The Dangerous islands: killing spree continues

Another day another set of ambushes and killings on both the left and right side of the philippine street- also yesterday. A Killing in the middle of the road- another Journalist wrote 30.

Two were gunned down in Mindanao. Two were shot and one killed in Pangasinan

The NPA meanwhile denies there is a purge on … killings are being blamed on all sides and new shadowy groups as well.

Gen. Avalino Razon has his hands full; but he is resourceful- his work is credited for the capture of the likes of Ramsey youseff and others even across borders - so am sure something will come of his investigation.

the targeted killings have been something of a daily occurance so far this year - its happening on all sides of the politcal sepctrum, media also is not spared. So we all balance our reports well… not knowing if what we write or report will put us some strange groups list.

A good sample of balanced reporting and comentary s Dan Mariano's column

I wonder how long the average New York or Los Angeles Journo would last in this environment?

May 17th, 2006 | Uncategorized, news, News and politics, asia, war on terror, war, philippines, Rants, Raves, Whathaveyou..., freedom of speech, republican, al qaeda, Palawan, abu sayyaf, fil-am, filipino-american, Jemaah Islamiah

The dangerous life is back...

Terror from all sides: Mass Graves reported; Purge w/in NPA ranks claims Military, Gov’t - while left claims 93 militants killed by right wing death squads.

Last Friday I put up a post after getting two calls and couple of text messages from Mindanao. Another call came from Tarlac,

Today the first media reports on 'mass grave s' having been found one containing as many as 20 murdered victims, 20 victims, nothing reported in the so called mainstream press or television; Why? good question, perhaps because so many killings are taking place 93 militants, I can't even remember how many people anymore in my profession, journalism in the last two years.

This discovery came after a couple of text messages and emails, the CDO mass grave contained a number of victims; in media we know about this occurring the late and mid 1980's BUT these graves contents I am told were New.

The grave(s) alleged the caller were victims of a left wing purge inside the leftist movement, or, so the first caller claimed - a report today in the Philippine Star - said that the Armed forces according to national security advisor Norberto Gonzales had recovered a series of small graves and that Police and the NBI were investigating;

That a NBI medico Legal teams was on site; the findings showed the contents to have been from the last few months. On the other hand I am sure there is always a possibility of some extent of truth to the Military's reports. But, with all the other killings many in broad daylight the tactics of 'right wing' militia like attacks. One wonders just how many more sites are out there awaiting discovery from too many factions within armed groups to mention.

The discovery also is coming on heels of 93 deaths of leftist group members in the country shows a pattern of a 'dark side' of insurgency is rising to the surface.

Of assassination teams on the right and left some perhaps also might group in those of the middle or Vigilante groups- adding all those numbers and bodies and you get a figure of over 600 victims in the last three years more or less.

Groups it seems are 'taking out' opponents with impunity. Add to this the specter of reports I had received last year of new "sparrow type" and 'eagle squad' units being trained by all sides and factions from rebel groups to militia units and a specter of a new wave of violence is coming to fold.

So far, the opposing death squads seem to be focusing on people within the organizations on both sides - so Military, Media, and, Police reports claim. On wonders when the squads will go after more visible targets, so far the units have been acting on localized vendettas and attacks, there is no clear pattern investigators say; But so far little of this is being pulled together.

Lets take the last week alone- a pastor and his wife were gunned down in Misamais oriental he had ties to a labor group, a 6 members of leftist 'peoples' groups killed, these new graves discovered with some fifty bodies, 5 more reports in rural areas of killings and shootings, a mayor almost hit south of manila in Laguna.

One thing is clear - there is a growth industry - in death by gunfire this month. Most of it out of public view, all of it on top of insurgency related clashes and attacks, then don't forget the other insurgency in Mindanao. The violence is growing; lets hope as is traditional the rainy season cools off the killings. Even though the rains themselves bring death from floods and landslides and ships sinking - the purges, death squads, and vigilantes show clearly that; 'The dangerous life' is back in the Philippines anew.

May 15th, 2006 Posted by mikeinmanila | Uncategorized, news, News and politics, asia, war on terror, Views, philippines, immigration, Filipino, Bush, Rants, Raves, Whathaveyou..., al qaeda, abu sayyaf, filipino-american

The Gulf News based in Dubai ran a online poll asking readers of their website where they thought Osama Bin Laden was the survey although unofficial and only a on-line readers poll says on May 7th that 51% of readers who voted say Osama is America with a number of people leaving comments. Some saying he is Texas. Also on the list Pakistan 30% Afghanistan 12% and 7.20 per cent say 'elsewhere'.

http://www.gulfnews.com/polls/results/previous.html

From the Gulf News: Dubai: If you ask people where they think Osama Bin Laden was hiding, the answer would inevitably be Afghanistan or Pakistan. But for some reason, a large number of readers surveyed online believe he is hiding in the United States. In the Gulf News online survey done on May 7, 30 per cent of the responders said Pakistan was the terrorist's likely hiding place. Only 12 per cent said Afghanistan, while 51 per cent said it was the United States.

