[Originally published June 6, 2012]
“They can come here provided they have prior coordination from the government,” Filipino Under Secretary for Defense Affairs Honorio Azcueta announced shortly after his meeting with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey on Monday.
“That’s what [the Philippines] want ... increase in exercises and interoperability” with U.S. forces, Azcueta said, according to reports by the Philippine Star.
Azcueta's announcement opens the door for the first American military deployments to Clark Air Force Base and the naval base in Subic Bay since DOD officially shuttered the facilities in 1991 and 1992, respectively.
The deal to reopen Subic Bay and Clark Air Force Base was struck during Dempsey's visit to the Asia-Pacific region to attend the Shangri-La defense talks held in Singapore last Saturday.
Dempsey and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta used the three-day conference among top U.S. and international defense officials to sell the White House's new Pacific-focused national security strategy to its regional allies.
In March, the Obama administration opted to triple the amount of military funding to the Philippines as U.S. forces look to expand their foothold in the country.
In April, DOD officials agreed to relocate 9,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam and other outposts in the Pacific. It remains unclear whether those displaced Marines will end up on Filipino soil.
Monday's basing agreement also comes months after Manila announced plans to build a new seaport in the Spratly Islands, off the coast of the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam in the South China Sea.
Local residents claim the seaport is the first step in creating a mini-naval base for U.S. and Filipino troops. The Philippine government claims the effort is strictly designed to support commercial business and tourism to the island.
More here
[The Spratley Islands is the location of the controversial airfield and military facilities newly-created by the Chinese. --Editor]
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"..the seaport is the first step in creating a mini-naval base for U.S. and Filipino troops.."
ReplyDeleteThere's little doubt that this is what the conflict is all about. Obama tried to make a move on the South China Sea back in 2012, and the Chinese ate his lunch.
This is the typical inexperience of the Obama administration's 'foreign policy experts'. Bumbling, inept stuff that will take decades to fix.
And now the Chinese have deployed SERIOUS anti-aircraft missiles and fighter jets to the Spratley Islands military complex they've built.
It will be an ugly scene..
Obama will send the elite of elite to curb this activity. The Ultra Special forces consisting of ladies and gays.
ReplyDeleteMakes me wonder what Hillary would do?
This is a surprise , these people are 95% Christians . Obama has something up his sleeve with muslim intentions.
ReplyDeleteThis could put a whole lot of off-base hookers back to work.
ReplyDeleteOf course, most of them are over fifty years old now.