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| Southeast Asia |
| Philippines bracing for reduced or delayed US aid after Iraq row |
| 2004-08-11 |
| Tue Aug 10, 1:07 AM ET MANILA (AFP) - Philippine officials expect a reduction or suspension of development aid from the United States after Manila's early military pullout from Iraq last month, a senior Filipino diplomat has said. The foreign department warned President Gloria Arroyo to expect a backlash after she decided to bring home the small contingent to save kidnapped truck driver Angelo de la Cruz, said the official, who asked not to be named. Washington had criticized the decision as akin to caving in to terrorists. The foreign department is convinced that Washington would reduce or suspend development aid to Manila, the diplomat told reporters. A veritable BGO (Blinding Glimpse of the Obvious) "But this reprisal will not be drastic. We will feel the effect little by little." US ambassador to Manila Francis Ricciardone told reporters after meeting with Filipino Foreign Secretary Delia Albert on Monday that the "very serious disagreement" between the two allies over the military pullout had had "an impact on our interests and also of the Philippines as well as our allies and the Iraqis." However, he said both the United States and the Philippines were "going to work as hard as we can on all of the things that are important to both of our countries." The US Agency for International Development has provided more than four billion dollars in assistance to Manila, its former colony, over the past 30 years. The Philippines is also the world's fourth largest recipient of US foreign military financing, obtaining 114.46 million dollars last year, according to the US embassy here. Something tells me there might some six million less headed their way next time. In Washington, the State Department said Monday it was not reviewing the Philippines' status as a "major non-NATO ally" despite the Iraq pullout. Washington conferred the status on the Philippines in October last year to foster cooperation on military research and development and give the Philippines greater access to American defense equipment and supplies. |
| Posted by:Zenster |
| #5 There are no "legitimate" borders. Everything is artificial except the people who share some sort of identity. IMHO, the core source of the intractable problems of humanity is this "need" for identity. Yellow Knife will soon be free! |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-08-11 15:08 |
| #4 Eh, the Spanish invaded the Moslem regions not because they wanted more territory, but because they wanted to stop THE biggest problem afflicting the colony, Muslim piracy and slave-raiding. The bulk of the colonial budget went into defensive measures vs the "Moros" as they were called. Nothing has changed, really. Most of the Philippine armed forces these days is devoted to fighting or checkmating Muslim rebels. |
| Posted by: buwaya 2004-08-11 12:37 |
| #3 And you can add the entire Middle East - same Euro game. Borders diddled about by Brits and French over tea or cocktails on napkins. There are no "legitimate" borders. Everything is artificial except the people who share some sort of identity. IMHO, the core source of the intractable problems of humanity is this "need" for identity. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-08-11 09:10 |
| #2 It was also Spanish administration that pulled all the islands into an easy to conceptualize single entity to be called the Philippines. The southern Muslim islanders where therefore incorporated into a single governorship by the same European whim upon which the borders of modern African nations were drawn. Of course that's never been the source of modern problems either. No, never, nada. |
| Posted by: Don 2004-08-11 08:45 |
| #1 "... its former colony" Actually you AFP francophone ass clowns it was Spain's former colony It is a former US protectorate. Having been freed like Cuba and, Perto Rico after Wiliams Randolph Hurst started a war single handedly. Some much to the "Media" and why we should trust them never. Maybe Spain another country of cowards will pick up the slack, infact I insist they do. They are the ones who looted the Philippines and left it a world class shit hole in the first place. |
| Posted by: FlameBait93268 2004-08-11 03:14 |