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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| US Interests in Mindanao
By Antonio C. Abaya Written on Aug. 18, 2008 For the Standard Today, August 19 issue The Americans have two interests in the Mindanao-Sulu-Basilan theater of operations that are tied up with the controversy over the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD) that the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) initialed with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) last July 27. That MOA would have been signed last August 5 if the Supreme Court had not stopped it with a temporary restraining order (TRO), upon the petition of local government officials that they had not been consulted adequately and had not been told that part of their territory was being handed over to the MILF. One. The Americans are worried by the expressed intention of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), an Islamic extremist organization, to create a pan-Islamic state that would encompass the entire territories of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, plus the southern (predominantly Muslim) provinces of Thailand, and some of the (heavily Muslim) provinces of Mindanao-Sulu-Basilan in the southern Philippines. Such an Islamic state, if successfully formed, would create a choke point through which pass most of the oil imports of China , Hong Kong , Taiwan , South Korea and Japan , which collectively buy about 55 percent of US exports. On their prosperity depends the prosperity of the Americans. If these countries' economies were to wither as a result of an oil embargo imposed by the JI, the US economy would also wither. It is not just the free passage of oil that concerns the Americans. The area encompassed by the JI's pan-Islamic state contains some of the richest petroleum and mineral deposits in the world, plus irreplaceable pools of indigenous technical and managerial manpower, as well as an established industrial infrastructure. Mindanao-Sulu are thought to hold vast deposits of oil and gas. To keep this area away from the grasp of the JI, the Americans have established forward bases and listening posts in or off Sulu and Basilan, to monitor the activities of JI in Indonesia and Malaysia (where an American military presence would be resented by thelocals), and from which they could launch pre-emptive strikes against JI in the future, if need be. (See my article Why the Americans are in Basilan and Sulu of June 6, 2002) Two. The Americans see China as their next strategic enemy, after Islamic extremists, and are concerned about Chinese activities in the Spratly Islands , below which are believed vast deposits of petroleum and mineral ores. Their forward bases and listening posts in Sulu and Basilan, though meant primarily to monitor JI activities in Indonesia and Malaysia , also serve their other purpose of monitoring Chinese activities in the Spratlys through intelligence-gathering ships and aircraft, as well as drones or pilot-less Predators. These double-barreled operations in Mindanao-Sulu-Basilan in turn are dictated by a policy declaration by the neo-conservatives as early as September 2000 � one year before 9/11 and four months before George W. Bush assumed the presidency in January 2001.This declaration, titled Rebuilding America's Defenses, was signed by the neo-cons gathered together as the Project for the New American Century or PNAC. The neo-cons were/are headed by Dick Cheney (who became vice-president), Donald Rumsfeld (who became defense secretary, since resigned), Paul Wolfowitz (who became Rumsfeld's deputy, since resigned), Richard Perle (who became chairman of the Defense Board, since forced to resign), Jeb Bush (brother of George W.), Scooter Libby (c-o-s of Cheney, now serving a jail sentence for perjury) and various other certified hawks, every one of whom, BTW, - starting with George W - sought and received deferment, via various means, from military service in Vietnam�.the chicken hawks. (The 2003 invasion of Iraq is said to have been planned by Wolfowitz � famously known since as Wolfowitz of Arabia � as early as 1997.) In this policy declaration, the neo-cons called for, among other things, a permanent US military presence in the Middle East (hence the wars in Iraq , Afghanistan , and, possibly soon, Iran ), regime change in Beijing (hence the constant putdowns against the Chinese), and increased US forces in Southeast Asia (hence the US presence in Mindanao-Sulu). The chicken hawks also sought to "discourage advanced industrial nations from challenging our leadership or even aspiring to a larger regional or global role," hence their efforts to defang Russia, by offering NATO membership to Georgia and Ukraine, and putting up "missile defense shields" in Poland, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, thus understandably infuriating the Russians. In the Philippine