Free Republic

The good news is that the Pakistan Air Force has finally phased out its 36-year-old U.S.-supplied F-6 aircraft and inducted a fleet of 22 F-7PG jets, newly acquired from China over the past three months. The bad news is that China's F-7 (although much modernized, and beefed up with a MiG-29 engine) is basically a venerable Soviet-era MiG-21 Fishbed, which first flew in 1955. With more than 8,000 produced, the MiG-21 remains by far the most popular combat aircraft of the jet age. China has been producing the F-7 for even longer than the Pakistanis have had the old F-6...

'Gradual Independence of Taiwan' Dangerous: Scholars   "Gradual Taiwan independence" move urged to stopA group of scholars urged the Taiwan authorities Wednesday to stop proceeding any further with the "gradual independence of Taiwan", which the scholars believe will bring disastrous consequences to the Taiwan compatriots. They expressed hope that the Taiwan authorities should not misjudge the international situation or underestimate the determination of the 1.3 billion mainlanders in the country's reunification. Taiwan issue is China's internal affairThe Taiwan issue is China's internal affair and it is the unswerving policy of the Chinese government to achieve a peaceful reunification, said Xu...

China to lift veil on its J-10 By By Craig Hoyle, JDW Aviation Editor, London, with additional reporting byYihong Chang, JDW Correspondent, Toronto China could display its J-10 fighter aircraft for the first time at the Zhuhai airshow in November, according to Chinese officials speaking during Singapore's Asian Aerospace exhibition this month. Built by the Chengdu Aircraft Industrial Corporation, the J-10 attempts to rival current fourth-generation Western fighters. A single-engine, single-seat design, the multi-role J-10 will represent a significant capability advance for the People's Liberation Army Air Force, which will operate it alongside its future fleet of Russian-built and licence-manufactured...

Computer simulation aims to raise questions about huge stockpiles of nuclear warheads. A new computer program developed for nuclear weapons researchers in the U.S. probably won't give Canadians much of a sense of security in these days of global tension and uncertainty. The software simulated the destruction of Canada with as few as 11 nuclear warheads. Read the rest of the article here: Click Here

The leaking of a secret report to Congress generated much misunderstanding of the nuclear weapons policies of the Bush administration. Now that Russia has firmly stated its understanding and support, maybe the panic-mongers will think again.<!ENDSUMM!> Just before Vice President Dick Cheney set off on March 7 to solicit support for overthrowing the regime in Iraq, somebody slipped the report to the Los Angeles Times. The document, drawn up in January, said the Pentagon needed new earth-penetrating nuclear warheads and bombs to reach and destroy military facilities deep underground. It named Iran, Iraq, Syria, North Korea, Libya, Russia and...

Iran, China Pledge to Further Develop Friendship, Cooperation Ties   Development of Iran-China Relations Important: KhatamiWhile extending his warm welcome to Wu Yi and her entourage, Khatami said that Iran has paid vital importance to the development of relations with China, which has made remarkable achievements in the economic and social fields in recent years. As countries with ancient civilizations, both China and Iran have made great contributions to the mankind, he said, expressing hope that the two countries should make new efforts to develop their traditional friendship and cooperation to serve the regional and world peace. There are great...

US-Taiwan Secret Talks on Arms Sale: Analysis   US President George W. Bush's February China visit has pushed China-US relations a step forward. However, inharmonious chord has arisen recently in the United States. The US government, on one hand, held the fourth China-US arms control symposium with the Chinese side in Washington, on the other hand, invited Tang Yiau-min, the "defense minister" of Taiwan to go to the United States to attend the so-called "US-Taiwan defense meeting" and quickened its step of arms sale to Taiwan. With regard to the matter of US invitation to Taiwan's "defense minister" to visit...