To double check whether people on the streets are equally paranoid and think on the same lines, Gulf News caught some unwary shoppers and asked them the question. While some people said they would rather not comment on the subject, a large number also believe he is in the United States, as according to them, Bin Laden was once "created" by America. A Dubai resident said people think he is in the United States, "because he was working for them before", said Daniella Paderi. "And now he has gone back home." The expatriate said catching Osama was not important.

"There are more important things to worry about, as the war in Iraq," she said. Hassan Ali, an Egyptian expatriate in Abu Dhabi, said Bin Laden was most probably in Texas (home of US President George Bush). "That's where he is running his family business now," he said. "All the media fuss is make-believe. He probably has coffee daily with American officials." Khalid Ahmad in Abu Dhabi also believes Bin Laden is in America.

"I am sure they already know where he is," he said. The response changes when an European or a non-Arab expatriate is asked the same question. Welma Williams said it is highly unlikely Bin Laden is in the United States.

She said the online response was to create a feeling of fear and insecurity among the American people. "He is moving around all the time. He can't be in one place," she said. "Catching him is important. We have to examine the whole school of thought behind the terrorist acts. It is more important to understand why it happened," she said.

One expatriate who did not wish to be identified, said she does not think about such things. "Life has to go on. You can't live in fear all the time," she said. Andy Sheekey said people thought Bin Laden was in the United States because of paranoia. He also felt it was because of a "complete lack of trust in the judicial system.

Cracking down on poverty is probably the major thing that needs to be done (rather than hunting him down)". Asked where in the United States would the terrorist likely be, he said "Washington". John Churchill Jnr. from England felt people were "misinformed" when they said he was in America. "I can't think why he would be there when he is on their number one wanted list.

He would be among his people," he said. Yasmin Ali, an American, felt Bin Laden was in Pakistan because reports say so. "If he was in the United States, he would be somewhere in the backwaters. People probably wish he was in the United States." Gary Hansard had no idea why people would think such a thing.

"It's important for the Iraqi people that he is caught," he said. Hussain Al Saeedi, an Egyptian teacher living in Abu Dhabi, said Osama was is in Afghanistan. Sana Shaikh, a teacher from Pakistan, said he is in Afghanistan while Larry from the Philippines said he was in Pakistan. Mohammad Junad, a 26-year-old bank employee from India, felt that Bin Laden is most probably dead. "All the videos we see of him are all fake."

DRUDGE Report: Arnold says no to troops on border…

Matt Drudge is reporting - Arnold Schwarzenegger - who as a child in cold war post WW2 Austria knows more about troops on the border than half of congress - he like most children of the cold war europe.

They have seen from a generation before them; first hand what it means to have troops on a border and walls. It is so ironic that American Congressmen are planning to build a wall and put up troops.

For what? So some day Fidel or Chavez can stand on the other side in Tijauana and scream "MR. Bush- tear down that wall…" it will be more than just the image of troops that is bad it will be the thought that a land of Immigrants will be putting up walls and saying NBo more- we are closed- you are not wanted.

This issue is going to strain many ties and points of view- troops- on the border or minutemen oir even a wall are not the answers- real reform of immgration laws is what is needed. Arnold is right…
MATT DRUDGE:

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has come out against putting National Guard troops on the border, as President Bush will suggest on Monday night in a nationally televised speech. Read more »

May 13th, 2006 Posted by mikeinmanila | Uncategorized, news, News and politics, News Of China, asia, war on terror, Views, war, philippines, Democrats, immigration, Bush, Rants, Raves, Whathaveyou..., freedom of speech, protests, republican, border security, free speech, fil-am, filipino-american

‘Killing field’ mass grave uncovered in Northern Mindanao

A mass grave was unearthed south of Cagayan De Oro city in Mindanao a report reaching manila has said.

A investigation team is at the scene of the site. It is still unclear which group may be responcible for the area, Many of these mass graves are unearthed. Some contain victims of purges or execution styled killings.

A number of mass graves unearthed in the past. Most contained the remains of suspected victims of internal strife within the rebel groups- however- in some cases the victims were seen as possible deaths from combat who were hurredly burreid. It is unclaer exactly which group may be responcible for the site.

