Center for a New American Security

Its all well and nice that

Its all well and nice that Andrew admires Sir Mark's love of Arabic poetry and falconry and wrote about their splendid culture, but what does that have anything to do with the absolutely despicable act of negotiating for a release of a convicted terrorists under the false grounds of 'medical pardon'. Megrahi is living like a sultan with government largesse, in freedom, while the families of Lockerbie victims have no power to bring this killer back to prison.

Andrew, can you explain why you have such an admiration for this man who knowingly negotiated the release of a mass murderer (assuming the allegations are true), besides his love of Arabic poetry. Sometimes the enamor of a particular culture can lead one to cloud his judgment and common sense.

Johnny Ringo: My fight's not

Johnny Ringo: My fight's not with you, Holliday.
Doc Holliday: I beg to differ, sir. We started a game we never got to finish. "Play for Blood," remember?
Johnny Ringo: Oh that. I was just foolin' about.
Doc Holliday: I wasn't.

Reminds me of our own

Reminds me of our own American Sir Mark: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNgCyDsvi84 (Sir Duane)

AM, you should make this

AM, you should make this your theme for RFC's Casino Night next week, 007/Casino Royale and have life size pictures of various Gentlemen spies that managed to fuck up the world one way or another.

There were so many hot girls without panties last year. Did you notice that, AM? I think half of them started out wearing panties and as the night unfolded, MIA. I think the red head in the leopard dress had a dildo in her purse. I hope next week will be as crazy.

http://www.filhistory.com/201

http://www.filhistory.com/2010/05/45-acp-1911-history-moro-filipino-bolo...

before the 5.56 vs 7.62 debate there was the .38 and .45 debate, more like 'Where the hell is the .45?!!!'

Mula kay Augusto V. de Viana

Mula kay Augusto V. de Viana ng Manila Times, sa artikulong "What ifs in Philippine History" --

What if Basilan remained under France?

"In 1844 negotiations were made with the Sultan of Sulu and the French to buy Basilan island for 100,000 francs. The island was to be used as a trading post. However the French were never able to claim control of the island because of hostile Moros led by Datu Usak. It was suspected that the ignorance of the local customs and language as well as the natives' violent predisposition was responsible for the clashes with the French.

"A party of three Frenchmen was abducted and later released with the intercession of the Spanish governor of Zamboanga after a payment of 2,000 piastres and 1,000 piastres worth of supplies were given to the abductors.

"The French sent troops to hunt down Usak but were never able to capture or kill him. For the first year the French had to spend 2.5 million francs to suppress piracy around the island and 1.7 million francs to make the colony livable. King Louis Philippe reversed the decision to buy the island on July 26, 1845.

"The French preoccupation in Algeria, the inadequacy of the location and the presence of pirates were the reasons for the decision. Spain and England also opposed French moves to colonize the island. Had the French remained in Basilan, the natives, including the Abu Sayyaf bandits, would be speaking French."

Timeline of the 1st Battle

Timeline of the 1st Battle of Bud Dajo - 1906

January 31
The War Department places Major General Leonard Wood in command of all US Army forces in the Philippine Islands and orders Moro Province be turned over the next day to Brigadier General Tasker Bliss. But Wood writes in his diary, "I shall hold on to affairs [longer] in the Moro Province...as there are a number of things to complete before turning things over...the presence [and defiance] of a considerable number of discontented people in the crater and on the slopes of Bud Dajo."

February 9
From Zamboanga, Captain George Langhorne, Wood's Aide de Camp, writes a letter to Wood in Manila urging an immediate attack on Bud Dajo, adding, "They will probably have to be exterminated." Langhorne's plan is to secretly offer a bribe and pardon to Adam, leader of the smallest group, if he will convince his followers to "stand aside" as an American column creeps up the South trail in the dead of night to surprise and annihilate the other two groups at dawn. Langhorne recommends the attack should proceed regardless of whether Adam can be persuaded to betray his compatriots or not.

February 17
Wood adopts the recommendation, "This is a ridiculous little affair from every standpoint and should be brought to an end...clean it up." For the next two weeks in secret, Wood cuts and issues orders for the movement of troops and transports to Jolo--blatantly violating a standing order from the Secretary of War, and endorsed by the White House, that specified advance approval must be obtained from Washington for any military expedition and/or planned combat action against the Moros.