Editorial: UN family not about to adopt TaiwanLast week the UN Security Council approved a resolution endorsing the creation of a Palestinian state. The most remarkable thing about the UN vote was of course that the US, which has long vetoed any formal UN criticism of Israel, actually not only supported, but introduced the measure. An even more remarkable thing occurred this week in Taiwan when enthusiasts for Taiwan independence seemed to think that the UN action gave Taiwan hope of being admitted to the "family of nations" -- dysfunctional as this family is -- as an independent entity. Just...

Bush's China policy shows changeBy Bonnie S.GlaserUS President George W. Bush's recent visit to Beijing demonstrates both evolution and continuity in his policy toward China. The president has recognized the need to tone down his sharp rhetoric, engage Chinese leaders directly and increase consultations with senior Chinese officials on a broad range of issues. Yet at the same time, Bush remains firm in his commitment to promoting democracy, religious freedom and the rule of law in the world's most populous country. He is also unwavering in his support of the US pledge to provide aid for Taiwan's defense. Bush has...

<p>SLAIN: The popular Alaskan was shot while hiking in the Philippines.</p> <p>Most of Brian T. Smith's possessions fit into a couple of small storage units he kept in Sitka. But if someone needed anything of his, it was theirs.</p> <p>Those who knew him even briefly found that out. Right down to the pilot who several years ago flew Smith and friend Jim Gillis to the White Mountains for a sheep-hunting trip. Not long after landing, the pilot decided it was too dark to fly, so despite being unprepared, he had to stay until light.</p>

ZAMBOANGA, PHILIPPINES U.S. troops in the southern Philippines face the prospect of battle with descendants of the Muslim insurgents that brought U.S. General John "Black Jack" Pershing to the country more than a century ago. Before deploying to Basilan on the weekend, the Green Berets took seminars on the roots of Muslim rebellion in the poverty-wracked south as they brought Washington's war on terrorism to one of the most remote parts of the former U.S. colony. "It's an old war," said Datu Amil Jumaani, a Muslim professor who lectured the U.S. troops. Arab missionaries brought Islam to the Philippines in ...

Iraqi madman Saddam Hussein will likely have a "Hiroshima-sized" nuclear bomb within the next 24 months, the physicist who headed up Iraq's nuclear weapons research program said Monday. Citing U.S. intelligence estimates, Dr. Khidir Hamza told nationally syndicated radio taker Sean Hannity, "I don't think he has (nuclear weapons) right now but it may not take long for him to have it - a year or two probably." "U.S. intelligence estimates at least a year. Germany estimates by 2005, three nuclear weapons," the top Iraqi nuke scientist said. Dr. Hamza, who defected to the U.S. in 1994, warned about ...

JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Monday said World War III would erupt in the subcontinent if the international community failed to pressurise Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism. "Pakistan has to behave and call a halt to terrorism as per the wishes of the civilised world, or else the third world war will erupt in the subcontinent," Abdullah said addressing a mammoth election rally at Nagrota, near here.He said the international community was united and had vowed to rid the world from the menace of terror and Islamabad should take concrete steps in this direction. "Otherwise, humanity ...

Feb. 17 By Erik de Castro ISABELA, Philippines (Reuters) - U.S. Green Beret commandos flew into a southern Philippine island infested with Muslim guerrillas Sunday and said although they were on a training mission, they were prepared to fight. Clouds of dust rose into the air as giant Chinook helicopters carrying the elite strike force of the U.S. army landed at a military base near Isabela, the capital of Basilan island. Crouched in the bush surrounding the landing pad was an advance guard of U.S. soldiers, fingers on the trigger, to provide security. The southern Philippines is dotted with Muslim ...

'Axis Of Evil' Country Topped Clinton Aid List A country designated by President Bush as part of the "Axis of Evil" received more foreign aid under former President Bill Clinton than any other country in the Asia-Pacific region, a congressional study concluded two years ago. House Republican Policy Committee Chairman Chris Cox (R-Calif.) said the study conducted by his panel found that under the Clinton administration, North Korea became the "largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid in the Asia-Pacific region," CNSNews.com reported Friday. "In an astonishing reversal of nine previous U.S. administrations, the Clinton-Gore administration, in 1994, committed not ...