Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

MND DENIES REPORT ABOUT FORMING 400-MEMBER SPECIAL FORCE

ROC Central News Agency

2005-03-21 15:53:07

    Taipei, March 21 (CNA) The Ministry of National Defense Monday denied the existence of any plan to organize an additional elite unit for counter-terrorism or to guard against a "decapitation strike" from China as reported by local media.

    Fielding questions at a Legislative Yuan Defense Committee meeting, both Vice Minister of National Defense Huo Shou-yeh and Army Commander-in-Chief Gen. Chu Kai-sheng said the media report about a plan to form a "400-member special force" was only speculation.

    According to the media report, the ROC Army is planning to organize a 400-member elite unit to cope with possible terrorist attacks and China's "decapitation attack" against Taiwan.

    Decapitation strategies short-circuit command and control systems, wipe out nationwide nerve centers and leave the opponent hopelessly immobilized. Many military observers say the mainland is very likely to use this strategy to invade Taiwan by seizing the island's center of power, the capital and its top leaders.

    Under the Cabinet's counter-terrorism action plan, Huo said, the military is tasked with offering necessary support. Against this backdrop, Huo said, the military is determined to beef up its special forces' combat capabilities.

    Nevertheless, Huo stressed that the military has no plan to organize a new 400-member elite unit.

    Huo also denied a media report about the defense ministry having a plan to spend a large sum of money to open special production lines to manufacture equipment or weapons needed by the existing special forces. "The report is not true," Huo said, adding that while some of the weapons or equipment needed by the special forces are produced at home, many other items are procured from abroad.

    As the number of each item needed by the special forces is not large, Huo said the military has traditionally not needed a special production line to produce a specific item to meet the demand of special forces.

    Speaking on the same occasion, Army Commander-in-Chief Chu Kai-sheng said the Iraq War shows that modern warfare mainly features combined services attacks. "As a result, special forces will play a critical role in future warfare. We must beef up our combat capabilities and equipment used by special forces, " Chu said. But he added that the ROC Army has no plan to form an elite "counter-terrorism" or special force to counter an attempted decapitation strike.

(By Sofia Wu)

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