-Caveat Lector- http://www.drudgereport.com/flasha.htm Mon Apr 02 2001 02:02:46 ET REPORT: U.S. PLANE ISSUED 'MAYDAY' AFTER CHINESE FIGHTER JETS SIGNALED THEY WOULD OPEN FIRE TAIPEI, April 2 -- KYODO -- A U.S. surveillance plane made an emergency landing in China on Sunday because two intercepting Chinese fighter jets signaled they would likely open fire, high-placed Taiwan military intelligence sources were quoted as saying Monday. The sources said they listened in on radio contact between the U.S. Navy aircraft -- an EP-3 Aries II surveillance plane -- and the Chinese jets, the ETT television network reported on its Web site. The dialogue shows that the Chinese pilots indicated that they were "extremely likely" to open fire, causing the U.S. aircraft to send a mayday signal to prevent an attack, the sources were quoted as saying. When the U.S. plane prepared for an emergency landing on the Chinese island of Hainan, it was clipped by one of the Chinese jets. The Chinese jet crashed into the South China Sea and its pilot remains missing. All 24 aboard the U.S. plane were reported unharmed. Washington said that the collision occurred in international airspace. While China is blaming the U.S. for the collision, the Taiwanese sources said it was the Chinese who caused the collision when they zoomed in on the surveillance plane in a bid to intercept it. The sources said initially the crew aboard one of the Chinese jets was elated when the U.S. plane went down, but that such euphoria quickly evaporated when they heard that the other Chinese fighter had crashed. Taiwan's Defense Ministry originally kept a low profile in connection with the incident, saying in a short statement Sunday night that it was on top of the situation. But on Monday, Administrative Vice Defense Minister Kao Yang called the incident "beyond comprehension," arguing that any country's ground control is able to track and control the movements of its aircraft. Speaking during questioning in the legislature, Kao refused to comment on whether the incident was likely to cause tension in Sino-U.S. ties. But he said if both sides took a hard-line stance, the resulting standoff would likely boost Taiwan's prospects for obtaining advanced weaponry from the United States. He said it was difficult to say whether U.S. arms sales to Taiwan would be positively or negatively affected in the event of an amicable resolution of the collision. Washington will decide in the coming weeks which items on Taiwan's shopping list -- including four destroyers equipped with the state-of-the-art Aegis antimissile radar system -- will get the go-ahead. China is adamantly opposed to the Aegis deal since the destroyers would greatly improve Taiwan's ability to fend off incoming Chinese missiles. ================================================================= Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT FROM THE DESK OF: *Michael Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends ================================================================= <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
