Cablegate: Media Reaction: London Bombings
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
080855Z Jul 05
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