American troops:
Basing themselves anew in the Philippines

Basahin ang artikulong ito sa Pilipino

US IMPERIALIST ARMED INTERVENTION AND aggression in the country have become blatant and are intensifying. In the guise of conducting "military exercises", 160 Special Forces troops and an additional 500 soldiers or a full battalion of American troops are being slipped into the country. Next to Afghanistan, this is currently the biggest single deployment of American troops outside the US.

Armed intervention by US Imperialism in the Philippines: A Reprise

US imperialism has arrogated unto itself the right to intervene in and trample on the sovereignty of other countries in the name of crushing those it considers "terrorists".

The battalion of US troops will be based in Zamboanga City for six months. But military officials have admitted that the troops may stay on for up to a year should they fail to crush the "terrorists". Last year, 26 US Special Forces troops had already arrived in Basilan. By January, up to 65 soldiers were in Zamboanga City. There are 14 soldiers in Cebu while another 400 are temporarily based in Clark Airfield, Pampanga. More than 1,200 Filipino soldiers are set to participate in the "training exercises".

Because even the reactionary constitution strictly prohibits foreign troops from establishing bases in the country, the Macapagal-Arroyo government has been resorting to an assortment of rationalizations to legitimize the presence of American soldiers.

The American troops will supposedly serve as "advisers" and "trainors" in operations conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) against the Abu Sayyaf and in the fight against terrorism. They are supposedly here to participate in joint exercises with AFP forces under Kalayaan-Aguila 2002 and Balance Piston 02-1. Although they are not supposed to engage directly in combat, 160 Special Forces troops will enter combat zones in Basilan. They have been granted the right to shoot back "when they are shot at". Their supposed objective is to recover two Americans held by the Abu Sayyaf for eight months now, although it has also been said that the troops would stay on even after the two captives are recovered. The "training" would supposedly include psywar operations such as civic action and the implementation of socio-economic projects.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has brazenly ridden roughshod over the processes and limitations set even by reactionary laws. The regime is hard put trying to provide the legal basis for the entry of American troops. Even the provisions of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) have been distorted by the regime in its effort to legalize the entry of American troops. The latest rationale has been provided by the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA), which was secretly cooked up by Macapagal-Arroyo and George W. Bush in November. (See article on the MLSA.) In the end, Macapagal-Arroyo still insists that it can be legal for American combat troops to enter the country -- a view that has angered even those within her party, such as Sen. Joker Arroyo.

January 2002
English Edition

	Editorial: The people could no longer stand the Macapagal-Arroyo regime
	Conflicts within the ruling classes further intensify
	Macapagal-Arroyo regime relentlessly obstructing the peace talks
	With the affront to the principle of national sovereignty: The Peace Talks are in Peril
	Armed intervention by US Imperialism in the Philippines: A Reprise
	American troops: Basing themselves anew in the Philippines
	Opposition to Entry of Armed US troops spreads
	Mutual Logistics Support Agreement: New name for an old agreement
	Reports from correspondents: The 5th ID�s abuses in Isabela
	Reports from correspondents: 5TH ID Involved in illegal loggings
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