Jihad in the Philippines update. The Philippines, you may recall, is one of those places that was left off a list of countries with "serious extremist movements," recently drawn up by a putative Islamic expert. From AP, with thanks to Nicolei:
MANILA -- Officers have arrested four suspected members of al-Qaida-linked terror groups who were planning to bomb an airport, malls and a church in the Philippines, police officials said Thursday.Two Indonesians and a Malaysian, all suspected members of the regional Muslim terror group Jemaah Islamiyah, and a Filipino allegedly from the Abu Sayyaf extremist group, were arrested in southern Zamboanga city in December, but their detentions were not announced immediately to allow officials to track their companions, police officials said.
The arrests were to be officially announced later Thursday.
Police intelligence officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the men's targets included a Roman Catholic church and the airport in the bustling port city of Davao and unspecified malls in Manila.
There were other possible targets in the southern cities of General Santos and Cagayan de Oro, they said. Some of the four were arrested at a wharf in Zamboanga after they came off a local ferry, the officials said.
Piggybacking _
The "War on Terrorism"
Leaps into the Philippines
John D. Brulé
Filipinos struggled to expel the US military over the past century, finally succeeding in 1992, despite tenacious US efforts to retain naval and air force bases. The US had invaded that beautiful land in 1898, replacing centuries of Spanish colonialism with a US version. In 1946, after five years of control by the Japanese, the US granted the Republic of the Philippines a form of "independence." However, even though the Philippine Constitution forbade the stationing of foreign troops there, the former US bases have been under Filipino control only since 1992.
Now in the guise of "links to al Qaeda," the US has returned to the Philippines, which many Filipinos regard as violating their Constitution. Philippine President Gloria Arroyo granted permission for this new invasion, after receiving a $100 million gift of US military equipment.
The US military is there ostensibly to "train" Filipino anti-terrorist forces. The origin of the troubles on the island of Mindanao dates back many years _ the Muslims on Mindanao have long resisted what they view as foreign intervention. Beginning with the Spanish and extending to modern times, various groups have tried to gain control of the land. The Muslims on Mindanao have always resisted this. A small fringe group known as Abu-Sayyef gave up politically-motivated terrorism a few years ago and replaced it with kidnapping for ransom. This thuggery existed long before al Qaeda and is a domestic problem. The US has neither the knowledge nor the capacity to solve this internal problem.
There are many questions about how the US military action is being conducted, but the more interesting question is why did Bush and his administration want to re-invade the Philippines? In the past the US wanted a presence in the Philippines for an economic advantage. While that still is partially true, it is more likely that the major purpose is to re-establish military bases in the Far East to pave the way for expansion of the Bush war. The port at Subic Bay in the Philippines is one of the best in that part of the world. The successful re-establishment of US military bases in this geographically-important archipelago will strengthen the US government's ability to dominate this region. We must actively oppose it.
John Brulé has been involved with the Peace Council for many years.
Good work for the police, there are too islamists in the world.
CHUCK:
The Philippines is well on its way to becoming the world's next Sudan. It is far too corrupt and educationally crippled to defend itself from the likes of an all-out Islamic "Holy War" on its soil, which is what is going down here. Islamic insurgents are constantly accelerating their jihadist activities and people are being killed routinely.
There is nothing the United States has ever done in this region to compare with the genocidal history of Islam (which is likely to have slaughtered over 500 MILLION human beings during its 13 century-long reign of terror and obliterated at least seven major civilizations and hasn't finished with humanity yet). Cite as you will how the US Military violated their constitution, the Philippines probably wouldn't even have one if it hadn't been for the US (Communism and Islamic insurgency would likely have prevented it from democratizing on its own, as both forces in the region have traditionally opposed democracy as practiced currently by the Philippines). Who do you suppose forced Imperial Japan out of the Philippines during WW2? Greenpeace??
Islam, which apparently you didn't know, invaded Southeast Asia over a millennia ago and slaughtered untold millions there and tethered this area to its genocidally backwards socio-political-religious ideology, the real reason this once-lovely (but now-ravaged by overpopulation, ecological degradation and endemic corruption) region of the world (the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand)is such a complete and utter disaster.
Unlike Spain, the United States and its military WAS actually capable of offering something of value (WHAT COULD THAT BE???HA HA HA). Education, health care, economic development and a democratic infraqstructure for starters. Lest you get on an anti-American tangent, the US was in the Philippines after WW2 partly as an anti-Communist buffer; Communism as you probably know murdered over 100 million human beings in China and Russia and threatened SOutheast Asia. You forget the US military was also dominant in South Korea, and the results there were overall very positive. So we feel it is wise to reject your assertions of US involvement in the Philippines in toto.
As for your presecription of forcing the US military out of the area you are 100% WRONG. NOBODY wants to 're-invade' the Philippines. The question here is WHY CHUCK DO YOU IGNORE THE REALITY THAT THE PHILIPPINES HAS BEEN INVADED BY MILITANT ISLAMIC FORCES FROM THE MIDDLE EAST? Islamic terror networks from the Middle East are on Philippine territory illegally. The goal of these networks is an Islamic "superstate" that would eliminate Philippine sovereignty. THE ILLEGAL PRESENCW OF ISLAMIC MILITANT NETWORKS IS THE ACTUAL INVASION OF THE PHILIPPINES. Whatever the US does therefore would be a counter-invasion to remove those terrorist forces. A child could see that.
