Reading 5

U.S. Involvement in the Philippines

Michel Goldberg wrote an article for saloon.com about the recent U.S. involvement in the Philippines. In the article he interviewed Chalmers Johnson, "who wrote the acclaimed book "Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire" and taught for 30 years at the University of California." He believes that the U.S. government is using the excuse of the war on terrorism as a way to get U.S troops back in the Philippines. He said that the Islamic groups kidnap civilians and hold them for a high ransom. He said that terrorist terrorize a large group of the population. This groups are criminals, however the U.S. used the word terrorist not criminals.

This is similar to what is going on in Iraq because the U.S. government used the excuse of the war on terror to go into Iraq. According to president Bush Suddam is supporting members of the Al Quida. However Osama Bin Ladden was in Afganistan and many members of Al Quida where also living in that country. Yet Bush did not focus on Afganistan.

Why does the U.S. government say that we need to go into Iraq to stop the terrorist when there are also terrorist in other countries?

Why have we not heard much about the Philippine conflict?

How did this conflict begin?