[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 155 (Thursday, October 30, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2167]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    A FAIR FIGHT IN THE PHILIPPINES

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM FEENEY

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 29, 2003

  Mr. FEENEY. Mr. Speaker, this Member commends to his colleagues the 
October 18, 2003, New York Times op-ed by Brett Decker titled ``A Fair 
Fight in the Philippines.'' I particularly note that American aid to 
the Philippine military has wound up on the black market or in the 
hands of Islamic radicals. America can't pursue its War on Terrorism by 
practicing the old ways of doing business.

                [From the New York Times, Oct. 18, 2003]

                    A Fair Fight in the Philippines

                          (By Brett M. Decker)

       President Bush is in Manila today to visit his ally in the 
     war against terror, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the 
     Philippines. Mr. Bush has already announced some $340 million 
     in aid to the Philippines this year, and President Arroyo has 
     said she plans to request additional military assistance to 
     fight terrorism. There's only one problem with this alliance:
       American aid hasn't improved the Philippine military so 
     far, and in many ways it has benefited the Islamic militants 
     it seeks to combat.
       In August, Gen. Narciso Abaya, chief of the Philippine 
     armed forces, made an alarming statement about the condition 
     of his military: ``I admit there is graft and corruption at 
     all levels.'' A significant share of the military budget is 
     lost to graft. Selling military hardware on the black market 
     is another common practice. Recent raids of bases of the 
     separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front have turned up 
     caches of arms with Philippine military markings.
       Even American assistance is siphoned away. Testimony before 
     the Philippine Congress in the past several months revealed 
     that American M-16's provided to the Philippine armed forces 
     have been recovered in camps belonging to Abu Sayyaf, a band 
     of guerrillas and kidnappers. Assault rifles, grenade 
     launchers and other American arms have been used by Muslim 
     radicals against Philippine troops--the very troops United 
     States funds are supposed to assist.
       American aid to help fight Islamic radicals is often offset 
     by bribes soldiers take from terrorists to let them get away. 
     Operatives affiliated with Al Qaeda have escaped from 
     maximum-security military prisons, once using a helicopter.
       If Washington and Manila are serious about eliminating Abu 
     Sayyaf, the United States Special Forces should be given the 
     assignment. The terrorist group consists of about 100 poorly 
     trained amateurs. They would be no match for American 
     soldiers already in the Philippines, but they are still 
     eluding Filipino troops.
       The Philippine Constitution does not allow foreign troops 
     to wage combat missions on Filipino soil. It does, however, 
     allow the United States to come to the defense of the 
     Philippines if the islands are attacked. Such an action can 
     be justified in the present case because the terrorist groups 
     get foreign money.
       The mission could win support on Capitol Hill because the 
     situation in the Philippines is precisely what the one in 
     Iraq is not: there is a known enemy of limited ability and 
     numbers on a few small, isolated islands with scant local 
     support. There is minimal risk of escalation because the 
     country is only about 5 percent Muslim. Perhaps more 
     important, fellow Filipino Muslims do not support Abu Sayyaf. 
     Separatist Moros view them as a for-profit gang of thugs 
     rather than a religious movement to defend Islam. The 
     provincial governor of the Autonomous Region of Muslim 
     Mindanao ordered his security force to cooperate in the hunt 
     for Abu Sayyaf.
       Unless the integrity of arms transfers to the Philippine 
     military can be guaranteed, which is not likely, the United 
     States should consider cutting off military aid to the 
     Philippines and replacing it with economic support to help 
     develop the poor Muslim islands in the south.
       There has been some success in winning local ``hearts and 
     minds'' already.
       After building a few roads, bridges, sewers and wells last 
     year, American soldiers were cheered by appreciative Muslims 
     as the troops pulled out of Mindanao. More aid for 
     infrastructure could go a long way to soothing centuries of 
     resentment derived from being shut out of the national 
     economy.
       A reorientation of American aid would have the added 
     benefit of helping bolster Philippine democracy. The military 
     has instigated coups in every administration except one since 
     1965. Withholding support from the Philippine brass sends the 
     message that Washington--the nation's most important ally--
     expects the military to keep its hands off the civilian 
     institutions of government.
       The White House should carefully assess what course will 
     best help stabilize one of its most reliable allies in Asia. 
     Despite the inevitable complications, the Philippines is 
     worthy of American assistance.

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