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| Additional WikiLeaks Article; Wikileaks: US backed MILF | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sep 8 2011, 09:07 AM (3,285 Views) | |
| ni84 | Sep 8 2011, 09:07 AM Post #1 |
 
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WikiLeaks: US backed MILF Washington favored MOA-AD, cables show By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr. Philippine Daily Inquirer Purported secret US Embassy files released by the whistle-blowing WikiLeaks showed that Washington had a direct hand in the ill-fated deal to create a Bangsamoro Juridical Entity in 2008 that critics warned could lead to a dismemberment of the Philippines. Former Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo said that this “disturbing pattern” of American intervention in the Philippines was apparently triggered by a letter sent by then Moro rebel chief Hashim Salamat to US President George W. Bush on Jan. 20, 2003. Salamat’s letter, coursed through then US Ambassador Frank Riccardione in Manila, sought assistance in hammering out an agreement between the Philippine government and the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on the creation of a Moro homeland. Ocampo said that that US interest was clearly seen from the terms of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD), which was declared by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional in 2008, where the funding for socioeconomic projects in Mindanao would be handed over to the World Bank and the US Agency for International Development (USAID). MOA-AD leaked Ocampo said the Arroyo administration’s peace negotiators apparently were not too keen on the US involvement that they leaked the MOA-AD a few days before it was supposed to be signed in Kuala Lumpur in August 2008 in the presence of then US Ambassador Kristie Kenney. The chief Philippine negotiator, General Hermogenes Esperon, apparently gave the document to then North Cotabato Governor Manny Piñol because the Arroyo administration felt the United States would be getting too much economic power under the deal, said Ocampo. Piñol later went to the Supreme Court to contest the agreement. “We are therefore appealing to the basic principle of American fairness and sense of justice to use your good offices in rectifying the error that continues to negate and derogate the Bangsamoro People’s fundamental right to seek decolonization under the United Nations General Assembly Resolution No. 1514 (XV) of 1960. For this purpose, we are amenable to inviting and giving you the opportunity to assist in resolving this predicament of the Bangsamoro People,” Salamat wrote to Bush. Ocampo said that it was no coincidence that two years after Salamat’s plea, the United States held its first official meeting with MILF chairman Murad Ebrahim (as detailed in WikiLeaks 07MANILA3676 cable titled: Muslim Insurgent chairman, Malaysian Facilitator) which was held a year after they met with MILF Vice Chairman for Political Affairs Ghadzali Jafaar (WikiLeaks 06MANILA1747 cable titled: MILF welcomes regular dialogue with US Embassy). Both documents were classified as secret. US officials have declined comment on the substance or authenticity of the WikiLeaks papers. Salamat died in 2003 and was replaced by Murad as MILF chief. Different political interest “Hashim Salamat’s letter for George Bush to intervene led initially to the USIP’s (US Institute for Peace) interest in Mindanao and then the US Embassy’s direct intervention a few years later as exposed in the WikiLeaks reports. We knew that the US was getting involved in the peace process and we told them (MILF) to be careful because the US had a different political interest. Nobody had proof then but the WikiLeaks reports confirmed the US hand,” Ocampo said in a phone interview. First official meeting Ocampo said Salamat’s letter set the tone for the peace agreement as a way for the United States to rectify its “sins” when it ceded Bangsamoro land in Mindanao to its then Philippine colony. Based on the 07MANILA3676 cable classified as secret, “the first ever official US government meeting with the leader of the Muslim insurgent organization engaged in peace talks with the government” was held in November 2007 inside Camp Darapanan, near Cotabato City. Gov’t resistance In her report, Kenney stated: “Our direct engagement is clearly welcomed by all parties and can help pull the complex peace process toward concrete progress, possibly including step-by-step eradication of terrorists from Mindanao.” Murad, who was described as “friendly, confident and well-versed” and spoke excellent English, “suggested during the meeting that the US sign a protocol supporting the peace agreement along with other countries because he feared that Congress would not give its approval to the deal without international support,” Kenney said. The WikiLeaks documents showed persistent questions on the constitutionality of the MOA-AD and resistance from “conservative forces” in the Arroyo Cabinet and Congress. Kenney reported that the government peace panel secretariat director, Ryan Sullivan [name sounds American but he’s Filipino], reported that the government and the MILF panels were divided on governance (MILF wanted specific terms while the government wanted it kept in general terms), political status (MILF wanted to use freedom in the Bangsamoro which the government objected to), and natural resources (MILF wanted to have a firm hand in the exploitation