The Government has dispatched a team of investigators to the area as well as non-government human rights groups. The 40 year insurgency with the Maoist-Marxist New Peoples Army and the Government has been blamed for over 100,000 deaths over the last nealry 40 years.

A team member at the site believes the grave is recent - if this is true it would be a major discovery. However experts caution to wait for the forensics investigation to check on the site which is in a remote wooded area.

May 12th, 2006 Posted by mikeinmanila | Uncategorized, news, News and politics, pirates, asia, war on terror, terrorism, Views, philippines, immigration, border security, fil-am, filipino-american, Jemaah Islamiah

Indon 'Pirates?' nabbed in cebu - bomb attempt foiled

Indonesian ‘Pirates?’ arrested with dead body in central Philippines

Authorities in the central Philippine city of Cebu have detained several Indonesian men believed by a Police liaison officer of the Indonesian police based in manila to be members of a “sea jacking” operation that sells stolen sea craft in other ASEAN countries.

The men currently in custody after Police happened to see them putting the dead body of a companion into a taxi cab; (death cause still under investigation but seen as ‘natural’)
A report in the regional Sun-Star newspaper says police at first had thought the men to be terrorists possibly from ‘Jemaah Islamiah’ but coordination by local Police with Manila revealed the men to be suspect “sea-jackers”- who were trying to allegedly sell a vessel in the port of Cebu that is reportedly stolen - or ‘sea-jacked.”

The men are most likely to be deported or turned over to Indonesian authorities and repatriated back to Indonesia.

Technically ‘seajacks’ are pirates- but there is difference- pirates steal vessels rob crews and usually kill all aboard or force them into abandoning ship and or jumping the sea..

Seajacks- often times do not use violence- but merely steal a vessel to sell it either by sneaking into a port and taking the ship or fishing vessel - or by signing on as crewmen and later selling the vessel they report as having been ’sunk or lost at sea’

More here: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/index.html

Meanwhile: some sectors are asking that the Indonesian men be held for further investigation in the wake of a sudden attempt to plant a bomb in a shopping mall in the same city.
Two men believed to be a Abu Sayyaf or Jemaah Islamiah bombers who were shot and killed thursday night in downtown cebu city near a major shopping mall.

The men were stopped by security - when the bag they were carrying had raised suspicion of a securty guard. The two men shot it out with Police both were killed. A SWAT team found two RPG granades and a timing device in a bag they were carrying including butane and other devices.

May 12th, 2006 Posted by mikeinmanila | Uncategorized, news, News and politics, pirates, News Of China, asia, terrorism, philippines, immigration, Rants, Raves, Whathaveyou..., border security, abu sayyaf, fil-am, filipino-american, Jemaah Islamiah

The police block Serging Osmena St. at the Cebu City North Reclamation Area after what police called a shootout between two armed men and pursuing police. The two men were identified as the ones who had left a bag at the mall. The bag, police said, contained two rifle grenades, vutane, and a timer.(Sun.star photo/Amper Campaña)

Repost from SUN STAR website men were stopped by police and fired shots at officers a shootout ensued both men were killed- Police SWAT team found IED bomb making kit in a bag with two RPG's a timing device and butune canisters.

Estrada: US intel sent to him was all media clippings?

The words speak volumes for the information the US government sought to almost send a FBI analyst to the death chamber for- but relented to lower prison term.
According to former President Joseph Estrada, when informed the US government prosecutors had reached plea bargain deal with Lean Arangoncillo - in his "Spy case" in Washington DC.

Estrada told newspapers in the Philippines;

" For his part, Estrada maintained the information he received from Aragoncillo were public knowledge. "
So what does this tell you about the level of US intel in the country - ""Let me just say that when this case first made the local papers, I readily admitted that I received e-mails from Mr. Aragoncillo which I believe were not confidential because this information was mostly culled from local newspaper clippings," Estrada told. the Philippine Star...
"There was nothing secret about this information (from Aragoncillo) which dealt mostly with political developments in the Philippines, and everyone had access to those media reports," he added.

In hindsight knowing from having interviewed this man - that when quickly asked questions on issues Estrada does not very often mince words. In a simple way he has given insight to something though - that US intel is feed and fueled by media reports and public domain information. Ergo- the intel was not that good.... so if the information was so sensitive as to force this man out and perhaps put him in Leavenworth for the next decade or so.

What does it tell you about the information the FBI and White House has on the country? Also what about other parts of the world?

OK, he may not even know it - but "Erap" may have just let out a assessment of Intel capabilities without intending to.