The US role in the Philippines (catch all)

[SWJED]

Max Boot and Richard Bennet discuss why a low-intensity counterinsurgency strategy seems to be working in the Philippines at The Weekly Standard.

The war on terror that the Obama administration is inheriting comes with a decidedly mixed record. Stopping attacks on the American homeland since 2001 has been the Bush administration's biggest accomplishment. Turning around the war effort in Iraq, which was on the verge of failure in 2006, has been another signal success. But, as the Mumbai attacks remind us, the threat of Islamist terrorism has hardly been extinguished...

Almost forgotten amid these major developments is a tiny success story in Southeast Asia that may offer a more apt template than either Iraq or Afghanistan for fighting extremists in many corners of the world. The southern islands of the Philippines, inhabited by Muslims known as Moros (Spanish for "Moor"), have been in almost perpetual rebellion against the Christian majority ruling in Manila...

[Quiet Pro]

On 30 SEP 09, two US Service members were killed in the Philippines. This marks the first time in 7 years that a US Service member has been killed there.

What are everyone's thoughts on how this will change how the US operates in the Pacific Theater. In addition, don't forget that the Philippine Senate is attempting to get the VFA re-negotiated, while others are calling to remove US Soldiers from the country all together.

[Stan]

On 30 SEP 09, two US Service members were killed in the Philippines.

Quiet Pro,
Thanks for the heads up on the story ! Please also include the link(s) so the rest of us don't have to go searching around. In this case, searching around turned out to be useful. USPACOM and CNN stories jive as far as their vehicle driving over something - one was an IED and the other a landmine

Please also take a second to introduce yourself here.

[Quiet Pro]

Stan-

Sorry I didn't post links. I was kinda in a hurry to get to class (work). I found a bunch of links. The one think I noticed was that several places noted the guys were SeaBees while others stated they were Special Forces. I haven't been on Jolo for a couple of years, but I am guessing they were SeaBees. I did see a 5 gallon water can explode (along with the aftermath) in Mindanao in 2006. Fortunately, the only casualty was a bad guy. The ASG set up a great ambush that looked like it was going to be initiated by the IED. We assessed that the IED failed to detonate and when the bad guy was checking it he blew himself up. The AFP resupply convoy went through safe and sound.

I am surprised that there have not been more incidents involving US Soldiers considering we have had a permanent presence in the Philippines since 2002.

I am also concerned that the Lawless Elements and ASG are now using RPGs alongside the improvised RPGs they have always made.

QP

[max161]

DoD Identifies Army Casualties
Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:11:00 -0500

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 763-09
October 01, 2009
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)

On the Web: http://www.defenselink.mil/Releases/

Media Contact: +1 (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public Contact: http://www.defenselink.mil/faq/comment.html or +1 (703) 428-0711 +1

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DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died Sept. 29 in Jolo Island, the Philippines, from the detonation of an improvised-explosive device. The soldiers were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group, Fort Lewis, Wash.

Killed were:

Sgt. 1st Class Christopher D. Shaw, 37, of Markham, Ill.

Staff Sgt. Jack M. Martin III, 26, of Bethany, Okla.

The incident is under investigation.

For more information media may contact the U.S. Army Special Operations Command public affairs office at (910) 432-6005; after hours (910) 689-6187, or visit http://news.soc.mil .

[Quiet Pro]

Sir-

Thank you for providing the link. Of course, when a US Service member is killed it is a sad day but this one hits a lot closer to home.

Jeremy

[Dayuhan]

I am surprised that there have not been more incidents involving US Soldiers considering we have had a permanent presence in the Philippines since 2002.

It's best to never use the term "permanent presence". Sounds crazy, I know, but stuff gets picked up. Not long ago someone dug out an old interview with a US officer who proposed that foreign support for the ASG and MILF would justify a US combat role under the mutual defense treaty. That made it into a lot of newspapers here, wildly distorted.

A permanent presence is what a lot of critics in Manila are accusing the US of trying to build.

I am also concerned that the Lawless Elements and ASG are now using RPGs alongside the improvised RPGs they have always made.

Are RPGs appearing regularly? They've always been quite unusual in Mindanao and surrounding islands, mainly because the Philippine military and police don't use them and illicit sales from the AFP and police are the main source of the black market small arms that end up with the various armed factions. If a substantial quantity of RPGs have been brought in it would indicate a relatively new external source of weaponry.

[Quiet Pro]

Dayuhan-

I'll agree... I shouldn't have used "permanent." I know how sensitive people can be about that word. But, I don't think I was wrong. I haven't taken the time to research this, but from 2002 until 2009 I believe that there has always been a US personnel in the RP that I can think of.

RPGs. I can't confirm or deny this. I saw it mentioned in a couple of news articles... and I cannot find them now. I guess I should have done more research on this before I began to let my fingers hit the keyboard. Lesson learned on this also. Although, if the RP was seeing an increase of weapons from external sources it would create another big problem. Not to mention what inferences you could gather from that.

[Dayuhan]

Philippine media are reporting that a meeting was recently held between a US Embassy official and the head of the MILF, and that the meeting was held without the consent or knowledge of the Philippine Government or military. Other reports suggest that the MILF is openly requesting a US role in peace talks, a few (though I can't find any online) have claimed, possibly incorrectly, that the US is seeking such a role.

A typical example of the reporting on the meeting:

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquire...in-peace-talks

Some editorial reactions, from sources that might generally be described as moderate, even conservative

http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/op...the-enemy.html

http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php...s-double-edged

The reactions highlight some of the problems inherent in trying to balance the perceived need to resolve issues motivation the MILF with Philippine public opinion overall, which regards the MILF as an entity dedicated to trying to divide the Republic and suspects the US of conspiring to aid and abet the process.