Philippines (2012 onwards, inc OEF)

[SWJ Blog]

Interview With COL David Maxwell on US Special Operations Troops Advising Philippines Forces on Insurgents

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[davidbfpo]

An Australian commentary, which reminds us that:

Some 12 weeks later, the fighting continues and the toll in death and destruction climbs inexorably, much to the dismay and embarrassment of the Philippine military.

Link:https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/ba...outheast-asia/

[AdamG]

An Australian commentary..

I don't see where the author has any experience outside of Academia.

In any event, SWJ needs to look at Marawi as a MOUT case study.


Why it took 5 months to end Marawi siege
By: Allan Nawal - Correspondent / @inqmindanao
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 07:02 AM October 22, 2017

MARAWI CITY — Soldiers lacked training and equipment for urban warfare which stretched the military campaign to rid the city of Islamic State (IS) followers to five months, according to a key ground commander here.
Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., deputy commander of the military’s Joint Task Group Ranao, said officers had to improvise in terms of deploying troopers, equipment and using tactics to defeat members of homegrown terror groups Abu Sayyaf and Maute, who had tried to establish an IS base in this predominantly Muslim city.
The government had declared the liberation of the city from IS, although fighting continued to finish off what the military now refers to as “stragglers,” or remnants of Abu Sayyaf and Maute, still holed up in the city

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/939746/...#ixzz4wEfCzzch

Philippine troops on Sunday were battling a final group of about 30 pro-Islamic State group militants who were surrounded in one building with all their hostages gone as a nearly five-month siege neared its end in southern Marawi city, a military official said.
Army Col. Romeo Brawner said troops were aiming to end the crisis before midnight Sunday. He said the remaining gunmen, who include some Indonesian and Malaysian fighters, have the option of surrendering, or they can either be captured or killed.
"Our government forces will try to do everything to finish the firefight today," Brawner said in a news conference in Marawi. He said the battle area centered in a two-story building near Lake Lanao where the firefight continued to rage at noon.
"It's either they all get killed, because they're determined to die inside, or we capture them or they surrender," he said.
A gradual withdrawal of military forces was underway with the easing of the fighting, which has left at least 1,131 people dead, including 919 militants and 165 soldiers and policemen. Troops continued to ask the gunmen, who are leaderless and running low on ammunition, to surrender by using loudspeakers, Brawner said.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/...unmen-50641224

[AdamG]

Twenty-seven sailors aboard the Philippines ship MV Kudos stopped 12 pirates trying to board the ship in the Basilan sea, by splashing the armed men with the concoction of hot water and oil.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-1...niques/9459238

[AdamG]

MANILA (Reuters) - A U.N. special rapporteur, a former Philippine lawmaker and four former Catholic priests are among more than 600 alleged communist guerrillas the Philippines wants declared “terrorists”, according to a government petition filed in court.
The justice ministry last month said it wanted a Manila court to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), “terrorist” bodies, but made no mention of individuals it would also target.
The petition, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, suggests President Rodrigo Duterte is following through on his threats to destroy a movement he now regards as duplicitous.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-p...-idUSKCN1GK0DO

[AdamG]

Battle Of Marawi Intense Combat Compilation Of The Philippine Army Battling Terrorists.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCeVVoKI5hE

[davidbfpo]

This seems to be a clearer and in places different version:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5vELx3ie9I

[AdamG]

File this under 'extraordinarily bad ideas'

Malacañang said it sees no problem with the idea of a Chinese firm with proven track record taking over the debt-saddled Hanjin Philippines after a former Navy official warned against the shipyard falling into "wrong hands."

"Kung Chinese company naman na dati na nating ka-deal at wala namang problema eh di walang isyu. Kung hindi natin kilala eh di siyempre we have to vet para malaman natin," presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a news conference.

Panelo also said talks about which company will take over Hanjin Philippines remains a speculation at this point.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/mone...7XVtXCuzNfNltU