context, the neo-cons may have debated among themselves how their dual-purpose presence in Mindanao-Sulu can be maintained, given the unreliability of President Arroyo. In July 2004, President Arroyo withdrew the 51-man Philippine contingent from the Coalition of the Willing in Iraq to save the life of the kidnapped Angelo de la Cruz. In October the same year, she signed an agreement with Beijing for the joint exploration for oil in the Spratlys, which caused the Heritage Foundation, one of the three think tanks that draft policies for the Republican Party, to call her "the weakest leader in Asia ." It was at this point, I believe, that the neo-cons, led by VP Dick Cheney, schemed to remove President Arroyo from power, using the Hello Garci tapes in July 2005 (which were probably electronic intercepts of the US National Security Agency) to embarrass and weaken her. I have several articles on this plot in 2005-2006, all archived in www.tapatt.org. But President Arroyo proved too tough a nut to crack. She not only survived but even bounced back to approve 29 contracts with the Chinese in 2006-2007 for various projects, including one (the exceptionally corrupt ZTE broadband contract) that would have given the Chinese a ringside view of American moves and decisions in and about the Philippines. She was either tempting the fates or was blissfully ignorant of the geopolitical implications of her decisions. Last week, she was witness to two new contracts with the Chinese, this time for the mining of nickel in Zambales. The controversial MOA-AD between the GRP and the MILF may be a sign that the Americans have decided that the MILF is a more reliable partner in the war on terror than the vastly unpopular and Chinese-dominated Arroyo. They may have deliberately suckered the GRP panel into the MOA-AD, knowing that the seriously flawed document would make Mrs. Arroyo more unpopular than she already is. And may lead to her downfall, which they had schemed to bring about in 2005. Whether or not the MOA-AD leads to Bangsamoro independence is of no existential concern to the Americans, who have now established their bona fides with the MILF and can look forward to pursuing their twin goals in the region without too much hassle from the resident Muslims . The "nationalist" politicians in Manila , who threw them out of their bases in 1991, can all go to hell in China . Certainly no asylum for them in San Francisco . That is how the Chinese fortune cookie crumbles. ***** Reactions to [email protected]. More articles in www.tapatt.org and in acabaya.blogspot.com. . To subscribe, send as blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to "US Interests in Mindanao" Dear Tony: I quite disagree with your conclusion that "The controversial MOA-AD between the GRP and the MILF may be a sign that the Americans have decided that the MILF is a more reliable partner than the vastly unpopular and Chinese-dominated Arroyo." There is no way the United States will ever prefer to deal with what it considers officially to be a terrorist organization, the MILF, to what you characterize as the "vastly unpopular and Chinese-dominated Arroyo." (The Americans supported Saddam Hussein in his war against Iran in the 1980s, even supplying him with bacteriological warfare agents. The Americans also supported Osama bin Laden and his mujahedeens in their war against the Soviets in Afghanistan, also in the 1980s. The Americans also supported more than a dozen dictators in Asia (i.e. Ferdinand Marcos), Latin America and Africa in the 60s, 70s, 80s in the confrontation against global communism. The MILF is NOT officially classified by the US as a terrorist organization. ACA) It may be true that Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is vastly unpopular with many Filipinos, but it is not generally conceded that she is dominated by the Chinese. The fact that Mrs. Arroyo has been dealing with the Chinese these days does not lead necessarily and inevitably to the conclusion that she is dominated by the Chinese. Her dealings with the Chinese obviously have been on a quid pro quo basis, with both benefiting mutually. (In signing the agreement with China in 2004 for the joint exploration for oil in the Spratlys, she was apparently promised $8 billion in "aid" contingent on signing other agreements in the future. She has since signed and/or witnessed 29 contracts, to which two were recently added. ACA) Mrs. Arroyo must realize that China is getting to be a major player on the world's geopolitical stage. At the rate China is growing economically and militarily, she is bound to be the dominant player in Asia. On the other hand, with the clear prospect that the United States will continue to be preoccupied with the war on terror, and with Vladimir Putin's obvious fixation to bring back to Russia's fold countries which were once parts of the mighty Russian empire, the United States will in all likelihood be