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http://www.tehrantimes.com/Description.asp?Da=7/22/02&Cat=4&Num=008 Tehran Times July 22, 2002 U.S. Offers Taiwan Israeli Submarines: Report TAIPEI -- The United States, which has promised to sell Taiwan eight submarines, has offered the island to choose between models made by Germany and Israel, the mass-circulation ***China Times*** newspaper reported on Sunday. The Chinese-language daily, quoting unidentified sources, said a team of U.S. officials told the island that Israel's Dolphin class submarine was another option besides German-built vessels, Reuters said. The U.S. delegation, which held secret talks with Taiwan officials last week, asked the military to present its needs before Washington made a final decision, the report said. Taiwan's Defense Ministry declined to comment. After U.S. President George W. Bush offered last year to sell Taiwan up to eight diesel-powered submarines, the question of who would build them for Taiwan has been up in the air. The United States has not manufactured diesel submarines since the 1950s and European countries such as Germany and the Netherlands have said they would not export submarines to the diplomatically isolated island because of fears of angering China. Beijing views Taiwan as a breakaway province and has threatened to attack if the democratic island declares independence or drags its feet on unification talks. Washington fears China's military buildup could tip the delicate balance of power in the Taiwan Strait in favor of Beijing as soon as 2005 and has promised to help avoid that. Taiwan has long sought to upgrade its fleet of four submarines which includes a pair dating from World War II and two Dutch-made Zwaardvis class submarines. Taiwan Defense Minister Tang Yiau-Ming said last month the United States has repeatedly assured Taiwan it was able to complete the submarine deal and was assessing qualified shipbuilders around the world. Germany has denied that it had opened the door to exporting state-of-the-art conventional submarines to Taiwan by allowing a U.S. investor to buy a German shipyard that makes them. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Health - Feel better, live better http://health.yahoo.com --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
