US Congressmen want Washington to ask Taiwan to Send Troops to Iraq . . .

Two pro-Taiwan US House members introduced a resolution on Thursday calling for US President George W. Bush to ask Taiwan to deploy marines to Iraq. Republican Representative Dana Rohrabacher, co-chairman of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, and Republican Representative Jim Ryun, also a member of the Taiwan Caucus, said in the resolution that Taiwan is studying the feasibility of sending up to 5,000 marines to Iraq to fight alongside the US-led coalition. As a fellow democracy, the resolution said, Taiwan shares the US’ passion for promoting freedom, democracy and human rights around the world; and its marines have a deserved reputation throughout the Far East for their high level of training and motivation. Since the US is requesting other countries to send ground forces to Iraq to join coalition forces in the global war on terrorism, US President George W. Bush should “request Taiwan’s President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to deploy Taiwanese marines to Iraq,” said the resolution, which has been referred to the House Committee on International Relations for debate. Ryun, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, also introduced a draft amendment to a national defense authorization act for next year that considerably raises the level of military exchanges between the US and Taiwan. Presidential Office spokesman James Huang (黃志芳) declined yesterday to comment on the proposal.

Let’s see. The US-led coalition is fragmenting, big time, and countries that had been counted on to send in troops are balking while it looks like things are bogging down as it is.

Let’s see. Taipei wants more support from the US, both militarily and in terms of international diplomacy.

Connections?

I would certainly hope that Taipei charges a higher price than merely military cooperation and renewing obligations the US has already agreed to. Certainly the price of the safety and welfare of 5,000 Taiwanese troops (as well as increases security risks withing Taiwan such troop deployments would cause) ought to be worth full WHA/WHO membership or even full observer status in the UN and a few more points. Of course, from the American side, one would have to ask if the 5,000 non-combat support troops are really going to relieve pressures in Iraq greatly enough to be worth welding a ball-and-chain to one’s ankles which could be what the expected future unconditional and aggressive support for Taiwan against China would imply.

One is reminded of making a bed with someone else’s dirty laundry and then being forced to sleep in it. Both sides should consider this one very carefully.