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2003-12-18 Southeast Asia

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Posted by Dan Darling 2003-12-18 12:44:18 AM|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 'scuse me, but there's something surreal about a supposedly sovereign government conducting long-running "formal peace talks" with armed ~~thugs and goons~~ insurrectionists What's to negotiate? You either fight, or surrender. Or is it just me?

Posted by Glenn (not Reynolds) 2003-12-18 2:10:37 AM|| 2003-12-18 2:10:37 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 They have been fighting there for so many years (since @1975 seriously) that everyone is pretty much institutionally exhausted. Add to that the fact the Philippine government is chronically broke, the Army is underpaid, undertrained, badly equipped and not entirely reliable, that the Muslims, or some of them, do have some valid grievances, and that Manila basically just doesn't really care because those parts of Mindanao are the back of beyond. Its not as if they matter much to the national economy.

Posted by Anonymous 2003-12-18 3:01:41 AM|| 2003-12-18 3:01:41 AM|| Front Page Top

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