Demands for Accountability In Philippines Following Deadly US-Backed Raid

[Judi Lynn]

Published on Thursday, March 19, 2015
by Common Dreams

Demands for Accountability In Philippines Following Deadly US-Backed Raid

'The entire country of the Philippines is up in arms,' said Rhonda Ramiro of BAYAN-USA

by Sarah Lazare, staff writer

Fresh findings about the hidden hand of the United States, and culpability of President Benigno Aquino III, in a botched commando raid that left dozens dead earlier this year are fueling public outrage—and demands for the head of state's resignation—across the Philippines and global diaspora.

The revelations are stoking anger beyond the failed operation itself, with many raising concerns about the growing American military presence—and government complicity—in a country where social movements forced the U.S. from its permanent bases over twenty years ago.

"The entire country of the Philippines is up in arms about this incident," said Rhonda Ramiro, Vice Chair of BAYAN-USA, an alliance of Filipino organizations in the U.S., in an interview with Common Dreams. "From left to right, you have people calling for truth and accountability—even members of police and armed forces, retired generals, and members of the conservative Catholic church."

The Mamasapano Massacre

The failed operation took place in January in the Mamasapano municipality in the southern Philippines and was aimed at arresting two alleged terrorists with U.S. bounties on their heads. The raid resulted in a bloodbath that left 44 police officers, 18 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and numerous civilians dead. One of the suspects, Zulkifli bin Hir, was also killed.

More:
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/03/19/demands-accountability-philippines-following-deadly-us-backed-raid

[bemildred]

1. The U.S. Military Just Plunged Philippine Politics into Crisis

Early in the morning of January 25, commandos belonging to the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police crept into the southern town of Mamasapano — a stronghold of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The elite Seaborne Unit had come for Zulkifli Abdhir, a Malaysian bomb maker better known as “Marwan.”

By the end of the morning, dozens lay dead.

The episode has severely discredited the administration of Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, jeopardized decades of progress on peace talks with Moro separatists, and underlined the perils for developing world governments that put themselves at the beck and call of Washington.

The commandos were able to kill Marwan, who’d sat high on the FBI’s list of “Most Wanted Terrorists.” But then all hell broke loose. The insurgents woke up and opened fire on the intruders, forcing the commandos to leave Marwan’s body behind. They had to content themselves with cutting off the corpse’s index finger to turn over to the FBI.

http://fpif.org/the-u-s-military-just-plunged-philippine-politics-into-crisis/

[Judi Lynn]

2. You have to wonder why our corporate media missed this story, don't you?

They've always worked so hard to make sure the people they pretend to be serving get the information they expect from conscientious journalists!

From your article:

Filipino officials have remained tight-lipped on the question of U.S. participation in the raid, invoking “national security” or choosing to make revelations only in secret executive sessions with the Senate. Thus it has fallen on the media to probe the U.S. role.

Perhaps the most reliable of these probes was conducted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, which found that U.S. drones had pinpointed Marwan’s hiding place, guided the commandos to it, and provided the capability for real-time management by the Philippine commanders away from the battlefield. American advisers, the paper claimed, were the ones who had vetoed informing top officials of the police, the armed forces, and the Liberation Front of the planned raid on the grounds that news of the action would be leaked to Marwan.

Finally, the original plan was to have a fused team of Seaborne Unit commandos and the Quick Reaction Force. But that was reportedly rejected by the American advisers, who favored having the Seaborne Unit carry out the raid itself and the Quick Reaction Force provide cover — a plan that proved disastrous. The Seaborne Unit, it emerged, had been trained by “retired” Navy Seals and functioned as the Americans’ special unit within the special forces of the Philippine National Police.

The full extent of U.S. involvement remains to be unearthed, but it’s now clear to many that taking out Marwan was a major priority for Washington — not Manila. As one congressman put it, the Mamasapano tragedy was a case of “the Americans fighting to the last Filipino.”

[bemildred]

3. It's pretty clear why they don't want to talk about it.

Another case of US trained forces getting destroyed when deployed. Bad for future sales.

And the usual failure to consider that the locals might know something.