Mon, Mar 24, 2003 page6

• President, vice-president briefed at security bureau

  SHOW OF SUPPORT Chen praised security personnel for their vigilance and surveillance in a time when the country is supporting the American pre-emptive strike

  • CNA
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  President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) paid a visit to the National Security Bureau (NSB) yesterday to be briefed on the latest developments in the ongoing US-led war in Iraq.

  Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) accompanied Chen on the visit to the bureau, the NSB said in a news release.

  According to the press statement, Chen was briefed on the battle situation in Iraq, including the coalition forces' daylight raids on Baghdad.

  Chen was quoted as having praised the bureau for its establishment of a special task force back in September last year to keep close tabs on developments in the thorny Iraqi disarmament issue and its drawing up of various contingency plans to cope with the possible fallout from the war in Iraq.

  During the visit, Chen also encouraged bureau staff members to heighten their vigilance and step up surveillance in order to safeguard national security, social stability and the public's well-being.

  At this moment, Chen said, the world situation is changing rapidly and the tension in the Korean Peninsula continues to escalate while China has not eased its efforts to take Taiwan by force.

  Chen said he hopes the bureau's task force can coordinate and cooperate with other relevant security units in detecting threats from China and other parts of the world in order to beef up national defense and stability.

  On Saturday, Chen and Lu visited the Hengshan command post -- a tightly guarded military command center on the outskirts of Taipei -- where they were briefed on the cross-Taiwan Strait military situation following the start of the US-led war in Iraq.

  The Ministry of National Defense activated its Yunghsing Task Force after the outbreak of war Thursday to monitor developments in Iraq as well as North Korean moves and China's military activities in its southeastern coastal areas opposite Taiwan.

  A defense ministry official said that the task force has stepped up round-the-clock monitoring of the activities in China's Guangzhou, Nanjing and Fuzhou military regions.

  In defense of the government's decision to back the US action to attack Iraq, President Chen said over the weekend that "supporting the US is supporting ourselves."

  Speaking with a group of DPP rank and file members in Taichung, Chen, who serves concurrently as DPP chairman, said the country owes a great deal to the US, which came to the aid of Taiwan in 1996 when China lobbed missiles into waters off Taiwan's coast and which provided long-term support for Taiwan in its military confrontation with China during the Cold War.

  Chen said his administration is especially grateful to US President George W. Bush, who pledged during a visit to Japan in February last year not to forget his country's commitment to Taiwan's security.

  Noting that possession of weapons of mass destruction forms a threat to world peace and security, Chen said Taiwan cannot sit on its hands while the US is fighting in Iraq to wipe out terrorism.

  He made the comment in response to opposition lawmakers who lambasted the government for siding with Washington in its controversial war against Iraq at the risk of offending Islamic countries.
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