Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Arroyo pulls out Philippine troops to save a life (will she don her burka next?)
Sydney Morning Herald ^ | July 15, 2004 | Mark Baker in Manila and Cynthia Banham with agencies

Posted on 07/14/2004 7:13:11 AM PDT by dead

Line up and let live ... demonstrators at a Manila press conference make their
point in words and a picture as they call for their government to back down
and meet the kidnappers' demands. Photo: Reuters

In a move to save the life of a Filipino hostage held in Iraq the Manila Government has bowed to his kidnappers' demands and begun the early withdrawal of its forces from Iraq.

A Philippine Foreign Ministry official said yesterday that Angelo de la Cruz "is safe and there is no more risk of him being executed". The official was quoting a colleague in Baghdad who was close to the negotiations for his release.

The Philippine Foreign Secretary, Delia Albert, announced yesterday that eight Philippine military personnel had left Iraq, five weeks ahead of the scheduled departure of the country's 51-member "humanitarian" contingent of troops and police.

"The Department of Foreign Affairs is co-ordinating with the Defence Ministry for the withdrawal of troops," Ms Albert said in a statement released in Manila.

A spokesman for the Philippine Air Force said the military had two C-130 transport aircraft ready to fly to Iraq to evacuate the remainder of the contingent, but was awaiting final orders.

The Foreign Ministry announcement confirmed earlier reports that the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was defying pressure by Australia, the United States and the interim Iraqi government, and was accepting the demands of Islamic militants who threatened to behead the 46-year-old Mr de la Cruz unless the contingent was pulled out of Iraq by next Tuesday.

The father of eight, a truck driver, was captured last week by a group calling itself the Islamic Army in Iraq as he was driving a shipment of fuel from Saudi Arabia to Iraq for a US contractor.

The Philippines' decision is seen as setback to efforts by the US-led coalition in Iraq to stem a tide of abductions and murders.

The Arroyo Administration, one of the staunchest regional supporters of US intervention in Iraq, has been under mounting domestic pressure from church groups and left-wing activists to save Mr de la Cruz, one of more than a million Filipino contract workers in the Middle East.

The US policy was opposed to concessions to terrorists because "it sends the wrong signal," a State Department spokesman, Richard Boucher, said. He confirmed that the US ambassador to the Philippines, Francis Ricciardone, had met Dr Arroyo to urge her not to pull out the troops.

Australia's Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, telephoned the Philippine ambassador, Cristina Ortega, yesterday and asked the Philippines not to give in to the terrorists "because we will all pay a price if they do", his spokesman said. Mr Downer told the ABC that "all that will do is encourage the terrorists not to target the Philippines any more but to target other nationalities in Iraq helping the Iraqis".

Labor's spokesman on foreign affairs, Kevin Rudd, said Australia should not negotiate with terrorists, but what the Philippine Government did was its own business.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bogdan; philippines
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-76 next last

1 posted on 07/14/2004 7:13:13 AM PDT by dead
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: dead
Sheesh, don't they know that "pulling out" is not effective? ; )

MKM

2 posted on 07/14/2004 7:15:34 AM PDT by mykdsmom (A morning without coffee is like..............................................................sleep!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead

This would explain why the Phillipines has labored under the yoke of dictatorship for most of its existence, and has been subject to American control during the rest.


3 posted on 07/14/2004 7:15:42 AM PDT by Brilliant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mark17

Seems you've got some 'splainin to do ;)


4 posted on 07/14/2004 7:17:21 AM PDT by ambrose
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead

Why now, here is a great example of the Kerry-style "nuanced" foreign policy. /sarc


5 posted on 07/14/2004 7:17:43 AM PDT by Scott from the Left Coast
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead
Someone should the tell the Filipinos that they just made themselves an easy mark for all future terrorist.


6 posted on 07/14/2004 7:18:02 AM PDT by darkwing104 (Let's get dangerous)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead

I mentioned in a previous thread that I could understand the Phillipine government blocking workers from going overseas to Iraq for labor. Who wants to die for a $4/hr laundry job?

