US Troops Head to Philippines for Hostage Rescue

CNS News ^ | 1/15/02 | Patrick Goodenough

[hchutch]

You better watch out,
You better not cry,
You better not shout,
I'm tellin' you why:
Delta Force is coming to town...

They're making a list,
checking it twice,
gonna find out who's gonna be food for the mice
Delta Force is coming to town...

Maybe DFU can help finish this off...

[alethia]

My guess is that the missionary rescue is the tip of the iceberg. It is a "reason" to engage in more than wargames. Here we go....

[alethia]

Reading the story of your friend's sister points to the fact that many, many Americans are extremely naive. And ignorant.

[doug from upland]

A good idea but, gee, I don't want to do a Christmas song in January.

[Frances_Marion]

"Please document your claim with a source and, preferably, a link. (BTW, Indonesia doesn't count.) And even if true, is this not a matter for the Philippine government?"

It's true, it's just that most of the kidnapees are Filipino christians. These Abu Sayyef thugs get off on blowing up churches and terrorizing civilians. There's a filipino nurse that the islamothugs took hostage also, but she's overshadowed by the Burnhams because she's not american. Whether or not this is a matter for the Phillipines to handle, well, you have to consider what our enemies are doing....are they placing such restrictions on themselves? Do a google search on "Abu Sayyef" and you should be well on your way. Do one on "Sudanese Christians" too...you'll see a pattern developing.

"The missionaries decided to risk their lives to convert Catholics to Baptists, and they knew the danger and accepted that risk. Converting Catholics to Baptists is not in our national interest, has nothing to do with the defense of our country."

I see what you're saying, but is that necessarily the focus of their presence there? Or are they just trying to be good samaritans and help those less fortunate? If we start attacking the islamist nazis where they breed, it's going to send a clear message to them that terrorist actions are going to come with a higher price in the future...

[Steelerfan]

I agree that people that voluntarily go into dangerous situations do not have a right to US millitary support (remember the guy who wanted to study the rebels with his girlfriend and ended up being held prisoner) but I don't think that is what is motivating this. If the US were primarily motivated to rescue hostages, we would have been in there months (years(?)) ago and certainly pre 9/11. I think the primary goal is to crush these guys before they can organize or support larger scale opperations, which I think most of us would support

[hchutch]

I know, I know, but still, it just seems so... right to do this one. I just got stuck.

[higgmeister]

Despite such sentiments, relations between Manila and Washington are the warmest they have been since the last U.S. troops pulled out of the highly-strategic Clark Airbase and the Subic Bay Naval Station in 1992.

Their departure had been the result of a decision by the Philippine Senate not to renew the leases on the bases, and
led to a cooling of bilateral ties.

I'd like to redirect the thread with a little truth here.
The article indicates that the Philippine Senate caused
the US to leave the Philippines but it was the eruption of
Mt. Pinatubo and the resultant inundation by volcanic
ash that caused our military to give up our presence
there.  The decision by the Philippine Senate was after
that to save face about loosing all of the support to
their economy that the US had been.

From the link:

            But as we cautiously emerged from our shelters Sunday
             morning and looked in awe on the gray devastation all
             around us, we knew things were never going to get back
             to normal. Buried in ash several inches deep, with
             hundreds of buildings collapsed, Clark, Subic, San
             Miguel and Cubi Point were no longer able to support us.
             Roads were blocked by mud, tree limbs, and abandoned
             vehicles; the power was still out and there wasn't much
             food and water.

[higgmeister]

sorry that's losing.

[LADYAK]

You live in Cambodia now? Are you an American living over there?

[mathurine]

Yoo hoo, Mohammedans! Housecleaning time!

[wonders]

Thank you for your thoughtful and well-reasoned reply.

It's true, it's just that most of the kidnapees are Filipino christians.

Fair enough, which would explain why they don't show up on my daily news searches. I'll take your word for it and try the search for Abu Sayyef you suggested in the morning. I do keep up with the enslaved and persecuted Christians in the Sudan and the war on Christians in Indonesia (not to mention the US backing of Islamic fundamentalists in former Yugoslavia against Christians). Thank you kindly for your help and suggestions!

Or are they just trying to be good samaritans and help those less fortunate?

Perhaps you are right, and I withhold judgment on that (even though the four Baptist missionary families I met bound for the Philippines had no other goal in mind but to convert Catholics to Baptists). Even if they went for the most wonderful and altruistic reasons, despite State Dept. warnings...still they ignored those warnings and went on their own despite them, and no reason to send our boys in to rescue them.

If we start attacking the islamist nazis where they breed, it's going to send a clear message to them that terrorist actions are going to come with a higher price in the future...

Yes, if it's in our national interest, for the defense of our nation, then, yes, of course! That's what our boys signed up for. Just don't let us pretend it is for the sake of some missionaries. Sets a bad precedent.

Sorry for my slow and bad typing...I have a broken arm. Best regards, wonders

[higgmeister]

When I linked to this above I didn't realize the Web page
was sponsored by the last American High School Graduating
Class Alumni.

Wagner High Online Alumni you have my love, pride and respect
for all you went through and for all that you appear to have become!

[185JHP]

We need to be *real* *careful* *here*. There are some tremendously nasty people in this place, who would like to trap us to help them. If we help them, we should carve out a Guantanamo-type base - as in, "if we come to help you, we're staying!"

[wonders]

You live in Cambodia now? Are you an American living over there?

Wow! Thank you for your question and concern! No, I no longer live there (was there 14 months 1992-1993). I went from Cambodia to former Yugoslavia (until 1998), then returned to the US, but still receive precious letters from my Cambodian friends through a World Vision nurse who returns home to Chicago each Christmas, Bless her dear heart.

Again, thank you for the story of your wonderful friend. It has given me hope and a great example to try to follow.

[angkor]

So I stand by what I said earlier. And I've earned the right to say it.

Ditto. Cambodia, eh? Me too.

[angkor]

By the way, it seems to me (from observation) that all too many of our traveling fellow-citizens are actually in the implied category C, which is "extemely stupid and naive about their overseas activities." Post #18 above is a perfect example of the "naive American" who visits the most God-forsaken hellhole under the assumptions that "I'm an American, by gosh," and that the entire world is Cincinatti.

Like the guy from Spokane who feasted at the local Botulism Mary restaurant, predictably succumbed to dysentary, and required 5 liters of IV glucose by the time I got him to the emergency room three days later.