compelled to reduce its presence in Asia relative to that of China.. In the event, history may actually vindicate Mrs. Arroyo's newly-found strategy of fostering mutually beneficial relations with China. Mariano Patalinjug, (by email), Yonkers, NY, Aug. 19, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Sagisag, Estrada and all those who advocated the removal of US bases must apologize to the Filipinos for their wrong decisions. GMA has no choice than to depend on China as a business partner. US, Japan & Taiwan focuses more on India, China and Vietnam. Filipino brown brothers had been bypass many times. At least there are Koreans who infused investments and job to our country however they are frugal in giving wages to our countrymen. We are becoming a colony of South Korea but as long as they provide jobs, it would be better than nothing. US focuses on an ally only if they can provide benificial advantage for US foreign policy. US provided significant aids to Israel because they can proxy a war in that region. Upgraded their military defence implements. I think Philippine air force these days will not be able to provide air defense for our country. During the cold war with Soviet and China ,the Philippines has been important strategic ally but after the cold war times had changed. We were simply forgotten. Nonoy Ramos, (by email), Pennsylvania, Aug. 19, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww During my 3 day travel to Cotabato and the two Lanaos, I found out that many Muslims and Christians have been going around with their lives and business with no problem at all between them until the MILF started flexing its muscles because of this MOA-BJE issue. As a result, the Christians were talking of arming themselves again. This was before the simultaneous attacks on the towns of Kauswagan and Kolambugan in Lanao del Norte and Maasim in Sarangani. I also learned that many of those who enlisted with the MILF did so not for ideological or religious belief but for financial reason. I was in Iligan when the two bombings occured and even saw the dead soldiers of the 5IB who were ambushed by the MILF in Lanao del Sur Sunday morning piled inside an army truck parked infront of the Iligan Sanitarium Hospital.. Based on my interview with two soldiers who were ambushed, the MILF was spread 500 meters long on the side of the road with high powered firearms. What is disappointing is that reinforcements arrived an hour or so late. Where were the PAF choppers and the armor vehicles? How come the 4 dead army soldiers were not immediately taken to a funeral home for embalming and for whatever appropriate thing to be done? One soldier told me and I quote: " Kawawa man kaming mga sundalo " . In the case of Lt Col Benitez, why was he allowed to travel from the 1st Division headquarters in Pagadian thru Lanao del Norte when there were already intelligence reports of possible attacks by the MILF? The MILF was already a gone force after the AFP assault on Camp Abubakar but Gloria Arroyo for whatever reason gave this group importance. What the government should have done and it can still do so if it really wants peace, is to see to it that the Muslim populace are given the basic services, provided with jobs and to create a community base business duly funded, supported and monitored. To qualify for this, they must in turn surrender all their high powered firearms. Pushing thru with that stupid MOA including the creation of Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) could only lead to more bloodshed. The Christians in Mindanao know that once the MILF will have their own BJE where 75% of mineral resources will go to them and the right to a representation before UN and other nations then it can build a very strong army, airforce and navy mightier than the AFP. Declaring the whole of Mindanao as independent Islamic state will not be far behind. Then what next? The rest of the Philippines with the help of Islamic countries? Narciso Limsiaco Ner, (by email), Davao Coty, Aug. 19, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Like I said yesterday, whatever the Americans are doing down there is fine by me. Raffy Alunan, (by email), Aug. 19, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww A classic sting operation then. Chester Montenegro, Malabo Island, Equatorial Guinea, West Africa, Aug. 20, 2008 (That's what it looks like to me. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww You wrote: The neo-cons were/are headed by Dick Cheney (who became vice-president), Donald Rumsfeld (who became defense secretary, since resigned), Paul Wolfowitz (who became Rumsfeld's deputy, since resigned), Richard Perle (who became chairman of the Defense Board, since forced to resign), Jeb Bush (brother of George W.), Scooter Libby (c-o-s of Cheney, now serving a jail sentence for perjury) and various other certified hawks, every one of whom, BTW, - starting with George W - sought and received deferment, via various means, from military service in Vietnam�.the chicken hawks. Scooter Libby did not serve a day in jail. His 30 months prison sentence was commuted by President Bush on July 2, 2007. Donald Rumsfeld served as an aviator in the Navy from 1954 - 1957. (There was no Vietnam War yet in 1954-1957. ACA) President G. Bush served in the Texas (actually Alabama, I think. ACA) Air National Guard from 1968 to 1973 although his attendance was irregular.