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The presence of the aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald
Reagan and its warships, in Philippine waters is not only a mockery
of the Constitution but is also a form of intimidation and
opportunism by the US forces in pushing its own agenda here in the
Philippines.
It is a clear example of
opportunism when they sent in their warship in the pretext of
helping disaster areas when it really pulled out from Hong Kong a
day earlier because it feared the effects of Typhoon Frank. It used
the calamity and the humanitarian and relief efforts ongoing in the
Western Visayas region to proceed towards our territorial waters.
Some may have missed the subtle
message of intimidation in the warship’s deployment to President
Gloria Arroyo while she visited the US: To not ask too much or else
face the reality that an aircraft carrier group’s main purpose is
to wage war and flex military might and not to effect humanitarian
aid.
Not only is an aircraft carrier
group in our territory overkill, it runs counter to the spirit of
the anti-nuclear weapons provisions of the Constitution. After much
public outcry, the president ordered off the warship from our waters
and the US ambassador quoted their policy of nuclear weapons
deployment to stave off questions regarding the presence of nuclear
weapons in their warship. Small airlifts and ships continue to move
back and forth from the carrier bringing in troops and materials to
Western Visayas.
An aircraft carrier group is a
mobile military base that can project military might over a big area
in the ocean. The USS Ronald Reagan group has more air and naval
power than most Asean members. Its presence in the region, and now
in our country, reflect the need for the US to project visible and
psychological presence and underline their “commitment.” Overt
military presence is a reminder that one does not need formal
political control over a territory to exercise political and
economic control over a country.
It can be likened to a loaded gun
pointed at the government and to us as a people. Its message: Take
our “aid” whether you want it or need it. US presence
intimidates and gives coercive power for them to gain concessions
from the host country and allows it to interfere, in most cases with
impunity, in internal affairs.
The forward positioning of US
presence does not only ensure that it can provide timely and rapid
intervention but also serves as forward tripwires, guaranteeing US
intervention in a crisis. In previous wars, US military presence is
usually seen as a precursor to intervention and war. That the US
calls the Philippines its “second front in the war against
terror” and that it has periodic and overlapping joint exercises
with it is not an accident, it does this to strengthen its position
in this country and in Southeast Asia.
Access agreements such as Mutual
Logistics Support Agreements or Acquisition Cross-Servicing
Agreements make available the use of host nation resources to
support the day-to-day and future operational requirements of the
US. They also provide support for joint training and exercises,
“constabulary” operations, humanitarian and disaster relief
operations. These provide the US access to basing and infrastructure
necessary for its force projection without the need to establish
permanent presence.
In South Korea, Japan, the
Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and
Australia, access to key host nation facilities, ports and airfields
are critical to the US security objectives in the Asia-Pacific. The
Changi Naval Station allows US naval combatants and includes a pier,
which can accommodate US aircraft carriers. Thailand is an important
refueling and transit point for operations in the Indian Ocean and
the Arabian Gulf. Australia has long provided key access to
facilities for US unilateral and combined exercises. The US makes 60
to 80 port calls per year to Hong Kong for minor ship maintenance
and repair.
We do need international aid at
this time but we do not need the opportunistic military projection
by the forces of the US. If the US government and other countries
are indeed serious in helping out, they should instead focus in
supporting our civilian disaster efforts by providing material and
technical assistance.
You would close your doors on a
gun-toting thug who want to enter your home, even if he is saying
that he wants to help you. In this case, it is in these times of
national tragedy that we should exercise national sovereignty in
asking for international help. We should not allow the emergency to
be used as an excuse for other countries to push their own agenda.
Dr. Giovanni Tapang,
chairperson of AGHAM, a progressive scientists group, can be reached
at prom.bound@gmail.com
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