Lawrence Wilkerson: Neocons tried to push Taiwan to declare 'Independence'

[sabra]

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2007/06/04/2003363740

<snip>

Neo-conservatives in the Bush administration -- led by former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld -- frequently dispatched representatives to Taiwan to encourage President Chen Shui-bian's administration to move toward a declaration of independence, the latest US edition of Esquire magazine quoted a former official at the US State Department as saying.

Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff to former secretary of state Colin Powell, was quoted in the Esquire article in the issue published on Friday.

Wilkerson said that the actions had the potential to generate a conflict -- possibly nuclear -- between the US and China.

He said that White House officials promoting independence were the same as those who engineered the war on Iraq, including Rumsfeld, former deputy defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz and former UN ambassador John Bolton, as well as former American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) head Therese Shaheen.

...

These actions forced then secretary of state Colin Powell to send State Department officials to tell Chen that the White House's "one China" policy remained unchanged, Wilkerson was quoted as saying.

The State Department continued its actions until US President George W. Bush personally asked Rumsfeld to cease encouraging Taiwanese independence and resume military exchanges with China, according to Wilkerson.

[Norquist Nemesis]

1. Rumsfeld ran amok! And no doubt with Cheney providing cover. n/t

[mike_c]

2. good lord, they were pushing to start nuclear war with China....

:nuke:

[originalpckelly]

3. Oh lovely, just what I wanted for lunch, a nuke fried chicken.

Are these people fucking serious? I'm glad the Taiwanese had enough sense not to declare suicide and get the rest of us blown up.

[Snarkoleptic]

4. And we can't forget this little Shrubism...

"We'll do whatever is necessary to help Taiwan defend itself."
GULP...what an assclown!

[dusmcj]

5. neocons are a clear & present danger to the security of the United States. nt

[WiseButAngrySara]

6. Yes! The ironies never cease with this crew. ....n/t

[WiseButAngrySara]

7. knr. ...n/t

[jgraz]

8. Does anyone else think these people really ARE out to destroy this country?

One of the quickest ways to do it would be to provoke China into calling in our debts. Hell, they can hold the debt and just stop buying our bonds. It'll make the Depression look like a minor blip.