(This article, by Jon Wiener, appeared in the Aug. 30, 2006 issue of the Los Angeles Times)
DOES HISTORY provide any models suggesting that the unhappy war in Iraq might have a happy ending? Journalists and military experts are pointing hopefully to the U.S. war in the Philippines at the turn of the 20th century as an example of how Americans can fight a tough guerrilla insurgency and eventually win.
Max Boot, an Op-Ed columnist for the Los Angeles Times, has written that the U.S. victory in the Philippines provides a “useful reminder” that Americans can prevail in Iraq. Similar arguments have been made by Robert Kaplan in the Atlantic Monthly and by the neoconservative American Enterprise Institute.
But the same suggestion is also made by writers who are not pro-war Republican pundits. The most prominent exponent of the Philippines model for Iraq is Thomas E. Ricks, the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the Washington Post, whose new book, “Fiasco: The American Military Misadventure in Iraq,” has been at or near the top of the bestseller lists this month. “Fiasco” shows that the war has been a disaster, but Ricks is nevertheless against pulling out American troops — because, he says, the Philippines example proves that a long occupation beginning in military disaster can end with the creation of a democratic and stable state.
Are Ricks and company correct? Is there hope from 100 years ago?
The Philippine war was part of the Spanish-American War of 1898, in which the U.S. promised to bring democracy to the Filipinos by freeing them from the Spaniards. But, as Ricks says, things there “began badly” when a powerful Philippine resistance movement challenged U.S. troops — “like Iraq in 2003.” In 1902, after three years of guerrilla fighting, the United States declared victory, although American forces remained in the country for decades, administering it first as a colony and then as a commonwealth. The Philippines was granted independence in 1946 — after almost five decades of U.S. military occupation (interrupted by World War II). Today it’s a functioning democracy.
The problem with this version of history is that it doesn’t look closely enough at what happened in the Philippines.
First, it neglects the massive differences between the Philippines in 1900 and Iraq in 2006. The guerrillas in the Philippines fought the Army with old Spanish muskets and bolo knives; today’s insurgents in Iraq employ sophisticated improvised explosive devices, rocket-propelled grenades and heat-seeking shoulder-fired missiles that can shoot down helicopters. And combat in Iraq takes place in a fully urbanized society where “pacification” is much more difficult than in the mostly rural islands of the Philippines.
Also, the Filipinos who fought the U.S. Army at the turn of the 20th century had no outside allies or sources of support. Today’s Iraqi insurgents are at the center of a burgeoning anti-Americanism that has spread throughout the Arab and Muslim worlds, with supporters in Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere.
And of course today there’s also the media. Images of resistance fighters in Iraq, and of the victims of American attacks, are broadcast hourly throughout Iraq, Arab and Muslim countries and the rest of the world. Compared with the Philippines guerrillas of 1900, the Iraqi insurgents are much stronger and more capable and have a much broader base of support that extends beyond national boundaries.
There is also the matter of the atrocious “winning” conduct of the U.S. in the four years of the Philippine war. The U.S. did not count Filipino casualties, but historians today estimate 16,000 deaths for the guerrilla army and civilian deaths between 200,000 and 1 million — a horrifying toll. American tactics included massacres of civilians, “kill and burn” operations that resulted in the destruction of entire villages and starvation of the countryside that created the threat of famine, all exacerbated by a cholera epidemic.
Most of those who consider the Philippines to be the “best-case scenario” for the U.S. in Iraq acknowledge that the fight at first was, in Boot’s words, “a long, hard, bloody slog” — but they argue it was worth it because democracy followed.
But how successful was it? After the U.S. granted the commonwealth independence in 1946, two decades of instability ushered in the corrupt dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, whose 21-year rule, from 1965 to 1986, was marked by rampant human rights violations. It took a revolution — albeit a peaceful one — to end his regime.
U.S. history provides a much better model for the future of Iraq: the withdrawal from Vietnam. Yes, that withdrawal was followed by a lot of suffering, but nothing like what came before it, when Americans killed something like 3 million Vietnamese. Because the United States got out in 1975, Vietnam today is a much better place — and so is the United States.
(JON WIENER is professor of history at UC Irvine and a contributing editor to the Nation magazine.)
Pretty soon, the Philippines will be the Iraq in Asia. Mark my word…
What democracy are they talking about? Now Bush is admitting he is having hard time putting order in Iraq, and wants the public to understand why they have to keep their troops there despite his admission that Iraq has nothing to do with 9/11 after killing more than 250,000 Iraqis.
The mad man of the White House in fact has included the Philippines in this Axis of Evil because of the Abus and the CPP. So, who says that it is not going to be another Iraq especially when the US confirms the Ale Boba’s connivance with the Chinese Mafia! Pag naipit ang business ng USA sa Asia, you bet your bottom dollar, the next pre-emptive attack will be on the Philipines. Heaven forbid!
For more on US covert operations, please go to http://www.informationclearinghouse.info
Everything is there, including FVR in Carlyle group and attempts by the Ale Boba to replace him! Kakasuka ang kahayupan ng mga liders na ito! 😡
what is the difference between AHMED CHALABI of IRAQI NATIONAL CONGRESS and the COMPRADOR CLASS in the PHILIPPINES?
Ang husay ninyong bumanat sa US mga gamit nyo naman puro immitation US made. Sigurado ako pag binigyan kayo ng libreng US visa magkakandarapa kayo sa pagkuha. Masyado kayong ipokrito at ipokrita. Magpakatotoo tayo ano. Inggit lang yan.
More than 2,642 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq since President George Bush ordered the U.S. invasion of that country in March of 2003. Those of us who do not have Alzheimer’s still vividly recall that Bush said Iraq was a threat to the U.S. because it had weapons of mass destruction and because it was involved in the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Center.
Neither of those charges turned out to be true but no U.S. general will dare tell the parents at their son’s funeral that he died because of a lie, that his death was a waste. No, it is more reassuring to the family to hear that their son died “serving something bigger than himself.”
President Bush says again and again that we have to “stay the course” in Iraq. What does this mean? According to Pentagon officials, this means that American troops must be prepared to stay in Iraq at least until 2016. At the rate of 800 American soldiers killed a year since the Iraq war began, this means that Americans must be prepared to suffer another 8,000 soldiers killed in the next 10 years.
The Congressional Research Service reported that more than $325 billion has already been spent to prosecute the war in Iraq, which is costing U.S. taxpayers about $80-B a year, In 10 years, this would mean another $800-B, making the Iraq War a trillion dollar investment.
What about the Iraqis? Since January of this year alone, more than 18,000 Iraqis have been killed, averaging about 100 victims a day. A recent U.N. study, cited by Ted Galen Carpenter in his San Francisco Examiner article, reported that more than 14,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed in the first six months of 2006.The death toll in January was 1,778; in June it was 3,149.
As Carpenter noted, “this is occurring in a country of only 27 million people. A comparable pace in the United States would be a horrifying 1,200 deaths per day — 438,000 per year. If political violence were consuming that many American lives, there would be little debate about whether the United States was experiencing a civil war.”
jun, (o juana)
bruha, tumigil ka na. hindi ka ba naaawa sa sarili mo? wlang pumapansin sa’yo dito. maglaba ka na lamang ng panty ng amo mong gahaman.
i actually agree with the writer that it will be better to compare as a possible model, iraq and vietnam in order to have a happy ending. but this meant that the americans must withdraw from iraq whereas if they can win and be the godfather of iraq they will actually have full controll of iraq’s economy as they did in the pinas.
Sa totoo lang, wala akong masusing pag-aaral sa middle east ngunit sa pagbabasa ko at kapapanood ng foreign news ay nagkaroon na rin ako ng ideya kung sino talaga ang evil empire na binabanggit noong 80’s ni Ronald Reagan.
Una, bakit interesado ang Amerika sa Iraq?
Pangalawa, ano relasyon ng Iraq sa mga kalapit bansa nito? sa buong mundo at sa mga bansang kumalaban dito mula pa noong una at ikalawang gulf war?
Pangatlo, ano ang posisyon ng bansang Amerika sa Middle East partikular ang Iraq bago at matapos ang Vietnam War?
Huwag na nating pagtalunan pa ang Iran-Iraq War at kitang-kita naman kung papaano ginagago ng mga taga State Department at Langley Virgina ang mga Arabo at ang buong mundo mula noong panahon pa ng 80’s. Pero kung mapilit kayo sige, ayan ang pang-apat.
Ang panglima, magkalapit ba ang Iraq at ang Central Asia?Kung hindi? pwes, gagawa ng paraan ang Amerika para maging magkalapit ito. Alam nyo na siguro ang ibig kong sabihin?
Anim, gustong maging ganap na malaya ng mga taga Kurdistan, na ayaw naman ng mga taga Iraq at Turkey.
Pito, gustong pagbuklurin ng Amerika ang mga imperyong naiwan ng British Empire at Ottoman empire. Ano ba ang dapat kong itawag dito? Brottoman empire?Remnants of Anglottoman Empire?O ito na kaya ang “Briton Wuds”(baka magalit sa akin ang mga Besaya)
Walo, masyadong nalalayuan ang bansang Amerika sa Caspian Consortium Pipeline kung padadaanin nito sa Turkey at Black Sea, kaya mas makabubuti sa interes nito na dumaan na lang sa Iraq patungong Persian Gulf.
Ikasiyam, mas gugustuhin ng mga Neo-Cons sa Amerika na pasukin ng Iran ang Baghdad. Kapag tuluyan nang napasakamay ng mga Teheran hardliners(o reformers at anumang grupo sa Iran) ang buong Iraq, saka lamang papasok ulit ang Amerika para maging bida sa paningin ng mga Arabo at mga taga middle east ang bansang Amerika. Isang senaryo ito na sigurado ko na magugustuhan ng mga taga Capitol Hill.
Sampu, “Imagine the world without Islam” versus “Vision: Israel’s Northern Area – Republic of Palestine” — Homeland of Hezbollah freedom fighters. Mas tatanggpin siguro ng buong mundo ” Norman Schwarzkopf : Discoverer of American Genes in the Middle East”
eleven, nakakadalawang babaeng lider(presidente) na ang Pilipinas, malamang na gawin na naman modelo ang Pilipinas sa larangan ng demokrasya(kuno) sa gitnang silangan. Magpi-piyesta na naman ang mga oportunista sa Pinas!
twelve, maphilindostan – isang konsepto na kinatatakutan. Papapano kung Magrhebinesia? Ang sinasabi ko ay sa Iraq-Iran at hindi sa South East Asia? Malamang babaguhin na rin ang pangalan ng Mesopotamiya.
kayo na ang bahala sa labintatlo 💡
The only similarity I see is the US desire to control Iraq, but no dice, because the Iraqis are not Filipinos, majority of whom will sell their souls for the love of money and comforts!!! At least, the Iraqis are more educated and no dumb as Bush wants everyone to think. Saddam made sure of that as a matter of fact despite the propaganda that he was a cruel despot.
I have kept copies of materials I translated into Japanese from English and vice-versa gathered by the fact-finding mission sent to Iraq from 2003-2005 by the International Criminal Tribunal for Iraq where I volunteered as a translator. There are enough evidences to try and convict Bush, Blair, Koizumi and Arroyo for crimes against humanity in the International Court of Justice one of these days, God willing!
The stupid Boba should not be too sure of herself just because she pulled out Philippine troops from Iraq in the midst of the Angelo Cruz’s kidnapping in Iraq, especially statements she gave after that to regain the patronage of America. Apparently, she failed and reason for the now rumored Chinese connection!
All the more reason why she will have more difficult time convincing the Europeans that she is not about to swindle them ala-Fraport, and that she is not borrowing money in the name of the Filipino people to squander! Nice try, Pandak!
Filipinos should not jump like monkies when she tells them that she is going on another gallivanting spree to Europe with her barkada on government junket even when the government is drowning in debts to talk to the Europeans to accept more Super Atsays for them to enslave!!!
Enough is enough. PATALSIKIN NA, NOW NA!
Here is Gloria’s loyalist history in the making:
Palparan has just been rewarded with a seat in the National Security Council!
Gloria is never lost for rewarding loyal Himmler-like disciples.
A seat in the National Security Council is virtual immunity for Palparan; the seat ensures that he can snub summons by the legislature based on EO whatever on the pretext that anything he may say or reveal would or might endanger national security; he doesn’t have to answer any questions surrounding accusations of extra-judicial killings during his time as a military commander and most of all, he is vested with official powers to put down opposition to Gloria and brand oppositionists “red”.
How very convenient!
Anna,
I hope he gets it in the head. I hope a child of one of his victims puts one in his head. Better yet, shoot his arms and legs and let him bleed to death. This the only way justice will be served on a monster who without batting an eyelash can order the execution of helpless “children”. And I hope pigs and dogs devour his carcass so his remains will never be found. I pity his family, he is the kind which never should have existed.
Schumey,
Palparan cannot take the threat by the NPAs lightly.
There have been precedents. Anyway, he who lives by the sword will die by the sword, so the holy book says.
regarding palparan, just read that he was warned by the court of appeals for not appearing 2 times when summoned on the hearing on the disappearance of the 2 u.p. students.. gma will first be in finland sept.9-10, then in brussels sept 11-12 and will meet among others the fil communities in both countries. most fil will probably kiss her hand if they are allowed. she will then be in cuba on the 14. of sept but will probably meet no fil there but maybe castro whom she will probably kiss the hand if she is allowed.
Schumey:
I have a book written by a member of our church who has made expounding the Scriptures his profession named “Life Everlasting.” It is actually his research on people who had experienced dying temporarily and going to the world of the spirits and coming back coupled with his study of the Spoken Words.
Another book by a prophet of our Church, Spencer Kimball, expound on sins and divine forgiveness called “Miracle of Forgiveness.” Kikilabutan ka to know that there are sins that God will not be able to forgive, because God Himself, being a God of order and not disorder, follows some order in heaven, thus, making it fallacious for Catholics, etc. to claim that near-death confession will be enough to wipe out sins, and the Ale Boba and Palparan surely will answer for a lot of innocent deaths that Christians in fact should know killing of the innocents cannot be forgiven because it is tantamount to a sin against the Holy Ghost!
