Another front in the 'war on terror'. posted by Richard Seymour

I said it a while ago - who dares to doubt me? Well, I hinted anyway that US 'military advisors' operating in the Philippines would probably end up fighting a counterrevolutionary warfare. Their capacity as 'advisors' is due to a clause in the Philippines constitution that foreign soldiers are not allowed to fight there. Could be something to do with centuries of imperial tutelage, a brutal American occupation, and Japanese invasion during World War II, I don't know. Now, Focus on the Global South says in a new report (PDF) that US troops are engaged in fighting against Moro independence fighters. Focus says: "US troops may not only be waging war within the Philippines, they may also established a new form of U.S. bases in the country."

It's worth noting that reports relying on the Associated Press claim that the groups the US are at war with are "linked to Al Qaeda". Well, who isn't these days? I confidently expect to discover that half the remaining competitors on Celebrity Big Brother have a direct line to bin Laden. But, in fact, Focus on the Global South doesn't say that. It in fact describes operations against the full range of resistance forces, most of whom aren't even theoretically tied in Washington's propaganda to Al Qaeda, specifically the Moro National Liberation Front. So, AP is simply lying: I thought you'd like to know that.