Hostage crisis challenges Philippines ties (to US)

[UpInArms]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apasia_story.asp?category=1104&slug=Philippines%20Tightrope

MANILA, Philippines -- Two weeks ago, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was one of Washington's best friends. Angelo dela Cruz was toiling in anonymity 5,000 miles away, starting a dangerous drive into Iraq with a truckload of fuel.

Then, with a rattle of gunfire, Iraqi insurgents hijacked both their lives, setting off a chain of events that has left Arroyo isolated and criticized by her closest allies even as dela Cruz, a poor father of eight, has emerged as an unlikely national icon.

Behind the scenes, it is a tale of negotiations that led to a policy flip-flop that could hurt the rest of the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq and is likely to haunt the Philippines long after dela Cruz fades back into obscurity.

Washington says ties with Manila won't be affected, but the question now being asked is whether it will remain willing to continue counterterrorism training and equipment to help modernize the poor Philippine military.

The episode has also highlighted once again the concept of "people power," a term that originated in the Philippines to define the power of public protest to overthrow governments. This time, protests were small but reinforced the wave of public opinion that pressured Arroyo, raising the question of whether the Philippines own terrorists will be emboldened, and other Filipino workers abroad be put in jeopardy.

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[cliss]

1. Interesting.

This has been so interesting to follow. I read yesterday on Yahoo that "the Coalition was enraged by The Philippines decision to withdraw its troops". The screeching was loud about "giving in to the terrorists", and caving to their demands.

The Philippines only had a total of 51 peacekeepers, so the loss in terms of manpower will be minimal. But the symbolic effect is enormous. The obvious lack of confidence in the US is seen as devastating.

But leaders in particular of smaller nations, are seen as more vulnerable. The terrorists rightly selected them because they knew they would be more affected by beheadings, rather than larger countries.

Of course, Blair is facing an uphill battle at this point. He's going to be up for re-election. If he loses and the new leader decides to pull British troops, the US will be virtually alone in Iraq. Still spending $4.9 billion per month.

But didn't Bush say something to that effect a while back, "we'll go it alone if we have to."