of its petroleum and natural gas reserves). “The US apparently believes that it can do what it wants with Mindanao’s natural resources by dealing with the MILF in the Bangsamoro rather than with the national government,” Ocampo said. “The US is eyeing with interest the potential of Mindanao for oil and gas.” Jurisdiction “Since both parties have different concepts of the meaning of ‘ownership,’ this term was excluded from the draft territorial agreement. In place of ‘ownership,’ the MILF wants to use the phrase ‘jurisdiction and control,’ while the Cabinet wants to limit the language in the text to the word “control.” The phrase “jurisdiction and control” implies greater authority and a recognized right to control strategic resources within the territorial boundaries of a new Muslim political entity,” Kenney said. “By limiting the language to the term “control,” Sullivan said the government would grant authority to the new Moro political entity to develop and exploit strategic resources, though such authority could be taken away under certain circumstances, such as a national emergency. The MILF is apparently concerned that the government could use a calamity or other event as a pretext to take over strategic resources indefinitely, according to Sullivan.” Aside from getting the details of the MOA-AD, the US Embassy was also advised about a “two-tier advocacy and public relations campaign to prepare for the congressional action/plebiscite required after a territorial agreement is signed.” Complex issues “To ensure that the parties stay focused and push the process forward, Mission officials continue to engage the parties at the most senior levels … making clear that the US strongly supports a peace agreement that will help bring prosperity to Mindanao and remove safe havens for terrorists,” the report said. In her commentary, Kenney said: “The slow, sometimes halting negotiation process reflects the complexity of the issues with which the parties are grappling, as well as the complex politics surrounding them. Our contacts continue to report that government and MILF negotiators are working diligently to craft a territorial agreement that not only meets with Cabinet and MILF approval, but passes constitutional muster. “We continue to press both sides to come to agreement soon on the significant set of governance, territory, and natural resource issues currently under negotiation. Such an agreement would be a significant milestone and open the field for advocacy and increased attention to security issues in the next stage of negotiations.” |
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We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire...Give us the tools and we will finish the job. Sir Winston Churchill, BBC radio broadcast, 1941 We'll settle this the old navy way: first guy to die, loses. President Thomas 'Tug' Benson, Hot Shots! Part Deux  Raketnye voyska strategicheskogo naznacheniya Rossiyskoy Federatsii 15,000 nukes and enough for another 40,000 | |
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| ni84 | Sep 8 2011, 09:17 AM Post #2 |
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Kindly voice your opinion's on this matter. It is very disturbing. |
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We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire...Give us the tools and we will finish the job. Sir Winston Churchill, BBC radio broadcast, 1941 We'll settle this the old navy way: first guy to die, loses. President Thomas 'Tug' Benson, Hot Shots! Part Deux Raketnye voyska strategicheskogo naznacheniya Rossiyskoy Federatsii 15,000 nukes and enough for another 40,000 | |
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| nonong | Sep 8 2011, 09:32 AM Post #3 |
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Good morning ni84.... The shocking revelations is not good for our international relations. Does the US want to help create a Pan Islamic Jihadist State in Mindanao that would later give them more than a big headache? The MILF has been infected by strong Jihadist influence. There are also external foreign elements of cash funding contributions, arms and other war material support including technology transfer such as IED bomb making. The foreign element also includes trained foreign jihadists supporting them in Mindanao. The Lawmaker from Texas was correct. Blowback happens! |
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"In peace prepare for war, in war prepare for peace. The art of war is of vital importance to the state. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence under no circumstances can it be neglected." -Sun Tzu "Try and try until you die!" - Anonymous | |
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| ni84 | Sep 8 2011, 09:36 AM Post #4 |
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Good morning to you as well my friend. This is very disturbing and scary, as this reveals how the US government operates and brokers peace settlements in our part of the world. |
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We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire...Give us the tools and we will finish the job. Sir Winston Churchill, BBC radio broadcast, 1941 We'll settle this the old navy way: first guy to die, loses. President Thomas 'Tug' Benson, Hot Shots! Part Deux Raketnye voyska strategicheskogo naznacheniya Rossiyskoy Federatsii 15,000 nukes and enough for another 40,000 | |
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| ni84 | Sep 8 2011, 09:39 AM Post #5 |
