Who's to save world from US?

DIE HARD III / Herman Tiu Laurel / May 5, 2014 / Daily Tribune


It was headlined as a “Believe or Not” story, the recent and widely reported Pew Research survey result showing 86 percent of “Filipinos love the US more than the Yanks.” Despite historical and present realities: Filipinos murdered en masse in the Fil-Am War and then sacrificed wholesale to protect the rear of General McArthur’s forces in WWII, and today’s continuing economic rape by imposed debt, taxation and privatization from US sponsored institutions like the IMF-WB and transnational corporations — the Filipinos’ cross-eyed view seems inexplicable. It is hard to imagine any other country where such a view would be possible.

A survey last year by Worldwide Independent Network/Gallup placed the US as the “biggest threat to peace” and among the most hated in the World. This cuts across almost all continents. There is hardly any section of this Earth that the US has not waged wars against smaller nations and killed countless non-combatant, innocent lives. The top 10 haters of the US are Pakistan, the Palestinian Territories, Algeria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Greece, Serbia. Many of these countries have experienced US political and economic imperialism first hand. Latin American and African countries are not far behind.

James Lucas writes in countercurrents.org referring to William Blum, American critic of US wars, listing deaths from US aggression after World War II: “US Miliary forces were directly responsible for about 10 to 15 million deaths during the Korean and Vietnam Wars and the two Iraq Wars... between nine and 14 million deaths in Afghanistan, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, East Timor, Guatemala, Indonesia, Pakistan and Sudan... The remaining deaths were in smaller ones (wars)... Virtually all parts of the world have been the target of US intervention... the US most likely has been responsible since WWII for the deaths of between 20 and 30 million people...”

US victimizations of Filipinos persist to this day, though not on massive scales as yet. But are hundreds killed by attacks and bombs attributed to “Muslim rebels” that are actually supplied and instigated by US agents, such as the Davao bombing early 2000s. Proof? The 2002 case of Michael Meiring who assembled bombs at the Davao Evergreen Hotel, suspected and said by police sources to be supplied to Abu Sayyaf et al. One accidentally set off and maimed Meiring. The US Embassy and FBI swooped down, stopped local police investigations (Duterte and Col. Boggie Mendoza, if memory serves me right, were stopped), paid the hospital bills and flew Meiring to the US.

The 2010 mysterious deaths of Gregan Cardeno, a private interpreter in Bahasa contracted by US operations in Marawi City, and Capt. Javier Ignacio who was helping in the investigation of the Gregan’s death. The deaths have been forgotten by the Philippine government despite the calls of their families. And there’s the alleged Abu Sayyaf killed by a US “to whom it may concern” drone in 2012. These incidents are evidence of US military operations here even before the recent Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement or (EDCA) signing. How many more victims from such US operations like Michael Meiring and the “rendition” center (apparently interrogating kidnapped Indonesian suspects) in Marawi are going we may never really know.

The US pivot to Asia will shift 2/3 of US aircraft carrier fleets, war jets, missiles and troops to this region by 2020. One can imagine what it is for. Although the coy Obama declared last week that he has no intention of “containing” and “constricting” China, many in the US foreign policy and military establishment have a different view as an October 2013 article from Foreign Policy magazine by John Reed entitled “New US Drone Base Is America’s Latest Move to Contain China” from Japanese soil. Another FP article said, “Where the Drones Are... mapping the launch pads for Obama’s secret wars”, by Micah Zenko and Emma Welch, “Location: Zamboanga, Philippines, Coordinates: 6.92, 122.06; … the US to fly unmanned surveillance drones ... The most active site is in Zamboanga, one of the locations where the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines is based...”

A family Zamboangueno guest, married to a German, told us the US has been inside Zamboanga’s Southcom years before EDCA, and even Filipino officers can’t get into the US section. Our guest told us too that Germans detest the US even more now, pressuring Europe to sanction Russia. The US is creating a new Syria in Ukraine. In 2020 it will be Asia’s turn and the Philippines is “it.” Who’s to save the World from the US? Thank goodness Russia, South and Eastern Ukrainians and President Putin is blocking the US there. We all should help Russia by identifying the US as the World’s and Philippines’ nemesis.

(Tune in to “Sulo ng Pilipino” on 1098 AM, dwAD, Tuesday to Friday, 5 p.m.; catch GNN’s Talk News TV with HTL Destiny Cable channel 8, SkyCable channel 213, and www.gnntv-asia.com, Saturday, 8 p.m. and replay Sunday 8 a.m.; visit http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com; and text reactions to 0917-8658664)

EDCA/TPPA: Intensifying US domination in the Philippines

Richard James Mendoza / OpinYon / May 5-11, 2014

 

Sheer puppetry; there is no other way of describing the Aquino regime’s actions during the visit of US President Barack Obama in the Philippines last week as part of his four-nation tour of East Asia. Seemingly ecstatic to appease the chieftain of imperialism with a gift for his visit to the country, the US-Aquino regime, through Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin along with US Ambassador Philip Goldberg, signed posthaste the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) at the AFP General Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo without first revealing to the public a draft of the provisions inside the agreement, nor was there any public consultation of sort, keeping the agreement a secret until it was signed. The contents of the EDCA were only revealed to the public a few days later.