Once an area is occupied by Islamic jihadist networks there is no force yet known to be capable of forcing them out. The Philippines will NEVER be able of eliminating militant Islamic insurgency on its own, given present conditions. To assume that it could is the height of absurdity and actually very dangerous to the people of the Philippines ("infidels" commanded by the Qur'an to be exterminated by Muslims). Look at Yugoslavia (at war with Islamic invaders for over 800 years, and STILL overrun with Islamic brutality and terrorism) or Spain (after 12 centuries STILL unable to free itself of the yokes of Islam). IS IT POSSIBLE CHUCK YOU WISH TO SEE THE PHILIPPINES CONQUERED BY ISLAM??? If so, you should come out and say that instead of this mealy-mouthed (and poorly-supported) anti-Americanisms.
PYTHAGORAS
CHUCK:
The Philippines is well on its way to becoming the world's next Sudan. It is far too corrupt and educationally crippled to defend itself from the likes of an all-out Islamic "Holy War" on its soil, which is what is going down here. Islamic insurgents are constantly accelerating their jihadist activities and people are being killed routinely.
There is nothing the United States has ever done in this region to compare with the genocidal history of Islam (which is likely to have slaughtered over 500 MILLION human beings during its 13 century-long reign of terror and obliterated at least seven major civilizations and hasn't finished with humanity yet). Cite as you will how the US Military violated their constitution, the Philippines probably wouldn't even have one if it hadn't been for the US (Communism and Islamic insurgency would likely have prevented it from democratizing on its own, as both forces in the region have traditionally opposed democracy as practiced currently by the Philippines). Who do you suppose forced Imperial Japan out of the Philippines during WW2? Greenpeace??
Islam, which apparently you didn't know, invaded Southeast Asia over a millennia ago and slaughtered untold millions there and tethered this area to its genocidally backwards socio-political-religious ideology, the real reason this once-lovely (but now-ravaged by overpopulation, ecological degradation and endemic corruption) region of the world (the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand)is such a complete and utter disaster.
Unlike Spain, the United States and its military WAS actually capable of offering something of value (WHAT COULD THAT BE???HA HA HA). Education, health care, economic development and a democratic infraqstructure for starters. Lest you get on an anti-American tangent, the US was in the Philippines after WW2 partly as an anti-Communist buffer; Communism as you probably know murdered over 100 million human beings in China and Russia and threatened SOutheast Asia. You forget the US military was also dominant in South Korea, and the results there were overall very positive. So we feel it is wise to reject your assertions of US involvement in the Philippines in toto.
As for your presecription of forcing the US military out of the area you are 100% WRONG. NOBODY wants to 're-invade' the Philippines. The question here is WHY CHUCK DO YOU IGNORE THE REALITY THAT THE PHILIPPINES HAS BEEN INVADED BY MILITANT ISLAMIC FORCES FROM THE MIDDLE EAST? Islamic terror networks from the Middle East are on Philippine territory illegally. The goal of these networks is an Islamic "superstate" that would eliminate Philippine sovereignty. THE ILLEGAL PRESENCW OF ISLAMIC MILITANT NETWORKS IS THE ACTUAL INVASION OF THE PHILIPPINES. Whatever the US does therefore would be a counter-invasion to remove those terrorist forces. A child could see that.
Once an area is occupied by Islamic jihadist networks there is no force yet known to be capable of forcing them out. The Philippines will NEVER be able of eliminating militant Islamic insurgency on its own, given present conditions. To assume that it could is the height of absurdity and actually very dangerous to the people of the Philippines (who are "infidels" and targeted by islam for extermination). Look at Yugoslavia (at war with Islamic invaders for over 800 years, and STILL overrun with Islamic brutality and terrorism) or Spain (after 12 centuries STILL unable to free itself of the yokes of Islam). IS IT POSSIBLE CHUCK YOU WISH TO SEE THE PHILIPPINES CONQUERED BY ISLAM??? If so, you should come out and say that instead of this mealy-mouthed (and poorly-supported) anti-Americanisms.
Yeah, "Chuck", so freakin' what? we had a colony in the Philippines for a few short decades, during a short period of colonization which we gave up willingly because it wasn't our thing. We don't even like being the "colonial masters" of Puerto Rico but the Puerto Ricans refuse to vote for independence from us, so what do we do?
We pulled out of the Philippines in 1992 at their government's request and came back at their government's request. I don't see how that qualifies as imperialism, do you?
PS -- Philippinos were given the chance to immigrate to the US as they were never given the chance to immigrate to Spain during the 4 or 5 hundred years of Spanish control there.
Most are good and productive citizens and have prospered quite well here.
Sorry folks but this Filipino jihad is new to me, whats the deal there : like what is the religion of the majority there, is there a large msulim population???
The Phillipines will now go on my list of current violence and conflict around the globe caused by, or involving muslims/islam when having a crack at lefties.