[Peace-discuss] Fwd: [notowar.com] US At War In Fillipines

[Michael Walcher]

  notowar at lm.com wrote: Date: 18 Feb 2002 15:48:37 -0000
To: solaraycer at yahoo.com
Subject: [notowar.com] US At War In Fillipines
From: notowar at lm.com

US forces move on Filipino militants Gunship diplomacy - As Bush starts Asian tour, troops embark on next stage of 'war on terror' By David Usborne in New York 17 February 2002 US special-forces soldiers fanned out across the troubled island of Basilan in the southern Philippines yesterday in another dramatic sign of President George Bush's determination to expand his war against terrorism far beyond the borders of Afghanistan. It was the first deployment of military US personnel on the island, which has seen increased activity by extremist Muslim rebels. The rebel movement, called the Abu Sayyaf, has been linked by Washington to the al-Qa'ida network of Osama bin Laden. President Bush meanwhile left the White House yesterday for a six-day tour of three Asian countries. Aides said Mr Bush intended to reiterate his "axis of evil" message made two weeks ago, in which he singled out Iran, North Korea and Iraq. On the eve of the President's departure, Vice President Dick Cheney publicly defended the "axis of evil" speech, which has drawn sharp criticism abroad, including from many US allies. Mr Cheney said the allies would come to America's side against Iraq, "if aggressive action is required". So far, the US has about 250 special-forces soldiers at the Zamboanga military base in the Philippines, across a strait from Basilan. An additional 40 soldiers were flown in from a US base in Japan last night. Only a small number of US soldiers were directly involved in the manoeuvres on Basilan itself yesterday, where the rebels are holding a Kansas couple hostage. However, they were a very visible presence, packed into Philippine helicopters and equipped with assault rifles and bulletproof vests. Philippine commanders hope that their mere presence in Basilan will have a potent effect on the rebels. "Considering that they are American soldiers, the threat is there," said Col Alexander Aleo, of the Philippine army's 103rd Brigade. The Philippines was quickly identified by the US after the start of military action in Afghanistan as a country with terrorists sympathetic to Osama bin Laden on its soil. Other countries on that list include Somalia. About 5,000 Filipino soldiers have been deployed to Basilan since last year. On nearby Jolo island yesterday, two explosions killed at least five people including a 14-year-old boy ­ and injured more than 40 others. An army commander blamed the Abu Sayyaf for the blasts, saying it was retaliation for army assaults days earlier. On his tour, President Bush will visit Japan, where economic issues will take the fore, before going on to South Korea and China. All three visits were originally scheduled for last autumn, but were delayed because of 11 September. In South Korea, Mr Bush will have the delicate task of reassuring President Kim Dae-jung that the US remains committed to pursuing a peaceful settlement on the Korean peninsula while reaffirming his tough position on North Korea. In his weekly radio address yesterday, Mr Bush said: "The people of the south are now reaching out to the north in a spirit of friendship and reconciliation," he said. "I support these efforts. Yet I will remind the world that America will not allow North Korea and other dangerous regimes to threaten freedom with weapons of mass destruction." In his speech, delivered on Friday evening to the Council on Foreign Relations, Mr Cheney underlined the new focus of Washington on curbing all three nations named by the president and prevent them from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. "The president has made it clear that this will be a priority," he said. "We will use all the means at our disposal ­ meaning military, diplomatic, intelligence, etc ­ to address these concerns." While acknowledging the concerns raised by several of America's allies, Mr Cheney said that the US would not be distracted from its course. "America has friends and allies in this cause, but only we can lead it," he declared. "Only we can rally the world in a task of this complexity against an enemy so elusive and so resourceful. The United States and only the United States can see this effort through to victory." Focusing on Iraq, Mr Cheney suggested that not everything that the US might do in Iraq would necessarily be visible. It was not clear whether he meant US action should remain hidden from the public or, rather, from other governments opposed to the action. __________ To unsubscribe: http://www.yourmailinglistprovider.com/unsubscribe.php?notowar+solaraycer@yahoo.com This newsletter is hosted by http://www.yourmailinglistprovider.com


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