U.S. Marines Set for Philippine Exercises

[whatelseisnew]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-3750849,00.html

U.S. Marines Set for Philippine Exercises

Sunday February 15, 2004 1:46 PM

By AARON FAVILA
Associated Press Writer

SUBIC, Philippines (AP) - A contingent of 700 U.S. Marines disembarked Sunday at the site of a former American naval base to take part in combat exercises intended to help the Philippines fight Muslim and communist insurgencies and guard against terror attacks.

About 2,500 Marines from the U.S. base in Okinawa, Japan, will take part in live-fire combat maneuvers called ``Balikatan,'' or ``shoulder-to-shoulder,'' from Feb. 23 to March 7. The rest of the American troops are scheduled to arrive within a week.
...
The United States began withdrawing from the base in 1991 after the Philippine Senate decided against the allowing continued U.S. operations at Subic Bay and Clark Air Force Base.
...
The guerrillas suspect the exercises are a cover for a U.S.-backed counterinsurgency, spying or other operations and have warned that Americans would be attacked if they enter rebel zones.
...

[leesa]

1. Off to conquer the Philippines again, eh?

[0007]

2. Gotta stop those goddamm communist before they invade the Middle East

"American naval base to take part in combat exercises intended to help the Philippines fight Muslim and communist insurgencies and guard against terror attacks."

Now we're fighting the Muslim and the Communist together, 'eh?

[dArKeR]

3. These are Coup suppressant Marines to keep Whore Coup leader Arroyo in

power.

[stanwyck]

4. My son is one of these Marines

He called last night. He's 20 years old and a liberal Democrat. Please keep him in your thoughts.