3,000 Troops to be Sent to Combat Muslim Militants in the Philippines

Washington Post ^

[RCW2001]

Thursday, February 20, 2003; 6:41 PM

The United States is sending about 3,000 troops to join with Philippine forces in a major new combat offensive in the southern Philippines aimed at wiping out the militant Muslim group Abu Sayyaf, Pentagon officials said today.

The move marks the second time in less than a year that the Bush administration has committed a significant number of U.S. forces to try to root out the extremist group that has continued to unsettle the Philippines and target Americans in the islands.

Last year, nearly 1,300 U.S. advisers and support personnel participated in what was billed as a six-month training mission to bolster the counterterrorism capabilities of Philippine forces. That effort, which focused on the island of Basilan and concluded on July 31, was credited with killing or capturing some Abu Sayyaf members, but it also ended up scattering scores of rebels to other islands.

This time, Pentagon officials are describing the mission not as a training exercise but a combat operation with no pre-set termination date. Although Philippine forces will have the lead, they will be accompanied in the field by American troops that will remain under U.S. command and be at some risk, defense officials said.

[Faith65]

3. IMO, the end is near. (see Revelations)

[Faith65]

2.NATO planes watched over us after 9/11...........see http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/10/12/ret.nato.awacs/

NATO aircraft guard U.S. skies
October 12, 2001 Posted: 12:36 PM EDT (1636 GMT)

[Faith65]

Oh, one more thing I meant to post to you......
God Bless you!

[justshutupandtakeit]

So we used NATO based AWCAS planes (likely have been provided it by the U.S. in the first place) for radar help. Big whoop. These are unarmed and thus, nothing more alarming than getting radar stations from NATO to use.

An attack on any member is an attack on all so this was entirely appropriate and nothing a rational person would fear.

[Faith65]

yes.....but truly not a "falsehood".
God Bless you.....how's Chicago?

I used to live out in the burbs that way.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Nice today about 50.

I retract my statement that your comment was false. Not that it has much significance but it is not false.

[Faith65]

Thank you!

[Faith65]

But I will disagree with you regarding the significance....for I believe it is great......as President Bush states...."This has never happened before, that NATO has come to help defend our country, but it happened in this time of need and for that we are grateful". That means more than you might think in the days and months to come.

[justshutupandtakeit]

It appears to me that NATO is in its last days. The mission
which set it up has been accomplished. We no longer need the organization particularly if France and Germany are determined to sabotage it.

The best strategy would be to move our bases East from Germany to Poland and/or another E.European country. This would both split F & G from Russia and have our troops closer to the relevent theaters of action.