Filipinos tell me that their Marine Corps is the most honorable of all government services in the Phillipines.
Posted on 08/11/2007 4:28:00 AM PDT by Ghayyour
Thousands of civilians have fled their homes in the southern Philippine island of Jolo after deadly clashes between troops and militants, officials say. More than 50 people were killed on Thursday, almost half of them soldiers.
Reinforcements have begun to arrive in Jolo, as the military steps up its campaign against Islamist rebels.
Troops backed by US military trainers have been fighting militants affiliated to various groups, hiding in the island's mountainous terrain.
Thursday's fighting began when a troop convoy was ambushed near the town of Maimburg, leaving 10 soldiers dead.
Fifteen more soldiers were killed and 17 were wounded in gun battles after reinforcements were flown in to engage with militants.
Aid appeal
The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) - which signed a peace deal with the government in 1996 - claimed responsibility for the ambush, saying it was in retaliation for earlier army offensives.
But military officials have also blamed Abu Sayyaf, the group behind the Philippines' worst terror attack - a ferry bombing in 2004 that killed more than 100 people.
On Saturday local officials appealed for food, water and medicines as people flocked to community centres and schools, fearing more fighting.
Another 1,000 soldiers are being sent to Jolo, to join 4,000 already stationed there.
"We are continuing with our operation to be able to cordon off and finally destroy the Abu Sayyaf," army spokesman Ernesto Torres said.
The stakes were raised last month after 14 marines were killed on nearby Basilan island, with 10 of them beheaded.
The skirmishes began in Jolo, some 950km (600 miles) south of the capital, Manila, on Tuesday.
The US has listed Abu Sayyaf as a terrorist organisation and says it has links to Al-Qaeda, as well as the regional militant group Jemaah Islamiah.
Citizens should play a role in defeating the enemy who chose to conduct war in THEIR territory.....
These people have wives and children and babes in arms. These people have elderly parents and grandparents. I suspect their first thoughts are of them, as mine would be. I don’t know about you and who you would think of at a time like that. But I doubt you would abandon your family or try to take little ones and elderly with you as you ran toward the sound of the guns. Now if you mean strictly able bodied who are able to do so without all those attendant considerations, then I would agree with you.
Being a long time male chauvinist pig, I never considered that women and children should run to the fight.....
3 weeks from now I’ll be over there. I do believe I’ll avoid Jolo Island.
Your’re forgetting something, boys and girls.
There’s NO 2nd there.
Good guys have NO GUNS-AT ALL ATALL!!
(Iffen they did—they would be luckey to be ONLY in jail!)
A Muzzie’s AK 47 beats a machete—every time.
THEIR SHEEPLE CAN’T DEFEND THEMSELVES. Once the Dhimmocrats get power we will be in the same boat.
Muslims (Moros) in Philippines are causing havoc again. This violence is probably orchestrated by Abu Sayyaf (smaller Al Queda franchaise) or MILF (larger, more organized muslim Moro Islamic “Liberation” Front).
MILF? Snicker.
Not “probably” - definitely. My guess is that the perps are Moros as Abu SAyyaf doesn’t have the numbers.
“militants”
Huh
No mention of the other “M” word.
“These folks should be running TOWARD the sound of guns, not away...”
Unarmed citizen are cannon fodder. But please feel free to run in the direction of any gunfire you hear with your bare hands as protection.
From a tactical standpoint, I don’t think armed civilians conducting assaults on positions being assaulted by uniformed troops is a very good idea.
May the Lord Bless the Filipino Marines in defeating the forces of evil.
“The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) - which signed a peace deal
with the government in 1996 - claimed responsibility for the ambush,
saying it was in retaliation for earlier army offensives.”
Too bad General Pershing wasn’t allowed to completely “neutralize”
these eternal troublemaking Moros.
“Knocking Out the Moros”
http://www.army.mil/cmh/art/P-P/USAIA/Moros.htm
Available for download (at various sizes) at:
http://www.army.mil/cmh/downloads/USAIA/USAIA.htm
It's not that simple, almost everyone has "those considerations", certainly many or most of our current soliders do, as the Filipino soliders do.
If we don't take on these sorts of thugs, they will come after you and your loved ones. It's to protect your loved ones that you must move to the sound of the guns. Wives are strong too, at least mine is. They can take care of the home front, as they always have. or if need be, help man the battlements. But to see that isn't necessary is why the fight must be taken to the enemy. That's not to say that short tactical retreats to secure the nominally noncombatants aren't possible.
But unfortunately it is very difficult for ordinary Filipinos to buy or keep firearms, legally that is. Even more difficult to carry them.
And these
And with plenty of this as well. (It's good stuff, I've used it)
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