(That was his Dad's way of keeping George W from doing military service in Vietnam. ACA) Cheers! Noel Verzosa, (by email), Las Vegas, Nevada, Aug. 20, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, I like the way you write and am impressed with the wealth of information you have. Your article "US Interest in Mindanao" is impressive. Please furnish me more of your articles. Best regards, Myrna P. Valdez, (by email), Aug. 20, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Your data on the US interests in Mindanao is impeccably accurate. This is bullseye. Now we know better why Kristie Kenney is frequenting Mindanao and as a matter of fact was a witnessed to the crafting of the MOA by PGMA trusted lieutenants in August 2007 without consultations with the affected LGUs. Vic del Fierro Jr., (by email), Aug. 20, 2008. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, This is an interesting reading of the future of the Philippines as it stands at the crossroad. This assortment of rocks in the Pacific made relevant by its strategic geographical position in Asia has enchanted empires to land on its shores. It may be said that in the scheme of things, we still serve mainly as a "coaling station" for geopolitical and economic calculations. It's not a nice thought to entertain but this is the larger picture that we cannot refuse or avoid no matter how loud we scream---NO! For a puny low-ranking and mismanaged country such as ours, the die is cast. So what is left for us besides hassling and groping the world's dark political alleys (particularly, the United States and now China) for nickels and dimes? Is there any destination we can take ahead beyond these alleys? Will it be the "Middle Kingdom" or the "City on a Hill?" In the main, our experience with the former is embedded in the Chinese historical appropriation that we are all "Sons of the Yellow Emperor" and whose best contribution to the Philippines is rightfully its own---Jose Rizal (Sons of the Yellow Emperor, by Lynn Pan, 1994). The latter was a happenstance---a historical accident embedded in the American ideology of Manifest Destiny. What would have happened if the Anti-Imperialist and Democrat William Jennings Bryant won the U.S. Presidency in 1896, and not the Imperialist and Republican William McKinley? Would our life chances be different? Perhaps, yes. Perhaps, no. All I know judging from the legacy of a dysfunctional democratic subculture, the light of that city is slowly flickering and dimming. Is there a brighter future for us then? I am not hopeful especially when we are betrayed by our leaders again and again. I also don't know because 20-50 years from now either many of us will be too decrepit to be useful or won't be around anymore. And that includes Macoy na namatay na, La Gloria, Tita Cory, Miriam, Erap, Juan, Gringo, Ping, Nene, Chiz, Boy, Kiko, Joker, Yoda, Kabayan, etcetera. What a cast of characters! Efren .Padilla, (by email), Aug. 20, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Mang Tony. This is all senile. Cheers, [email protected], , (by email), Aug. 20, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww HI Tony, And this is obviously also another reason why the Americans won't declare the MILF as a terrorist group and the Arroyo government would not also recommend it to the Americans as they probably knew also that it is useless. And all these goes back to the blame to GMA as she do not know how to deal with things like this. Now, what about us Filipinos. What are we going to do now. What would happen to those civilians caught in the cross fire between the MILF and GRP troops. Thanks and more power. Bert Celera, (by email), Aug. 20, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Your article simply shows how clever our president is and how many times she has outsmarted the wily Americans and her local vicious opposition and critics. That was how effective Marcos was himself, in his younger years, until greed consumed him and ill health ate his energy up, and the heavens tortured him with the reality of mortality. I don't think there can ever be a successful uprising - by the citizenry or by those in politics - against GMA . She looks much smarter than Marcos was and a greater marketing and sales strategist (as she did in SONA) than those who carry Truth and Honesty. She outsmarts the Americans. Victor Manalac, (by email), Aug. 20, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Scooter Libby