March 19, 2004

WORKED IN SPAIN:

Taiwanese president, vice president shot but survive (AP, 3/19/04)

President Chen Shui-bian and his vice president were wounded Friday when shots were fired into their motorcade on the final day of campaigning for a landmark election and referendum that could be a turning point in Taiwan's tense relationship with China.

Presumably, though, the Taiwanese aren't as pusillanimous as Europeans.

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 19, 2004 8:11 AM
Comments

I find it rather shocking that this is being covered in such a subdued manner. It seems to me that this is a really big deal. The NYT story is particularly bizarre (as is becoming more and more typical), referring to this as a "shooting incident." When the leader of a country is shot a few days before an election, it's a bit more than an "incident", methinks. I guess the media can't cover Pakistan, Iraq, how much Europe loves Kerry, and find room for another foreign-affairs story.

Posted by: brian at March 19, 2004 4:14 PM

Man, the worms are turning like Rockettes. Clausewitz was right.

Posted by: Harry Eagar at March 19, 2004 6:48 PM

Maybe we need Taiwanese troops in the mix. after all, they more than the French St Cyrers and the
American SOA crew, were the tutors for most the
counterinsurgency operations.

Posted by: narciso at March 19, 2004 9:51 PM

At this point, the most likely shooters were from the ruling party itself. The final vote total was apparently 50.12% to 49.88%. But the lack of coverage is to the shame of the major media. If Muslims lived in Taiwan; however, the news might have been slanted differently.

Posted by: jim hamlen at March 20, 2004 12:06 PM

Must have been the greatest marksman in history, then.

Posted by: Harry Eagar at March 20, 2004 12:54 PM
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