In Latest Twist, Weapons Deal Gains Life

, The controversial three-weapons arms deal took another twist in the National Defense Committee on Wednesday as legislators decided to refer a budget, including funding for the three weapons systems, to a plenary session for further discussion later this month. 
 
At Wednesday's committee meeting, open funding in the 2007 budget for diesel-electric submarines (NT$37.06 million) and P3-C anti-submarine aircraft (NT$2.48 million) — two of three items in the package — was referred for discussion to the plenary session, which opens on November 22. 
 
While open funding for the third item in the package — Patriot-III missiles — was vetoed on Wednesday, legislators said later that they expect the NT$25.5 billion in funding in the 2007 budget for the three weapons systems, most of which is contained in so-called secret budgets, to be discussed at the session, where negotiations are held between the caucus leaders to see if a consensus on the issue can be reached. 
 
The move came one day after the Procedure Committee blocked an NT$6.3 billion supplementary budget that would have provided initial funding for the P3-C aircraft and diesel electric submarines. 
 
Democratic Progressive Party Legislators Lee Wen-Chung and Tang Huo-shen told reporters that the National Defense Committee referred the whole issue to a plenary session because the arms deal was too politicized for the committee to make a professional and rational review of the arms budgets. 
 
They argued that “political parties” — referring to the opposition — tended to put their political interests first and believed their stances changed depending on the political environment. 
 
After the committee meeting, the People First Party caucus condemned the KMT for allowing the arms deal to go to a plenary session, saying it was a strategy to put the issue off until after the December 9 Taipei and Kaohsiung municipal elections. PFP caucus whip Cheng Ching-ling asked that the KMT make known its stance on the arms deal issue so that it couldn't deceive its constituents, many of whom supported the KMT based on its opposition to the arms package. 
 
Wednesday's committee decision came as Premier Su Tseng-chang warned that the military gap between China and Taiwan was growing and urged lawmakers again to back the purchase of the three weapons systems from the United States. 
 
He said if Taiwan didn't demonstrate resolution in defending itself, the U.S.' willingness to sell weapons to Taiwan and help defend Taiwan would be affected. 
 
While there was movement on the arms package, the Defense Committee slashed the proposed 2007 budget for administrative expenses related to the potential purchase of F16 fighter aircraft from NT$30 million to NT$1,000. 
 
KMT Legislator Lin Yu-fang said all budgets related to the F16 are premature and improper as the Bush Administration has not yet offered the fighters for sale.