Kaya kundi man tayo makaganti kay Punggok, it will be God’s, at lalong matindi!!!
It is in fact why I don’t want to be a soldier, nor carry a weapon that could kill people. I just have faith that God will protect me and grant my heart’s desire if I have unwavering faith.
Kaya nga when I berate teh Punggok with profanities, I ask God always to forgive me!!! Mea culpa! 😛
Unfair comparison between Iraq and Philippines, especially over 100 years when advance technology was just an idea. Yet, lets take a page from the Japanese and Germans instead, a proven formula to success. Past history is only a guide to the future, and don’t make the mistake twice. And, somehow we are stubornly hard learner as a society. We’d rather take the short cut to an inferior succes instead of doing them correctly at the very offset so that we don’t have to redo them again. Iraq culturally a theocracy, believe on it strongly while the Pilipinos are still having difficulty distinguishing ourselves. We don’t promote our culture, yet we adapted others especially the western cultures. As a society with unique culture we must structure and promote what we are.
And I would like to leave everyone with this thought, Pilipinos are not warrior, but once a peace loving culture until we were corrupted by invaders of our land. But all in the past, nothing but future ahead. And lets not go back and redo them again.
For those who are interested to know a bit more on USA-Iraq, there is a website:
Provides pro and con arguments of various issues surrounding the Iraq War. Includes maps, history, documents, biographies of major players, …
http://www.usiraqprocon.org/
Nelbar,
Chalabi I know is no longer malakas to Bush. Scratch out na ang pangalan niya, but all the Iraqis I have met say this guy is an opportunists. I would compare him more with the Filipino expats who campaigned for the removal of Apo Marcos as I understand he was the one who fed the Americans those false rumors about Saddam’s connection with Bin Laden even when everybody knew there was no love lost between them.
I don’t like Saddam either because of his cruelty, but I thought the Americans should leave him to the Iraqis to deal with.
I don’t read US propaganda on Iraq as a matter of fact. I have friends who have stayed in Iraq as human shield, and I learn better facts from them. I also have contact with some Iraqis in Basrah, where the British troops are. They were no fans of Saddam but I understand that they would prefer to be under Sadddam than under Bush and Blair!!!
If you want more reliable information on Iraq, I would recommend that you visit this site: http://www.albasrah.net
I actually got the first batch of pictures on Abu Ghraib before the US newspapers talked about the abuses there from Albasrah. I use pictures, etc. there for making placards for our street demonstrations against Iraq War in Japan. Yup, I am in those movements, too.
I am not really anti-US since my father was born and died as a US citizen of Japanese extraction (I had that privilege, too). I am anti-war and anti-Bush, both father and son!!!
I don’t own anything US-made. I patronize things made in Japan only. I make sure all my electrical gadgets, including my computers, are made in Japan kahit mahal!!!
BTW, what’s this comprador class you are talking about?
This should read: Chalabi I know is no longer malakas to Bush. Scratch out na ang pangalan niya, but all the Iraqis I have met say this guy is an OPPORTUNIST.
Sorry, time to sleep. Groggy na ang mata ko. Goodnight!
toney’s just reminded of something i learned from school long ago regarding fil. the old romulo’s characterisation of the fil-pliant as a bamboo, like it sway with the wind without breaking. this is also probably why most fil do not mind gloria on the helm. which brings me to a tv interview program last night of a girl who was kidnapped as a 10 year old but managed to get away from her kidnapper after 8 years. she managed to sway with the wind for 8 years and when she got out her kidnapper committed suicide. in a way gma kidnapped the pinas by cheating on the election but i am not sure if she will commit suicide just in case she is ousted.
Re: Gloria’s Euro Road Show
Excerpts from Lito Banayo’s column appearing in tomorrow’s Malaya http://www.malaya.com.ph/sep09/edbanayo.htm
“To Bruxelles, coueur de toute’ Europe, where Peter Favila has done the advance job of imploring the businessmen to kunwari, sign Memoranda of Agreements (MOA) para kunwari, may investments na ipagmamalaki nang Doña pagbalik sa ‘Pinas. But there’s a sour note, a fly in the ointment. My friend in the Boulevard Adolphe Max tells me that some members of the Belgian Parliament will join demonstrators who will heckle La Doña for Palparan, extra-judicial killings and human rights.
From Belgium, she crosses the English Channel into foggy London, where her Maid Miriam (Yes, she will be with the Doña, again!) could thus enthrall the Brits with her oil spill-soaked Queen’s English. Of course the Doña y su conjunto should be feted by Lord Mabey of Mabey and Johnson, who supplied her with the bridges to nowhere.”
(A slight error in spelling should be “coeur” and not “coueur”.)
Excerpts from Lito Banayo’s column tomorrow:
“To Bruxelles, coueur de toute’ Europe, where Peter Favila has done the advance job of imploring the businessmen to kunwari, sign Memoranda of Agreements (MOA) para kunwari, may investments na ipagmamalaki nang Doña pagbalik sa ‘Pinas. But there’s a sour note, a fly in the ointment. My friend in the Boulevard Adolphe Max tells me that some members of the Belgian Parliament will join demonstrators who will heckle La Doña for Palparan, extra-judicial killings and human rights.
From Belgium, she crosses the English Channel into foggy London, where her Maid Miriam (Yes, she will be with the Doña, again!) could thus enthrall the Brits with her oil spill-soaked Queen’s English. Of course the Doña y su conjunto should be feted by Lord Mabey of Mabey and Johnson, who supplied her with the bridges to nowhere.”
i followed the trail of the corner house on mabey but did not end on the bridge on the pinas but instead on the bridge on papua new guinea which then lead me to ask myself, are we on this bottom?
Off topic…regarding the comments made by an “upset” Rep. Teddy-Boy Locsin saying that the AFP should get involved by the passing of the House Resolution 1230. I agree with the comments of a blogger, by the name of Juan Makabayan, in MLQ’s blog:
“A CALL TO ACTION
The People appeal to Our Soldiers for a RENEWAL OF PLEDGE TO UPHOLD AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION”
The problem with the AFP are the highest ranking officials, specifically the Generals. They think they got their own little private club and Gloria Arroyo as their mascot, the whipping little girl. Those Generals couldn’t careless about their code of ethics and their sworn promised to defend the constitution. The Generals are the real power in the Philippines and the Arroyos are much aware of it, that’s why the Arroyos doesn’t say anything that will upset the Generals, see nothing and hear nothing. Furthermore, illegitimate Gloria Arroyo is being manhandled by the Generals.
And for the poor soldiers, they are under paid, under equipped, and being lied on by their commandants and by the commander-in-chief.
Such a lousy way to run a country with such dishonest people.
By the way, this is off topic; am posting herein, and hope Ellen won’t mind too much the Stop the Killings in the Philippines website in English which a friend just sent to me (the previous one I posted was in Dutch, hence it’s I believe difficult for readers to understand).
http://www.stopthekillings.org
Thanks.
I’m finding it difficult to post again; I do hope Ellen won’t mind too much my re-posting the “Stop the Killings in the Philippines” website in English this time (previous one I posted was in Dutch).
http://www.stopthekillings.org
Thanks.
Re Iraq: “‘No Saddam link to Iraq al-Qaeda’
There is no evidence of links between Iraqi ex-leader Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda, says the US Senate.” reports the BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5328592.stm.
Does this mean that Bush will apologize for invading Iraq on the pretext that Saddam had links to Al Qaeda?
After thousands of deaths, enforced destitution on the Iraqis and mutiliation of young Iraqis, rape of young women and the humiliation brought on the Iraqi nation, I believe it would be fair of America to issue a sincere apology to the victims of this dastardly war.
David Cameron of the Tory party and potentially, future Prime Minister of the UK, apologized to Nelson Mandela and the ANC a couple of weeks ago because Maggie Thatcher’s government at the time was harsh on South Africa’s freedom fighters – and to think Britain did not invade South Africa to help the Boers enforce apartheid.
BBC has just reported Friday, 8 September 2006, 18:08 GMT 19:08 UK
‘No Saddam link to Iraq al-Qaeda’
“Democrats say the report weakens Mr Bush’s case for war
There is no evidence of formal links between Iraqi ex-leader Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda leaders in Iraq prior to the 2003 war, a US Senate report says.
The finding is contained in a 2005 CIA report released by the Senate’s Intelligence Committee on Friday.”
Does this mean that America will issue an apology to the Iraqis for having invaded their country on the pretext of a link between Saddam and Al Qaeda?
It would be the least thing to do after the enforced hardships by America on a people based on a lie, deceit and double speak.
The thousands of deaths, the deprivation, the mutilation of young Iraqis, the rapes committed by US soldiers on young Iraqi women and the continuing humiliation of a people warrant that America should at least be truthful – Bush must be brought to the International Criminal Court to face trial for crimes against the Iraqi people.
David Cameron, future PM of Britain did a magnanimous act by apologizing for the harshness of Maggie Thatcher’s government on Nelson Mandela and the ANC (freedom fighters) in South Africa. And to think that Cameron was only a young boy when Maggie’s government supported apartheid in South Africa!
The British are making Tony Blair pay for his perfidy by supporting Bush on behalf of the British people and invading Iraq on a lie!
I am so glad that Tony Blair is getting what he deserves: the boot!
He deserves to be despised; he could have put a bit of sense in the mad man Bush’s neo-con, Christianofanatical crusade against Iraq and its people on a LIE that they were linkied to al qaeda.
Tony Blair deserves the treatment of his own party because he did not have the courage to say “nay” to Bush when he knew full well that there was no evidence that Iraq had a stockpile of weapons of mass destruction.
He deserves the poodle tag that Brits themselves heaped on him for playing lackey to a murderous bulldog in the White House!
i’m no worshipper of america because i know its foreign policy towards other countries having diplomatic relations with them is always lopsided in their favor. it has always use diplomacy to the hilt to advance its own selfish interest. i even hate its arrogance by ordaining and proclaiming itself an international police and dictating its will on foreign sovereign states.
on the other hand, i don’t know what further atrocities Saddam may have inflicted on the people of Iraq or the neighboring Kuwait if he was not pushed back by the Americans. and i don’t know how long the people of afghanistan could have endured the oppressive and despotic rule of the talibans in a country wrack with anguish and misery trying to survive a protracted war waged by enemies from within and without.
or is america a necessary evil the world cannot do without?
I propose to put up a manual containing 101 uses for Gloria when she’s finally discarded (just like what The Times is doing right now!)
1. Gloria should start a finishing school to train maids to become super maids.
Whatever the leaders of Iraq or Afghanistan were guilty of, I don’t think it is the privilege of other governments to meddle in the affairs of the people unless they call for help that they should do in fact by first helping their own selves.
I like the Japanese culture of not depending on others for help and the teaching that my father-in-law imparted to me such as when I asked him why the homeless in stations in Japan oftentimes would even feel offended being offered some help. He said that it is common belief that one cannot sa y no to a benefactor even when the benefactor spits at him! And to help a person it is best to teach him to fish so he can fish for his meal forever, not feed him with fish that he consumes only in one sitting.
This is in fact why the Japanese look down on leaders who would put the country in debt. Sa Japan si Pandak hindi iyan tatagal for her borrowing sprees.
PATALSIKIN NA, NOW NA!
I hate these Americans who spoil bad leaders and then try their best to discard them even by bad publicity oftentimes too late for them to do something. That is why I think they should stop meddling in the affairs of other people. Lalo lang gumugulo!
On the other hand, we should watch out for the Chinese Mafia. I am told that Japanese investors wanting to do business in the Philippines are not allowed to talk to the natives but only to the Chinese based even in China!!!
This should be looked into. The Philippines should be for the Filipinos, not any foreigners lording it over the natives there.
What the Japanese Yakuza failed to do, the Chinese Mafia succeeded in the Philippines. That’s there to it…this needs not even be mentioned and discussed.
Correction: I meant “That’s all there to it…”. Let’s just say that the Chinese was able to penetrate first way ahead of the Yakuza. Also, had the Japanese beaten the Americans and won the war, the Philippines would have been a Japanese colony.
Fencitter,
I do agree that Saddam was evil personified. That’s a given.
But America acted in contravention of all that is decent by invading a nation based on lies; that Bush punished a people for the sins of a few is not right.
You cannot build a democracy by waging a war on a people who haven’t done you wrong; the Americans did that to the Philippines, is the Philippines better off today than before they invaded it, massacred millions of its people and forcibly instituted their brand of democracy?
It will take a hundred years to have a semblance of progress in that country. The invasion undoubtedly lost America a lot of good will all over the world. It also bred more future terrotists because Iraqis will not forget the injustice committed on their nation. A strong, powerful, mighty nation cannot enforce its own convictions over the weak through the barrel of a gun. That’s what’s happening in Iraq. Even the Iraqis who were not pro-Saddam have become bitter against America. Why? because Bush and his army have inflicted so much suffering, humiliation and deprivation on their nation and have falsely accused them of being Islamo-fascists. Now America, far from annihilating Islamofascists or fanatics merely created the monsters, which perhaps many Iraqis were not at the beginning.
Furthermore, can we really say that Iraqis are better off today than when Saddam was in power or are they just as worse off?
Lies and deceit do not allow for the foundation of democracy? Just look at where we are now.
America has a lot to answer for over the debacle in Iraq.
just off topic, al gore was in oslo in connection with an environmental film he is promoting.i remember he got more votes than bush but lost anyway with the thinnest possible margin becasue of florida. still he accepted this and is at peace with that. when asked if he will go back to politics, he said no because he is on something bigger.hemmingway’s description of the snows of kilimanjaro is wrong today and it is only 50 years ago(?)who knows, if the icebergs around us melts there will be no pinas just some mountain tops.
Anna:
I know what I am talking about, dear friend, when it comes to Iraq and Afghanistan because I went to the refugee camps at the borders in Afghanistan and Iran before and after the preemptive attacks on Afganistan and Iraq to help interpret for some Japanese NGOs distributing artificial legs to victims of the landmines left by these invaders there.
