature last week that Taiwan was likely to be a target for terrorist attacks.

He said the authorities have altered troop deployments as part of anti-terror preparations, but added that these changes are nothing more than an enhancement of routine operations.

"The authorities have been paying special attention for some time to certain foreigners in Taiwan, especially those from the Middle East," Chiou said, declining to go into detail.

"The police have also strength-ened security for locations such as foreign embassies and representative offices, residential areas with dense foreign populations and other popular places," he said.

Tolerance needed

Chiou asked for the public to tolerate any inconveniences brought by the security measures.

"For instance, the police will check visitors at certain public places. This might not be a pleasant thing for some, but not for those who are prepared for it," he said.

As well as explaining anti-terror measures at yesterday's forum, Chiou discussed his views on the military.

Chiou said that, since he took up his post seven months ago, the military has frequently told him: "We will be fully cooperative as long as government leaders decide on policy."

Input lacking

"I wonder whether the military is being humble or is just accustomed to taking orders from above," Chious said.

"We prefer to have suggestions from the military for any policy we might make in connection with them. But we only ever get the same customary answer," he said.

"Military leaders should understand that we need their full cooperation for the execution of the policy we make. Before we can decide on any policy, we need their opinions, not promises of cooperation," the secretary-general said.

Chiou's remarks represent the strongest-ever criticism that a government leader has made about the military since the DPP took power two years ago.

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), who strongly criticized the armed forces as a lawmaker, has been silent about problems with the military since he became its leader.