| For Immediate Release Apr 11, 2001 |
Contact: Press Office 202-646-5172 |
Does Deal Include Secret U.S. Promise Not To Sell Key Arms to Democratic Taiwan? Freedom of Information Act Requests Will Seek Documentation (Washington, D.C.) Judicial Watch, the non-partisan public interest law firm that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, said today that it will launch an investigation of the deal between the United States and Communist China for release of the 24 servicemen that had been held hostage for the last ten days. Judicial Watch shares the joy of all Americans that the hostages will finally come home, but will probe the Bush Administration’s handling of the crisis. To that end, Judicial Watch today is filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with the appropriate government agencies, such as the State Department and the Pentagon, on the China hostage crisis. “We are happy our young people are coming home,” stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman, “but Judicial Watch also wants to see if the price for their release are backroom deals not to sell defensive weapons such as AEGIS cruisers to our steadfast ally Taiwan.” “The omens in this regard are not good, as today the United States has inappropriately and wrongly apologized for our plane making an emergency landing on Chinese territory ‘without permission’ and will now ‘discuss’ with Communist China the activities of U.S. reconnaissance flights in international waters. The Bush Administration has caved publicly to the Chinese communists and we aim to find out if any secret promises were made to the ‘Butchers of Beijing’ behind closed doors,” stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. | |