Posted on 07/12/2004 2:30:46 PM PDT by dead
DUBAI (Reuters) - The Philippines will withdraw its forces from Iraq (news - web sites) "as soon as possible," Philippine Deputy Foreign Minister Rafael Seguis said on Monday in a statement he read out on al Jazeera television.
"In response to your request, the Philippines ... will withdraw its humanitarian forces as soon as possible," Seguis said according to al Jazeera's Arabic translation of his remarks. His statement was addressed to the group which is holding a Filipino driver hostage.
This is an incredible story. That's an entire country brought to its knees by a guy with a knife and a grainy home video. I have to call B.S. on this one. When did the Phillipinos ever give in to Abu Sayyaf? They've lost people to beheadings in the past. This is not exactly new territory for them and would send a suicidal message to Abu Sayyaf...
What counts, I suppose, is who is standing at the end. There is a lot of importance to being the one left standing at the end.
The Phillipines has spained on us.
"You've gotta be kidding me."
I worked with a fellow from the Philippines. During one of the "rebellions", I saw footage
of the rebels being lead out of their barracks. The loyal government troops and the
rebels were yukking it up on camera.
The next day I asked my Phillipino co-worker why these rebels seemed to be so happy.
I said "If someone in this country tried to overthrow the government, they'd probably
be lucky to keep their head."
The Philippino said "well, the conflict is over; everyone might as well be happy!".
Shaking my head, I remembered Paul Harvey's tagline: "It is NOT one world."
Over the years, I've gotten the feeling that there are just a few countries/cultures
that have the gumption to say "we'll die before we let you win".
And sadly, the Philippines (aside from all their other great qualities)
just ain't one of them.
A sad note, given the toughness of the Philippino Socuts and the underground fighters
during WWII.
I'm getting fed up with these small groups organizing protests to change government direction.
I've got no problem with the gazillions who showed up in Hong Kong for freedom.
Don't let the door hit ya where the Good Lord split ya.
You can run, but you can't hide, you spineless sacks of shit.
this makes me so angry. don't they know they are risking many many more lives by making this decision?
We hope. There could also be debate on how General Secretary M. Moore got his start. < / vomit >
They do not have any value system.
Which United States are you talking about, the one of the greatest generation that would take no bull$hite from anyone and go and fight everybodies battles including our own or the current United States with a youth population who don't even know of the sacrifices our fathers made in places such as Manassas, San Juan, Ardennes Forest, Pearl Harbor, Bataan, Battle of the Bulge, Inchon or Da Nang!!
I'm ascared for our future. Make me a current believer.
I, too, am very disappointed to hear this news, especially since it sounded like Arroyo was singing a different tune. The PI may have an unfortunate strain of communism throughout its islands, but also has a strong martial culture. I am dumbfounded that they are backing down from this fight.
I am also disappointed in people painting pinoys with such a broad brush on this thread- a lot of us DO love the US and a lot DID learn something from the Philippines' sometimes tortured, but special relationship with the US. Unfortunately for the PI, I think that most of the smart ones, like my family, moved here! ;)
After living in the Philippines now for 2 years I tell you not to hold your breath. The Philippine Government is a joke. The Philippine military is a joke. The Philippines is a third world country and there's good reasons for it. This is just another example of bad policy on their part.
Interesting. Sounds like the government is doing this despite a lack of popular pressure.
In countries where the people are poorly educated, I imagine it is tough to get your voters to understand why you never give in to the demands of hostage takers.
DEog, a government be so ignorant because you don't have a clue.
If you understand what happened in Spain you would have done your homework and shut your pie hole.
The current generation is the finest bunch of youn men we have ever cranked out. Our volunteer forces are hanging with the best!!
The only difference between the ones you speak of and the young ones is that the current crop volunteered.
I kinda thought that too, until I saw footage of the kids who cut through Saddam's bad boys like the proverbial crap through a goose.
Never been so proud. "The American soldier is weak and easily discouraged, he will not stand and fight." Lots of folks have said that over the years. The unlucky ones learned better. The real lucky ones lived to tell about it.
Makes sense.
That would turn the tide.
pretty tough to figure out what the hell is going on.
"The Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah terror group is using Filipino Muslim rebels to train replacements for members arrested after the Bali bombings, according to a report released Tuesday. Graduates from camps in the southern Philippines have revitalised JI ranks at home in Indonesia, launched terror attacks in the Philippines itself and breathed new life into the Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom group, says the Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG) think-tank." Jemaah Islamiyah training terrorists in RP 7/12/04
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