Why Is Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood Government Getting F-16s But Not Our Ally Taiwan?

F-16s To Egypt, But Not To Taiwan? -- Investors.com

Unlike the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, which faces no existential threat, our Asian ally faces an increasingly belligerent and well-armed China. Yet only one gets the latest weaponry and the question is why.

On Jan. 30, a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer in the East China Sea near the disputed Senkaku Islands just north of Taiwan was "painted" by fire control-radar from two People's Liberation Army warships, believed to be the Chinese frigates Linyungang and Wenzhou.

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My Comment: A damn good question that no one in the main stream media or in Congress is asking.

Details Of Planned U.S. Arms Package For Taiwan Announced

U.S. Announces Details Of Planned Arms Package For Taiwan -- Washington Post

The Obama administration announced details Wednesday of its planned arms package for Taiwan even as China lodged formal protests and Taiwanese officials said they may begin pushing for another deal that would include state-of-the-art fighter jets.

The $5.85 billion arms package proposed by the Obama administration would retrofit Taiwan’s aging fleet of 145 F-16 A/Bs and provide pilot training and spare parts to maintain the nation’s even older F-5 jets and C-130 transport planes. Administration officials have described the sale as a sign of enduring commitment to Taiwan.

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More News On The Planned U.S. Arms Sale For Taiwan

Plan on No New F-16s for Taiwan Formalized -- Wall Street Journal
Pentagon Plan Offers Taiwan F-16 Upgrade Over New Lockheed Jets -- Bloomberg Businessweek
U.S. selling JDAM guided bombs to Taiwan -- Washington Times
US moves to retrofit Taiwan's F-16 fighter fleet -- Reuters
US confirms $5bn Taiwan F-16 fighter jet upgrade -- BBC
Obama faces backlash at home for offering upgrades but not new warplanes for Taiwan -- Washington Post
China denounces US decision to upgrade Taiwan fighter jets, warning that relations will suffer -- Washington Post/AP
China angry at US deal to upgrade Taiwan F-16 fighters -- BBC
China paper warns U.S. of price for Taiwan arms sales -- Reuters
China says U.S. arms sale to Taiwan creates "severe obstacles" for military-to-military exchanges -- Xinhuanet
Commentary from China: Arms sales to Taiwan causes multiple damage to China-U.S. relations -- Xinhuanet
US 'no' on Taiwan arms seen as sign of China clout -- AP

Should the U.S. Authorize More Arms Sales To Taiwan?

Obama's Taiwan Conundrum: Should the U.S. Authorize More Arms Sales? -- Time

U.S. presidents have reason to not relish decisions on selling arms to Taiwan. Say yes, as Barack Obama did in January 2010, when he approved the sale of $6.4 billion worth of equipment including Patriot air defense missiles, Black Hawk helicopters and two Osprey mine-hunting ships, and you anger China. China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory that must eventually be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. The Beijing government considers the arms sales, which are authorized under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, to be acts of interference in its own internal affairs. After the 2010 arms sale, China cut off military ties with the U.S., only resuming them in late 2010 ahead of President Hu Jintao's state visit to Washington.

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My Comment: If the American economy was sound and our fiscal house was in order .... the decision to sell F-16s would have been done a long time ago. Unfortunately .... we are now dependent more on China than before, and it is this relationship that takes precedent over issues like Taiwan.

No New F-16’s For Taiwan. China Still Not Satisfied

China threatens the US-Sino and cross-Straits relations may sever should the U.S. continue to push through with its plan of arm sale to Taiwan. Reuters

No New F-16’s For Taiwan, But U.S. To Upgrade Fleet -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has decided not to sell F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan but instead to help it refurbish its existing fleet, prompting criticism in Congress that the United States is buckling to pressure from China.

The decision, which could be announced as early as this week and was shared with Congressional staff members on Friday, is a consolation prize for Taiwan, which wanted to buy 66 F-16’s to replace jets it bought in 1992 during the administration of President George H. W. Bush.

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More News On No New F-16s For Taiwan

US decides to upgrade Taiwan’s F-16 fighter jets, but not sell it new ones, sources say -- Washington Post
US-Taiwan to announce arms deal -- Financial Times
Taiwan criticizes Obama team over new F-16 holdup -- Reuters
U.S., China Tone Down Taiwan Fight -- Wall Street Journal
China gives muted response to U.S.-Taiwan arms deal -- Washington Post
China Warns Against US-Taiwan Arms Deal -- Voice of America
Taiwan looking at tech beyond F-16s: official -- China Post
Barack Obama risks diplomatic rift with China after approving F-16 fighter jet deal with Taiwan -- Stephen Hull, Daily Mail
U.S.-Sino Relations on the Brink of Collapse? -- Kay Aviles, IBTimes
Taiwan Losing Ability to Deter China -- Max Boot, Commentary

My Comment: I have to give credit to the Taiwanese. Even though they will not get any new F-16s, they have now upped a request to purchase F-35s.

Why The U.S. Should Not Sell Advance Weaponry To Taiwan

Taiwan Is Losing the Spying Game -- J. Michael Cole, Wall Street Journal

If President Ma Ying-jeou doesn't clean house in his military, the U.S. won't sell advanced weapons.



Much ink has been spilled in recent months over the Obama administration's reluctance to sell Taiwan the 66 F-16C/D fighters it has been requesting since 2007. A final decision is expected by Oct. 2, and while many observers predict that political considerations will lead Washington to nix the deal, another factor may be at work: the penetration of almost every sector of Taiwanese society by Chinese intelligence. For the U.S. government and defense manufacturers, any arms sale to Taiwan carries the risk that sensitive military technology will end up in Beijing.