did not spend a minute in jail as he was pardoned by President Bush. James Litton, (by email), Aug. 20, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Probably true for this article however, these are just speculations that may view the American government as the directors of what is transpiring now in the world. If it were true that the supposed Pan-Islamic states were to choke the trade route of US with China and Korea, terrorists would have done this before. Ke Islamic pa yan or leftists pa yan. (You did not understand the article. I did not write that the Jemaah Islamiyah's Pan-Islamic state would choke the trade route between the US and China/Korea. I wrote that the Pan-Islamic state, if it became a reality, could choke the oil route between the Middle East and China/South/Korea/Japan/Taiwan. ACA) While China poses to be an economical threat to the US, but why is it that there are no long lines of people applying for immigrant status in China. At the end of the day, more people would prefer to see themselves in America than in China. Thanks. (This is totally beside the point. ACA).. Mike Delgado, (by email), Aug. 20, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww This article encompasses three realms - religion, economics and politics. So complex and plenty are the interpretations that can be made from this article. Tony Abaya somewhat weaved a story of how the US manipulated power play in most areas of the world. I'm so exposed to some unofficial documents about US Strategies in college. However diverse, these documents lead to a single direction - illustrating in a descriptive context (yes, numerical data are also descriptive in this sense) of the current global power equation amongst states. E. J. Galvez, (by email), Aug. 20, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya: Wasn't Scooter Libby granted full pardon by Bush even before he [Libby] spent any time in jail? All the best, Carlos Esteban, Jr., (by email), Aug. 20, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww The question, Mr. Abaya, is not who is not for China or for the US. Significantly, the question is who are for the Filipinos? Is the chacha an effort for the Filipinos interest or for a geo political adjustment so that the regional governments or local administrative units can fully maximize their resources by exploiting them without the control of the National executive or to invite foreign interest to be partners in their orgy of exploitation to our natural resources with the leadership of the national and local political dynasties who are mostly landlords and many of them envision a federal Philippines affiliated with the American republic. Specifically more important from this geopolitical situation today is the question where we can locate the genuine Filipino interest out of here? Abet Banico, (by email), Aug. 20, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, I asked John Forbes to comment on your article. Below is his reply. Assuming she does carry out what you say she will, how do you think she'll go about doing it, when and with whom? Cheers! � Raffy Alunan, (by email), Aug. 21, 2008 (Obviously, she has to do what she plans to do before June 2010. With whom? Who else but with the Lakas/Kampi juggernaut in the Lower House, some senators, plus thousands of governors, vice-governors, mayors and vice-mayors and other local government officials all over the country, who will all be enticed with extra years in power without running for re-election, in addition to the usual paper bags full of cash Plus millions of recipients of "cash subsidies for the poor" who have already started to receive their freebies. Just in case martial law becomes necessary, the successor to Gen. Yano � who retires soon � will be one who will be friendly to the Arroyos. ACA) : From: "John D. Forbes" Date: August 20, 2008 9:08:41 AM GMT+08:00 To: "'Rafael III Alunan'" > Subject: RE: US Interests in Mindanao My quick take is that Tony has some very weird sources. Firstly, the oil that passes through these seas has alternate routes. Certainly it is NOT passing through the Sulu Sea today. (I never wrote that oil passes through the Sulu Sea. ACA) The position of Indonesia is different where the Sunda straits are strategic but even then there are several routes by which oil can pass between the ME and Japan. The US will always be interested in freedom of navigation, today just as it was when our Marines engaged the Barbary pirates in the early 19th C. But what is the basis for claiming vast mineral reserves in the Sulu Sea and these areas of Mindanao? There is only one field about the produce oil in the RP, the Galoc field. There are mineral resources scattered through the entire archipelago. I know of no data to suggest there is more or less potential in the areas proposed for the BJE. And why does he think US companies are interested? The five major global mining companies interested in