My heart bled for those armless and legless waifs. When I was growing up in the Philippines, I saw legless and armless victims of the bombings in the Philippines in WWII, but I have never witnessed that many armless and legless adults and children I saw in the Afghan refugee camps. Nakakaiyak!
I was supposed to join the fact-finding mission to Iraq soon after the invasion of Iraq but my husband stopped me from taking such risk despite the assurance that our group would be safe from the insurgents, et al.
However, I was able to get ahold of all the evidences that they found there to make all those documentations and proofs we have submitted to the ICJ in the Hague and our networks in the USA like International Action Center headed by ex-Attorney General Ramsey Clarke, and in Brussels, Indonesia, India, Iraq and Pakistan. I did most of the translations on the DUD and other bombs dropped by the Americans and their allies even on ordinary villages and causing a lot many people to die and not being properly accounted for. If you need a copy I can email one to you.
At least, we are succeeding in making some people at the US Congress and Senate to listen sans the politickings for not only the Americans but the whole world had sinned against the people of Iraq and even Afghanistan. I am actually looking forward to the day when Bush, Blair, Ale Boba and even our own Koizumi brought to the court for war criminals in the Hague.
What ignorance in fact can do really to cause all these atrocities as a matter of fact! Now, at least, we see that education is not enough to gauge who is wise and who is stupid. Now we know what happens when we allow these stupid crooks to lead, and lead they do the nation to perdition as do these Bush of the USA and Ale Boba of the Philippines.
PATALSIKIN NA, NOW NA!
There’s one big difference why Iraq could never be another Phils….Oil! We might have so many other natural resources but no Iraq’s Oil…Iraq and its Oil …the root of all these brouhahahah! I won’t elaborate further…
And what Phil. democracy are they talking about? A democracy of mlitary crooks and hungry powered, corrupt, etc., etc., politicians, from the top to the bottom? Is it a model democracy where majority of its citizens are below poverty line, and where majority of its exports are women who must work as Super Maids inorder to have their families back home survive? Is it ideal democracy their referring to where its fake president boasts of training these Super Maids to earn from $200 to $400 monthly? How about its Human Rights killings? Tell me..tell everyone….Stop the comparison!
Anna, All:
Just to show you that we have people to call on if worse comes to worse that we need to show these crooks who their bosses are, please visit the arkibo and other sites that publishes our demonstrations in Tokyo: http://www.arkibongbayan.org/2006-03March05-TokyoRally/tokyoralimarch5-2006.htm
Majority of our members are bonafide residents of Japan and are protected by the laws of Japan even when their own government will not provide such protection. They are properly indocrinated on their rights, privileges and obligations as guaranteed by their Consitution (1987) despite its faults, and reason why they should not allow it to be replaced with the discriminatory Constitution drafted by Abueva considering the fact that a lot many of them do not even come from royalties!!! Sobra lang ang yabang.
Please visit arkibo as one of the sites where you can see the force we have and willing to coordinate with all nationalistic and patriotic Filipinos to insure that the Philippines is not PRIVATIZED by the bogus crooks who run the country now like hell.
PATALSIKIN NA, NOW NA!
Elvira Sahara:
You bet! There is no comparison. For one thing, the Iraqis have higher literacy rate than Filipinos. For all his advertised cruelty, Saddam made sure his people are provided with free education till college because he knew how it was to be deprived of the right to an education.
What I admire most in the Iraqis is their determination to stay in their country even in the worst scenario. My friends who volunteered to work in refugee camps to supervise Japanese contribution there have told me of how the refugee camps in Jordan for instance would be filled by refugees from other countries but not Iraqis!!!
Meanwhile, you see Filipinos being brainwashed and cajoled by the crooks in their government to leave their families, professions, and country even at the peril of their lives, and would not even try to convince them to go home nor provide ample assistance to take them back home as in the case of the Filipino workers in Lebanon even at peace time.
Sa isang salita, iyan ang tunay na tarantado! Walang katulad!!! Tangnang hayop kundi ba naman, ipapain pa ang mga kababayan mo sa kanyon para lang sa kanilang remittance tapos magsisinungaling na hindi daw siya ang nag-uudyok na magpakamatay sila.
Ginugutom nang husto ang mga pilipino para isipin nilang walang paraan kundi umalis sila ng Pilipinas para mabuhay! Saan ka nakakita ng ganyan? Tapos magyayabang pa na kapag lumaki iyong apo ay debt-free na ang Pilipinas. Aba may ambisyon pang manatili sa puwesto hanggang lumaki iyong apo niya! Ang tindi! Sa totoo lang, utang ng Pilipinas, minana ng lahat sa tatay niya!!! Lahi siguro ng mga utangero ang mga ungas!!!
PATALSIKIN NA IYAN, NOW NA!
Kayo ang dahilan kaya di tayo makaahon sa kahirapan. Kung di ba kayo gumagawa ng mga coup d’etat at mga intriga di sana marami ng nakapasok na investor dito at nabawasan ang lumalabas ng bansa. Bago kayo magturo tingnan nyo muna ang mga pinaggagawa ninyo.
GISEEEEENG, NOW NA!
Anna,
If you will check the archives of the egroups where you and I are bloggers, you will see my postings about the fact that Saddam had nothing to do with Bin Laden nor with the 9/11 tragedy. Gusto lang talaga ng mga Bushes na makuha ang langis pipeline ng Iraq to be able to control the distribution of oil, and of course, to see the bombs, etc. in their warehouse. They are leaking so they say.
Iyan din ang trabaho noong matandang Bush as a matter of fact. Wala silang pakialam kung ilan ang mamatay na Iraqis na kung kutyain noong mga illiterate na kano ay ganoon na lang. I actually had to lecture my Mother on the Iraqis for all the bad publicities in US media before and after the pre-emptive attack.
For more on this, I recommend that you visit the site posted by Iraqis, the victims, themselves: http://www.albasrah.net
I find http://www.informationclearinghouse.info every informative,too.
ystakei, i read that you saw victims of bombings in the pinas in the ww2, which puts you in the same generation as i and which made me happy. i did not see much destruction in cabanatuan after the war, actually the only thing i remembered was sitting on an uncle’s shoulders when the american liberators came, shouting for chocolates which i got, and which made me the hero of the day. in europe too after the war, is the same, they were seen as the liberators. that was the american dream in iraq. europe was lucky after the war when they have the marshall plan. many still remember this but they are a fading generation.americans have changed, japanese have changed, europeans have changed, it is the fil who have not changed, still depending on the americans, still thinking that everything that is bad or good depends on somebody else except themselves.in a way i agree with jun here even though i am not for gma, feel some guilt that i have not done anything except for my family and relatives. i hide behind the thoughts that i am not a politician, hate guns and everything associated with militarism.
jun,
bago ka magbintang ng kung anong hallucinations mo, examine first or go back to the start of this bogus administration. how many times your illegitimate president and her hogband & family of horror blocked and evaded investigations, obstructed justice and hid the truth? iho, hindi sapat na ipikit mo ang iyong mga mata sa mga nangyayari ngayon sa bansa natin, isipin mo rin ang kalagayan ng mga kababayan natin partikular na ang mga kamag-anak mo, o baka naman wala kang kamag-anak, kaibigan o kakilala kaya o itinakwil ka dahil sa pagbubulagbulagan mo. mekeni ka rin ba o meketong?
jun,
kung ikaw ay kabilang sa mga ofw’s na ipanawagan na huwag munang umuwi dahil kailangan pa ng gobyerno ni glue de cementada ang dollar remittance, what would you feel? how is it deep inside your heart to learn na walang naghihintay na trabaho sa pilipinas kapag nagpasiyang umuwi ang isang ofw na matagal nang nawalay sa mga mahal sa buhay? ano ang iisipin mo kung isang araw matapos magpahayag ng kanyang mga binabalak na programa ang mahal mong pekeng presidente, kinabukasan ay pagbabago ng sistema ang isinusulong at sa halip na mag-create ng mga trabaho, pag-e export ng manpower ang ibinabando, matutuwa ka?
dati rin akong bilib kay gloria pero wala akong nakitang magandang pagbabago sa pamamalakad niya lalo na sa mga pag-iwas niya sa mga issues. what i see in her now is the other side of the ghost of a dead leader.
Mrivera,
I believe na legitmate ang pagkapanalo ni GMA at hindi bogus. Ang sisihin mo ay ang mismong oposisyon dahil di sila marunong magka-isa. Hindi nila bi na blocked ang investigation. Kasalanan ba nila kung maraming kongresista ang naniniwalang pag-aaksaya lang ng panahon ang impeachment complain na yan. Katunayan dinadala nga nila sa husgado kung kayat itong si Jinggoy at Allan Cayetano ay bukong-buko na gumagawa lang ng kwento. Hindi ako regionalistic na tao wala akong paki ke kapampangan ka o ilokano, etc. sa totoo lang ako. Yan ang isang nakakahadlang sa pag-unlad natin ang pagiging regionalistic. Kaya napakaganda ng vision ni GMA na bigyan ng power ang local government at hindi lang ang Manila ang aayusin. Lahat ng aking kamag-anak at kakilala ay hindi nagpapauto sa oposisyon na gaya mo. Patunay iilan-ilan lang ba ang sumasali sa mga rally ninyo? Gising na NOW NA! yes to chacha. Pagbabago ngayon na. Kala ninyo kayo lang ha.
MRivera,
OFW nga ako. At talagang mahirap pang umuwi dahil talagang mahirap pa ang buhay sa tin. Pero bakit? Nakikita ko naman ang pagsisikap ni Gloria. Pero kayo ano ang ginagawa ninyo wala kayong paki kahit mawasak ang bansa makapwesto lang kayo. Kung hahayaan nyo lang si Gloria na gawin ang gusto nya naniniwala akong kung di man ako maka stay sa tin for good in the near future may pag-asa namang hwag ng magaya sa kin ang mga anak ko. Pero kung kayo ang hahayaan naming maghari sa Pinas baka hanggang sa kaapu-apuhan ko ay mag abroad din.
ngek! legitimate? would you believe that during the canvassing dito sa jeddah, biglang nag-brown out sa mismong lugar ng consulate? when everything got cleared, kay glue lahat nag boto? yung kay lacson, nawala? yung kay fpj, naglaho at yung kay eddie villanueva, hindi malaman kung bakit naging puro macapal arroyo? gayundin sa riyadh & alkhobar!!! kawawang bayan ko!!
Sabi nga ni Lacson ang isang kandidato na nagpadaya ay tanga. Kung talagang nadaya yung kandidato mo di hindi dapat silang maging presidente dahil mga tanga sila. I am not buying your story. Galing ako ng Riyadh at Jeddah at wala akong narinig na ganyan. Marami akong mga katrabaho at kamag-anak sa Saudi ngayon ko lang narinig yang kwento mo. Kahit pa ibigay mo lahat ng boto sa Saudi sa mga idol mo di makakaapekto sa resulta. Ang sisihin mo ang oposisyon dahil pinaghati-hatian nila ang boto. Sobrang mga ganid gusto lahat mag presidente.
jun,
ganito na lang, tutal sobra pagsamba mo sa hudas na mag-aswang na arroymo, payuhan mo sila na huwag magtago sa likod ng kapangyarihan ng pekeng pwesto ni glued to the max. walang gusto sa amin na mapwesto gaya nang sinasabi mo. what we want is the truth, the truth, and nothing but the truth. period. if it happened all the accusations against this couple and their family are really lies, then everybody shall shut up!!!! just let them come out in the open!!!!
Mrivera,
Wala akong sinasambang tao. Sinasabi ko lang ang opinyon ko. Hindi ko sila puedeng payuhan dahil I believe na hindi totoo ang mga akusasyon ninyo. Hindi gusto sa puesto ng mga oposisyon? Kaya pala ayaw nilang magbigayan ano dahil walang may gusto ng puesto.
Jun,
Siguro bulag at bingi ka, o wala ka nuong tinatawag na common sense. Obvious na obvious na ang garapalan hindi mo pa nakikita. Ang mga taong nabibiyayaan lamang o nakikinabang sa administrasyon ni pandak ang palagay ko ay talagang idedefend siya. Siguro isa ka duon, o ilang kamaganakan mo.
Norpil:
I was born after the Philippines got its independence from the USA. We were supposed to go to the USA in fact as early as 1947 when he and his brothers opted to become US citizens, but my father decided to stay and settle things first regarding inheritances, etc., but as a child growing in Manila, I remember seeing a destroyed military tank in fact in front of our house and the children at the squatters would play hide and seek there even after 5 or 6 years after the war.
I saw those armless and legless Filipinos lining up the streets of Echague and Escolta all through Claro M. Recto along the Rizal Ave. in Sta Cruz especially during the Christmas season when my mother took us there to buy new clothes and shoes. Those were the days when Makati was still full of those swamps and talahib—I remember visiting an uncle who had his horses at the Sta. Ana Race Track, and all around the race tracks were talahib
I did not witness the war. Just heard stories about it from my eldest sister, brother and cousins who were told to leave the Japan town in Echague for shelter when the Americans were coming to destroy Intramuros and the Japan town. But I surely saw the after effect of the war. Only thing I could and still cannot understand is why the Philippines has never seemed to recover despite the fact that the Philippines got the largest share of the booties of the war!!!
The Philippines got 198 billion in yen payment by 1963 when the Midget’s father was the president and Japan was struggling to pay its debts. Indonesia got only 80 billion in indemnit and grants. The amount did not include the amount received also from the USA. Tanong, saan na napunta ang perang iyon?
As for Iraq, no, the Americans were not throwing chocolates, etc. They were throwing granades and bombs, and pulling down their pants! I have translated documents of interviews of Iraqi women raped by US soldiers and had to be sheltered even from their kin because of strict Islamic rules against shamed women. As we say in Tagalog, karumal-dumal ang pagkahayok! Diyan siguro nagkapareho doon sa mga malilibog na nakatungtong sa Malacanang!!!
sorry ystakei if i misplaced your age. as i probably have written before, in any war the biggest losers are the weakest, i.e., children and women. no war is justifiable specially today.another problem with wars is that the winners write the history and it take many years to find out the truth.even during peace like we have in the pinas today, the truth depends on who one is talking to. everybody seems to be telling the truth which is the opposite of what the others are saying as the truth.. regardless of what is happening in iraq or in the pinas or in the usa, it is the leaders who are responsible and should solve the problems of their countries.this is why i am against gma and bush for that matter.pointing to the opposition is a shameless act.
