U.S. Had Trained Troops to Defend Spratlys [View All]

[Judi Lynn]

April 4, 2004

IN BRIEF / THE PHILIPPINES
U.S. Had Trained Troops to Defend Spratlys



From Times Wire Reports


President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said the U.S. military was training Philippine soldiers to defend the Spratly Islands against China until she asked them to shift to fighting the Abu Sayyaf Muslim extremist group.

It was the first time a Philippine leader has acknowledged that China was a target of U.S.-Philippine military exercises. Officials have stressed in the past that such exercises were "not directed at any particular country, adversary or notional enemy."
(snip/...)

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-briefs4.1apr04,1,56578.story?coll=la-headlines-world
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(This was a tiny article. Only one very small paragraph not included here.)