mining here today include only one US company and its interest is in a small gold mine in Kalinga. Why does Tony assume the neo-cons are influential in Washington when all evidence points to the contrary? Cheney is disgraced and isolated. If Obama wins (and I hope he does) US foreign policy will build on the current State Dept led openings to North Korea, Iran, etc and to reduce US military operations in Iraq and build up in Afghanistan, where the bigger threat has always been. Defense Secretary Gates fully supports these. Today, Paul Wolfowitz is at AEI and only writes about fighting poverty in Africa. His view on Iraq are totally discredited. (Obama is indeed the more attractive candidate, but his lead has been shrinking. In the latest [Aug 20] CNN poll, Obama was ahead by only one point, with 11 percent undecided. The latest wrinkle in Iraq � retreat of US troops from the cities by June 2009, possible withdrawal by end of 2011 � bears the hallmark of a neo-con ruse, meant to take the wind out of Obama's 16-month withdrawal sail, but which can be rescinded at will anytime after the elections. McCain's 100 years in Iraq (and Afghanistan) may yet prevail, which would be in keeping with the neo-cons' primary goal: full military control of the Middle East [and its oil]. (The unholy alliance between the neo-cons and the Christian Evangelicals and the Jewish/Israeli lobby is rock solid, even if many of the neo-cons are no longer with Bush. Something will probably be made to happen before Nov. 4 to overwhelm the one-point lead of Obama, such as the trial of Khaled Sheikh Mohammed [the brains of 9/11] and/or the capture or killing of a major Al-Qaeda person in Pakistan., not excluding Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zwahiri. (As for my weird sources, try www.pnac.org for the Project for the New American Century. Also look into The Weekly Standard , the unofficial mouthpiece of the neo-cons, which is financed by Rupert Murdoch, who owns Fox News, which is probably the cable channel that you love to hate. Also check the articles written by British MP Michael Meacher on the neo-cons. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Antonio, this is Karl from AFP. I know you have written about it but would like a few words from you on why the ancestral domain agreement was doomed to failure �. It's pretty obvious to me as an outsider but I don't under stand how anyone could have made an agreement like this not knowing its implications. Kind regards Karl Paul Wilson, (by email), Aug. 21, 2008 Agence France Presse PS: I enjoy your columns Hello, Karl. My interpretation: The Americans knew it would backfire as it did, but they encouraged the GRP panel to go for it because they knew it would make GMA more unpopular than she already is, and may lead to her downfall, which they had tried to bring about in 2005. GMA also knew it might lead to resumption of hostilities. But this would work to her advantage as she could use that fearful prospect to push her agenda towards federalist/parliamentary, so that she can constitutionally stay in power beyond 2010. Alternatively, she could use the resumption of hostilities to declare martial law. Either way, she stays in Malacanang beyond 2010. The GRP panel knows nothing about anything. They just follow the instructions from Malacanang. Regrads, Tony. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww The interest of America on Mindanao was rekindled, after it relinquished its military bases back to Philippine jurisdiction, by geopolitical and strategic reasons to maintain its presence in the south and southwest Pacific and southeast Asia areas. And to do this, it has to ingratiate itself and kowtow more with the Moro secessionist movement than with the Philippine government. Its presence in Mindanao today, while purportedly part of its worldwide anti-terrorist campaign after the 9/11 incident, is certainly geared to its interest in that part of the Philippines. It is well known that Philippine forces have been fighting terrorism in Mindanao even before 9/11 without American support. It is only now after 9/11 that America came in to support Philippine forces because it has a geopolitical and strategic purpose. During CEMCOM days in the early '70's, America refused to honor its MAP (Military Assistance Pact) commitment to provide better military hardware and munitions to the Philippine forces because they were fighting our own people (the MNLF). (Why the HMBs and later the NPAs?) Another reason was America's greater interest in oil, that it did not want to dirty its hands supporting an armed force against a force that the Middle Eastern potentates were supporting. Even in the early days of the American occupation, after the failed Pershing and MacArthur (Arthur) expeditions against the Moros, the American occupation government in Manila had to create the Department of Mindanao and Sulu to give special attention to the