Moriarty Strikes Again!

You'd think that someone named James Moriarty would be very anxious to avoid any appearance of evildoing. But check this out! Either he's a well-paid consulting evil mastermind, or he's just a cowardly jerk. Either way, this James Moriarty is oscillating like a serpent and clearly overdue to practice martial arts just to the side of a raging Reichenbach Falls. Via Oxblog, the Project for the New American Century reports the following. (Bolding mine.)

First, according to numerous government sources, the senior director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council, James Moriarty; and Doug Paal, the de facto U.S. ambassador to Taiwan; are urging President Bush to declare, privately and perhaps publicly, that the United States opposes Taiwan's independence. This would be a significant change in America's so-called "One-China Policy," a change very much in Beijing's favor.

...If the Bush Administration changes its policy, it will place the United States in opposition to Taiwanese independence even under that scenario. Above all, however, if the administration makes this change, it will strike a severe blow against the vibrant Taiwanese democracy in a kow-tow to Beijing. After the President's recent stirring remarks in favor of democracy worldwide, this move against Taiwan's democracy would be a shameful betrayal of what seemed to be the President's core principle in foreign policy.

Moriarty's second proposal is even more worrying. He proposes the United States declare that it will not defend Taiwan if Beijing launches a military attack on the island in response to a "provocation," i.e., some action or statement by Taiwan that Beijing determines moves in the direction of independence. This proposal, if adopted by the administration, could prove disastrous...

...Moriarty recently traveled to Taipei to deliver a stern warning against holding any referendum on any subject. Now he wants the administration to offer assurances to Premier Wen that the United States will indeed oppose referenda in Taiwan. This means, in turn, that the administration will effectively be agreeing with Beijing that such referenda constitute a "provocation." So what happens when Taiwan goes ahead and holds its referendum this spring, as it surely will?

In all seriousness, read the whole article. It's deeply disturbing.