If I were you mrivera, ignore the likes of the so-called “jun”. Wala kang makukuha sa mga tulad niyang gising pero nagtutulug-tulugan. Hayaan mo siyang mag-stick sa kanyang opinion. Huwag mo siyang patulan.
If Ystakei was born right after the war, he must be close to 60s now. He made a good point by stating that despite all the aids the Philippines got after the war, we remain behind among the countries in Asia. Vietnam is fast growing and has even beaten us economically. A good question to ask if what if Japan won the war and the Philippines was under her control? Would the Philippines be as prosperous as Japan today? For one thing, I’m sure many Filipinos would be speaking the Japanese language now. And Chinatown in Manila would have turned to Japan Town full of Japanese restaurants.
elvira sahara,
nakakaawa naman kasi. diba ganyan ang dapat sa mga kunwaring bulag na pulubi? ang limusan ng awang pansin. anyway, lahat naman nang sinasabi n’ya sa mukha din n’ya ang b’welta, at dahil nga katulad ng mga idol n’yang ang kapal ng mukha sobra, seemed like injected ng major anesthesia. sobra pa sa manhid. o baka buhay pa patay na pakiramdam. bwa hak hak hakkkkkk!!!!
hi noel,
just a bit of correction, Yuko is a she and not a he.
she’s one of the most active people i know abroad and in cyberspace in the anti-gloria fight and one who contributes her physical time to the cause – she’s had a good influence on closet “activists” like me. i really do hope, you and yuko could be friends.
also, i do find that what didn’t happen, i.e., if japan had won, is not worth pondering (because it didn’t) but of course, we can always reminisce; and speaking of language, am not sure that even if japan had won, we would be speaking japanese. look, we were colonized by spain for 400 years and only a few could say they still speak spanish at home, so i’m skeptical about that. we’re even losing our english despite strong american influence.
norpil,
i totally concur with what you have said, particularly in a country where poverty remains the order of the day, where poverty is so damning because wealth remains in the hands of a few, where elitism seems to be the guiding factor in governance, i find that leaders have the bulk of the responsibility to alleviate the burden.
it is incredibly obnoxious and downright un-christian to parade with wealth while poverty abounds; i find it immoral when those who have the so-called breeding, education, means to effect change should seek to support an immoral government and to allow misfits to rule over a nation on the pretext that they know best.
there is nothing more unlawful and unjust when these people who could make the difference continue to destroy the last remaining fibers of national sanity.
to me, they have no right to exist and certainly don’t have any right to my respect.
i believe that a person who has the means, the education, the breeding and the status, should not trod or use the poor for his agrandisement; there is no honor in that. and a person who has no honor is not fit to rule.
my father was incarcerated by the japanese for almost 3 years but escaped during the long march. he had no hatred of the japanese since it is war he used to say.he did not even get any backpay probably due to corruption in manila.. i taught for a while at uplb and i saw some reparations car from japan but otherwise i don’t know. i don’t know if the japanese paid in money or goods.. well if the japanese won the war, we probably are more effective but the malay race is very tamad. juang tamad will rather that the guava fruits fall down while he is swinging under the tree.
“Sabi nga ni Lacson ang isang kandidato na nagpadaya ay tanga. Kung talagang nadaya yung kandidato mo di hindi dapat silang maging presidente dahil mga tanga sila.”
Ang ibig mong sabihin mas matalino ang nandaya kaya sila ang may karapatan na mamuno ng bayan?
Sa sinabi mong iyan, it amounts to acceptance/accepted mo na nandaya si Gloria! At ayaw mo pa ring tangapin ang katotohanan na nangaling sa sariling mong bibig?
Anong klaseng pamunuan ang mahihintay mo sa isang taong na sa sariling bibig mo ay mandaraya ng boto dahil “tanga” iyong nagpadaya sa wika mo? Alam mo ba na ang taong namumuno dahil sa kanyang pandaraya ay dadayain ka rin sa ibang araw? Once mandaraya, will be a mandaraya at heart, sooner or later. Tingan mo ang nangyayari sa Pilipinas, puro pandaraya, hindi lang sa boto ng tao, kundi sa pera ng gubyerno… ito ba ang kailangang pagmalaki na talino at may right na mamuno?
Tatanggapin mo ba iyan? Anong klaseng pagkatao ang isang tao na handang tanggapin ang pandaraya? Parang ibig mong sabihin na ok lang sa iyo na dayain ka ng asawa mo! Parang sinabi mo na rin sa mga anak mo na ok lang ang mandaya kapag hindi nahuhuli.
Anong klaseng pagkatao iyan?
Hindi naman dapat ganoon!
you are sharp anna. you were able to say what i could not find words to jun. i salute you but for me it is time to use the abas argument according to ruffyb. a basta ako ang tama.
Norpil:
I think you are confused. Pearl Harbor was bombed on Dec. 8, 1941, Manila Time. The Japanese did not arrive in the Philippines until later, and was not imprisoning anyone until the surrender of the US forces in the Philippines prior to the Bataan March in April 1942.
My uncle, a Japanese mestiso, joined the USAFFEE before the declaration of war between the USA and Japan as there was apparently the call for those who want to serve as soldiers in preparation for a war that was precipitated in fact by an embargo against Japan, the ant that was able to bite on the westerners’ butt as they continue to slice Asia among them. He was captured and marched with his comrade from Bataan up to Capas in Tarlac where the Camp O’Donnell was.
In short, if your father was able to escape during the march, he could not have been incarcerated for 3 years unless you mean another march which I doubt was done after the Japanese were able to establish their garrisons, etc. That would be too risky.
My uncle was released from O’Donnell after my grandmother appealed to the officials there. I just don’t know if she mentioned that he was of Japanese extraction for that would be construed as treason!
Frankly, I had several uncles in the Bataan Death March. My mother’s brother survived it, but was killed just before the liberation when he went to visit his wife and son in Pampanga on a furlough. Someone squealed that he was a guerrilla with the Ilocano group from Badoc/Batac, Ilocos Norte. A Macabeben squealed him I’m told, and reason why I was trained to hate the “Dugong Aso”!
Another uncle, a cousin of my mother and a nephew of the Luna brothers, survived the war and became a Brigadier General in the AFP, and served his country well until his retirement.
As for my father and his other brothers, they all joined the guerrilla movement at the peak of the Japanese occupation because their loyalty is to the country of their birth. The US rewarded them with the privilege to choose US or Philippine citizenship at the end of the war and prior to the granting of Philippine independence. They were advised to do so by well-meaning friends.
Japan has made amends for the mistakes of the mistakes of those who led the country then. Millions of Japanese died for that silly war, but it must have been Divine Providence, for with the end of WWII, the occupation of countries in Asia by Europeans and Americans also ended. The Japanese may have failed to convince their fellow Asians of the sincerity of their Asia for the Asians policy (Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere Propaganda), but the war ended the supremacy of the white men in the Far East.
I doubt if the people of Japan will repeat such silly venture. This is the reason why we have two memorials to remind us of the horrors of wars, the memorials at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. WWII in fact humbled Japan. It is a good lesson to learn and remember.
One thing I am grateful for is that I have not witnessed the war, and I am in this and other movements for peace, and yes, prosperity that we enjoy in this Land of the Rising Sun (Fluctuating Yen as a matter of fact)!
The Midget is signing a co-prosperity sphere with Koizumi but be careful because it can mean the dumping of industrial wastes in the Philippines. Someone is getting “okuen” (hundreds of millions of yen) as commission for it!!! Dutyfree savings at Helsinki? Beware!
I should add that my uncle, who died in 1962 (He was shot by a raging Filipino in some love tryst) is buried at the Golden Gate Cemetery (the Arlington of SFO), a privilege for serving in the USAFFEE. My father was supposed to be buried there, too, but he prefered to be buried with my brother who died earlier at a nearby cemetery also in Colma, CA. At least, the US government knows how to be grateful to those who give up their lives for their country. In the Philippines, ninanakaw pa ang libingan for the heroes! The landgrabbing from the dead in fact started with the Pandak!!!
PATALSIKIN NA, NOW NA!
you are probably correct ystakei, i just heard this story from my parents and the only vivid picture of the war for me are the americans marching and filipinos acclaiming them..japan has become a pacifist country after the war and i always have respect for the japanese effectiveness, again from stories my father used to tell us on his captivity. i often meet japanese professors and engineers in conferences and we always get well together. it seems they also respected fil but not its leaders.some even invite me personally but have not yet visited japan.maybe when i retire next year.
Beware dear friends, baka isang tao lang iyang kinakausap ninyo pretending to be (1) anti-Pandak, (2) pro-Pandak and worse, (3) in between. The main purpose actually is of course to glorify the Ale Boba by making the discussion here as messy as the Internet Brigade are instructed to do in order to make everyone look stupid, ill-mannered and worse as idiotic as the guy who now seems to want to make filing libel suits his profession!!!
Iyan ang hirap kasi ng napapasa sa pagdadala ng apple sa titser!!! In short, sipsip na mahilig pa ng mga under the table!!!
Golly, kita ninyo ba ang mukha ni Palparan. Sipsip na sipsip ang dating! Iyan ang dapat na mawala na sa mundo sa totoo lang. Will see now God will answer the prayers of his victims!
oo nga yuko! i was a bit surprised also when norpil said three years prior to the death march but i just put it to my shaky knowledge of the japanese occupation of manila.
my dad was incarcerated in fort santiago with other gueriallas but that was already when manila fell or when the death march had already taken place.
he was in corregidor as a “conscript” (but i believe filipino troops were volunteers but for the sake of using military jargon, i call them “conscripts”) for the usaffee with his twin brother but when macarthur escaped to australia, my dad didn’t want to remain on the island and asked his twin brother to escape with him; he managed to escape with a small group of “conscripts” but his brother preferred to stay with wainright’s troops on the island; unfortunately, he was one of those who died during the death march in Bataan.
my father meanwhile launched a guerilla warfare in manila with friends (sampaloc, santa mesa, other places too which i can’t remember) and they were at the battle for the re-capture of UST when it was being used as a hospital or headquarters (don’t remember) by the japanese army.
he was caught and imprisoned in fort bonifacio. i do remember hearing a story about the japanese imperial army in manila freeing some prisoners on the birthday of the emperor; my dad, being one of the more dangerous leaders was not freed; he was incarcerated for some time but i don’t know how long – too hazy in my mind now… (coz i never really paid attention when adults used to talk about the war); what i do know is that he managed to escape one night but was caught again and stayed in prison until manila was liberated.
my dad’s skulll had a bit of fracture which was shown in an x-ray following a doctor’s suggestion that he should have an x-ray (that time there were no scanners yet) because he used to have agonizing headaches which became worse till he died; he said it must have due to the rifle butt hit on the head that he received from a japanese soldier when he was captured or because of the beatings he suffered while in detention.
these are what i vaguely remember from the stories i used to hear when i was a child.
in spite of that, my dad was never anti-japanese after the war; he did business with them along with his new-found american friends; i remember my mom used to host dinners for his japanese and american partners but one of the businesses which involved his japanese partners was brought to america and so the japanese connection stopped (one of my dad’s businesses involved exporting cacao to the US and was considered at the time “the largest” exporter to the US, he had a plantation in Mindanao till the muslims overran it in the early 70s) and matter of fact, even years later, there was a succession of young japanese students or equivalent japanese “peace corps” volunteers at home (i was no longer at home by that time but already in europe when mom used to receive these volunteers); in fact, my sister married a japanese whom she met through one of those volunteers.
when i asked him why he didn’t resent the japanese, particularly when his twin brother, his first wife and his three children then died in the hands of the japanese during the war, he said “the young japanese are not responsible for the mistakes of their fathers.” I remember that to this day because i thought how magnanimous my dad was! he welcomed his japanese son in law without any reservation.
as a child, i also vaguely remember, adults talking about war reparations and hearing that part of war reparations payment came in the form of electrical goods, i.e., air conditionners, refrigerators, radio sets, etc. and that my dad (who had served as advisor to pres quirino and then to garcia later), used to have altercations with some political friends about these items for the simple reason that the items would land in the homes of corrupt members of government instead of in government offices. it somehow stayed in my memory because of the vehement opposition of my dad (his voice would boom when he was angry and boy, he could be nasty when he was angry).
he stayed on as advisor to president garcia (whose only son-in-law is my mother’s first degree cousin whose younger daughter, therefore granddaughter of pres garcia, is my inaanak sa kasal – i’m technically her cousin but i am much older) and if my memory serves me right, garcia wanted to expand relations with japan and elsewhere but i am not sure if his desire stemmed from the souring relationship he was already experiencing with americans.
oh dear… how i go on! sorry for all these “corny” stories and hope i won’t bore you too much.
Anna:
Frankly, I don’t have the patience to be battling with the witless trying to be witty! It’s a futile exercise as a matter of fact. Nagmamaang-maangan pa daw na hindi alam na babae ako. Ilan beses ko naman na sinabing babae ako kundi ba talagang istupido o istupida!!!
Anyway, over here, making decisions on who to vote for or not to vote for is easy because they are wiser to adopt and literally interpret democracy exactly the way it is defined, which is a government FOR, OF and BY the people, and the officials who serve in the government are actually public servants, and can never be the bosses of those who vote for and pay them with their taxes!
Another thing is not whether or not the Pandakitak can pay the debts she has incurred between 2001 and now in addition to what her father borrowed some 40 or more years ago that in fact is similar to what many Filipinos do in Japan, namely, borrow money from different financial institutions, and do a cycle of bayad-utang! Akala naman noong inutangan nakakabayad nga! But the truth is lumalaki ang tubo ng inutang! In the end, hindi ngayon makabayad, gagawa na ng mas malaking krimen. Simpleng logic. Even idiots I guess can understand this!