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These leaks will surely increase the voices and volume of Anti-American thinking in our nation. You and Ron Paul and the others were right that sooner or later these scary revelations will affect our US-RP relations to a point of great strain. |
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We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire...Give us the tools and we will finish the job. Sir Winston Churchill, BBC radio broadcast, 1941 We'll settle this the old navy way: first guy to die, loses. President Thomas 'Tug' Benson, Hot Shots! Part Deux Raketnye voyska strategicheskogo naznacheniya Rossiyskoy Federatsii 15,000 nukes and enough for another 40,000 | |
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| ni84 | Sep 8 2011, 09:50 AM Post #6 |
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I can't believe the American's are involve with the people who terrorize my fellow people in Rio Hondo. If this is how the US gov't works and move about within their allies territories well I can say that we must full back and study carefully our future relationship with the US. |
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We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire...Give us the tools and we will finish the job. Sir Winston Churchill, BBC radio broadcast, 1941 We'll settle this the old navy way: first guy to die, loses. President Thomas 'Tug' Benson, Hot Shots! Part Deux Raketnye voyska strategicheskogo naznacheniya Rossiyskoy Federatsii 15,000 nukes and enough for another 40,000 | |
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| nonong | Sep 8 2011, 09:57 AM Post #7 |
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The political conservatives and the opposition to the creation of an MILF warlord sub-state should send a detailed message to President Obama. They should point out all the flaws to the creation of a sub-state. The probability of a worst case reality scenario of the MILF sub-state mutating into a Pan Islamic Jihadist State is more than 90% given the strong jihadist influence. Don't ask me why the US officials involved want to give them control of strategic resources. It is all about petroleum and natural gas. If the MILF gets full control of these they will be the dominant power to reckon with in Mindanao and the entire region. This will worsen the security situation in that part of the world should it happen. |
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"In peace prepare for war, in war prepare for peace. The art of war is of vital importance to the state. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence under no circumstances can it be neglected." -Sun Tzu "Try and try until you die!" - Anonymous | |
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| ni84 | Sep 8 2011, 09:59 AM Post #8 |
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My Fear levels has jump from 50 to 100000000, I won't be surprise that one day the Sub-state idea will be approve just because the US says that it is OK. |
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We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire...Give us the tools and we will finish the job. Sir Winston Churchill, BBC radio broadcast, 1941 We'll settle this the old navy way: first guy to die, loses. President Thomas 'Tug' Benson, Hot Shots! Part Deux Raketnye voyska strategicheskogo naznacheniya Rossiyskoy Federatsii 15,000 nukes and enough for another 40,000 | |
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| ni84 | Sep 8 2011, 10:06 AM Post #9 |
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No wonder, nations that do not have any good ties with the US get suspicious when US citizens, embassy staff, reporters or diplomats are always accompanied by government minders or followed and monitored by that nations intelligence services. I kind of agree with their tactics in monitoring their e-mail as well as they do not trust the Americans. |
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We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire...Give us the tools and we will finish the job. Sir Winston Churchill, BBC radio broadcast, 1941 We'll settle this the old navy way: first guy to die, loses. President Thomas 'Tug' Benson, Hot Shots! Part Deux Raketnye voyska strategicheskogo naznacheniya Rossiyskoy Federatsii 15,000 nukes and enough for another 40,000 | |
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| nonong | Sep 8 2011, 10:09 AM Post #10 |
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The conservatives and opposition to the creation of a MILF sub-state should unite, consult and come up with a complan. Domestic and International media resources should be tapped so that the world will know what is really happening in Mindanao. Press releases should be made in newspapers, TV and broadcast media. When the MILF uses undemocratic propaganda threats and lies in their press releases then let us answer with the truth. It will take money but there are a lot of stakeholders in Mindanao. The entire country's future is at stake. |
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"In peace prepare for war, in war prepare for peace. The art of war is of vital importance to the state. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence under no circumstances can it be neglected." -Sun Tzu "Try and try until you die!" - Anonymous | |
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