Another agenda of the trip was to push the Aquino regime to join the highly secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) negotiations, which could only mean that the Philippines would also have to be a member-country once the TPPA goes into full swing. But before that, let’s discuss the EDCA.

The main objective of EDCA is to further increase the ‘rotational presence’ of US troops in the Philippines as part of current US foreign policy to install the so-called ‘pivot to Asia’ aimed at encircling China around its neighbors in order to control its increasing influence at world affairs. It was never about giving more protection to the Philippines against the supposed bullying of China in the island disputes at South China Sea; it was just a flimsy excuse to push the agenda of increasing the presence of foreign troops in the country.

The EDCA allows US forces to be deployed inside Philippine military bases and are allowed operational control of the bases and also allows US forces to construct its own facilities inside Philippine bases. The agreement also states that the Philippines would make the agreed locations available to the US without rent, just like in the previous incarnation of the US bases before its existence ended in 1991. The scope of what the ‘agreed locations’ are is not clear, and as Bayan Muna said, the whole Philippine archipelago might become one giant military base.

The EDCA is also marred with vagueness. For example, in Section 6, Article IV of the agreement, it says that, “The prepositioned materiel shall not include nuclear weapons.” But this does not mean that it would prevent the entry of nuclear powered vessels inside Philippine territory, which is forbidden in the 1987 Constitution; Yet, it is worth noting that nuclear-powered vessels have entered the Philippines countless of times despite the constitutional ban, and that the war vessels themselves pose as much a threat to the environment as nuclear weapons.

As stipulated in the ownership clause of the agreement, we supposedly own the ‘agreed locations’ that are given to US forces, but this merely gives the Philippine government an illusion that they are the ones in control. Reading on, permanent buildings constructed by US forces become the property of the Philippines, once constructed, but it is for the use of US forces only until it no longer becomes useful to them. And it is also possible that we might even give the US compensation upon returning the ‘agreed locations’.

In terms of usage of public utilities, the Philippines would have to shoulder the costs of water, electricity, and other utilities that are to be consumed by US forces; in other words, not only are they rent-free, they’re also exempted from paying their bills. Not only that, it is also stated that the “…use of the radio spectrum shall be free of cost to the United States” (Section 2, Article VII). It is not far fetched that they would set-up radio stations that would broadcast pro-US propaganda, bar the talking heads that have nestled themselves deep in the mainstream media that espouse and propagate such line.

Article XI, titled “Resolution of Disputes”, states that: “The parties agree to resolve any dispute arising under this Agreement exclusively through consultation between the parties. Disputes and other matters subject to consultation under this Agreement shall not be referred to any national or international court, tribunal, or other similar body, or any third party for settlement, unless otherwise agreed by the Parties (emphasis added).” This is bothersome because this essentially gives US forces and contractors extraterritorial rights, meaning they cannot be tried under Philippine jurisprudence. Already, the culture of impunity has long reigned Philippine society, and this small but significant entry wouldn’t be of any help. Many times in the past have US agents been tried in Philippine courts, but to no avail, simply because of their ‘entitlement.’

Lastly, though the length of the agreement shall last for ten years, it would automatically continue in force until either Party gives a one year notice of termination. Sa madaling sabi, the agreement is slated to last indefinitely, unlike before with the Military Bases Agreement when it initially lasted for 99 years until it was shortened to 25 years following further negotiations.

And yet, all of Noynoy’s efforts in appeasing his master seemed to have been much ado about nothing, as Obama himself said that the US’ commitment to Philippine defense is ‘uncertain’. Many a pro-US, especially the more hawkish ones, were left disappointed with the statement. Obama seemed to have done damage control later when he said that the support of the US to the Philippines is ‘ironclad.’ It is worth noting that past US presidents have kept on promising the Philippines on commitments to defense, but these are all verbal statements. It is not formalized in a treaty. All the country had ever gotten out of these shenanigans are motherhood statements and nothing else.

Moving on to the TPPA, the said agreement requires candidate member countries to loosen up restrictions on trade,; more liberalization for foreign plunder while being protectionist about their profit. The people of Japan and South Korea have held protests against the TPPA’s liberalization agenda, in particular the former which has been protectionist in its policies, especially in the field of agriculture and car manufacturing.

As for the Philippines, this can only mean one thing: re-igniting the engine of the Charter change train in Congress. This would entail the removal of the nationalist provisions in the constitution, in particular the ‘60/40 rule’. And it is certain that Rep. Sonny Belmonte, a known stooge of neoliberalism, is pushing for Cha-cha. It is also laughable how Noynoy is supposedly “against” Cha-cha while being open for the entry of the country to the TPPA.