What the Ale Boba has done is commit a grave and serious crime against the people of the Republic of the Philippines—to quote Susan Roces— not just once but twice, first, treason and sedition, then, next, plunder and rigging of votes! Iyan ang dapat ipasok ng mga pinoy sa utak nila!!!
You don’t allow a murderer to go scotfree for killing someone even when he thinks he is right! But then, in the Philippines, even murder can be settled out of court! Pambihira! Not where I come from especially when someone’s life has been wasted and sacrificed. What the pimp is doing is sacrifice the lives of Filipinos for her selfish ambition.
I hope she won’t talk of the Super Atsays to the leaders of other countries, especially not to Koizumi, who is a chauvinist. Baka isipin na talagang istupido ang mga pinoy for choosing a stupid woman for president even when in fact she was not elected by majority of Filipinos the proper and legal way!
PATALSIKIN NA, NOW NA!
sorry, that was fort santiago not bonifacio! heheh!
anna, ystakei: it seems to be some kind of doubt about the others here and felt myself on target.maybe i am witles but certainly i am not trying to be what i am not. i have said before who i am and what i believe even when others do not ask because i thought this is the purpose of this blog, i.e., to have a dialogue.but it seems to me some people are afraid to open up for some reason. if others are afraid of their own shadows, certainly i am not.
norpil,
i never target anyone without proof. i certainly don’t target you nor have i targetted anyone for that matter here; if you notice, norpil, my rebuttals are more against comments and I do try very hard to stay the course even if i don’t agree with the commenter’s comments and as much as possible, try not to counter-attack a commenter’s person but only his comments.
please be assured that i appreciate your calm demeanour in all these exchanges.
Tangina, ngayon lang ako nakapasok sa blog! Post ako ng post ayaw pumasok. Puro sulat ko kay Ate Ellen hindi naman niya pinansin. Kumusta na ang mga tsokaran ko sa Chinatown? Wala pa rin pagbabago…puro Hapon ang nababasa ko dito. Kaya inatake ng Hapon ang Pilipinas dahil sa Amerika. Kung hindi tayo naging bata ng Amerika, hindi dapat tayo nadamay. Parehong demonyo ang dalawang bansang iyan. Dapat naging bahagi ng China ang Pilipinas at tiyak na uunlad. Biro mo puro Made in China ang mga produkto…
ty anna: sorry for my outburst.who knows maybe we will meet since you are in europe. i work with the railway so i can travel anywhere in europe free.i was in belgium a couple of years ago because they were building a high speed line there. but i am most often in germany because they are the ones who knew much on the subject aside from the french.
Norpil
I make it a point not to answer people who are here for the reasons that I have mentioned in my other posts, because as I have stated, it is useless and waste of time to be battling with the witless trying to be witty!
I don’t know why you should feel offended by what I have warned people in this and other blogs that are being invaded by Internet Brigaders of the Ale Boba. One tactic is even to block our access here, and then, they can even have the nerve to pretend to be the victims, a trick indeed that they have learned from their boss, the bogus president of the Philippines.
PATALSIKIN NA, NOW NA!
artsee,
if you are that brave, i recommend you start off with gloria and her husband. the makapilis can wait – they’ve all serenely “gone underground” anyway, e.g., dead and buried, so killing them a second time around would be an exercise in futility.
Norpil:
I should add that I don’t read the obvious twice. I pass comments of those I know to be part of the Internet Brigade and are here to deviate the attention from the issues being discussed. It is useless to waste time on them, especially those I know and have earmarked as troublemakers or simply candidates for the straight jackets!
yuko, norpil,
speaking of a european “rendez-vous”, you’d be glad to know (particularly yuko, i hope) that a member our e-mail group who’s european-based, is coming to brussels and we have arranged to meet during the trip of gloria mandaraya here.
and if i understand correctly, she’s been corresponding with sen pimentel too; she even attended sen pimentel’s book launching in manila while she was there last summer, there was a group pic in the papers in which she featured .
ystakei:maybe i was a bit too thin in the skin. i am used to writing honestly but can easily make mistakes. some are afraid to make mistakes but i am certainly not because i learned a lot from mistakes, so i always stand to be corrected. the worst thing is not to be believed so i always accept things said here as things people stand for, unless obvious jokes.. otherwise i agree with you patalsikin na.
anna: i will be on an engineering conference in budapest from 12.-15. sept, otherwise it could have been interesting though i hate the airport in brussels.
norpil, if you will stop over at the airport in brussels, i will be very happy to meet you there…really! it’s only half an hour drive from my house.
do let me know…
gloria is here on the 12th so i have to join the protesters even if only for moral support. (have never, ever been in a rally ever in my whole life but i think it’s never too late to begin!)
sana hindi na makabalik si trudisliit sa Pilipinas mula sa kanyang lamiyerda sa europa, para maalis na ang kamalasasan na bumabalot sa atin, nang sa gayon mabuwag na yang samahan ng game of the generals na pinangungunahan ng isang ugly general.
Norpil:
Over here in Japan, we are trained to say sorry when we know that we are wrong. It is easy to do that when you know that your apology will be accepted graciously. The Japanese language is in fact rich in words to express apology. Thus, when I say “Sorry” I really mean it, no matter what the consequence may be.
You bet, you learn from mistakes, but in this blog, we are not here to be the ones to say, “Sorry.” We are here to demand justification for injustices being committed to millions and millions of Filipinos like the young Filipinos boys and girls being pushed to engage in prostitution in Japan that this Super Pimp would even deny is human trafficking as defined in the new Immigration Law of Japan.
I’m not even here to battle with anybody but to share what I know based on information I can obtain from the people I come in contact with in my line of work, or by sheer inspiration from Up Above or even intelligence which God has blessed us with to use for good or even evil although I’d stick to using mine for the good of my fellowmen and the glory of God, from whence it came.
I believe in miracles, you know. And with faith, I know a lot can be achieved especially when you work with people with equal faith and courage that you don’t oftentimes know you have.
One thing I have learned when I fight for something is that I don’t work with people who are not sure and are always in between. I don’t even try to persuade them to join me, because I’d rather that they make that decision for themselves in order to avoid ending up being like them. I just cannot take that risk!
It’s a matter of being you’re either in or you’re out! It is why I am in this blog!
Yuko,
Btw, according to the organizer, there will be around a hundred at the rally which ain’t that bad considering that many of the pinoys here refused to join for fear of a backlash.
BTW, I don’t even hide in some crazy aliases. I stick by my name. I can understand the situation of those in Manila hiding in some pseudonyms. They can be ordered shot to death. But I surely would not tolerate the Internet Brigaders blogging in various aliases, and even create fighting among their own clones in an apparent attempt to create chaos and anarchy in blogs such as this or even to deviate from the issues that need to be attented to.
Anyway, time to go to bed. I still to wake up early to attend church. We have a stake conference and being a member of our Stake Council, I cannot afford to be absent.
Anyway, PATALSIKIN NA, NOW NA! Debt-free Philippines, lokohin niya ang lelong niyang panot! 3 trillion nga ang inuutang para ipaikot na pambayad ng mga utang. Gulong lang ng gulong!
I will be taking pics and download them so I can send friendsofnenpimentel yahoogroups and other people who may be interested.
i will certainly send them to ellen, helga, lito banayo and a few blogger friends if they want me to. (that is if my daughter helps me with the downloading on the net coz i still am deeply ignoramus when it comes to comp downloading of pics.)
ok, sweet dreams!
Anna,
Sorry about the T-shirts. Cannot send them on time for the arrival of Pandak in Brussels. Will still send them anyway. You may use them when she tries to go back there and Paris, which is out I guess because of the Lebanon fiasco!
Watch out for the spark of the moment statements. Pihadong pakulo lang!
I think I know who you are talking about Anna. Pakikumusta na lang ako sa kaniya, and to Fidel A. whom I met in Tokyo once or twice before. Sayang, nakasama din sana ako diyan. I just can’t leave my activities here especially with the info provided by Nelbar.
Send the pictures to me and I will pass them on to arkibo for posting there although I know they will do that. Better still, send them to Marvin of Talsik. He will post them in the Phil update. Nighty night
Yeah, I realized that coz she’s almost here – post will require a few days but not to worry, the guys here are very prepared; i went to see them this morning, they were preparing banners, etc.
Ok, Yuko, will do re Fidel – will send you the pics!
Yeah, sleep well! (Me too gotta hit the sack coz last night i stayed up late to blog… and hubby ain’t happy!)
Mahirap palang sumingit dito, pagsusutpetsahan ka. Sige, magbabasa na lang ako.
Psychologically speaking, one who keeps on suspecting others is guilty of the same. That person could be possessing several aliases and to avoid suspicion, he warns people of such. Or he might be insecured…so uncomfortable that others are as smart if not smarter than him. What Internet Brigade is he talking about? Perhaps he means Banzai Brigade.
Anna
I’m sending you three T-shirts (L and LL lang because we ran out of supplies) today. Baka makahabol. Are we a day ahead of you? Must be!
Next targic Anna is the lawsuit at the Hague and the International Court in Brussels. I’ll see you there for sure because I’ll be translating for some Japanese having their evidences against the Pandak for the political killings in the Philippines, and her role ala-Tokyo Rose when Bush was planning the pre-emptive attack against Iraq!
Just think of the over 250,000 Iraqis killed by the Americans and Brits for the sake of one brute, Saddam!!! There is definitely no justification even according to the laws of men must more according to the Laws of God!!!
Abangan mo ang T-shirt, because I am sending them via EMS!
Anna:
You said that you are not used to this kind of activism. I as not myself until EDSA 1 when I saw the return of the same crooks who were the reason why we opted to leave the Philippines for good long before Martial Law!
Tangna, mayaman daw pero magnanakaw, manloloko pa!!! God forgive me for the profanity!
Today in
Today, we heard a satellite broadcast of words of encouragement from leaders of our church in Salt Lake City. They were words for members of the church in Japan, that has been likened in fact to UK, but definitely we have a great cultural heritage that we can be proud of—less dishonest people, but more people with honor and integrity.
Members of our church in the USA talked for example of the integrity and honesty of Japanese taxi drivers or getting back what one loses on the train or even on the streets because over here finder is not the keeper. When one does not give valuables he finds to the police to look for the rightful owner, it is considered a theft! Lalong masama ang nang-agaw ng puwesto! Iyan ang genuine magnanakaw!
Proud to be a Japanese as a matter of fact. And definitely proud to be an Ilocano likewise! Born and raised in Manila. OK din sana Tagala, pero maraming magnanakaw doon!!! Bato-bato sa langit ang tamaan huwag magagalit!
FYI, Warren Jeffs has already been arrested and now in jail.
Good for those who practice polygamy. Oh yes, the mainstream now claim they no longer practice this…in secret maybe (he, he).
Thaksin did it. Now Tony Blair is gonna do it. Gloria, however, does not get it. Kasi, kasingkapal ng Berlin wall.
anna,
i almost cried when i read your post above. i admire the bigheartedness of your father, and you, too. this is the reason why you are having so much in life today. more good luck!!!
I like the comment above stating “the mistakes of the parents should not be blamed on the children.” It refers to those whose parents or grandparents were once war criminals. Today, these young ones shall not commit the same mistake of starting a new war. It now brings me to what is written in the Bible that the children must not pay for the sins of their parents. Everyone must pay for his own sins. So, this contradicts the Catholic teaching’s of original sin believing that all have sinned because of Adam and Eve’s sin. That also explains why there is infant baptism which is not biblical. It now makes sense to me…
I’m not trying to start a religious discussion. I’m just connecting the above comment to what is being taught in the Bible.
agree with npongco about suspecting others. i have not been to any other blog so i don’t know what internet brigade is all about.. anyway i don’t think anybody has a monopoly for truth and knowledge. things we know came from what we read and personal experience and even experience of others.engineers always test new theories and even re test if there are some doubt.sometimes we believe on things without proof, specially in religion because there are questions hard to answer with scientific proof.
And the thing is Norpil, there’s only one person here who keeps saying Internet Brigade. What is it and how does he know such thing exist? Is he creating confusion among the members of this blog? What’s his motive? If he knows it exists he must back it up with proof and not just bla-bla. It’s getting to be annoying. If this person dislikes someone or disagrees with someone’s opinion, he brands him as a member of the so called Internet Brigade. When Ellen was around, his display of arrogance was already felt. And now that Ellen is on vacation, he wants to monopolize this blog. By the way, I mean SHE not he ’cause I was corrected by someone a while ago. Actually, it’s hard to know if he’s a he or she. Maybe a she but acting like a he?
Anna de Brux,
I really am looking forward to finding out how it all will fair out regarding Gloria’s arrival in Brussels! Oh, I really hope she gets pie thrown on her face!
I think the ‘internet brigade’ referred is a group that trying to infiltrate forum groups and post confusing comments. So far, we may have different views, opinions, and personal observations and different styles and capabilities of expresing ourselves, but I believe, we are not being infiltrated by any one, but if we are, let us hear their sides and their logics and maybe we can bring them to our side. Let’s convince them “brigade” to join our Crusade.
Anna:
Your father must have known my uncles and my father who were in the underground movement during the war years.
At the end of WWII, they opted for the US citizenship that they were privileged to have for serving in the USAFFEE, and my father’s brothers left the Philippines as early as 1947. We followed suit in the 60’s.
Unfortunately, my uncle was shot to death by a crazy Filipino who was arrested on the spot and finally sent to jail. He died at San Quetin’s, the prison near SFO three years after killing my uncle, who had the privilege of being buried at the national cemetery at Colma, CA. His assailant I understand died of a stroke.
At least, the US government knows how to be grateful to those served their country well. Sa Pilipinas, ninanakaw pa ang lupa para sa libingan ng mga bayani!
