At 16:05 01/04/01 -0400, Andrew wrote:
>I agree that this is more of a blunder than anything else.
But what a blunder. I double checked in my mind several times about whether
this could possibly have been an April Fool's joke. No CNN is too sensitive
to the probability of cultural misunderstandings.
It seems that one chinese person and a fighter has died. It sounds as if
the spy plane was desperate to escape.
But how poetic, after the destruction of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade
with all its electronic devices, that the Bush regime should hand over for
examination what is presumably one of the most technically advanced spy
plane, requiring a crew of 24 to staff it!
I suspect it is not just lack of a suitable eminent figure for
negotiations. This is a turn for which the Bush regime may be quite
unprepared. What ingenious retribution is Beijing likely to require? Time
is now on its side.
Chris Burford
London
