Singapore to get US nuke cover
14 March 2005: Singapore is in an advanced stage to get the United
States nuclear cover, and will pay $3 billion as advance, and
subsequently make payments every two years.
Diplomatic sources said that during Singapore deputy PM Lee Hsien
Loongs unofficial visit to Taiwan in July last year, the US
nuclear cover was discussed, and America will extend the cover
provided to Taiwan to Singapore, as the most cost-effective
option.
Top sources said that Singapore will lease an Indonesian island to
emplace its missile defenses, and the nuclear cover will counteract
threats to its sovereignty that it perceives from upcoming
Malaysian military assets on the Penang coast, and from
China.
While the US provides nuclear cover to Japan and South Korea at no
cost, Taiwan pays for American protection, and the same formula has
been adopted in case of Singapore, whose talks on the issue with
the US have been kept highly secret.
Diplomats said a nuclear cover would provoke others in the region
to scram for their own safety nets, including building their own
nuclear weapons, and it could extend all the way to countries in
Indias neighbourhood, like Bangladesh, seeking and perhaps getting
Chinas atomic protection.
Top sources said that several attempts to get Malaysia to desist
from building its military assets have proved fruitless, and in
desperation, Singapore is proceeding for nuclear cover.
from http://srirangan.net/india-defence/node/134
man. is this true?