The TPPA also pushes for member-countries to implement stricter intellectual property laws, and we have good ol’ USA to thank with its SOPA and PIPA, both of which have been struck down. The Philippines has its own ‘cybercrime law’, so that’s another obstacle overcome for the country’s entry to the TPPA (/sarcasm).

But all in all, these dastardly schemes only mean the further intensification of US hegemony not just in the Philippines, but also the whole region. The US-Aquino regime is hell-bent on sacrificing the country’s sovereignty to the altar of its imperialist captors, all in the name of the elite entrenching themselves in power while the masses continue to be exploited in every manner possible. However, it is never too late to take charge and change things. We may lose something in the struggle, but we would lose more if we stand by. In the spirit of Karl Marx, we have nothing to lose but our chains.

(I am an Information Technology student who loves to write. I am also a photography enthusiast, particularly photojournalism)

RP hawks letdown

DIE HARD III / Herman Tiu Laurel / April 30, 2014 / Daily Tribune


For the entire day, Philippine mainstream broadcast media dissected every statement of presidential visitor Barack Obama’s speeches and press conference, looking for whatever they could belabor for days on end — from commitments to counter China’s assertions in the South China Sea to any pronouncement supporting anti-Chinese prejudices among social media and beyond, generated by three years of anti-China demonization from their circle of critics. Instead, what stood out are the high hopes and encouragement that Obama holds for the “peaceful rise of China” and its adherence to the “rule of law.”

Highlighted globally from Mr. Obama were the following: “We welcome China’s peaceful rise. We have a constructive relationship with China. Our goal is not to counter China. Our goal is not to contain China…” and at the press conference that followed, “Well, let me repeat what I said earlier; I think that it is good for the region and good for the world if China is successfully developing … The more they’re able to develop and provide basic needs for their people and work cooperatively with other countries in the region, that’s only going to strengthen the region — that’s not going to weaken it. It’s inevitable that China is going to be a dominant power in this region.” Those words have doused cold China Sea waters to the obviously letdown anti-China rabble-rousers here.

Obama did have words about “international law:” “I do think that… China as a large country has already asserted that it is interested in abiding by international law. And really, our message to China consistently on a whole range of issues is we want to be a partner with you in upholding international law. And I think that there are going to be territorial disputes. We have territorial disputes with some of our closest allies… some islands and rocks in and around Canada and the United States where there are probably still some arguments dating back to the 1800s,” which echo Deng Xiaoping’s words to Cory Aquino to mutually shelve the territorial dispute and engage in “joint development” of the disputed areas.

However, if the anti-China talking heads are thinking that Obama’s reference to “international law” can be interpreted to mean adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, they are in for a surprise. The US itself has not signed on to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLoS) and continues to raise many questions and objections to many of its provisions. As we and others have pointed out, the US in fact regularly conducts “operational challenges” to provisions of the UNCLoS such as deliberately sailing through Philippine archipelagic and internal waters, as what the USS Guardian did when it got grounded at the Tubbataha Reef, which is indisputably within Philippine Baselines. As Manila Times writer Ric Saludo said, “What if Chinese vessels tagged behind US ships and entered these areas?”

Obama here was several decibels lower than in Tokyo, on the Diaoyu (or Senkaku) Islands dispute. There Obama was more explicit, to the delight of Japanese PM Shinzo Abe; but not necessarily to other allies of the US. Here’s the word from Korean Times’ editorial: “Obama raised, subtly but unmistakably, Tokyo’s hand in the Sino-Japanese dispute… while not saying a word about his host country’s historical regressions. We are afraid Obama’s seeming endorsement of their acts, and his embrace of Tokyo’s right to exercise collective self-defense, will give the wrong signal… (and) a blank check for their military resurgence… without making due repentance for their imperial past.”

The ultimate goal of US “rebalancing” to Asia was defined in Hillary Clinton’s 2011 article in Foreign Policy magazine that stated, “Our economic recovery at home will depend on exports and the ability of American firms to tap into the vast and growing consumer base of Asia.”

That, dear Juan de la Cruz, is the real reason the US “pivot,” renamed “rebalancing,” has been going into high gear, to which the defense issues are but preparation to ensure US “freedom of navigation” to send its goods to Asia. But it can also work another way, to block its competitors when US strategic intentions arise. Hence, the US has its “Offshore Control” plan to choke off China’s supply routes, in case it needs to spring an “embargo” or “blockade” against China.
The US has targeted so many for its “blockades” (such as Cuba) and “embargoes” (such as Iran). Now the US is slapping step-by-step sanctions against Russia. If ever Russia subsequently shows any weakness and the US starts targeting China, it will do so only for its own interest and not to defend any interest of the Philippines.

(Tune in to “Sulo ng Pilipino” on 1098 AM, dwAD, Tuesday to Friday, 5 p.m.; catch GNN’s Talk News TV with HTL on Destiny Cable Channel 8, SkyCable Channel 213, and www.gnntv-asia.com, Saturday, 8:00 p.m. and replay Sunday, 8 a.m., this week on “May Day, a call for hope or help?” with labor leaders; visit http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com; and text reactions to 0917-8658664)