VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0089 0220722
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220722Z JAN 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0799
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 8894
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 0345

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000089 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD - NIDA EMMONS 
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: WAR IN IRAQ, OBAMA'S INAUGURATION 
 
¶1. Summary:  Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused their 
January 22 news coverage on the son, daughter-in-law and 
brother-in-law of former President Chen Shui-bian, who all pled 
guilty Wednesday to involvement in the family's money laundering 
operations; and on the inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama. 
In terms of editorials and commentaries, a column in the centrist, 
KMT-leaning "China Times" discussed the war in Iraq and the legacy 
of former U.S. President George W. Bush.  The article said it is not 
Bush alone, but the willpower of the U.S. people that caused the war 
in Iraq.  An editorial in the conservative, pro-unification, 
English-language "China Post" continued to discuss the inauguration 
of Obama and said, "his presidency has rekindled the Americans' hope 
that their nation will fare better in the years ahead."  End 
summary. 
 
¶2. War in Iraq 
 
"Should George W. Bush Be Held Fully Responsible for the War in 
Iraq?" 
 
The "International Lookout" column in the centrist, KMT-leaning 
"China Times" [circulation: 150,000] wrote (1/22): 
 
"One can say that [former President George W.] Bush left Washington 
D.C. in a low-spirited manner, and he was rated as a very unwelcome 
president.  But can people really put all the blame on Bush alone? 
The biggest mistake he made was perhaps the launch of the war in 
Iraq, which had dragged the United States into a quagmire.  But was 
the launch of the war in Iraq a result of Bush's arbitrary and 
willful act? 
 
"Strictly speaking, the United States is the nation that likes to 
start most wars since WWII, because it believes it has the strongest 
military power, and wouldn't it be a waste of U.S. national defense 
funds if it fails to use such power to achieve diplomatic ends?  An 
overwhelming majority of the American people believe that it is 
entirely justified [for the United States] to show off its military 
power by frightening or conquering other countries, subjecting them 
to the will of the United States, with or without a proper reason. 
In a word, it is [the American's] feeling of being superior that has 
caused them to do so.  But when things fail to turn out the way they 
wish, voices of opposition will mount, because the United States 
cannot afford to lose face, and as a result, the ones who carry out 
the war will become a target for attack. .... 
 
"How many people died because of the Korean War?  What about the 
Vietnam War and the war in Iraq?  The United States has never 
achieved any of the goals it has set for starting these wars, as 
[one can see that] Pyongyang is now equipped with nuclear missiles; 
North Vietnam devoured South Vietnam; and Iraq has split from one 
unified country into three sides that fight with each other.  Were 
these simply the results of the individual willpower of [former 
Presidents] Truman, Johnson, and Bush?  No, it is the willpower of 
the people of the United States that has caused all these." 
 
¶3. Obama's Inauguration 
 
"Obama -- the Hope of the American People" 
 
The conservative, pro-unification, English-language "China Post" 
[circulation: 30,000] editorialized (1/22): 
 
"Barack Obama, America's first black president ever, inherited a 
multitude of tough tasks as he assumed office on Tuesday.  And yet 
he struck a note of hope on these challenges in his inaugural 
address.  His confidence and optimism are important as America 
grapples with a lingering recession, mounting unemployment and a 
staggering budget, among other trying problems. ...  The first 100 
days of the Obama administration will be a crucial period.  It could 
have a huge global impact.  Americans and people in many other 
countries have high expectations of him. ... 
 
"That Obama won the presidential election by a convincing margin 
signifies that America is entering a new era, one in which racial 
prejudices are fast fading and people are no longer judged by the 
color of their skin but by their ability and character.  America's 
invasion of Iraq has made Washington lose a great [sic] of the 
goodwill abroad.  This is part of the mess Obama is inheriting from 
the Bush administration.  An important task for the 44th President 
of the U.S. is to repair the country's tarnished image. ...  Maybe 
Obama will not accomplish all or even most of the missions he 
mentioned in his inaugural address.  Yet, his presidency has 
rekindled the Americans' hope that their nation will fare better in 
the years ahead." 
 
YOUNG