Efforts to get at least one of the three Red Cross workers held captive in Sulu by the terrist Abu Sayyaf are at an impasse again.
The fighting has stopped and government forces have pulled back some 15 kilometers from the lair of Albader Parad and his men.
But now they want all government forces to move back to Jolo, the capital city of Sulu, effectively ceding control of the rest of the island and its half-million residents.
Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan: “This is a complete turnaround from our previous position of not pulling out, because of our desire to settle this crisis peacefully.”
Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her security advisers need to work out a solution soon, with Parad’s 36-hour dead fast approaching.
This is no ‘ordinary kidnapping’ as the victims now in the 75th day of captivity including not just a Filipina, Mary Jean Lacaba, but her foreign colleagues, Andreas Notter of Switzerland an Eugenio Vagni of Italy.
The Abu Sayyaf know that while the government troops have pulled back the Abu Sayyaf encampment is within range of artillery position, a Marine ‘fire base’ in Indanan town.
This cannot be abandoned.
But no administration, popular or not, can or should give in to blackmail.
Popularity: 1% [?]
I wish the best of luck to all the hostages, may they return safely to their families. Insha-allah.
Its, getting uglier and uglier with younger and younger ASG leaders. Just look at his mean face. Pang Facebook spook stuff.
He’s going to make a mistake one of these days, and I sure would like to be there when he does that. When he thinks its safe to take a dump in the bushes probably.
Force him watch this over and over:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVW5gU1ZH1A
Clockwork orange style. Para tumino.
GMA really understands the psychology of the Filipino people. Just observe what Pinas does to save foreign ICRC workers and observe what Pinas does for its own teachers abducted by Muslim thugs.
Arab Gulfnews has this story about Pinas–Mindanao:
http://www.gulfnews.com/world/Philippines/10299262.html
On Friday, it was learned that a 38-year-old teacher, one of three abducted on March 13 in Zamboanga Sibugay, had died because she was unable to take her medicine for an undisclosed ailment.
Noemi Mandi was abducted together with Jocelyn Inion, 39, and Jocelyn Enriquez, 43, while the three were on their way to work at the Bangkaw-Bangkaw Elementary School.
“Kidnapping a cottage industry in the Philippines” is a news-story
http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20090315-128622.html
UPnGrad,
“Foreign” ICRC workers? But Mary Jean Lacaba is a Filipino citizen. Do you really think it is the strenuous efforts of the Palace to save “foreign ICRC workers” out of sheer colonial servility that has generated this much attention on the case?
Or isn’t there genuine international attention when a blatant violation of the Geneva Conventions and the Red Cross charter guarantees are being committed?
‘Yes” that Pinas is bending over backwards because hostages are Europeans. And it is the Europeans doing the pushing —- in contrast to USA policy when American citizens were taken hostages.
The strategy against Muslim thugs violating Philippine and international conventions is “hot pursuit”, not appeasement.
I say sacrifice the three hostages and end this bullshit now.
All you do is order full attack on their camps. These people are
not thinking right. These are Islamic Jihadist. Their mindsets are
Al Queda ideology already.
I see the scenario the same as Falluja, Iraq when Al Queda was in
high activity. Hostages used as propaganda, begging for their lives.
Beheading on TV, shouting : “Allah is Great.” These people are cold
blooded murderers. They are scum of this Earth.
There is no substitute for victory.
You can see the starategy of these Jihadist as the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict.
The HAMAS Terrorists fire daily rockets to Israel. When the Israeli
military responded with invasion on Gaza. HAMAS invited journalists
for photo ops of the destruction to gain sympathy.
The Terrorists did not mind the destructions they had done on Israeli
civilians by their rockets fired daily.
If they hurt others, its okay. If you hurt them. They will ask
for sympathy…They were dancing in the streets when the World Trade
Center was bombed in New York, killing thousand of innocent people.
I say again, these people are the scum of the Earth.
“All you do is order full attack on their camps.” – Tasio
Yes, that solution is a no brainer perhaps if there are no hostages involved or if people are willing to sacrifice the victims.
a surge of say, 20,000 government troops (at least) in hot pursuit, saturating the outlaws lairs, may be the ultimate solution to CRUSH the bandits once and for all. however, every effort possible to save the hostages must be taken. if they die, their blood is on the bandits’ hand, not the law enforcers. but let us make certain that those martyrs and heroes don’t die in vain.
The situation in Sulu (or in Muslim-populated areas of Mindanao for that matter) is not that simple as to merit such simplistic solution as you have suggested.
Have forgotten how many times in the past the government forces did such similar moves, yet the problem still persists?
ASG is just one group of small multi-subcommand Muslim fighters, and there are many other bigger armed Muslim groups in Mindanao. If blood is thicker than water to most Christians, to the Muslims, religion is much “thicker” than blood. They live within their non-combatant civilian families and villagers. They very easily blend with the local community.
