War in the Philippines, the Mindanao that once was

Mong Palatino is crying in Mindanao. War is raging in the island of Basilan, located in the southernmost part of the Philippines. An all-out war was recently declared by the government against the Abu Sayyaf bandit group accused of beheading 14 Marines last month. The military offensives have displaced thousands of families and imperiled the peace negotiations between the government and other Muslim rebel forces.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo instructing soldiers not to expose the innocent civilians to danger. RG Cruz Blogs muses on “terrorism journalism”. President Arroyo understands the nature of the beast.

“Beneath the surface of poverty, the island is teeming with richness in culture and heritage. I find it difficult to watch soldiers on TV romping around the place. How can Basilan even reclaim its untainted name? How can it spring back from the images of war attached to it, when its people’s attempts to slowly regain peace is thwarted? What bothers me the most is how major TV networks are insidiously turning all these events into a circus”. Maybe this guy does but we in America do not see it as a circus.

Ka-Blog! (who is the authority?) provides a simple description of the armed groups operating in Basilan:

“There are four armed groups in that area now. One is an armed bandit group which was put up by veterans of the Afghanistan War of Liberation and was originally trained and equipped by the US Armed Forces (Abu Sayyaf). (THIs is outright lying}, Another is a revolutionary force fighting for their ancestral domains (MILF and MNLF). (Trying to secede from the Philippines). Still another is a national armed force which is being equipped, trained and directed by a foreign armed force (Government troops). The last is of course the foreign armed force which has no business being in the middle of all these but is there nonetheless (US troops)”. (Invited by the Philippines to quell the unrest) a mere ally of the Philippines.

The Patsada Karajaw Nation on the possible relationship between the war in Basilan and US military aid:
“A war with the said terror groups ensures the continuous pouring of military aid from the United States. Not only that, our government seems to have offered a promo to the Americans. In exchange for much needed military aid, the government extended additional perks to the Americans by providing them “temporary” structures in Mindanao which allow some of its personnel to stay in the country in between joint military exercises. This violates the Constitutional provision against the establishment of foreign military bases here. This sell out however is part of the survival mode of the fake President.” This blogger is full of crap.

In and out of season condemns the ambush of 14 Marines. Underside ponders on the perceived weaknesses of the military:

“First of all, the burning question that everyone wants to be answered is this: How in the world were the Marines ambushed, given that the government forces were supposed to be greater in number and better equipped? Answer: The following boo-boos were committed by the AFP itself: (1) The ammunition provided to the soldiers were defective and (2) the government troops were not able to receive assistance from air pilots because of bad radio frequency”.
Uniffors is happy over the extra pay for soldiers but recommends “better leadership, up to date equipment, and ammunition that actually works so that those soldiers can live long enough to enjoy their extra pay”

A senator through the blog Magdalo para sa Pagbabago has an allegation:
“I have received very serious insider information that ranking officials of the government, specifically of the executive department, had a direct hand in feeding our own military to the enemies of the State that led to the tragic death of the 14 members of the Philippine Marine Corps.”

Lovingarkin’s blog supports the all-out war and explains why. Caught you on camera gives a “snappy salute” to all Marines who died in Basilan. Bottled mourns the death of a young hero. My cover story is a college friend of a young Marine who died in Basilan. Cakes and ale is a friend of another fallen Marine. “As a mother I cried in pain…this shouldn't’t happen if only our government peace negotiating panel meant a serious dialogue to seek peace. This bloodbath is absurd! Violence seeking and correcting violence?! The panel should take a back seat and try to look for others who can truly understand the inner dilemma and give us a good answer to these horrible acts that keep on making their trails.”

Ellen Tordesillas, describing the Arroyo government as ‘regime of insecurity’ speculates on the possible objectives of the renewed offensives in Basilan:I am amazed that this blogger blames the government of Arroyo for the 14 deaths and beheading of ten marines.

Astonishing that they have the same blowhards in the Philippines we have in our own congress. Reminds me of the United States democrats, calling this war against Islamo fascists...Bush's War. Liberalism is rampant in Mindanao.

Some people are in denial. The facts speak for themselves. Its the same style everywhere, from Iraq, to Iran, Syria to Lebenon, from Palestine to Russia and then to India turn and go to the Philippines and to the USA and the very latest to Thailand.

Mong Palatino, you don't get it, This is about Islam. The marines were looking for the kidnapped Italian priest Giancarlo Bossi and were returning back to their base in the rain when MILF gun men ambushed and killed them, a fact they proclaimed and admitted on their website.