March 2
Having arrived in Zamboanga a few days earlier, Wood designates Colonel Joseph Duncan of the 6th Infantry Regiment as his field commander, with orders to crush the "armed rebellion." Duncan, four infantry companies of the 6th Infantry, and an ad hoc company from the Moro Constabulary depart for Jolo before the day is out.

March 3
Duncan arrives in Jolo and adds most of the Jolo garrison, one company of the 6th Infantry, a machinegun squad, two troops of the 4th Cavalry Regiment, and the 28th Battery of the Field Artillery, to his command, That night two companies of the 19th Infantry Regiment and two troops of the 4th Cavalry arrive from Malabang. The officers of the newly-formed expedition are informed of their mission and briefed while viewing a clay model of Bud Dajo.

March 4
A reconnaissance is made on horseback by Duncan and the principal officers of the expedition, during which base camp positions and artillery locations are selected. But while their maps indicate a 360-degree route through the maze of interconnecting trails that encircle the base of the mountain, they are unsuccessful in locating a path between the South and East trailheads. That night, Duncan issues field orders splitting the expedition into four sub-commands; three separate assault columns, one each for the West, South, and East trails, and a fourth column under his direct command consisting of headquarters staff, the field hospital, the Signal Corps detachment, the 28th Battery with four mountain guns, and a "Flying Squad" of two troops of the 4th Cavalry.

Macabebe scouts and their

Macabebe scouts and their reputation
By DR. JOHN ALAN LARKIN

ONE OF the first pieces of Philippine folklore (tsismis?) I heard when I began my research in 1963 was the dubious contention that “the Pampangos were untrustworthy.” Untrustworthy about what was not immediately evident, but the notion seems to have had its origin when 81 Macabebe Scouts were instrumental in the capture of Emilio Aguinaldo in Palanan, Isabela, in March 1901. They used the daring ruse of bringing supposed American prisoners into General Aguinaldo’s secret camp and then turning on the Philippine president, thus helping to bring the war to a conclusion. So the story of the untrustworthy Pampango started in the Republican nationalist lore of the turn of the century. What needs to be emphasized, however, is that the actions of those particular Macabebes did not reflect the attitude of most Capampangans towards the struggle going on at the time.

Two points should be made about the incident at Palanan to put it in perspective. First of all, the action reveals the cleverness and bravery of the Macabebe Scouts who were experienced soldiers with a long history of military service. Second, the Scouts were mercenary troops, soldiers who served different governments for wages. Born as a force of resistance against the Spanish, the soldiers of Pampanga, and Macabebe in particular, used their military skills as a means of livelihood during the colonial period. One of the conditions under Spanish domination was the necessity to develop a diverse economy, and mercenary service was just one way to make a living, along with crafts, trading and farming. For example, it was the Capampangan Pandaypira who cast brass canons for Spanish ships.

The history of the Macabebes as soldiers harks back to the time of Spanish conquest of the Philippines. In June 1571, troops from that town, one of the earliest of the province’s known historical settlements, served under Rajah Soliman, perhaps from Lubao, against Spanish forces in Tondo, under the command of Martin de Goiti. The Spaniards must have been impressed by the military prowess of the Pampangos for, three years later, after the conquest of Pampanga, the colonials employed natives of the area in the defense of Manila against the pirate Limahong. Thus began some four centuries of Pampango professional military service, and troops from Macabebe and its later off-shoot Masantol formed a significant part of those contingents.

The record of the Capampangans as soldiers in the colonial service is a long and durable one. Units from other ethno-linguistic groups, including Visayans (Cebuanos and Negrenses among them), Ilocanos, Samals and Tagalogs, also served under Spanish command; however, the Pampangos seem to have been the ones with the most professional reputation and experience. Consider just the known service from the Spanish era. In 1603 and 1640 they assisted the Spanish in exerting control over the Chinese community in Manila. They served in Mindanao and the Moluccas against the Moros and the Dutch, and they helped repel the British invasion of the 1760s. It should be recalled that Bacolor was the Spanish capital, ably defended by Capampangan contingents, while the English controlled Manila.

