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NSC express regret over news reports on simulated war games

ROC Central News Agency

2008-04-16 18:53:52

    Taipei, April 16 (CNA) The National Security Council (NSC) on Wednesday described as regrettable reports that alleged this year's computerized warfare simulation revolves around a scenario of President-elect Ma Ying-jeou being assassinated before his May 20 inauguration.

    NSC officials said the reports by "Next" weekly magazine were "regrettable, " and "irresponsible," adding that they were "distorted because they were politically-motivated."

    The reports stated that the war games simulated a situation in which Taiwan was thrown into turmoil after Ma's assassination and the Chinese government took the opportunity to launch a blitz attack on Taiwan.

    This year's war games are actually simulating a senario of China acquiring its first aircraft carrier in 2020 and launching an all-out attack from off the east coast of Taiwan, the officials said.

    The officials said the war games are aimed at strengthening the capacity of government agencies to deal with military crises and the ability to protect the nation's infrastructure in a crisis.

    The simulation exercise is also aimed at testing decision-making among the heads of relevant government agencies and verifying mechanisms for dealing with crises, and related plans, they added.

    The officials said that this year's war games, scheduled for April 25-27, will be held in three stages -- the first stage being a drill to open command centers to station personnel, the second a drill to protect the nation's infrastructure, and the third computerized war games.

    Meanwhile, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus said Wednesday that the media has "stretched its imagination too far" by reporting on Ma's assassination as the war games scenario.

    DPP Legislator Tsai Huang-liang said that it is not appropriate for the media to issue false reports that could cause public unease.

    Tsai's colleague Kuan Pi-ling called for Ma to take part in the war games, saying that Ma's team had already contacted a transitional team assigned by President Chen Shui-bian, and that Ma's absence from this year's war games was "irresponsible."

    Ma declined an invitation last week to observe the computer war games, citing the reason of a "tight schedule."

    A spokesman for Ma's office declined Wednesday to comment on the magazine's reports, saying it is the Presidential Office that should elaborate on the matter.

    Vice President Annette Lu called for Ma to attend the war games Wednesday, urging that the nation's affairs, especially national security, should be run without interruption as the two political parties prepare to make the transition.

(By Lilian Wu)

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