You hate the Philippines and the United States and are a militant muslim sympathiser, you are on the side that is destined to loose.

Forget the Mindanao you once knew, just like I try to forget the World Trade Center I once knew.

1700 Filipinos dead at the hands of Islamists

Since January 2000, radical armed Islamist groups in the Philippines have carried out over 40 major bombings against civilians and civilian property. Attacks on Mindanao, Basilan, Jolo, and other southern islands have killed nearly 400 civilians and injured well over a thousand more. Bombs have been set off in urban centers, markets and stores, airports, on ferry boats and wharfs, and on rural roads and highways. They have killed Philippine civilians indiscriminately — Christians and Muslims, men and women, parents and children — and left behind orphans, widows, and widowers. Hundreds of other victims have suffered severe wounds, burns, and lost limbs.
In total, bombings and other attacks against civilians in the Philippines have caused over 1,700 casualties in the last seven years, more than the number of people killed and injured in bombing attacks during the same period in neighboring Indonesia (including the 2002 Bali bombings), and considerably more than the number of those killed and injured in bombings in Morocco, Spain, Turkey, or Britain
Astonishing, “Lives Destroyed: Attacks on Civilians in the Philippines,” contains personal accounts and photographs of bombing sites and of victims of attacks and their relatives. . The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and the Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM), based in the southern Philippines, are implicated in or have claimed responsibility for many of the attacks.
“Extremist armed groups have spread terror among civilians in the Philippines,” said John Sifton, senior researcher on terrorism and counterterrorism at Human Rights Watch. “They have bombed buses carrying workers, food markets where people were shopping, airports where relatives were waiting for loved ones, and ferry boats carrying families.”
Human Rights Watch faulted the Philippines government for not prosecuting those responsible for attacks. Although numerous suspects in bombing attacks have been arrested since 2000, Human Rights Watch said that very few have been successfully brought to trial, and prosecutions in some cases have been delayed for more than four years.
Human Rights Watch has criticized the recent passage of a new counterterrorism law, “The Human Security Act,” (http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/07/16/philip16404.htm) which contains dangerous overbroad provisions that violate human rights standards and broaden the scope of government power to hold terrorism suspects indefinitely. Human Rights Watch said that existing criminal statutes were more than sufficient to prosecute acts of terrorism.
“The Philippines doesn’t need a new abusive counterterrorism law,” said Sifton. “The government isn’t using the laws it already has, so why does it need new provisions that violate human rights?” Wrong, after the deaths of 1700 filipinos, how many more does Sifton needs to see dead before the philippines enacts their version of the "patriot Act"
The Human Rights Watch report provides compelling new information about many of the attacks that have occurred in recent years. For instance, it contains interviews with survivors of the February 27, 2004 bombing of the Superferry 14, a ferry traveling from Manila to Mindanao. The bomb, which detonated just outside of Manila harbor, killed at least 116 people. The dead included 15 children, six of whom were under five years old. At least 12 families lost multiple members, and at least 10 married couples died together. Six of the children killed in the blast were students on a championship team sent by schools in northern Mindanao to compete in a journalism contest in Manila.
The report also details the February 14, 2005 “Valentine’s Day” bombings of Manila and two cities in Mindanao. Human Rights Watch interviewed Mark Gil Bigbig, a 31-year-old student, who was eating at a fast-food restaurant in General Santos City when a bomb went off outside: “We were surprised . . . people were shouting, ‘It’s a bomb!’ I looked down, and already I could see my blood splashing below me, and I dropped to the ground.” Bigbig suffered major trauma to his legs from shrapnel and broken glass, and today, more than two years after the attack, cannot walk without braces and crutches.
The report explains how survivors with minimal physical injuries have suffered. For instance, Aurelia Espera, a victim of a 2003 attack, tearfully told Human Rights Watch about seeing the bodies of her two children, one of them decapitated, and her mother-in-law: “I can never forget, I saw my children lying there in the street.”
I am astonished that 1700 filipino citizens were killed at the hands of Islamists. Mind boggling that Arroyo did not use all of her military after the beheading of 10 filipino marines.
These bastons of the 7th century occupy a piece of turf and then decide to seceede from the country. The same thing happened in the mid 1800’s in the USA. In 1861 to 1865, Abraham Lincoln did what was necessary. He preserved the union of the United States.
Appeasing Islamists does not work, Force does.

