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Mindanao sees silent U.S. military invasion

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Mindanao sees silent U.S. military invasion

Written by Kazi Mahmood
Saturday, 16 February 2008
The U.S. military presence is also in preparation for possible control of the resources of Mindanao by Washington and its contractors. They are eyeing oil sites that exist in the region but are not under any exploration due to the situation of conflict. Mindanao is Composed of 27 various tribes and is home of more than 18M Filipinos. US TROOPS OUT NOW! RESIST US INTERVENTION IN MINDANAO AND IN THE PHILIPPINES! These are screamers on banners, posters and even in a power point presentation on the increasing U.S. military presence in Southern Philippines. World Futures was sent a presentation of what seems to be the growing occupation of Muslim land by the U.S. troops which are conduction both military exercises and a man-hunt against armed Muslim elements in the region. The balikatan – or regular military exercise between the U.S. and Philippines troops – has now turned into a long military campaign to subdue the Muslims in Mindanao to the Philippines government’s rule. It is seen as a real attempt by Manila to use U.S. soldiers to curb on the independence and autonomous movement in the region. Sources say some 3000 to 6000 U.S. troops are regularly involved such ‘exercises’. A report on the U.S. military presence in Mindanao shows how Manila and Washington is working in coordination to break the will of the Moro people and to impose, manu-military, a new form of terror war against the people of Mindanao. The constant terrorization of the villages and the abuses against the dwellers shows a pattern of rough behavior by both the U.S. and the Philippines armies. The Regional Legislative Assembly of the autonomous region (RLA-ARRM) on the conduct of Balikatan exercises on its provinces. Bai Ali Indayla, national secretary-general of Suara Bangsamoro (Voice of the Bangsamoro) lauded the RLA-ARMM for coming up with a resolution that manifests the strong opposition of the people of Lanao del Sur and Islamic city of Marawi on the Balikatan exercises. ‘We greatly appreciate the effort of the legislative assembly of ARMM to stand in this dubious endeavor of US to Mindanao. Another round of Balikatan exercises is a big insult to the Bangsamoro people who have experienced rights violations committed by the US troops in their past exercises especially in the provinces of Sulu and Basilan, Indayla stressed. She pointed out the case of an MNLF integree, Army Sgt. Ibnul Wahid of Maimbung, Sulu who was killed by the military on February 4 in the guise of pursuing the Abu Sayyaf. Ibnulâ€™s wife, Sandrawina Wahid, said that she saw four US soldiers during the incident prior the military blindfolded her. Indayla also underlined that the US humanitarian mission is a mere facade to pacify the Bangsamoro people’s unrest and preparation for a grander plan in Mindanao. US troops are not here just for military deployment and permanent basing, but are preparing for another war, a war to amass all resources in our rich land. That is their long-standing hidden agenda, Indayla revealed. Moreover, the Suara Bangsamoro suggests to RLA-ARMM to conduct a separate and thorough investigation on human rights violations committed by US troops in the course of their military exercises. The result would be passed to the Congress to further study the ill-effects of Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) to the Bangsamoro and the Filipino people. The Joint RP-US Balikatan Exercises 2008 will be conducted simultaneously in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao, Cagayan de Oro and North Cotabato on February 18. Suara Bangsamoro has listed the human Rrghts Violations of US Troops in Mindanao: S • 2002: The Case of Buyong-Buyong Isnijal • Intervention of the FBI in the case of Michael Meirring • 2000: Flash Piston Exercise Which Killed Two children • The Case of Arsid Baharun • Rape Case of Daniel Smith • Death of Abu Sardiya Calderon Due to Heart Attack The group also says that since 2002, Special Operations Forces (SOFs) are seen in Sulu province, where a few years back, a U.S. spy plane crashed. The U.S. army also controls a deep sea port installation off Sulu while AP3 Orion planes were sighted in Maguindanao. In 2002: Sgt. Reggie Lane shot Buyong-Buyong Isnijal, a Bangsamoro in Tipo-Tipo Basilan while 2 American soldiers died in a gun battle in Sulu but denied by JSOTF-P. The question that has remained on the lips of several observers recently is why Mindanao? Suara Bangsamoro argues that Mindanao is a convenient location for U.S. in its anti-China strategies. It can use Mindanao to secure the trade routes in the South China Sea, which is falling flatly under the control of Beijing lately. Washington wants to use the presence of the Abu Sayaf Group (ASG), the Moro Islamic Liberation front (MILF) and the NPA, the communist movement, to enforce its military presence in the province. From Mindanao, the U.S. has easy access to the Pacific Ocean which gives it easy manoeuvre in the ocean. It has better control of the Indonesian and Malaysian coasts and secures the Strait of Malacca through the Port of Lombok in Indonesia. There have been covert military installations in the region and contracts obtained by the U.S. forces in the Philippines. The U.S. was involved in the Clark airport with Lockheed Martin contracts and other contracts worth US$100m for Halliburton KBR. Mactan Airport for U.S. orion reconnaissance flights, Deepwater Port/Airport (Lockheed Martin) and various other ddevelopment projects. The U.S. military presence is also in preparation for possible control of the resources of Mindanao by Washington and its contractors. They are eyeing oil sites that exist in the region but are not under any exploration due to the situation of conflict. Mindanao is Composed of 27 various tribes and is home of more than 18M Filipinos. The region is rich in oil resources, such as those in the Sulu Sea Oil Basin, the Cotabato oil basin, the Deuterium and the Reed Bank. Other resources of interest to the U.S. will be the following: • Tampakan: Gold and Ore • Manat: Gold • Hinatuan: Gold • BUNAWAN: Gold • BUDA: Potential diamond drilling program • Western Mindanao: Gold • 95% of pineapple production • No.1 source of rubber in the Phils • Composed of 27 various tribes • Almost 50% of coffee, banana, corn and coconut production At least 6000 American soldiers will be in Mindanao for the balikatan but they are not doing the virtual exercises only as this article indicates. 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Last Updated ( Monday, 07 April 2008 )

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