This worry is not new. Anyone who has followed developments in Taiwan over the years knows how deeply Chinese forces have infiltrated Taiwan's military, especially its senior officers. For years American officials have looked on in amazement as newly retired Taiwanese generals traveled to China for a round of golf, were wined and dined by their counterparts in the People's Liberation Army, and no doubt had their inebriated brains picked for information.



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My Comment: There is some validity in J. Michael Cole's concerns on Taiwan's ability to keep military secrets from falling into the hands of China. Even the Taiwan government is aware of this problem. When even your top generals are being arrested for espionage .... you know that you have a credibility problem to foreign military supplies like the U.S.

U.S. - Taiwan F-16 Sale Has Become "Hopeless"

Taiwanese Official: F-16 Buy From U.S. 'Hopeless' -- Defense News

TAIPEI, Taiwan - Taiwan's bid to buy F-16 fighter jets from the United States has become "hopeless," a top Taiwanese official was quoted as saying in an Aug. 20 report. This follows up a report by Defense News last week that Washington told Taiwan it will not sell the jets.



At that time, both U.S. and Taiwanese officials insisted no decision had been made.



The comments by parliamentary speaker Wang Jin-pyng, who said the U.S. had changed its mind about selling the jets, mark the first time an official has stated publicly that the long-awaited deal is expected to fall through.





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My Comment: So much for the U.S. assisting Taiwan to maintain a semblance of a military balance between Taiwan and China. Everyone in the region is now questioning their relationship with the U.S. and its reliability as a defense partner .... and the Chinese .... they are now wondering if this is a green light from the U.S. to put even more pressure on Taiwan.

Has The U.S. Blocked The F-16 Sale To Taiwan Or Not?

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

F-16

Obama Administration Kills F-16 Deal With Taiwan -- American Thinker

China has never recognized Taiwan as a free and independent nation and has maintained that military action against the island nation of 24 million people would their legal right. Only the fear of American intervention and Taiwan's superior military technology has held Communist China in check, however recent events point to the very real possibility that China may be ready to re-take their lost province.



Defense News reports:



Bowing to Chinese pressure, the U.S. will deny Taiwan's request for 66 new F-16C/D fighter aircraft, a Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (MND) official said. "We are disappointed in the United States," he said.



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My Comment: On the same day that the above story is being reported, the U.S. State Department denies that a decision has been made. Which story is true? Your guess is as good as mine.

U.S. Denys Taiwan's Request For New F-16 Fighters

General Dynamics F-16C/D Fighting Falcon

U.S. To Deny Taiwan New F-16 Fighters -- Defense News

Offers AESA Radar in Upgrade for Older Jets.



TAIPEI - Bowing to Chinese pressure, the U.S. will deny Taiwan's request for 66 new F-16C/D fighter aircraft, a Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (MND) official said.



"We are so disappointed in the United States," he said.



A U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) delegation arrived here last week to deliver the news and offer instead a retrofit package for older F-16A/Bs that includes an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.



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Update: F-16C/D deal for Taiwan dead: report -- Taipei Times



My Comment: Everyone in Asia sees this action for what it is ... an abandonment of a long time U.S. ally by the United States, and a realization that China now dictates U.S. policy towards Taiwan.

Will The U.S. Sell F-16s To Taiwan?

Photo: Taiwan is seeking to bolster its air-defense capability with U.S.-made F-16
C/Ds. (Courtesy of USAF)

Pressure Builds For F-16 Sale To Taiwan -- Washington Post

Taiwan and its supporters in Congress are pressuring the Obama administration to sell new F-16 fighter jets to the island, with one senator vowing to hold up the confirmation of a new deputy secretary of state if there is no progress on the issue.

A coalition in Congress that is pushing for the deal has prompted a diplomatic counteroffensive from Chinese officials, who have visited senators, officials, former officials and think-tank analysts to signal their displeasure.

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More News ON Selling The F-16 To Taiwan

U.S. to upgrade Taiwan's existing F-16 jets: lawmaker -- Vancouver Sun/AFP
Taiwan lawmaker: US to upgrade island's F-16 fighter jets but no sale of advanced models -- Winnipeg Free Press/AP
US to upgrade F-16s, KMT lawmaker says -- Taipei Times
Report: U.S. blocks F-16 sale to Taiwan -- DoD buzz
U.S. to Taiwan on F-16s: Don't even ask -- Star Telegram

My Comment: China is pulling the strings on this one .... not the U.S.

U.S. State Department Blocks Arms Sale To Taiwan Over Fears Of Chinese Retailiation

Photo: SAM YEH/AFP/Getty Images

State Blocks Taiwan Arms -- Washington Times

The State Department is holding up final approval of Taiwan’s request for a multibillion-dollar arms package to upgrade Taipei’s fleet of aging F-16 jets.

U.S. national security officials close to the issue said the arms package, along with a report to Congress on Taiwan’s air power that is more than a year late, is being delayed by senior Obama administration officials, including Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, who are seeking to avoid a third rupture in U.S.-China military relations over Taiwan arms sales.

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My Comment: There was a time when U.S. policy makers did what they felt was right and in the best interests of the United States, especially when it came to giving support to our allies who we felt were being intimidated and threatened by other countries and our adversaries. Today .... it seems that we live in an alternate universe. We do not want to offend those same countries who have no problem in threatening and intimidating our allies and long term friends .... and we do so openly.