Were you aware? Edit: According to rumors, this could alternatively be a satellite guided smart bomb rather than a drone strike. Either way, source of weapons and potential for collateral damage is same. http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2012/03/05-drones-philippines-ahmed With what we already know about politicians through history, it shocks me that people are willing to voluntarily put these devices in the hands of those politicians. They have blood on their hands, as do the terrorists.
The use of drones in the Philippines are new but US special forces have been working with Philippines' military against the Abu Sayaf since 2002.
Ridiculous headline. If this report is even true (I could not find anything about it other than from you and your obscure source) this is not an attack on the Philippines, as it happens with the consent of the democratically legitimated government of the Philippines. I see that you seem to shed more tears about the deaths of Islamist terrorists than about the deaths caused by Islamists. As long as you can blame the US government...why do you hate America so much?
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the blood of any innocent would be on the terrorists hands. Not America. The terrorists hide amongst citizens for a reason.
Did you say this about the 3,000+ people who were brutally murdered on 9/11? Should you accept that they were murdered due to the limitations of the terrorists' "weapons" during an attack on the leadership of the US? I certainly won't, and neither will you. Those terrorists killed those people, they intended to kill those people. How do you expect you would view these attacks if you were born in Southern Philipines as a moderate Muslim? Do you think that you would be the lone bright student who would come to the conclusion that America is fighting the good fight while your fellow South Filipinos are terrorists? or do you think you would be equally patriotic about being Filipino, as you are about being American? or do you think that terrorists are easily identifiable? do you think they walk around with a sign that says "Abu Sayyaaf"? Do you suggest the moderates leave their home permanently so that you can feel safer in your home? The blood is on the hands of the person who pushes the button. Intent is the predictable outcome of your actions. The person who pushed that button intended to kill the terrorists and civilians together. That may be necessary in some cases under extreme circumstances, but this is becoming a weekly and multinational event. Do you think the risk of Americans being attacked by filipino terrorists increased or decreased now?
Neither. I do think that any threat these individuals might have posed to the Philippine government have decreased, and ultimately they're the ones who asked for the drone strikes.
Explain yourself. Why would a "moderate Muslim" view this any differently from a "moderate Christian"? Are you saying that "moderate Muslims" feel closer to Islamist terrorists than "moderate Christians"? Are you saying that "moderate Christians" would have less of a problem with terrorists being killed than "moderate Muslims"? Are you saying that "moderate Muslims" would feel that "one of their own" was killed by these drones? Is that why you whine so much about this, while remaining largely silent about the murders committed in the name of Islam around the world every day? Do you care more about these terrorists - who brought it upon themselves to become targets for anti-terrorism efforts - than about the innocent victims of Islamist extremists in Nigeria, Pakistan, everywhere in the world, who have done nothing but not to bow to Islamist terror? Also, please provide a source for your unsubstantiated claim that civilians were affected by this - do you have any inside info from internal Al Qaeda channels?
These things often happen in the southern part of the Philippines, until covered by the media, it isn't a big deal.
Philippine government asks US to use drones to take out terrorist group. US uses drones to take out terrorist group. Mathloom weeps for the dead and compares it to Al Qaeda flying planes to commercial buildings. Mathloom claims to be either a moderate Muslim or not a Muslim at all. Unlikely.
So true. Mathloom is an Islamist propagandist, and a liar (he claimed not to be a Muslim, to deceive people here) who works for a dictatorship, and I will keep calling him out on it every time he tries to spread his Islamist and anti-Western and anti-American propaganda here.
Do you know the history of Southern Filipinos and relations with the capital? Do you know of the quests for independence, battles, issues, etc? What you are saying is the equivalent of Obama giving another country permission to rain down on a specific US state which has mostly gang-related and occasionally cross-border problems. Think of the political dynamics of that. It is nonsense. Would never happen. Sovereignty is sovereignty. Honestly, I don't believe you believe it. I don't believe that, as a human being, you don't feel regret for the civilians lost, and that you don't see/smell the cronyism. Having discussed things with you in the past, I think cronyism may not faze you much because you may believe that it happens at roughly the same rate with all countries. I urge you to reconsider this line of thinking. Even if we somehow agree that this type of behavior is almost equally prevalent across governments on a percentage or opportunity basis, we would still have to rationalize the total quantity, damage potential and reach to really understand the big picture as it is relevant to all sides of this discussion. If St Kitts & Nevis started emulating US foreign policy, few would care, because their damage potential is limited. The US owns, literally, the highest damage potential known to man and intends to maintain that advantage forever. You are the masters of your own policies, but it's unrealistic for Americans to feel singled out in criticism when they are in fact in an incredibly unique, powerful and historic position. There are bound to be global problems which are majorly tied to US foreign policy by virtue of the nature of those domestic and overseas policies and accompanying weapons/soldiers. Can I ask what your view was of Hosni Mubarak when he was in power in Egypt? Did you believe that, for example, he could legitimately grant you any sort of permission in Egypt with full knowledge of conflicts of interest present between him and the US government as well as the illegitimacy of his election and entire government as well as military?
No. America gave no reason to be attacked. If I was in the Southern Philippines I would be pissed at the people who attack America then hide in my backyard. Also at my government for not being able to control it citizens. Wrong.
What an absolutely hilarious statement from you. In your mind sovereignty means Islamists can launch terrorist attacks from said country but that country has no authority to ask Americans to attack the terrorists back.