The reward for such service could be substantial. In the 1660s, Don Juan Macapagal received the lofty title of maestre de campo and an encomienda for raising troops to suppress a local rebellion and later to fend off a threatened invasion by the Chinese pirate Koxinga. Macapagal was one of the only natives to be so honored.

In the mid-19th century Pampangos joined the Spanish and French in the invasion of Vietnam, ostensibly to defend the Catholic missionary enterprise in that kingdom. Little has been written about this military action by the natives of Pampanga during this campaign and the subject would make a good research topic for some enterprising scholar with a grasp of French and Spanish.

Given this history of dedicated, professional service, it is not surprising that the Macabebes, under Colonial Eugenio Blanco, should have been enlisted to defend the Spanish cause at the time of the Revolution and, later to soldier for the United States during the Philippine-American War. It was a matter of vocation, not politics. The whole question of loyalty in the province to the Malolos government is a complex one, and demands extended treatment elsewhere. Here I can suggest that the Macabebes had an occupation which they pursued in a competent (if harsh), experienced fashion.

During the American period the Macabebe Scouts continued their service and formed the backbone of the Philippine Scouts. Many of their successors belonged to units that made the heroic stand at Bataan in defense of the Philippine Commonwealth. That tradition of professional soldiering continued into the post-World War II era. This pride of service is expressed in the following quote by Marcelino Paras from “The 1964 Masantol Yearbook” of the town fiesta:

It is with deep pride to note that this is a town of bold warriors and brave soldiers. As early as June 6, 1570 (sic) when the Spaniards under the leadership of Martin de Goiti came to Manila to impose the Spanish sovereignty in our country, they were met by Rajah Soliman, reputedly a native of this place, and a handful of bold warriors from Macabebe. The Masantoleno as a soldier saw action in three wars, namely, the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II. As a soldier he is second to none in gallantry and bravery under fire, earning for himself medals of honor which he could leave as worthy legacy to his children. With the coming of the Americans who implanted the seeds of democracy in our soil, he served under the American flag in all these wars. He saw action in Bataan and Corregidor. He joined the infamous “death march”. During the enemy occupation, he joined the guerrilla movement, more particularly the two outstanding guerrilla organizations the 320th Squadron (LGAF) under Major Robert Lapham, and the Banal Regiment, under Alejandro Poblete, alias Jose Banal. It is no wonder that today, there are some 570 checks that pour into the town monthly, amounting to P250,000, more or less. These are pensions for our disabled veterans and their dependents.

Clearly the people of Macabebe and Masantol take pride and feel loyal to their calling.

The reputation of the Capampangan for duplicity is obviously undeserved. Like any other group in the Philippines they were forced to make some compromises with colonialism. But in the case of soldiering the Pampangos used their skills in ways that ultimately reflected well on the province. Professional soldiering is an ancient profession, practiced by colonial and non-colonial peoples alike. It should not be confused with patriotism.

Grow up, Dr. Foust!!!

Grow up, Dr. Foust!!!

Dr Joshua est un homo

Dr Joshua est un homo soumis. Il écrit des choses dégoûtantes des soldats français. Nous le savons. Nous savons aussi qu'il est un homme malade. Même les gars dans les zones ne l'baisent pas, peu importe combien il mendie pour cela.

It says something about some

It says something about some submissive homo doctor who can't even give it away to hard-up dudes in the ghetto. Clearly a Mexican tragedy of homo love gone wrong for a poor doctor who appears to disgust people.

Did you watch "Glee" tonite,

Did you watch "Glee" tonite, Josh? I know it was a rerun, but Kurt sure does look cute don't he? He'll be good for Bacha Bazi in the old country. They'll love him long time there, no?

AM, everything you said

AM, everything you said praising Sir Mark was, albeit with different references, probably said about Sir Anthony Blunt, KCVO, late of MI-5, who had a night gig working for the KGB. Color me unsurprised that a member of the nobility (here or in Britain) would sell out Western Civilization to the forces of barbarism.

It is not so much the idea

It is not so much the idea that generates interest and debate but the varying interpretations of how the concept might be translated into practice. Toowaydirect.com