SOBRA NA! PATALSIKIN NA, NOW NA!
well,since i noticed also that some are trying to have something on races and regionalism, which i have always disliked since i have difficulty defining a filipino, i can add a little bit more about myself.i like what vic wrote once that there is a racism within any race or something like that.my mother and her parents came from sta maria, ilocos sur but have to move to cabanatuan because of the purge on spanish blood before the japanese war.the land they tilled were taken from them.my father’s grandparents came from baler, quezon but have moved from province to province like rizal and bulacan due to spanish landgrabbers including the area in makati until finally ending in a secluded barrio in cabanatuan where my grandfather finally found peace.today all my brothers and sisters are scattered around the pinas and we all speak only tagalog not due to dislike of the others but because this is the language we grew up.one thing sure is i am proud of our race simply because we never invaded others, in fact all others who tried succeeded in invading us including chinese pirates. even here in faraway norway,where there are all kinds of persons i meet, i have never felt inferior because of my race. some may be better than me in many things but not in all things.
Vic,
No dice. I have encountered these people in other blogs and forums. A lot are paid mercenaries as a matter of fact like those Internet Brigaders of Senator Gordon that my friends and I encountered at one forum when he was the tourism head and was really like some dummy of a wannabe queen.
Some can be just plain crazy like those Filipinos who create those bugs, worms and viruses just for the heck of it. Just check the list of viruses, bugs and worms in the MacAffee or Norton libraries and you will be surprised at how many of them even bear Filipino names!
I know one in fact who had been kicked out of other groups for trying to mess up discussions there by blogging in various aliases. I was actually duped by this guy in one forum that was finally closed because of the rudeness of this guy that I have learned in fact to recognize to be nothing but a troublemaker if he is not in fact working for the Bobas!
The trick is blog in this kind of forum, then create a commotion, even try to provoke like those provocateurs in rallies and protests in Manila in an attempt to make the crowd unruly so the police can have the excuse to catch the leaders of the group and incarcerate them to frighten especially first-timers in such assembly that is part of the democratic process.
I don’t read messages posted by these multiple personalities as a matter of fact because it is useless, nor do I consider being able to learn anything from these personalities who must have a very fertile imagination to even twist facts that are already common knowledge. Iyan ang delikado sa totoo lang.
I have shared some information in fact with my barkada and they have confirmed the information I have shared with them.
This blog is definitely being monitored by the overstaying tenants of the palace by the murky river, and if these multiple personalities belonging to one entity must be here I guess to even attract their attention. Baka nga naman ma-recruit to be a provocateur here and other blogs.
Just think of how stupid it is to be duped into believing that you are replying to a lot many individuals, pros, antis and in-betweens only to find out that you are talking to only one person who may even be either a man or a woman, who must be real sick in the head as a matter of fact to do such silly thing.
I was a victim in a forum called then as Philippine News where I have made friends with one or two individuals. But I have resolved never again to be victimized by this crazy entity. Sometimes, I even cannot help thinking if Satan and his legions are able to access the Internet!!! 😛
anna: i found out my stopover on the way to is copenhagen on the 12. and on the 17. is munich.this schedule cannot be changed otherwise i have to pay again. but in october i will be in berlin for only several days which means i have better schedule and maybe take a train to brussels.
The original title of this entry is:
“Iraq and Philippines compared”
Matapos ang unang Gulf War noong 1991, nag impose and U.S.,U.K. at France ng “NO FLY ZONE”, sa Iraq by virtue of UN Security Council Resolution 688.
Ang nasabing NO FLY ZONE IRAQ ay nai-present sa Western media(CNN, BBC, TV5 atbp) na ang nasabing bansa ay hinahati sa tatlong bahagi. Ang tatlong ito ay ang Northern Iraq(Kurds), Central Iraq, at ang Southern Iraq naman para sa mga Shia.
Naikundisyon sa isipan ng mga tao sa labas ng bansang Iraq, na ang paghahati ng dating sakop ng Mesopotamia ay mayroong moral na dahilan. –Nandyan ang isyu ng Kurdistan at ang grupo ng mga Shia na parehong sinupil ng rehimen ni Saddam Hussein.
Ngayon sakop na nang bansang Amerika ang Iraq, nais na naman itong lalo pang mahati sa pamamagitan ng ‘Washington initiative’ sa isang huwad na demokrasya.
Iraqi democracy daw na kung saan papabor sa anumang kahilingan at magsisilbi sa interes ng bansang Amerika.
Matatandaan na noong mga huling taon ni Saddam sa panunungkulan, (ANG IRAQ NA SINASABING PANGALAWA SA MAY PINAKA MALAKING DEPOSITO NG LANGIS SA GITNANG SILANGAN), –ang langis doon ay kinakalakal sa EURO at hindi sa dolyar.
Isang indikasyon na matapos ang unang Gulf War handang lumaban ang Iraq sa Amerika sa isang matalinong paraan.
Bago pinasok ng pwersa ng Amerika ang Baghdad noong March 20,2003, naglabasan sa media ang mga salitang:
decapitation of Saddam’s regime
Weapons of Mass Destruction – na hindi napatunayan
sangkot daw si Saddam sa 9-11
regime change
Old Europe
shock and awe at iba pa.
Matatandaan rin na nitong huling panggigipit at pakikialam sa Iraq ay naging hayag ang TransAtlantic Rift na kung saan lalo naman nagpatibay ng relasyon ng France at Germany.
Kung ating babalikan ang relasyon ng Cold War at Islamic World, matatandaan ang pananakop ng Soviet Union sa Afghanistan noong (closing days of 1979)1980 at sinagot naman ito ng Amerika ng Olympic boycott sa Moscow. Pero sa ngayon sa Iraq ay wala yatang reaksyon maliban sa Global Protest against War in Iraq. ANO KAYA ANG DAHILAN???
Sa kasalukuyan, patuloy pa rin ang pakikipaglaban ng mga RESISTANCE FIGHTERS sa Iraq na isang simbolo ng inspirasyon sa mga lumalaban sa imperyalistang Amerika.
Ang Pilipinas bilang isang member ng NAM(Non-Alligned Movement) ay hindi dapat manghimasok sa Iraq at hindi rin dapat sumunod sa ano mang kapritsuhan ng Amerika sa pakikialam at panghihimasok nito sa Middle East at Islamic World.
Sa madaling salita, ANG PILIPINAS AY HINDI DAPAT MAGING INSTRUMENTO SA MGA IMPERYALISTANG AMBISYON NG AMERIKA!
Nais ko sanang i-google nyo ang “Partition of Iraq” at mababasa nyo ang posting ni Randall Parker(August 31,2006) sa ParaPundit (Iraq Partition an Option? Michael E. O’Hanlon of the Brookings Institution makes an argument for partitioning Iraq)
No dice, Nelbar, made up na ang utak ni Boba na magyabang sa meeting on the NAM, but do you think they will succeed in annihilating the Iraqis totally? Read the story of Daniel so that you will know what will happen to this people in the last days! Nakakatakot sa totoo lang! Signs of the times regarding the confirmation of the earth or what they call baptism of fire!
ystakei,
you said it. lahat nangyayari sa mundo ay nakasulat sa bibliya. all the signs lead us to the teachings of the holy scripture.
nelbar,
hindi naman buong pilipinas ang nakikialam kundi ang pakialamerang tsutsu ni bush, si gloria demonyita! siguro pinasuso sa bayag niya kaya ganyan na lang na parang high na high palagi! akala sikat siya, pwe!!!!
Iraq as a nation would never unite as one peacefully whether the U.S. leave the country in its present situation or stay for the indefinite time unt she gets what she went in the first place, a secure source of oil in the middle east under her control. We must remember that prior to the colonization and occupation of various powers from Roman empire to the British Empire to the Ottoman Empire, the middle east societies were mostly Tribal. Iraq was mostly keep in one-piece by iron-hands of its succeeding rulers, the latest of which was Saddam Hussein. As soon as that tight- fisted reign is let loose, all the tribes let loose themselves and start asserting its independence against each other. There is the Kurds in the North, who until now is looking for that Nation that disappeared within Turkey, Iraq and part Iran. The shi’ite and sunni, although of similar faith needs a Big Brother to stop each to dominate each other in a vicious cycle of religious war.
Whereas, the Philippines, other than the secessionist rebellion in the south, that could have been settled by negotiations and the insurgency by the leftist, which is the ongoing nuisance, and becoming as common part of the daily issues as the corruptions in the government, miscarriage of justice, and the complacency of the majority, that things are not addressed at all by their leaders, The Philippines Experience is Not Beyond Solutions. It won’t take a Rocket Science to figure out what are problems, we meet them everyday, we only lack a collective desire to meet them head on. Afraid of bruises maybe?
agree with vic that the pinas is not beyond solutions, but when.it could take eternity if the leaders are all the same regardless.before, real changes happen only by killing each other. lately changes are done on streets like in russia and elsewhere in europe and it seems some are lucky enough to have good leaders.but i don’t know in the pinas, we must be lucky to get one good leader otherwise it will be another wait even beyond gma.
Iraq is not a lie! WMD in Iraq existed with the recent finding. And don’t forget Sadam poisoned his own people that spoke ills against him, as the 748 Pilipinos that has been killed by Gloria’s regime in the Philippines only because they exercised their freedom of expression. Keep in mind 9/11 when you mention President Bush, when the terrorists have decided to kill over 3000 Americans, destroyed many properties including the twin tower in which forever changed America. Justification: Understand the 17 Resolutions cited by the United Nation in which Sadam decided to ignored. In addition, all the intelligent gathered and provided by combined groups including foreign countries to U.S. Congress and President George Bush Administration which were used to approved going in to Iraq by United States of Congress. It wasn’t a lone cowboy did in his own. United States Of America is at war against the Terrorists. And President Bush is doing what the country elected him to do, protect USA and its people. To abandon Iraq now, would be a disaster.
Can you reason with the terrorists that wants to kill the infidel? And who’re the infidel by the way? It’s those unbeliever with respect to their religion, such as you, moms, pops, sisters, brothers, children, fundamentally the innocent people. Those were the casualty of 9/11. It ain’t over, the terrorists will not stop until they eliminated those don’t believe on their religion. This is a different war not like that you’ve in your history books.
Lets not forget our own decades of conflict, Mindanao.
kung itinuturing na deadman walking na si palparan, bakit di isama sila esperon, defensor, jazztice siraul gonzales at yung mga iba pang peste ng bayan.
Mr. Cuevas, I’m surprised you’re echoing the line of Bush and other warlords in the world. Have you not heard and read that Saddam had no ties to Al Qaeda and that he didn’t support the terrorists? He didn’t participate in that tragic 9/11? Saddam was just made as a scapegoat by the US and her allies to accomplish their evil mission of invading Iraq. For what? For oil. I’m not a Muslim and I’m against the extremists resorting to violence in spreading their faith and ideology. But Christians and other religious groups were as guilty. Didn’t the Catholic Church use religion to conquer the world? Didn’t Spain colonize Latin American countries and other third world countries like the Philippines? They came with a cross on one hand and a sword on another hand. What did this mean? It meant “You convert or be killed”. The truth is, the Muslims have been abused and treated badly for so long now. The world’s worst leaders and the most abusive groups are the non-Islam nations. They don’t do what they preach. Hypocrites like Bush have the habit of injecting Christianity and invoking God’s name in their policies and publicity stunts. But, they are the ones causing the death and sufferings of people in the world not only to the Muslims but to other faiths as well. For Bush and his greedy allies, what matters is to control the world and oil.
As predicted, the Bolante case is quick vanishing into air like the many other controversial cases involving Malacanang’s men. It’s cooling down. We imagine what Garcilliano is doing at this moment too. Relaxing…watching TV and drinking coffee? Or playing golf with this buddies? What about Gen. Garcia who was convicted of plunder? Is he serving his sentence or roaming around in upscale neighborhood. We need to monitor these crooks! I’m posting a portion of a column about Bolante to remind all of us that he must not be allowed to enjoy privileges:
“The mystery deepens. Or should that be “the plot thickens?” Whatever.
When the infamous former Undersecretary of Agriculture Jocelyn Bolante was arrested in Los Angeles in early July for entering the US without a valid visa, he flatly refused to be assisted by consular officials. Then, he asked to be transferred to Chicago and again he did not want to have anything to do with our consular officials there.
Now, he has asked the Philippine Embassy in Washington for assistance because he wants to check into a hospital for an unspecified illness.
What gives? Why is Bolante all of a sudden seeking the help of the Philippine Embassy in Washington ? What’s wrong with his own expensive lawyers making representations with the American authorities regarding his request? Why the withholding of information on what ails him? Is it some kind of disease that would embarrass him, like kleptomania perhaps?
Will the DFA be more forthcoming this time with information on the case? Obviously not. In a statement, the Philippine Embassy in Washington said that Bolante is in need of “urgent and specialized” medical attention. What is it, high blood pressure, heart problem? Why the vagueness?
Poor Secretary Romulo, the whole sordid affair will fall on his lap again. How long can he keep on covering up for his masters? He seems to have gotten away with withholding information on the passport/s that Garci used in his trips to Singapore and elsewhere. Will he get away with this one too?
And what about Washington? Will it finally come clean on the Bolante case?
It will be recalled that Washington recently gave us P1.1 billion to help us fight corruption. What better opportunity could there be to prove its sincerity than to let the world know the real story on the apprehension of Bolante? It will be the best proof of its real intention.
If and when Washington decides to open up and Bolante is found guilty, together with his principals or accomplices, it will be the most effective signal to would-be grafters and corrupt officials to cease and desist from such nefarious activities. We probably won’t even need the P1.1 billion US grant and just return it instead.”
Gusto kong malaman dito kung parehas ba ang paningin o pagtrato ng mga Chinese(i.e.,ethnic chinese, Tsinoy) sa mga Muslim sa Sinkiang.
Nadaanan namin sa pag-aaral noong High School ang kasaysayan ng China at itong huli ko na lang nalaman na may mga Muslim pala dyan sa Urumchi.
“Lets not forget our own decades of conflict, Mindanao.” ~-Tony Cuevas
Hindi na siguro kaila sa atin na ang ginawang split ng Southern Command sa Mindanao ay isang taktika.
Kung tayo ay muling mag-aaral ng kasaysayan, ano ba talaga ang “Department of Mindanao” o District of Mindanao noong unang panahon?
Sinabi ni George Nathaniel Curzon …”Dear me, I never knew that the lower classes had such white skins.”