Removing troops, however, is full blow cowardice.

There is a trend here; nations with a histroy of failure and of being conquered are running for the exit door in Iraq; or they never participated in the first place. And this explains exactly why those nations have a history of being conquered and of being military failures.


7 posted on 07/14/2004 7:18:35 AM PDT by boycottliberalhollywood.com (www.boycottliberalhollywood.com - www.twoamericas.us)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead
All types of terrorists are loving this and taking notes. They are learning which nations they can intimidate and which they can't.

Coalition nations need to take a lesson from our own BillClinton and Somalia and learn from that experience from which a direct line can be drawn to the 9-11-01 attacks.

The nations that cower to terrorism and terrorists may be doing themselves a short-term favor, but it will come back to their detriment in a much, much more substantial way.

Those nations forget what Churchill said about appeasement--hoping the alligator would eat them last.
8 posted on 07/14/2004 7:20:43 AM PDT by TomGuy (After 20 years in the Senate, all Kerry has to run on is 4 months of service in Viet Nam.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: boycottliberalhollywood.com

Excellent point. Who's next?


9 posted on 07/14/2004 7:21:36 AM PDT by Rutles4Ever
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: dead

She didn't save a life, she killed a Bulgarian.


10 posted on 07/14/2004 7:21:36 AM PDT by cripplecreek (yes. As a matter of fact, my legs are broke.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead

With the Islamoterrorist problem they have on their own soil, they very well may have just signed their own death warrant.


11 posted on 07/14/2004 7:23:19 AM PDT by Phantom Lord (Distributor of Pain, Your Loss Becomes My Gain)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead

Pathetic. I was hoping they wouldnt.


12 posted on 07/14/2004 7:24:43 AM PDT by No Blue States
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TomGuy
It's amazing to me that the Philippines of all places would do this.

What message do they possibly think this sends to their already active home grown Muslim terrorists?

13 posted on 07/14/2004 7:30:22 AM PDT by Free Trapper (Because we ate the green mammals first!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: dead

No no no no, that is not good. America need help, America help Filipiny on WWII, Filipiny must help America. Evil persons terorist make Filipiny weak, like Spain comunist they do not want to help America. Weak not good, strong is good.

Poland will stay with America!


14 posted on 07/14/2004 7:31:54 AM PDT by anonymoussierra (Hello to great America country)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead

Just imagine if America was as spineless.

"DDay cancelled over fears someone might get hurt."




15 posted on 07/14/2004 7:33:06 AM PDT by Prysson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cripplecreek

You got it..all this has done has encouraged the terrorists to to kidnap more people and threaten to execute them


16 posted on 07/14/2004 7:34:28 AM PDT by Prysson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Phantom Lord
Don't we have troops teaching the Philippine Army how to fight their own terrorists?

This is crazy!

17 posted on 07/14/2004 7:35:26 AM PDT by Free Trapper (Because we ate the green mammals first!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: dead

The cowardly Filipinos, by their history, could only arrive at one conclusion.

It fully explains the ability of Abu Sayyaf to infiltrate and dominate their country.

And explains why Al Qaeda will never defeat Americans.


18 posted on 07/14/2004 7:36:53 AM PDT by Stallone (Freeper Warriors Are Great Lovers!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead

The Philipines has long been a gathering spot for international terrorists. The Government is afraid of them and has surrendered.


19 posted on 07/14/2004 7:37:41 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Stallone
Doomed to be the toilet cleaners, nannies, maids and strip dancers of the world.

The economic, political, social and military basket case of Asia.

What a reprehensible disgrace. I'm not surprised.

20 posted on 07/14/2004 7:44:38 AM PDT by AmericanInTokyo (***Since The Iraq War & Transition Period Began, NORTH KOREA HAS MANUFACTURED (8) NUCLEAR WEAPONS***)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-76 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson