Nuclear Fuses: Accident or Pre-planned?

This is rather old news actually, but since I just started this blog, I might as well include one of my first 'serious' works.

Link to the original news article:

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN2538598920080325


My personal thoughts:

The first shocker is what appears ostensibly to be a mistake: United States had delivered four nuclear fuses to Taiwan. Then the follow-up piece that with hindsight cannot be better timed. U.S. officials reporting on China having set on target far more missiles on the cross straits island. Americans had insisted that the four nuclear fuses were not sent to Taiwan under cover, I think otherwise. Indeed, this is a case of an intriguing stratagem at work.

Let me settle the brutal truths about these fuses. Nuclear fuses are critical devices in developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Say, to be diplomatic, country A is working on a prototypical ICBM. If by chance or mistake, these fuses fall into a pair of scientific hands. This could easily spark off of a lightning fast realization of nuclear weaponry. Now, with the arms race heating up across the globe, this could just tip the scales in the favour of country A.

Put in the facts: America is a staunch ally of Taiwan and whether this is a drama of “mis-taking” or not, China will be greatly alarmed. Why? Taiwan is upped several rungs closer to reaching a new power status: a nuclear armed state. You do not have to be a security expert to realize its massively destructive implications for people living in this region of the world. For any step towards nuclear status by Taiwan will irreparably undermine the security of mainland China. Remember, China has yet in to put in place the shield against missiles.

Even if the US wants to continue on benefiting from an estranged relationship between China and Taiwan, this is still a very dangerous drama to enact. Fortunately for us in the region, the newly elected President Ma is much more open warming up to China. Given the timing of news releases so close to presidential change in Taiwan, one can reasonably ask: “What is inside the minds of US strategists?” If my hypothesis of a timely drama being enacted is accepted, then I wish to remind US strategic thinkers to re-assess again the risks. Moreover with the US economy sinking deeper into the subprime abyss, poor Americans are simply in no mood for a global “hot” war.