Even if the Muslim fighters of today are eliminated, there will always be new generations of young fighters who will continue and carry out the cause(s) of their previous fighters.
Perhaps you may only completely eliminate their hostile and violent mentality if their violent ideology is overcome by a non-violent ideology that comes from within their original belief itself.
I agree with Non Malignant Bencard. A “surge” might’ve been a cute idea for Fallujah, but the mountains of Jolo have foiled surges for centuries. And contrary to your assessment, the ASG doesn’t just hang out in “lairs” waiting to be attacked. They are guerillas after all.
This has been the constant argument, actually between the Marines and the Army in fighting the ASG/MNLF/MILF. The Atlantic Monthly’s coverage of the military and intel aspects of the fight against ASG 2001-2003 is very instructive about these options.
Jihadists in Paradise
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200703/bowden-jihad
If ICRC are beheaded, I BLAME IT ON PEKENG-PERYODISTAS FOR NOT INSTITUTING “NEWS BLACKOUT”!!!!
Remember the Ces Drilon News Blackout by NPC? NPC with the approval of ALL pekeng-peryodistas says News Blackout is to save Ces Drilon so Abu Sayaff will not get angry!
ARAY KO PO! ANG GAGONG OPLOK GUNG-GONG!!!!
CAN SOMEONE CHECK THE IQ OF OUR MEDIA PRACTITIONERS, PLEASE!!!!!
to DJB: What about the Muslim thugs who are holding the Flipino teachers? Don’t you think these Muslim-thugs sense that pagtatawanan lang sila if they were to threaten beheadings of the teachers if Malacanang does not order troop-withdrawals from Jolo?
Why cannot we behead muslims in return? An eye-for-an-eye a-tooth-por-a-tooth. A head-por-a-head …
REBOLUSYON!!!!!
Did you remember Gandhi’s words: “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, would only leave the world blind and toothless.”
What would a head for a head reciprocity result to? :-)
Non-malignant,
It’s a big mistake to frame the aspirations of our Muslim countrymen from the lens of the Abu Sayyaf. Thought we have learned our lesson from past experiences.
This group cannot be trusted.
I agree with you, Phil, from the context of civilized mind.
Muslims contextual mind runs different from ours. If you touch a hair of ABu Sayaf, you are touching the hairs of all muslim brothers.
They are bunch of uneducated, fanatical religious terrorists. They don’t care if their brothers are wrong. They only see a muslim brother killed by christians.
Hmmm … it’s like pekeng-peryodistas. You attack a stupid peryodista you are inviting trouble from all stupid peryodistas…
I hope I am really wrong with my assessment of the problem with the ASG and some armed Muslim groups in Mindanao. Their true aspirations maybe different, but their ways and methods are almost very similar. Other bigger armed Muslim groups even burned villages and beheaded some government troops even if they are already dead.
Of course there are always a majority number of non-violent Muslims in our country. Their cause(s) may be the same with those armed Muslim groups in Mindanao, but their ways and methods of achieving them are different from the violent means of those fighters in Mindanao.
This majority of our Muslim kababayans are the people I am referring to in the last paragraph of my prior post which states:
“Perhaps you may only completely eliminate their hostile and violent mentality if their violent ideology is overcome by a non-violent ideology that comes from within their original belief itself.”
Beheading Hostages is part of the Al Queda propaganda. After beheading, they will be shouting: “God is Great.” What has God
to do with these Idiots? They have no God, but to satisfy their
thirst for blood.
Send them to their Martyrdom. 72 Virgins and 72 Mansions are waiting
for them.
UP n Grad,
Your point about Foreigners vs. Filipinos is truly a Red Herring. The problem lies in the government’s steady policy of paying ransom as soon as possible to sweep the fresh burning embers under the rug, until the next conflagration. It may be easier to get the funds from foreign sources, like PIME when Fr. Bossi was on the griddle, but you are just dredging up the usual leftist victimology with “Foreigners v. Filipinos”.
You guyz will find every excuse to bring in your anti imperialist agenda in support of fellow insurgents.
Manong Dean,
We’re mainly on the same page here.
Not a time for partisan bickering.
Ding,
Never mind partisan bickering.
But let us not ignore the fact that it is horrendous developments such as this which forces us all to ask ourselves what VALUES we truly hold.
Much as “military options” have fallen into disrepute among the noble and enlightened Filipino civil societies and bloggers, is it not obvious that certain recent issues, such as our relationship with the United States, are suddenly essential to an understanding of this one as well.
Just because Dubya is gone, does not mean that the Problem which he confronted, and perhaps failed to solve, is still with us. Boy, is it with us!
