US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI2960

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 002960 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/RSP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - 
ROBERT PALLADINO 
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, KMDR, KPAO, TW 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: LONDON BOMBINGS 
 
 
Summary:  All the major Taipei dailies gave 
considerable coverage July 8 to the blasts that ripped 
through London Thursday morning and their impact on 
global stocks and financial markets.  All the 
newspapers in Taipei carried wire service reports of 
the bombings in London on their front and first few 
pages, and most of them described the blasts as 
"terrorist attacks."  Nonetheless, there was only one 
commentary and one op-ed piece (in the centrist "China 
Times") published July 8 that commented on the blasts 
in London or the global war on terrorism.  Washington 
correspondent Liu Ping said the "war of injustice" 
[i.e. the war in Iraq] launched by the United States 
and Britain using made-up reasons has failed to obtain 
better security for the two countries.  A separate op- 
ed piece in the newspaper by Kan Yi-hua, associate 
research fellow at National Chengchi University's 
Institute of International Studies, predicted that the 
blasts would very likely have an impact on the global 
war on terrorism and the dynamic development of world 
power in the future.  End summary. 
 
A) "Has the World Become Safer in the wake of War on 
Terrorism?" 
 
Washington correspondent Liu Ping noted in the "My 
Views" column of the centrist, pro-status quo "China 
Times" [circulation: 600,000] (7/8): 
 
". The bombings that took place in London [Thursday] 
could also possibly happen in the subways of New York 
and Washington, DC.  The United States can conduct very 
thorough security checks on airline passengers (forcing 
some of the passengers traveling between Washington and 
New York to travel by train [rather than by plane]), 
but how is it going to carry out security checks on 
millions of subway passengers? 
 
"An extremely important job for preventing terrorist 
attacks is [that of] intelligence collection, 
especially of intelligence sources from within the 
Islamic world.  But given the [rising] anti-American 
sentiments [in the Islamic world] today, the 
reliability and stability of such intelligence is 
questionable.  As a result, the [preservation of the] 
security of the United States and its allies is also a 
challenge. 
 
"The irony lies in the fact that within the Islamic 
world, Iraq is in reality the country that is most 
tolerant of Christianity.  While the American soldiers 
stationed in Saudi Arabia were only allowed to 
celebrate Christmas inside their closed-up tents, 
Saddam Hussein of Iraq had already agreed earlier that 
Christmas would be a national holiday. 
 
"The United States and United Kingdom jointly launched 
a war of injustice using made-up reasons, but in fact, 
the war [in Iraq] has failed to obtain better security 
for them.  [The result] is just like what Senator John 
McCain, a Republican like U.S. President George W. 
Bush, has said recently: `We are now paying a heavy 
price for the mistakes we made earlier.'" 
 
B) "The Campaign against Terrorism Will Generate an 
Impact to the World Again" 
 
Kan Yi-hua, associate research fellow at National 
Chengchi University's Institute of International 
Studies, commented in an op-ed piece in the centrist, 
pro-status quo "China Times" [circulation: 600,000] 
(7/8): 
 
". Thursday's terrorist attacks in London will likely 
generate a profound impact.  The immediate impact will 
be on the G-8 summit currently held in Britain. 
[Before the blasts in London,] anti-terrorism was no 
longer regarded as a major issue on the agenda for the 
G-8 summit, which would originally focus on poverty in 
Africa and global warming issues.  But since the 
terrorist attacks took place in the United Kingdom and 
have evidently targeted the G-8 summit, the issue of 
the war on terrorism will likely become the focus of 
the agenda again. 
 
"In terms of the United Kingdom's domestic politics, it 
was generally expected that British Prime Minister Tony 
Blair's remaining political career will not last too 
long following the parliamentary elections [scheduled 
for] May 5.  But now given Britain's leading position 
in the G-8 summit, its [soaring] reputation regarding 
holding the [2012] Olympic Games, and especially the 
sorrow, rage and unity demonstrated by the British 
people following the blasts in London, one must not 
think too little of Blair's future political career. 
 
"In addition, when it comes to the U.S.-led global war 
on terrorism, the terrorist attacks against Britain 
will further legalize the actions of the coalition 
forces.  The uninterrupted war on terrorism by the 
United States and the United Kingdom will have an 
impact on the relations between the two countries and 
France, Germany and Russia - those that opposed the war 
in Iraq.  The terrorist bombings in London will thus 
likely affect the dynamic development of world power in 
the future." 
 
KEEGAN