Dito sa bansa natin, hinuhushagan ka kung anong klaseng relihiyon meron ka.
Ang pagkakaalam ko sa democracy na itinuro ng Amerika ay may pagkakapantay pantay. Ito yung tinatawag na …
regardless of race, color, religion, national/ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age or disability.
…Hindi pala!
npongco and All:
Kung inyong matatandaan nang ilabas ang balita sa media tungkol kay Bolante? Kasabay din nito halos ang balita na inilabas sa “Señeres list”:
Please look Malaya Story (1)Palace in a bind over Lim video, July 07,2006 Friday
(2) Tonyboy, Iñigo Zobel, Cruz probed on coup , July 18,2006 Tuesday
Palagay ko may basbas ng US embassy ang ‘dapat na labanan ng magkabilang kampo’ noong February 24,2006.
Kaya ang Proclamation 1017 ni GMA noon ay timbre galing sa State Department. O kaya ang OPLAN HACKLE ay may green light mula sa Langley Virginia.
Ang point ko dito, itong kaso ni Bolante ay upang iligaw ang tunay na isyu: the ’20th EDSA Anniversary Celebration’.
Bakit ngayon lang?
Update on Bolante Case: According to U.S. officials, Bolante, was detained for his own choice instead of deported back to the Philippines on cancelled visa on the strenght of Arrest Warrant issued by the Philippine Senate for Contempt. That he was not aware that his visa was cancelled by the American consulate in the Philippines upon submission of the arrest warrant by the Senate. Instead he decided to apply for political asylum.
nelbar: It has always been my position that Uncle Sam is the one dictating the policies and decisions of the Philippines. No RP President could have been elected without Uncle Sam’s blessing. Perhaps with the exception of Erap whom America disliked. Erap’s winning margin was so huge that it was very difficult for the US and Erap’s enemies to manipulate and change. There were attempts but failed. Cardinal Sin and the Civil Society group were at Erap’s neck from the very beginning. But, Erap’s popularity and charisma was too much. So, with the US watching on the side, they allowed Erap to assume office but they began to destroy him from day one in office. The rest is history. If the US wanted Erap to stay, it would be easy just like she did to Cory who survived several coup tries. Take note of what the US told the groups who were ousting Erap: Do it by constitutional means. The US did not want a bloody confrontation so she would not look bad internationally. Also, Erap refused a bloody conflict too. When the mob was marching to Malacanang. Erap’s PSG and security were waiting for his permission to shoot but Erap refused. This was also what Marcos did when Gen. Ver was desperately trying to get his permission to destroy the Edsa mob. The two tough looking leaders showed they have soft hearts after all. Compare them to this current illegal occupant of Malacanang…a woman who is always ready to hurt and kill the people to remain in power. And why is Gloria still in power? Because that’s what the US wants. So, it’s not hard to connect the Bolante’s case to GMA’s presidency.
Nelbar:
US covert operations everywhere is no secret, but you should not leave the CIA, etc. to solve or unsolve the problems of the Philippines.
I doubt if the Bolate episode is even connected with the US covert operations, and that cancellation of his visa is more in response to request to send him back to the Philippines to prosecute him properly there that Bolate is not willing to have himself subjected to.
Apparently, with his visa cancelled, as per usual procedure, he was supposed to be put on A to A, but he opted to call his lawyer to work on his release by applying for political asylum and when granted pay his bail that his partners in crime can easily pay. However, with Ellen, et al making noise over there about this, the Americans are finding it difficult to heed any request by the bogus government through the DFA for special consideration for this Bolate regardless of the pa-cute-cute offer of cry on my shoulder by the Ale Boba to the embattled Dubya at the moment.
This is why it is important that you do not fall into those propaganda that the reason the Ale Boba is able to stay is because of US patronage. Baloney! Especially now with the dossier that she is supported by some biggies in Beijing, the Americans definitely will be wary and careful to tie up with this crook and her cohorts. They are in fact just biding their time.
Meanwhile, Filipinos should try to solve their problems by themselves. They cannot pretend that they are doing this for love of country and not to get special attention from America that would not even give the same visa leniency it is willing to give the Mainland Chinese to the Filipinos, who were once subjects of America, and still are as a matter of fact.
Kawawang bansa!
Nelbar, don’t also fall into those Yakuza propaganda that the Japanese government doesn’t condone the Philippine officials’ corruption. Many unscrupulous Japanese businessmen are in cahoots with the Filipino counterparts most of whom are partners legally or illegally. To say that it’s baloney to consider the US patronage of Bolate is like someone whose eyes are covered with sashimi shit. Such option must not be ignored. For some idiot to say the US has no hand in Bolate’s case or any Philippine government official is like saying the world will never end. Someone would an average IQ would always think such is a possibility. It’s all bla-bla…nothing inside this idiot’s yellow brain!
Of course the U.S. has always some kind of interests in the Philippines, be it business, political and security. At the moment it is security that is the prevailing interest; the fight against terrorism, that the U.S. is fighting all over the world, and she is going to use her influence to get the co-operations of all friendly governments and co-ersion or force if necessary for those unwillling to co-operate.
Bolante if necessary could be used as bargaining chip, but is he that valuable? Depending on the value of the “fish” so to say, the U.S. for her own interests, has no qualms about what others think..
Vic, yours is a better comment and analogy than this idiot who told us not to fall into propaganda about the US patronage of Bolate, and who even described such possibility as baloney. Such know-it-all attitude and display of arrogance in this blog is making me sick. It’s easy to test one’s credibility. Just read what the person writes. Recently, she bragged saying US Permanent Residents could perform jury duties in the US which is farthest from the truth. Fortunately, someone including yours truly corrected this misleading information by stating that ONLY US CITIZENS CAN PERFORM JURY DUTIES AND ACT AS JURORS IN US COURTS. After this correction, there was silence from this person. Not even a word of apology or acknowledgement of mistake; but is always quick to rebuke other people often making sarcastic and insulting remarks. Just because she has been to the US, she thinks those who have not been to the US are stupid. Just because she is a UP graduate and has studied in US and UK, she thinks she’s above everyone. Just because she now lives in a wealthy nation, the land of the Rising Sun, she thinks other countries are shits. I’m sick of this high display of arrogance. I expect a little humility and only then can I respect a person. Is it baloney to consider the fact that the US might have a hand in Bolate’s case? Or it’s baloney to be always too opinionated?
Anna de broux,
Napakababa ng IQ mo. Quote ko lang ang kapwa ninyo opposisyon na si Ping Lacson. Not necessarily naniniwala ako sa kanya. Dapat ako ang magsabi ng ganon dahil kapanalig ninyo sya. Kayo ang naniniwala sa kanya. Marami na akong post dito na sinasabing di ako naniniwalang nandaya si GMA. Gets mo na?
To vic:
“So far, we may have different views, opinions, and personal observations and different styles and capabilities of expresing ourselves, but I believe, we are not being infiltrated by any one, but if we are, let us hear their sides and their logics and maybe we can bring them to our side. Let’s convince them “brigade” to join our Crusade.”
How I wish all posters here are like you. Is there someone else who is not paranoid about an “infiltration”? Who can post a comment here that does not sound to be editorializing?
If all posts here have the same tenor as the post I quoted, then maybe you can convince this “brigade” (whoever they are, Im not a part of it) to join your “crusade.”
infiltration?i thought this is open to the public.anyway i am here to understand things myself but maybe others expect more from the others.i always read vic’s comments with interest and most often i just have to agree without further comment.
tsk! tsk! tsk! talaga naman, oo. akala ko ba napatay ang surot na’yan? immuned talaga kahit na pinakamabagsik na insecticide o pesticide. talagang parang rhinoceros ang kapal ng mukha at balat. sunugin na lang natin!!
to nelbar…i dnt quiet understand what u mean?..yes there are muslims in urumqui..but here with the tsinoys..all i knw is that we dont really make paki-alam of other people’s religion…but there are so many converts na tsinoys na here..many are christians, and belonging to other sect of christian denominations…catholics as well or born-again..most of the tsinoys(where i am a 2nd generation) born and raised in Pinoy neighborhood(were nt rich was born in Tondo, near Divisoria),here are u might say just go on with their lives..we dont meddle or put our fingers too much on issues..sadly it comes out like walang pakialam. but whenever there are impt issues of concern like kidnappings or mga pangongotong issues, we do band together easily and support one anther khit hindi namin kilala..it is always word of mouth and the name that is at stake…kaya patay ka kung alma nilang manunuba nag ninuno mo,you are sort of stero-type kahit lolo mo ang manunuba..ingat ang tao sa yo..but when it comes to religion, we dont give much care about other poeple’s religion…what we care is how they handle themselves with their fellowmen…like me, i am baptized catholic, i had been raised catholic, by tradition, i perform buddhist rites in respect of my ancestors, and after much contemplation,i prctiice my religion in my own way na wala akong sinasagasaan and i believe that respecting whatever religion is the best karma you can have…
i am also a catholic but seldom in church.moslem and christians are almost the same-children of abraham.on the other hand if gma is a buddhist- i am not sure what will she be in the next life- snake?ant?daga? take your choice.
Npongco:
I guess, history has been quite violent to some degree. Yet, the human race made it better, in my personal opinion, despite of barbarism by those that has no respect to others. Throughout the history of mankind, not only the muslims were abused, as we can imagine. Nevertheless, it’s then, and now we are looking at the future.
I kingly appreciate your response, just I’ve a different view of the world, as I see it. I’ve seen enough and read of the innocent people this past decades of being killed, matter not their faith of religion. Only because they’re belong to infidel which is my point. I would disagree with you of course of what you think of President Bush. President Bush is a decent and caring person, and doing his best to protect the lives of the Americans. President Bush a warlord? Ronald Reagan also a warlord, how about Bill Clinton, Lyndon Johnson and others President of the United States, would you considered them warlords due to decision they made in protecting the USA and its people?
In my opinion, Iraq is better off without Sadam Hussein. His records of killing of innocent people is enough justification without going into details. Sadam like I mentioned used gas to kill his own people, and he was a major threat to the very existence of the USA. It was well known fact that Saddam paid human bombers to kill infidel. Like I mentioned, the invasion of Iraq was the combined evidences of WMD possessed by Saddam in which been cited by the UN by resolution.
I would strongly disagree with you that the invasion of Iraq is about oil and to conquer the world. As history would suggest it wasn’t so. It’s about security of the people to leave in peace and democracy. For justification, I offer you Hitler and Communism, “tear down that wall Mr. Korvachev”, and now you know the rest. I can’t deny that the human race made many mistakes in the past, but we’re getting better only because we are determine to “right the wrong”, if I may borrow the line from Senator Ping Lacson.
Again, thanks for your views, as you see it.
Soleil.
Masyadong malalim ang mga tanong ni Nelbar gaya ng meron palang mga Moslems sa China lalo na doon sa area na malapit sa mga bansang Moslems na ending ang mga pangalan with -istan that is something like “heavenly plain”!
Kasi naman ang daming kabulastugan na propaganda noon laban kay Mao gaya nang malakas ang China dahil nagte-test ng bomba sa dessert na malapit sa Mongolia. Naabutan ko nga iyong pag-ulan sa Japan, Korea, etc. ng yellow rain na galing sa China.
But sabi ko nga sa iyo na-shock ako na backward na backward ang China when I visited it in 1988, ngayon na nga lang nag-improve because of the patronage of the US and Japan.
Iyan ang advantage in fact ng nakakapag-travel at hindi ka puedeng utuin lalo na kung mahilig kang mag-take notes ng mga nakikita mo na puedeng magaya o kung mahilig ka sa history na kagaya ko kaya gustung-gusto ko ng UK and Europe lalo na iyong na-preserve ang mga historical relics nila.
Kaya ako ayoko ng guerra kasi nawawasak ang mga dapat na na-preserve gaya noong mga nasira sa Iraq. Ngayon makikita mo na sila sa mga museum sa UK and US matapos na manakaw! Dapat isauli nila iyan pagkatapos ng guerra.
Ganyan din ang propaganda tungkol sa Ale Boba. Tignan mo natakot sa sariling multo niya! Last year, nagpresenta sa UNGA, pero ngayon alam niyang babanatan siya, kaya sa Hawaii daw pupunta para maglamyerda. Ano magtatampisaw siya sa Waikiki Beach na nakatapis? Mahiya naman siya!
what i like most in travelling is that it broaden ones horizon and often see ones own limitations.japan and china are both in my plans when i retire.
The U.S. succeeded to pacify the big landlords, the Roman Catholic Church, the upper class Filipinos and some rebels thru carrot and stick approach. The Americans offered (bribed) them with big tracks of land and government posts in return of loyalty to the new colonizers. The remnants of the General Emilio Aguilnado army fought the Americans ruthlessly in hit and run tactics in the countryside. Surprise attacks and ambushes may have demoralized the fighting spirit of the U.S. occupation forces. The Americans retaliated in kind with all the ruthlessness exercised in the Indian Wars. The 1901 Balangiga massacre and Mindanao and Jolo pacification campaign resulted to be costly and brutal.
Subjugating Iraq was turning out to be the worst Bush government’s nightmare. Newly formed government and U.S. trained security forces are impotent to stop suicide bombers. Guerilla urban warfare is being fought in Iraq. The battlefront is the heart of the capital city of Baghdad in which suffered heavy civilian casualties caught in the crossfire. The Al Qaeda wants instigate a civil war between the Sunnis and the Shiites to embarrass U.S. President George W. Bush and the new Iraqi government. The U.S. will be caught in a quagmire or no way-out in case of the outbreak of all-out bloody civil war between two religious sects. Iraqi suicide bombers mostly Sunni insurgents and Al Qaeda allies have inflicted heavy casualties to the U.S. forces and Iraqi security forces. U.S. President George W. Bush got a hard time to convince the American public and the U.S. Congress for the justification of the Iraq invasion. The intelligence community may have fed the Bush Administration false/raw information about weapons of mass destruction and President Saddam’s alleged Al Qaeda connection.