I would not of course dare to engage in partisan bickering now because of how grim the situation truly is. It is just that there are so many things that have been lost and undone because of the rape case.
Our national security and national sovereignty have been compromised, by both the jihadists and the Leftist anti imperialists ideologues who’ve hated the fact that their idols are on these lists of the US, EU, UN that we really have no control over.
The Left plays the role of anaesthetizing us with propaganda and guilt trips while the decapitators go to work.
Well, I can’t help it…we NEED to engage in partisan bickering because there are real points to be made with a cold, sober deliberation about this matter.
I assert that the convolvulus that resulted from confounding a criminal rape case with emotional nationalistic and historical grievances was done intentionally by the Left and used to poison the relationship between the two countries. It has not worked in the largest sense, but much anti insurgency and anti terrorism training, intelligence, preparation and coordination between our two militaries have successfully been delayed if not stymied. I mean, every time a couple of G.I.s show up for pancit in some city on MIndanao, and there you have the Philippine Daily Innuendo making it look like they are having a firefight with the Abu Sayyaf in downtown Zambo town.
The claim by some like Angela, to have discovered a new and more noble Kidnap for Homeland scheme by the ASG is another example of the genre of propaganda spawned by misplaced support for a hideous means to a nasty end.
It all flows, Ding, from a Culture of Historical Resentment, a kind of godless religion preached by Renato Constantino and Joma Sison, and infecting many, many brains with the worm of Self-Loathing.
The Subic Rape Case is study in the mass psychosis of leftist Lynch Mobs and how they have harmed the people’s greater welfare and security.
By warping the public’s understanding of crime and punishment in that case, we are paralyzed to do anything about a real crime against our sovereignty when the Abu Sayyaf are doing it.
I follow you….
Your “The Subic Rape Case is study in the mass psychosis of leftist Lynch Mobs” is a post I’m waiting for you to write, DJB, integrating the exchanges here at FV.
I’ll get to that, Ding, don’t you worry. Right now though, how do we get the help we need to resolve this crisis?
Diplomatically, politically, ideologically the most vocal of filipino pundits and bloggers have painted the country into a corner of chagrin and uh-oh, now what do we do? who do we turn to?
Well, I can assure you our friends understand us better than we do. They are helping us even if the noisiest amongst us are hypocrites and ingrates.
I suppose the best that can be done now is to reverse the damage of the troop “repositioning” and clamp back down on the terrorist gang. Bottle them up in a fairly small and confined area, which will be hard enough to secure but it can be done.
Then we wait. If they behead all their hostages then a new policy of “Mutually Assured Destruction” might actually work.
Here is my IDEA:
The authorities bottle up the kidnappers with their hostages and allow them absolutely no way to leave that area.
If the Kidnappers kill their hostages, then they are all killed or captured to. And without exception put in pork fat for the rest of their lives.
I would agree to that only if you are expressing that conviction while at the same time you are among the hostages and the first to be scheduled for beheading. If that attitude is coming from the hostages, then it shows true spirit of self-sacrifice.
Dean, I prefer your other gravatar icon, the colored one. You look younger and radiant in that picture. It’s your big smile that makes the difference. :-)
The minutes are counting down given the 2 PM deadline. I’ll debate you on you “ingrates” angle at the proper time.
BTW await my YouTube post.
Half an hour before the set ultimatum – one kidnapped victim beheaded – if and only if – military and police do not undertake total pull out.
We haven’t heard what the National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales has to say.
Are the AFP and PNP moving out of the area now?
If this is the usual guerrilla attacks being waged by such bandit groups as the Abu Sayyaf, why should it be difficult to undertake counter-guerrilla offensive?
Don’t we have trained military and police troops who can comb the terrain and fight it out with them through some well executed covert operations?
Eto kasi, puro ‘—-’ ang nilalagay sa gobyerno.
If the ASG where to hide, where to climb, where to build foxholes, then the same art of warfare should also be within the competency of our special forces?
What the hell has the ISAFP done by way of preliminary intelligence work that would shape what the final military plan should be? Is the DILG secretary really competent to do this job, the DND secretary to do this job? I ask because, we just know them to be ‘pure politicians’ not military tacticians like General Sabban whom I believe influential people close to GMA have relieved for reasons known only to them.
If they get beheaded, Blame the pekeng-peryodistas for publishing the IRC kidnapping …
By the way, I haven’t heard from Ces Drilon lately. I hear she’s nursing Abu Sayaff baby :) Biro only :)
I can hear the pin drop from the pekeng-peryodistas. They imposed Ces Drilon kidnapping news black out but no news black out on International Red Cross kidnaping. How weird dumb, stupid, oblivious.
TIP OF THE POST: If pekeng-peryodistas are looked up to as intelligent I just wonder how the rest of the Filipinos think.