Luis Calderon Deserves a Purple heart

LUIS CALDERON

Specialist Luis Calderon, 22, from the 4th Infantry Division, was wounded in May 2003 in Tikrit. He was in the process of tearing down a cement wall bearing a painted image of Saddam Hussein when a second wall above him collapsed. His neck was broken and he has been paralyzed from the neck down since then.

His entire family moved from Puerto Rico to Florida in order to care for him. He has not been awarded a Purple Heart -- given to soldiers who are killed or wounded while fighting -- because he was not injured in battle.

"From my neckline down, I cannot feel anything," he says. "I didn't get a Purple Heart. I feel like I deserve one. It would make me more confident that I really did something."

I am astonished that this Hero, Mr Calderon was there in Iraq and was there on a military work detail. He gets permanently wounded and because he did not get it in a firefight he is denied a purple heart. He should not only receive a purple heart but a medal for putting his life on the line even if it was on a work detail. Iraq is no country club.

Speeditup, will kill your Windows XP Professional

Speeditup, a free program is so fast you cannot stop it quick enough for salvation.

Speeditup is great for killing your Windows XP Professional, that came with my Dell lattitude. DELL, DID NOT FURNISH A CD RESTORER FOR A CORRUPT FILE SO I WAS OUT OF LUCK.

I could not use Window's restore, nor repair, nor use ANY REGISTRY REPAIR programs to restore the Windows XP Pro operating system. The best price for a new Windows XP Professional is $149.00.

Do not go near this program unless you can afford a new operating system.

Mike Medved, Why Not Bomb Mecca?

I cut right to the chase, you keep killing ENOUGH MUSLIMS until they stop COMING. When enough of them are dead they will stop. Ladies and gentlemen they will stop. Its human nature. Ask Hirohito.

Be killed or reform to a tolerable CULT is the message we need to send muslims. Islam is not a religion. Medved says that ISLAM IS A RESPECTED RELIGION, however I beg to differ. ITS NOT ENOUGH TO SAY THAT ISLAM IS A RESPECTED RELIGION...ITS NOT. WHAT Mike Medved has to SAY ON THE RADIO IS NOT WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING IN THE STREETS, Most people that HAVE THE ABILITY TO discern, agree with Tom Tancredo.

MIKE MEDVED IS A CHAMBERLAIN APPEASER. HE CALLS ANY WHO AGREES WITH TANCREDO A NUT. ACTUALLY THE NUT IS MICHAEL MEDVED.

THESE ANIMALS THEY DANCED IN THE STREET DURING THE WORLD TRADE CENTER DISASTER DOES NOT CONVINCE Mike Medved. The Koran tells them to Kill us, but Mike Medved says if we take out holy sites we will get them REALLY mad at us. Mike Medved forgets, all the holy sites the muslims have taken from us, and that includes Jerusalem.

The muslims train there young to kill from birth to death. Muslims kill kill kill and kill people. They Hate Jews Christians, Hindus Muslims and the list is endless. So Mr Medved, we should tolerate muslims carving out parts of countries for themselves. That's the style in every country.

I know a girl in the Philippines from a middle class family in Mindanao. She was "well to do" growing up, until her father refused to convert and was beheaded for being a Catholic. In the Philippines a good job is hard to come by so her family of six became poverty stricken because there are not to many men willing to marry a woman with 5 children. The authorities knew who did the beheading but had no proof, so they said to the family. However, Arroyo since signed an agreement that allows the muslims autonomy in the south. Soon they will want to secede and declare an Islamic state. Oh lets not forget July 15, 2007 when 15 Philippines marines were killed in a shootout with the muslims, and ten marines were beheaded. Arroyo did nothing, she LIKE MICHAEL MEDVED does not want to get the muslims mad. If Arroyo had sent in the entire military might into Mindanao and reduced the muslim from 4.5 million to 2 million maybe the beheading would stop.

WE HAVE LOST OVER 10,000 AMERICANS AT THE HANDS OF THESE BASTARDS. I HAVE NO REMORSE NOR DO I CARE ABOUT A CULT THAT REVERES FANTASIES OF A PEDOPHILE SAILING IN THE CLOUDS ON A GOLDEN CHARIOT. The absurdities of 72 virgins, mansions, muslim paradise and prophets that there is no possible way could be connected to God almighty is impossible to accept and worse to try to comprehend. We should not continue to perpetuate the ridiculous assertions on the part of muslims who are co dependent and we, are the enablers in society.