welfare and needs of the Moros. In the heydays of the Misuari-chaired ZOPAD, the Americans were allowed to build an international airport in General Santos City indicative of American interest to establish their base either in the Christian province of Sarangani or in the adjoining Muslim town of Palimbang. Now, America's interest in the MILF's MOA AD that would extend ARMM's dominion beyond what Misuari conceived in ZOPAD is more revealing in that it may not only be just a territory for a base but may include US protection of the Moroland exclusive of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippines. Fortunato U. Abat, (by email), Aug. 21, 2008 Former Secretary of National Defense wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Among the mineral deposits in Mindanao that America is interested in, I think, is the untapped deuterium deposits (clean fuel) found only in the Philippine Deep off Surigao. Amado Cabaero, (by email), Aug. 21, 2008 (I have written about deuterium several times, the last time in Reactions to "Air Car from India": (Anyone with a background in physics or chemistry would know that this was/is a hoax. Cory Aquino and her lawyer-advisers could not have known that. Even Sen. Nene Pimentel, another lawyer, once publicly theorized that the Americans coveted Mindanao because of our large deposits kuno of deuterium east of Surigao. (Deuterium � a heavier isotope of hydrogen - is present in seawater all over the world as deuterium oxide. Because D20 is slightly heavier than H20, it is assumed that there is more of it in deep ocean trenches such as the Philippine Deep. But no one has actually gone down 10,000 meters to scoop a liter of this heavy water. (And even if someone did, the technology for nuclear fusion reaction � in which deuterium atoms fuse into helium atoms and release energy, as in a hydrogen bomb � is decades away from being convertible for civilian use. In the meantime, hydrogen fuel cells, which use ordinary hydrogen from rain or tap water or from natural gas, are already an established technology with thousands of users worldwide. (See my articles "Doomsday Scenarios" of Nov. 07, 2006, and the bottom part of "Spiritual Revolution?" of Nov. 16, 2004, archived in my website www.tapatt.org. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Sa inyo Ka Tony, at sa Pinagpipitaganan kong mga Kalahi: May pagkakahawig po ang larawang nakikita ko sa mga kaganapan sa Mindanao. Sa aking pag-analisa ay karugtong/bahagi ang mga ito ng imperyalismong disenyo ng mga bansang kanluranin -- ang tambalang Anglo-American na panatilihing watak-watak ang ating lahi dito sa dulong silangan. 1. Nagkaroon ng puwang at pasimula ng damayan at pagkakaisa nung 1960s nang ang Maphilindo ay binalangkas nina Tenku Abdul Rahman ng Malaya, Dadong Macapagal ng Pilipinas, at Soekarno ng Indonesia. Ilang ulit na nagkaroon ng Manila Summit. (Subali't sinulsulan ng clandestine operators si Poor Boy from Lubao na magfile ng Philippine Claim to Sabah. Kumagat naman si Cong Dadong. Si Abdul Rahman ay sinulsulan ng Britanya na itatag ang Federation of Malaysia. Sa simula ay kasanib ang Brunei at Singapore, pero ang nangyari ay umatras ang Brunei, sumunod and Singapore; at ang natuloy na lamang ay ang North Borneo at Malaya na ang nabuong Federation of Malaysia. Samantala, ang Kalimantan Borneo na kanugnog ng Sabah ay pinag-awayan na rin ng Indonesia at ng Malaysia paraan sa Konfrontasi -- o Crush Malaysia -- ni Bung Karno. Sumunod ang pagbuwag ng mga diplomatic relations. At natunaw na ang Maphilindo! 2. Nung panahong iyon, ang paboritong awit (theme song) ni Cong Dadong ay "Asian Solution for Asian Problems by Asian themselves." Nguni't pagkatapos na nag-state visit sa Tate sina Cong Dadong cum Dona Eva ay hindi na muling narinig ang awit. 3. Nauna pa roon, nagkaroon ng SEATO (South-East Asia Treaty Organization); nguni't lumamig na ito pagkamatay ni Magsaysay. 4. Nagkaroon pa rin ng ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) -- hindi ko na ito nasundan -- at ewan kung buhay pa kaya ito. 5. Nung 1970s, marahil sa sulsol din ng clandestine operators ay nagkaroon ng Project Jabidah, na pinangasiwaan ni Col. Eddie Abdul Latif Martelino at ni Bro. Major Orlando Dulay (RIP); na malamang sa sulsol din ng dirty tricks manipulators ay isinambulat ni (hero?) Ninoy Aquino sa bulwagan ng Senado; sa malaking kahihiyan ng Republika ng Pilipinas. 6. Nung 1990s, napabalita ang palihim nguni't malawakang pagpapaunlad ng mga paliparan sa GenSan, na gugol ng USA. Napakalaking panganib sa kinabukasan ng ating Republika ang puspusang pagtitiwala sa mga hakbangin ng USA dito sa Pilipinas. 7. Pinapanatili ang kaguluhan upang mabuhay ang US economy sa malaking kita nila sa pagpapaluwal ng mga kagamitan sa digmaan at tayo naman ang nawawasak! 