War in the Philippines

[xoxoxoBruce]

Michael Yon is now in Ghor Province, Afghanistan, with the Lithuanian soldiers but has just come from the war in the Philippines.

At the invitation of the Philippine government, the U.S. maintains about 600 troops, including Army Green Berets, Civil Affairs, and Military Information Support teams, Navy SEALS and Seabees, along with Air Force personnel and Marines. Our military forces are deployed in six locations: Zamboanga, Mindanao, Jolo, Basilan, Tawi Tawi, and a small number of liaison staff on Luzon. Their mission is to help the Armed Forces of the Philippines eliminate terrorist groups like Jemaah Islamiyah and the Abu Sayyaf Group and to prevent them from establishing safe havens from which to train other terrorists, both internal and external.

~snip~

These cultural, historical and political dynamics have proven to be a breeding ground for insurgency, lawlessness and terrorism. In terms of the insurgent and terrorist groups operating in Mindanao, it can be instructive to think of the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) as analogous to the Philippine Taliban, and JI/ASG (Jemaah Islamiyah/Abu Sayyaf Group) as the Southeast Asian al Qaeda. Though the MILF is more culturally advanced than the Taliban, JI/ASG are typical AQ-type scavengers. Many of the Taliban are more like cavemen with RPGs, while the MILF are more like Filipino Muslims with gripes, grudges and claims. AQ is always AQ. All of these groups want some form of independent Islamic state. The U.S. military is in the southern Philippines to help the AFP (Armed Forces Philippines) defeat JI and ASG, but they are also concerned about lawless or “rogue” elements of the MILF who collaborate and provide safe haven to JI and ASG.

Much more and many pictures

This one looks like it will last scores if not hundreds of years, because it won't be won (or lost) with bullets. It will be won with justice and prosperity.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

That is, Shrinking the Gap, a/k/a the Non-Integrating Gap.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Second part with lots of pictures.

Guerrilla Benjie Lucsadato, commander of the '102nd Base Command,' and his wife. I asked how many wives he had and she burst out laughing. They chattered for a few sentences and Lucsadato said he only has one wife, and she confirmed, like it was the dumbest question on the planet that only a child would ask. Commander Lucsadato answered all my questions, saying he had been fighting in the jungles since 1976, and he couldn’t afford to have two wives while he was fighting. Commander Lucsadato said he has seven children and four are going to school. He hated the AFP (Armed Forces Philippines) before because they treated people badly and were unprofessional. He said they were arrogant. He said that the new AFP is professional, friendly to the people and bring projects. For instance, in this village, they are helping with fishponds. Commander Lucsadato said that the AFP treated his relatives well, and this began to persuade him to surrender, and so he came from the jungle with 34 fighters on 20 April 2009. I asked the Commander if he was in contact with other guerrilla commanders, and if they would also surrender. The Commander said he was in contact, some would not quit fighting, but others are waiting to see how his village is treated. If the AFP treats them well, others are ready to surrender, he said. I asked Commander Lucsadato what he thinks of the United States, and he asked me to send warm sentiments back to America. His translated words: 'send appreciation to U.S. forces and AFP for support and this is same sentiment of other fighters.'

[Ibby]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

...really, guys?

[spudcon]

The Philippines had guerilla fighters at least since the 60s when I was there. It has been a poor country for half a century, with lots of corruption. Ripe for hate groups like the communist Huks or Jihadist Muslims.

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by Ibram

...really, guys?

Yep.

Would you prefer to be taken hostage by MILF or FARC?

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Zen, what Ibram's hinting is Googling "MILF" should not be undertaken on a work computer unless you're the sole employee. It's the kind of NSFW thing you do at your home computer in your tatty underwear.

[Clodfobble]

He knows, UG. Googling "FARC" probably ain't the safest thing in the world, either.

[ZenGum]

UG, we really need to calibrate our irony meters.

3, 2, 1, now!

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Beeeep.

"That," as Butch Cassidy said before the mailcar went sky-high, "oughtta do it."