Michael Medved, I disagree with you because Islam suffers from delusions of grandeur, hearing voices, and anti social behaviour, and this my man is the hallmarks of a mentally ill society. Training children the next generations of idiots is a continuum of this cults absurdity and the analysis by people like Michael Medved's proclamation that Islam is a RESPECTED WORLD RELIGION.

In closing, Yes Michael maybe start with the holy sites. They get mad so be it, they still don't understand. We have to kill a few thousands, maybe a million, maybe 5 million or if it takes killing a billion...whatever it takes maybe its genocide, but IT WILL eventually drive the point home. I am fed up with muslims and there f-----g anger. Michael Medved, kill enough of them until they stop coming, no matter what it takes.

I loved his last caller on August 8th first hour who made Michael Medved stutter and sputter he was rendered speechless for a moment. If Michael Medved says its genocide well I see it different. I say its survival of the fittest.

AFTER THE SECOND BOMB THE JAPANESE MILITARIST PLEDGED TO CONTINUE THE FIGHT TO THE DEATH. Hirohito exclaimed, NO! that we have to end the conflict NOW... because the Japanese culture WOULD CEASE TO EXIST AS WE KNOW IT.

Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo, boasted 81 percent in a poll up north, floundering...no way Michael Medved. Tancredo always says no option is off the table. Michael Medved says "Tancredo has returned to his unhinged and wildly irresponsible discussion of punitive bombing of Muslim holy sites in Saudi Arabia." Mike is wrong.

I am for Tancredo in 2008. Read his book, IN MORTAL DANGER, the least thing that Tom Tancredo has is any of Michael Medved's analogy of this candidate's maturity.

Did you hear the applause on Tom Tancredo! it was better then warm. Mike Medved should have heard it in my house. I bet that it was the same applause in everybody else' house on this God's green earth.

We need to focus on the Bridges to Somewhere

Congress! forget the bridge to nowhere

Can you imagine what we take for granted, a drive on an interstate at 70 miles an hour and the road disappears in front of you.
The Bridge in Minneapolis, was loaded with rush hour stop and go traffic when the span dropped into the Mississippi River. The idea of twists of steel and cement falling on top of your car as you plunge into the water is a horror to me. How can we allow this to happen.
We cannot affect repairs on our thousands of infra structure, nationwide, because of wasted government spending. Its because of our absurd entitlement programs to so called needy. Lets not close our eyes to handouts to 30,000,000 illegal aliens.
The catastrophe in Minneapolis, is on the eve of the House of Representatives who passed a bill to subsidize the children of the poor and needy families.
$82,000 to $100,000 DOLLARS HAS JUST BEEN DECLARED THE POVERTY BRIDGE BY THE HOUSE. Give me a break. How did the American people elect these idiots is beyond me. I am sure Bush will veto this.
Nonetheless we need to repair our bridges, tunnels, highways, and elevated structures yesterday. Forget subsidized health care, and fix our thoroughfare.

The Cinders Smoulder on Amnesty for Illegal Aliens

You cannot imagine how I feel when I hear how the people we elect, conspire, con, and try to sneak there own agenda when its obvious that the American People have spoken on immigration.

I have just read some news that John Kyl of Arizona, this is the same man who wanted to return to the immigration debate immediately AFTER the second defeat in the Senate. The jerk is now crafting together an "Enforcement First" provision to attach to the new Homeland Security Bill on the Senate's Calendar for this week. On the outset, it sounds good, like immigration reform, more money for the fence we can't see, more money for border guards because we keep locking the ones we do have in the nearest prison, and better technology for law enforcement.

BUT, attached to this provision is a hidden caveat, all illegal immigrants who are working in this country in agriculture would get a pass like the infamous Z visa of Mel Martinez bill. It appears that a provision like this one can get added at the last minute prior to voting on it. I don't know about you but I am sick of making compromises to make these interests happy. How difficult will it be for illegals in construction or another field to say they are working in agriculture so that they can get this 'pass'.

The facts are: Kyl IS writing a provision. The provision is to be added to the Homeland Security Bill, Kyl supported Mel's Amnesty Bill, Kyl pushed back immediately after the second defeat to try to get the Amnesty bill back up in some way, Kyl IS for Amnesty! Whether this would mean amnesty for 12 million or (more like 30 million illegals I believe) just the part of the 12 million (more like 30 million illegals I believe) who are in agriculture is not clear yet.

The bill is due to be discussed this week and we don't have any way to see this provision until they make it public. Let's make sure that this part of the Homeland Security Bill doesn't see the light of day. Voter be aware so we can deluge our elected gangsters with our opinions.