The US and the Philippines yesterday launched joint military exercises to stamp out the Muslim extremist "scourge" in the country's south, as the US' war against terror expanded from Afghanistan.
Armed Filipino soldiers stood beside sandbags at the gates of the southern Philippine military headquarters in Zamboanga city amid tight security as the exercises got under way in a simple ceremony attended by diplomats and senior military officers.
The heavy security was apparently prompted by intelligence reports that unidentified groups planned to disrupt the controversial exercises.
Further north in Mount Pinatubo, 90km northwest of Manila, Philippine troops recovered the body of an American man believed killed by communist guerrillas late on Wednesday.
Army Colonel Jose Mabanta said the dead American and his wounded German companion, who was rescued, were believed to have been ambushed by armed communist guerrillas, perhaps in protest of the joint US-Philippine military exercises.
"Our suspects are members of the NPA," Mabanta said, referring to the communist hit-squad, the New Peoples' Army. The NPA has warned US soldiers that they risked being kidnapped if they encroached on their territory.
In Zamboanga, acting US Ambassador Robert Fitts told soldiers: "We are here to launch a round of exercises and training designed to enhance the capabilities of both our armed forces and to help the Armed Forces of the Philippines hone their skills to eliminate the Abu Sayyaf scourge."
The US has linked the Abu Sayyaf guerrillas to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network. The exercises, planned to last for at least six months, will involve about 3,800 Filipinos and some 600 Americans. About 160 US Special Forces soldiers will join Filipinos in training patrols in the jungles of Basilan island, some 900km south of Manila, where the Abu Sayyaf has been holding a US couple and a Filipina nurse hostage for more than eight months.
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS