National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Der-sheng (蔡得勝) resigned yesterday citing health reasons and is to be succeeded by Deputy Ministry of National Defense Lee Hsiang-chou (李翔宙), the National Security Council said in an announcement.
The NSC statement said Tsai has been plagued by eye problems and had tendered his resignation to NSC Secretary-General King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) last weekend.
Despite calls by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and King to stay on in the position, the statement said that Tsai quoted his doctor as saying he needed to be treated and get some rest.
Ma accepted Tsai’s resignation and appointed him to the position of presidential national policy adviser, alongside former defense minister Kao Hua-chu (高華柱).
Tsai and Kao’s appointments will last until the end of the year, the Presidential Office said.
Meanwhile, the NSB said that Lee is “more than qualified” for his new job as he has served as deputy head of the president’s security, head of the Military Police Command, Command of Army Command Headquarters and vice chief of the General Staff.
Lee was among the 37 military officers reprimanded by the ministry over a closely watched case in July last year surrounding the death of army corporal Hung Chung-chiu (洪仲丘).
Hung died three days prior to finishing his military service, due to heat exhaustion allegedly caused by intensive training administered with malignant intent.
At the time of the controversy, Lee offered an apology to the public and Hung’s family and pledged to bring all responsible parties to justice.
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
GET TO SAFETY: Authorities were scrambling to evacuate nearly 700 people in Hualien County to prepare for overflow from a natural dam formed by a previous typhoon Typhoon Podul yesterday intensified and accelerated as it neared Taiwan, with the impact expected to be felt overnight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, while the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration announced that schools and government offices in most areas of southern and eastern Taiwan would be closed today. The affected regions are Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi City, and Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung, Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as the outlying Penghu County. As of 10pm last night, the storm was about 370km east-southeast of Taitung County, moving west-northwest at 27kph, CWA data showed. With a radius of 120km, Podul is carrying maximum sustained
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
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