bacher and NewsMax.com Staff

                                       For the story behind the story...


                         Saturday April 7, 2001; 10:41 p.m. EDT

                         Hackworth: Bush Will Sell Out Taiwan in Exchange
                         for Plane Crew

                         The Bush administration will deny Taiwan U.S. built naval
                         destroyers equipped with sophisticated Aegis battle management
                         radar in exchange for Beijing's promise to return the 24-member
                         crew of a U.S. reconnaissance plane currently being held hostage
                         on Hainan Island, predicts military expert Col. David Hackworth.

                         "It's a done deal," said that highly decorated combat veteran and
                         former military consultant to CBS News and Newsweek, during an
                         interview Saturday with Judicial Watch Radio's Larry Klayman and
                         Tom Fitton.

                         "What this is all about is not that plane, it's not this crew that's being
                         detained. It's all about Taiwan," Hackworth warned.

                         "And you wait and see, when it's all over and the smoke and
                         darkness settles, you'll see that Taiwan will not get Aegis
                         destroyers or a lot of high-tech gear," to defend itself.

                         Beijing is staunchly opposed to U.S. plans to boost military aid to
                         Taiwan and has made no secret of its own plan to "reunify" the
                         island nation with the mainland, using force if neccessary.

                         Hackworth said the Bush administration would "give them
                         something to try to save face but it will be World War II stuff," in a
                         deal designed to pacify mainland leaders.

                         The veteran of Vietnam, Korea and World War II pointed to the
                         Bush administration's decision Tuesday to withdraw three
                         destroyers the Navy had dispatched to the Western Pacific in
                         response to the crisis.

                         "The Navy brass, when this first happened, their kneejerk reaction
                         was , 'We'll do a wargame off of China.' You saw them send three
                         destroyers straight-away. And George Bush said, 'End that now.'"

                         Another example of Bush administration timidity in the face of the
                         Chinese challenge, said Hackworth: "We haven't had one
                         reconnaissance flight off the coast of China since this happened."

                         Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

                         China / Taiwan

I'll believe it when I see it!

Stand by....

To me any consession to China would be bowing down to extortion commands from the Chinese.  I would be very disapointed if any of this turns out to be true.  Kind of like selling you rights - you just don't do it.   If you have principles you have them, if you don't you don't there ain't no middle ground.

We should adopt some of Sun Tzu's advice.
I say promise them anything they want and then screw 'em later after we get our people back.

Also I think a court martial or two is in order for the brass who sent an unescorted asset into harm's way.
[red][size=4] P.R.K.