Last night, I watched part of ABC mini series drama The Path of 9/11. In the first part, Pakistani bomb expert Ramzi Yousef on board a Japan-bound Philippine Airlines exploded a bomb as a test mission. He assembled a bomb (liquid explosive and wrist watch timer) in the toilet. Project Bojinka was uncovered by Philippine National Police (PNP) in 1995 after arresting Abdul Hakim Murad in a Manila apartment. Based on the gathered information from Ramzi’s laptop computer, Ramzi Yousef and Al Qaeda operatives plotted to assassinate visiting Pope John Paul II and U.S. President Bill Clinton. The plot also revealed for the hijacking of U.S. commercial airliners, bombing them or crashing them into several targets in the U.S. Ramzi Yousef was arrested in Pakistan with the help of U.S. embassy officials and the Pentagon. He was convicted for the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. The ABC mini series drama The Path of 9/11 is worth of watching. No commercial breaks for the last 21/2 hours length. Some critics claimed its not accurate, distortion of history and pro Bush administration. Let the viewing audience decides.
Breaking News from Northern Territory News:
Baghdad editor killed
10:28 (ACST) A DESIGN editor of a state-run Iraqi newspaper had been shot and killed while on his way to work in Baghdad, the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
http://www.ntnews.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,20397361%255E1702,00.html
Baghdad editor killed
From correspondents in New York
12sep06
A DESIGN editor of a state-run Iraqi newspaper had been shot and killed while on his way to work in Baghdad, the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
The committee condemned the murder of Abdel Karim al-Rubai, 40, who was the design editor for Al-Sabah newspaper.
He was shot on Saturday by several gunmen.
“Al-Sabah and its staff have become repeated targets for insurgents. We urge the authorities to bring those responsible for this murder to justice,” the committee’s executive director, Joel Simon, said.
Al-Sabah reported two weeks ago that it had received a death threat via email against al-Rubai and his family signed by the military wing of the Mujahideen Council, an al-Qaeda affiliate in Iraq, the committee said.
The committee said that 78 journalists, including al-Rubai, and 28 media support workers have been killed in Iraq since the war began in March, 2003. Most of victims have been Iraqis.
© Northern Territory News
ystakei, hindi nakatapis kundi ………………………………………..NAKA……….PAMPERS
“It’s about security of the people to leave in peace and democracy.” -~Tony Cuevas
ONE SIDED ka yata Tony Cuevas!
Maging one sided na rin ako.
Kung nagawa ng Amerika sa Panama at Grenada?Bakit hindi nila kayang gawin sa Israel, India at Pakistan?
Ang Japan at South Korea at sinusulsulan ng Amerika para sa North Korea.
Salamat din sayo at kahit papaano ay nakapagbasa rin ako tungkol sa polisiya ng Amerika sa Kashmir:
NO CHANGE IN US POLICY ON KASHMIR: BUSH
Monday, 18 July , 2005, 21:43
Washington: US President George W Bush on Monday said there was no change in Washington’s policy that the sanctity of the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir should be maintained and that India and Pakistan should resolve the Kashmir problem mutually.
After wide-ranging discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the White House lasting more than an hour, Bush announced at a joint press conference that they had agreed to increase cooperation in civilian nuclear energy, space and high technology issues.
“There is no change (in US policy),” Bush said when an Indian journalist sought to know whether the US President would reaffirm his earlier stated policy that the sanctity of the LoC should be maintained.
“It (Kashmir) is a problem which will be solved by India and Pakistan. Our role is to encourage the two leaders (Singh and President Pervez Musharraf) to come to an agreement,” Bush said adding he was “pleased with the progress” made by them.
From sify.com
Sa palagay ko, gagamitin ng US/Israel ang kanilang lahat na makakaya para impluwensyahan ang mga malalakas na bansa upang maisulong ang “,China Containment Policy”.
It’s a dangerous world we lived in! I was watching some of the footage of the 9/11 when the two commercial airlines flew directly to the twin towers in Manhattan, New York. Then, I saw people jumping off the buildings to a sure death. An option, either burn in the building or crush to death, such a choice to die. If only we can put a human faces on those people, perhaps we can understand the important of winning a war against the fascist terrorists. This is not about a debate or a one sided argument, this is about understanding the real stake, survival of the way of life. It’s foolish even to imagine sitting at the table with the terrorists to negotiate, since there are countryless, at least the majority of them. And killing the infidel is the only thing they will respect, matter not who the victim. 9/11 is the testimony to the fact. Battlefield has already been decided, and it’s my hope the good will prevail over evil.
Something to contemplate, Iran and North Korea possessing nuke? If I may add, why the heavy security at all airports? Again, we are living in a dangerous world and we can thanks those are willing to put their lives in harms way so most of us can enjoy freedom and our way of life.
..we should have placed pandak bruha at the foot of the falling twin towers para magkaroon sya ng takot!..takot na kahit sandamukal na kayamanan pa ang hakutin nya ay hindi na sya mabubuo kapag natabunan sya ng 110 storey na bakal…i dont mean any offense to those who lost their precious loved ones and friends, but this should wake up people to see how vulnerable our lives are..its jst like a thin line that could snap anytime in a matter of seconds..we have no hold on to it nor do we have the power to reverse what would be(unless u have a time machine like in the movies!)…kaya sa mga nandito para mang-asar lang, sana tumkahimik nalang kayo at pabayaan nyo ang mga taong mabigat ang damdamin dahil sa katotohanang mismo ay nakikita nila at nakakasalamuha…even of a majority of us here might blessed than others, we feel in our blood, we see in our eyes, we hear, feel, smell with our soul of what is really hapening…kung nakikita nyo ay magandang patalastas at anunsyo, bahala na kayong pumalakpak kung sangayon kayo..pero sa nakararami sa aming durog ang damdamin sa mga dinaranas ng bansa, pabayaan nyo na kaming ilabas ang tanging alam namin na paraan na hindi makakasakit or makakabuwis ng buhay ng iba, para lamang sa ika-aangat ng isa na puro pansarili lang!
nakakatuwa ngang isipin ang mga tao ay pare-pareho halos ang kilos, pati salita..iba-iba lang ang kulay, pananamit, at lugar..when u pan a reporter doing his thing with people on the background waving and shoving ea other trying to look at themselves in the camera, iba-iba lang ang makikita mong mukha at damit pero iisa ang aksyon – ang ngumiti at kumaway – frm the earthquake ridden place of afghanistan to the tsunami torn Thailand and SriLanka, frm the studio outside CBS/NBC or ABC to the people watching wowwowee or even passers-by in EDSA…ang ordinaryong Juan dela Cruz or Tom, John and Jane…iisa lang ang talagang dapat gawin – ang ngumiti at kumaway – smile and wave. SMILE bec one should always be happy and Wave – bec its jst like saying “hi world, whoever is there, i say hello to you, we are ONE HUMAN RACE!”….hindi ang magpapakita ka ng pagmamalaki na kailangan mong manumbat dahil napahiya ka(sa pagaakala mo ay pag-aari mo ang isang tao na hawak mo sa leeg, na kahit pagpunta sa kubeta ay magpapaalam ka pa)o ang pagmamalaki mo na puro AKO, AKO, KAMI, KAMI…kasabay having a fist the seems wanting to grab everything in its path!..this is what we dont want oour youth to see while they are grwing up…this is what we dont want to set as an example to our kids…what we need to show them..is the smile and wave that should be what the Philippines is known for…a country of smiles and not a country of tyrants!!!
GMA so far is the best choice as President. Not only because she is smart, educated and God fearing but also she is presentable.
Alin? Sino? Si moral bansot, presentable? Excuse me while I throw up!
Siguro naman Anna mas maganda at presentable sa yo si GMA di hamak kahit 50 plus na ano.
Turkey on Iraq
The Washington Times
By Tulin Daloglu
September 12, 2006
ANKARA, Turkey. — Thousands gathered to protest in front of the Turkish parliament in Ankara last week, while Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan urged his party to send troops to Lebanon as part of the U.N. peace-keeping force. In the end, all of the members of the majority Justice and Development Party voted to approve the measure. The opposition solidly opposed it, as did more than 80 percent of the Turkish people.
Three years ago, when the United States asked Turkey to open a northern front for American troops to enter Iraq, Mr. Erdogan cared about public opinion. Now, less than a month before he is scheduled to meet with President Bush, he said for the first time that that decision was wrong. “I wish we had agreed to have troops in Iraq,” Mr. Erdogan said. “We’d have an entirely different picture than what is the case today.” He meant that Turkey would not have had such trouble with the PKK, the Kurdish separatist terrorists. “It was clear what part of Iraq would be given to our control,” he said. “Where? Northern Iraq. But we agreed not to send troops there.”
The parliament did, indeed, agree to send troops to northern Iraq. That made the U.S. nervous about Turkey’s plans to cross the border to pursue PKK terrorists, and prompted it to promise Turkey compensation for monetary losses due to the war. Turkey refused the money. Iraqi Kurds, who were key U.S. allies, objected to Turkish troops entering northern Iraq, so the U.S. wanted Turkish troops to go to the Sunni triangle. The Arab League opposed Turkish troops on Ottoman land no matter what. Turks worried that if they allowed the U.S. to invade Iraq via Turkey, the country could become a battleground if the U.S. decided to take on Syria and Iran.
Today, however, it’s about politics and re-election. Mr. Erdogan is strategically distancing himself from the Iraq decision and getting involved in Lebanon as a way to gain U.S. support to fight the PKK. The Turkish daily Hurriyet reports that during the last seven months, Turkey lost 91 servicemen and 472 civilians to PKK terrorism. Since June 2003, more than 2,000 Turks have died in PKK attacks.
Recently, a parent who lost a child in an attack told Mr. Erdogan, “We no longer want to lose our sons to PKK terrorism.” Mr. Erdogan answered that “Military service is not a place to unwind and relax.” His comment was met with outrage. Nermin Hanim, a woman I spoke with in Ankara last Tuesday, was one of the angry citizens protesting against the prime minister. “We have lost enough,” she said. “But [Mr. Erdogan] is trying our nerves with such insensitive comments that no leader with common sense should say. It is as if he is provoking us to say [to the Kurdish nationalists] ‘Take your land and leave us alone.’ But even Nermin Hanim knows those lands have never been gained or lost without bloodshed.
“Cool?headed and reflective citizens believe Turkey cannot secure peace by doing nothing while children and the old are being killed in Lebanon,” Mr. Erdogan has said. “We should be on the playing field to help maintain peace.” He admitted that “[w]e, as the government, failed to inform the public in detail.”
That statement is key, and should launch a debate over how the parliament is handling strategic planning for Turkey’s future. “It is good for our interests to contribute to the peace and stability in the region,” Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul has said. But if Mr. Erdogan says the 2003 decision did not help Turkey’s national security, why is this decision right?
September 11 forced nations to reposition their foreign and military policies. But Turkish politicians failed to think strategically about Turkey’s future, choosing politics as usual to win re-election. Leaders must explain the decisions they make in the name of national security. Unfortunately, there is neither such a leader nor an electorate demanding that long-term vision. Both ruling and opposition parties have an obligation to explain why they failed to understand that they could not keep America from invading. They need to explain how they would have protected Turkey from PKK terrorists and rising Kurdish nationalism while standing up to the U.S.
If the U.S. rewards Turkey for sending troops to Lebanon by taking action against the PKK, can the Turkish government explain why Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will equate the 2003 scenario with Lebanon today? If the U.S. captures and extradites key PKK leaders to Ankara close to the election, whom will the Turks credit? Will that ensure a second term for Mr. Erdogan? Will Turkey, which is distancing itself from the West and aligning with Iran and the Muslim Middle East, be able to stay true to its founding principles in the future?
It is time to talk about Turkey’s future rather than confessing on failed policies.
Tulin Daloglu is a free-lance writer.
© 2006 The Washington Times, LLC
IRANIAN LEADER SAYS IRAQ SAFER WITH U.S. TROOPS
13 September 2006 — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei today told Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki that one way of helping to restore stability in Iraq would be for the U.S.-led military coalition to pull out of the country.
“Once foreign forces leave Iraq, many of its problems will be solved,” Khamenei said to al-Maliki, who is on a two-day visit to Iran.
Al-Maliki on September 12 met with Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, who pledged to help Iraq remain “united and independent.”
In echoing remarks, Khamenei said he hoped the day would come “when the Iraqi nation reaches the status it deserves.”
U.S. officials have accused Iran of fostering chaos among Iraq’s Shi’ite majority.
Tehran has rejected the charge. It has in turn said the U.S. military presence in Iraq is fueling instability in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has arrived in Senegal, the first leg of a world tour that will also take him to Cuba, Venezuela, and New York.
The Iranian leader is expected to spend only a few hours in Dakar for talks with his Senegalese counterpart, Abdoulaye Wade.
He will leave Dakar on September 14 and fly to Cuba, where he is due to attend a summit of Nonaligned Movement leaders. He will then go to Venezuela.
Ahmadinejad also is scheduled to address the 61st General Assembly of the United Nations on September 19.
(Fars, IRNA, IRIB, PANA)
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty © 2006 RFE/RL, Inc.
title should read ….
IRANIAN LEADER SAYS IRAQ SAFER “WITHOUT” U.S. TROOPS
si glue? god fearing? nakupo!! kung lahat ng banal sa lupa katulad ni buruka impiyerno na ang mundo! please naman, wala namang ganyanan. marami ang hindi totoong banal pero hindi sa pagsisinungaling nabubuhay. ang pagiging respetable, hindi nakukuha sa dami ng binabayaran. tama na pagtatanggol sa pekeng presidenteng nuno ng kawatan!!!!! halata namang siya itong nagpapauto sa mga bulok na alipores ng mga-asawang maligno, ayaw pang aminin!! hayaan na lang nating kusang magising!!!!
“Siguro naman Anna mas maganda at presentable sa yo si GMA di hamak kahit 50 plus na ano.”
Hahhahahahh!
anna,
pagbigyan mo na. ganyan lang talaga ang binubulag ng sobrang paghanga (o katangahan?. di nga ba kapag nagmahal nang todo, nagiging mas masahol pa sa nauulol na aso?