Truly difficult exercises for the United States

05.10.2016

In the Philippines, what perhaps will be the last of the US-Philippine exercises has begun.

Details

This annual exercise is the product of an agreement signed between the predecessors of the current president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte and the US. This year, 500 Filipino and 1400 US troops stationed in Okinawa are participating. In addition, Japan will take part in exercises.

Training on humanitarian aid, disaster relief, counter-terrorism, internal and external security are all planned.

The training will last a week and will end on the 12th of October.

The history and the true purpose of "alliance"

The exercises, as part of the American campaign to return to the Philippines, was originally planned by the US and former President Benigno Aquino III as an element in a policy to counter Chinese expansion in the South China Sea. Accordingly, these were directed exclusively against China. And in spite of the peace-loving slogans, they maintained that focus to the present day.

This is one of the reasons why the current President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, trying to improve relations with the powerful neighbor, declares his intention to terminate the exercises.

Another reason is the sharp anti-American course of president. Before starting the exercise, Duterte once again offended the American counterpart, "sending him to hell" for trying to interfere in the internal affairs of the Philippines.

Before the actual start of activities, none of the governments or defense agencies could confirm information on the preparation for the exercise, since neither side could be sure that the activity would start in a workable environment.

Anti-Colonial factor

The US definitely wants its former colony to return to it, something they have repeatedly stated bluntly. However, the Philippines is still acutely pursuing a policy of independence, sensing an opportunity to put its resources to work under the leadership of a new president, Duterte. It is no accident that his radical policy is supported by 92% of the population.

We should not forget that in the exercises Japan is participating too. Troops from Okinawa and US Marines arrived in the Philippines, also stationed there, in the notorious US bases. This place is very different from the rest of Japan with its anti-Americanism policy. This is due to the fact that Okinawa, in terms of national composition, is not identical to the rest of Japan, these islands were also a colony, still retains a skeptical relation to the center, although existing within the framework of modern Japan.

So this time the United States awaits a really challenging exercise.

Parallel processes

Just a few hours before the start of the exercise yesterday, on October 4th, Manila had agreed with Indonesia and Malaysia on joint action sea patrols, including aviation. This agreement, to discuss the details of which diplomats had started yesterday, means that the three countries will be able to enter, if necessary, in the waters of each other to counter terrorism and other crimes, as well as to assist the courts which are in trouble.

It is expected that the joint aerial surveillance will begin by the end of the year. This once again underlines the desire of Duterte to improve relations with its neighbors and to conduct an independent policy, including defense.

Internal processes

In addition the Philippines is in the process of concluding a peace treaty with the communist organization. Against the background of anti-American rhetoric, both sides - the Philippines and the Maoist government - say that they would like to complete the peace process by the end of the exercise with the United States, that is, until October 12th. They agree that it would be a great success for the security of the region and a serious blow to Washington, which is interested in destabilizing in order to secure the position of its military bases in the Philippines on the model of South Korea and Okinawa.

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Truly difficult exercises for the United States

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