The US Defense Department admitted a mistake...a big one by mistake standards. Instead of shipping helicopter batteries to Taiwan, ballistic missiles were sent instead.
The "mistake" happened in 2006 as stated in the article " U.S. says missile parts mistakenly sent to Taiwan"
This raises so many questions: Was it a truly a mistake knowing that the US supports Taiwan and its attempts at a democracy? How can you confuse a missile for a battery? Why did it take so long for the mistake to be admitted? Why didn't the Taiwanese question what they had (surely they didn't try to use it as a battery)? Have the missiles been returned (the article didn't address this issue)?
Thank goodness this information came out after the Taiwanese elections this past weekend!
I'm sure Beijing was asking itself the same question you were, Angie, about whether the shipment was a mistake. Everytime I think this administration couldn't get more clueless, they prove me wrong. Actually, I think cluelessness is often bipartisan when it comes to understanding the histories of other countries. I also wondered whether the fuses were returned, and none of the stories I've read have said that they were. I wonder if we asked for them back. The answer to that question may also answer the first about whether it was a mistake.
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