8. Kahi't kailan, ang mabisang sandata ng mga bansang mananakop ay divide et impera -- "divide and rule." Magpahanggang ngayon, iyan ang patakaran sa atin ng USA. Kahi't sa usapin ng Wikang Pambansa! Irineo Perez Goce, (by email), Lipa City, Aug. 19, 2008 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I can't help but wonder why the woes of the Philippines whether political or otherwise is always uncle Sam's fault. History is only written with a stroke of the pen, it could be copied or dictated without proof of facts. Here in PI even the most respected scholars can't even produce simple text books for kids without puny errors. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that having an independent state in Mindanao is not only unconstitutional but a divisive moved in the part of the MUSLIM community. You don't have to look far to see what the muslim population in this country is doing to us. You need to be here to see what's going on. I for one deals with the ideologies of the muslims. This is the only country that muslim population in the south have their own army, and themselves said they have to have guns to ensure the central gov't will abide with what they want. A different armed forces for the muslim and another for the the gov't? If they want peace disarmed themselves and abide by the constitution just everyone else. The American gov't only wants to have peace and unity in this country, they are trying hard to provide economic assistance to them but they want the whole loaf of bread for themselves and not share it with the rest. Muslims kills human beings including women and children for their self interest just what happen in the south in the very recent days. Need to say more? Polit icians here too are not saints they kill each other to be in the position to steal? why do JUAN needs to bow and kiss politicians behind just to have a kilo of rice? Don't they know why they are there in congress? I've talked to a lot of people about their responsibility as JUAN, their answer "I'm poor couldn't do anything". End of story.... Oh yes don't blame other countries for our inadequacies, nobody can save JUAN except JUAN himself. Save your blames and rhetorics you may need it later... [email protected], Aug. 22, 2008 (So who is blaming the Americans for the woes of the Philippines? They are only pursuing their own national interests. If those interests are best served by junking President Arroyo and playing footsies with the MILF, they will not hesitate to do so. (The US supported Saddam Hussein in his war against Iran in the 1980s, supplying him even with biological warfare agents. The US also armed Osama bin Laden and his mujahedeens when they fought the Soviets in Afghanistan, also in the 1980s. In the 60s to the 80s, the US supported more than a dozen dictators [including Ferdinand Marcos] in Asia, Africa and Latin America who were useful to them in the confrontation with International Communism. It is na�ve to think that countries, especially powerful ones, act purely out of altruistic and noble intentions. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, I flew in from Zamboanga City last Tuesday. On the same flight were seven Americans. I found something curious about them. They were ahead of me at the check-in counter at the Zamboanga City Airport. They checked in their heavy luggage - olive green duffel bags, the kind one sees on CNN when a U.S. Army contingent arrives at a war zone - with sneakers hanging by their shoe laces from the cord of the bags. Going by their age, build, demeanor, attire, and luggage, they could not have been beachcombers or surfers. For one, Zamboanga does not have the resorts for such vacationers. They looked like they are in their mid-twenties, are well-built and clean cut. They were in casual shirts and trousers. At the pre-departure area, they sat together, some conversing quietly, others reading pocketbooks. I surmised they were servicemen from Basilan. They must have finished their tour of duty. Three other Americans arrived at the airport just minutes before boarding time. They looked much older than the earlier bunch. Could they be commissioned officers? There was no indication that the two groups knew each other. The second group sat separately from the first bunch and sat quietly among themselves. In the plane, they were as quiet. There were other Caucasians at the airport but one could tell immediately from their female companion that they were in Zamboanga for fun. The three older Americans exited from the Centennial Airport ahead of the others. I didn't see who met them. The bunch of seven were picked up at the Centennial Airport by a Hyatt Hotel coaster. I could only conclude that the U.S.Armed Forces was pretty busy in Southern Mindanao the past weeks. Oscar Lagman, (by email), Aug. 24, 2008 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to [email protected]. Tony on YouTube in www.tapatt.org. To subscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Subscribe. To unsubscribe, send a blank email with the subject heading Unsubscribe. |