With Us or Against Us

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With Us or Against Us Page 41

by Tony Judt

in the press at the time). In November 1994, the Pentagon, with Ramos’s

  support, proposed to broaden the limited access agreement of 1992 with

  an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) giving the U.S.

  military rights in the Philippines, and the use of Philippine territory as a

  launching pad for possible U.S. intervention.

  32. Under the name of the annual Balikatan (Shoulder-to-Shoulder) Military

  Exercise, 1200 Philippine troops and 660 U.S. troops engaged in a

  * * *

  242

  F arish A. Noor

  six months to one year joint military operations against the Abu Sayyaf.

  Previous Philippine-U.S.military exercises in various parts of Luzon and

  Mindoro have avoided areas of rebel or dissident operations, obviously,

  to prevent a deeper involvement by U.S. forces in internal conflicts. Even

  at the height of U.S. military activity on the U.S. bases in the 1960s and

  1970s, U.S. military forces kept a low profile in the counter-insurgency

  campaign in the surrounding Central Luzon provinces. American troops

  deployed in the Philippines thus far, between 2001 and 2003, include: in

  late 2001—Initial military presence: 250 American troops based all over

  the country to help with counter-insurgency work, training, and intelli-

  gence gathering; most operatives based in Basilan and southern island

  provinces; in late-2001–early-2002—additional 660 American troops,

  including 160 Special Operations Forces (SOFs), Navy SEALS units, and

  Green Beret commandos. Used as U.S. contingent in U.S.-Philippines

  Balikatan joint exercise with Abu Sayyaf as live human targets. Mostly

  based in Southern Mindanao; and American forces that have been picked

  for their expertise in counter-terrorism. They are licensed to conduct

  covert and overt operations given the fact that some of them are operatives

  of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and other U.S. spy networks

  wearing soldier’s uniform.

  33. Quoted in BBC, US Pledges Troops for Philippines, May 19, 2003 (BBC

  world service—BBC.co.uk).

  34. See Five-Power Defence Group Shifts it Focus to Terrorism (Malaysiakini.com,

  June 2, 2003).

  35. See BBC, US Pledges Troops for Philippines, May 19, 2003 (BBC world

  service—BBC.co.uk).

  36. See BBC, Schools Torched in Aceh Conflict, May 20, 2003 (BBC world

  service—BBC.co.uk).

  37. See Malaysia–US Ties Heading Towards New Low, Warns US Envoy

  (Malaysiakini.com, May 29, 2003).

  Reports

  Growing American-Philippine Military and Diplomatic Co-operation and its

  Impact on Malaysia/ASEAN. Background report for ABIM Bureau of

  International Affairs (ABIM/BIA/Rep.no.02/0203/ Philippines-US).

  * * *

  Document Outline

  Cover

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Notes on Contributors

  Introduction: The Banality of Anti-Americanism

  1 A New Master Narrative? Reflections on Contemporary Anti-Americanism

  2 Anti-Americanism and Americanophobia: A French Perspective

  3 Anti-Americanism in French and European Public Opinion

  4 Is There a New Anti-Americanism? Reflections on Germany in Times of Global Simultaneity

  5 America’s Best Friends in Europe: East-Central European Perceptions and Policies toward the United States

  6 The Special Russian Way: The Origin and Evolution of Russian Perceptions about the United States

  7 Saudi Perceptions of the United States since 9/11

  8 The Palestinian Perception of America after 9/11

  9 Anti-Americanism in Pakistan

  10 Three Sources of Anti-Americanism in Iran

  11 Uncle Sam to the Rescue? The Political Impact of American Involvement in ASEAN Security and Political Issues in the Wake of 9/11

  * * *

 

 

 


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