Clarification/Follow-up by tomder55 on 03/22/04 8:28 am:
some more on the attempt .(Chen won a close election ,and the results are in dispute ala Florida,with ballot boxes seized ect. )

Critics are claiming that the assassination attempt was faked. Traveling in an open-air motorcade as roadside well-wishers set off firecrackers, President Chen reportedly took a while to notice his wounds, which were said to be very shallow and caused by a "homemade" bullet. No one in his security detail reported hearing shots, and according to the New York Times, shell casings were found only after the police car under which they had apparently rolled drove away from the scene. Police say they don't have any suspects at the moment. An opposition official quoted in the Washington Post accused Chen of having previously feigned injury in pursuit of political gain, when he appeared at an election-eve rally 14 years ago hooked up to an IV, claiming to have been poisoned by his opponents.

Clarification/Follow-up by tomder55 on 03/22/04 1:30 pm:
ET, true they missed Castro several times ,but they didn't miss Diem or Allende.

Clarification/Follow-up by ETWolverine on 03/22/04 3:56 pm:
Chou,

>>>NO NO, The US doesn't want the status quo upset because we are bound by treaty to cone to the aid of Taiwan is China makes a move to take it over which is what China will do if they declare their independence!! No NO!! We don't want to go to the brink with China!!!!<<<

Chen has been in power for 4 years now. If we are so concerned about the status quo between Taiwan and China, why did we not make an attempt on Chen's life sooner... as in 4 years ago. And if China was really willing to go to war with Taiwan over the election of a Democratic Progressive Party leader to the Presidency, why haven't they done so yet? With the USA 'distracted' in Iraq, why haven't they taken the opportunity to invade Taiwan? And if the reason is that they don't want to risk a war with us, how does assasinating Chen improve the situation for the USA? China is already unwilling to go to war, so what's the advantage of killing Chen?

Again, you need to be able to get to the reason that the conspirators are doing something, and how doing it assists them in their goal. In this case, the scenario you have put forward offers no advantage to the USA acting as you say thay might have. The risks are too high, and the rewards would be limited or non-existant.

Elliot

Clarification/Follow-up by XCHOUX on 03/22/04 4:30 pm:
I guess it turned out that he faked the gunshots! Incredible. AND, he has done that before!