Subject: [C-I] Fw: U.S. Military To Reconquer Philippines While the Guardian is often somewhat better than some of the other bourgeois news outlets, even they get caught up in the unquestioned repetition of U.S war propaganda as news, truth and fact. One glaring example (out of several) in the article below, is this particular statement - " in Singapore yesterday, the government released a video, sketches and notes found in an al-Qaida leader's house in Afghanistan detailing possible terrorist targets in the island city state, including US military personnel, the US embassy, British and Australian high commissions, and a list of US businesses " To be more fair and truthful, they should have at least stated the material was "allegedly" found in an al Quaida leaders house. After all, no proof, evidence, or independent verification to back up this claim was provided. In this case the Guardian was simply repeating the *claim* made by the U.S. and Singapore governments (neither of which has an enviable track record when it comes to truth), and reporting it as unquestioned fact. If the material had been critical of the U.S war and from an opposing source, the Guardian and rest of the capitalist media would have been quick to add the oft repeated disclaimer "this report is from (Iraq, Iran, the Serbs, Cuba, North Korea, the Taliban, etc, etc, - you pick your villain) and it cannot be independently verified" . Well they can't "independently verify" this one either! Just because the U.S and Singapore governments say so, certainly does not make it fact or even news! mart ----- Original Message ----- From: Rick Rozoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2002 12:09 AM Subject: U.S. Military To Reconquer Philippines HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------- [We didn't 'fight' the Spanish-American War for nothing, of course. The Afghans are seeing history repeat itself according to the Filipino model currently as a matter of fact.] Manila may use American troops John Aglionby, south-east Asia correspondent Saturday January 12, 2002 The Guardian Manila is considering a US "battle plan" to send up to 1,000 special forces troops to help fight a long-running Islamist insurgency in the southern Philippines. US media quoted "confidential sources" yesterday as saying that the deployment could comprise a full military battalion - up to 1,000 troops. However, Manila said that nothing had been decided and indicated that the assistance may be as small as a tenth of the figure touted. The Philippines president, Gloria Arroyo, stressed that any US involvement would be in a training and supply capacity, although troops would be allowed up to the frontline. She said Manila was not asking the US to fight but that it was more practical for them to be nearer the frontline. Many Filipino politicians fear the US could assume a combat role, despite laws forbidding such involvement. Several dozen US soldiers have been in the Philippines for a few months, preparing for a larger force and training Filipino troops. The soldiers are operating mainly on the islands of Mindanao and Basilan. More than 5,000 Filipino troops are fighting the Abu Sayyaf Islamists as well as renegade elements of the Moro National Liberation Front and Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the southern islands. Abu Sayyaf is holding a US missionary couple and a female Filipino nurse. They have killed many captives, including an American. A US military spokesman, Lieutenant Commander Jeff Davis, said American troops were unlikely to become involved in combat. Meanwhile in Singapore yesterday, the government released a video, sketches and notes found in an al-Qaida leader's house in Afghanistan detailing possible terrorist targets in the island city state, including US military personnel, the US embassy, British and Australian high commissions, and a list of US businesses. Singapore said yesterday that the plan was ready to be implemented. � France has jailed a Frenchman of Algerian descent with links to al-Qaida, officials said. Ahmed Laidouni, 34, who had apparently trained in an al-Qaida camp in Afghanistan, was arrested on Christmas Eve and jailed for violating a 1999 judicial order forcing him to report to the authorities. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
