[asia-apec 588] RECENT US BOMBINGS

[tpl at cheerful.com]

>Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1998 12:22:38 -0700
>From: KARAPATAN <karapatan at bigfoot.com>
>
>Press statement
>25 August 1998
>Reference: Antonio Liongson, KARAPATAN Deputy Secretary General
>
> U.S., THE NUMBER ONE TERRORIST AND BULLY IN THE WORLD 
>
>“Under the pretext of retaliating against the bombings of the US embassies
>in Kenya and Tanzania, the United States resorted to bullying and terrorism
>to remind the world that it is still the most dominant military power.
>According to a high ranking US official, it will use all means to protect
its 
>political and economic interests. KARAPATAN therefore condemns the recent
>missile attacks launched by the US in Afghanistan and Sudan. This is in
>itself  terrorism, in the highest order.  
>
>What else can we call the missile attack at a pharmaceutical factory in
>Sudan? With the attack, the US practically murdered innocent people and
>will cause the death of hundreds more who will be affected by the probable
>dearth in medicines,” said Antonio Liongson, deputy secretary general of
>the human rights alliance KARAPATAN.
>
>“The US government is historically and currently the world’s number one
>terrorist.  Gunboat 
>diplomacy and bullying tactics were routinely employed against other
>nations. Nations and peoples struggling against US domination experienced
>the harshest and most violent terrorist attacks of the US military forces,”
> Liongson added.
>
>US terrorism is accustomed to bombing civilian targets. Examples of which
>are the Balangiga Massacre in Samar and the My Lai massacre in Vietnam.
>Added to this are the dropping of  two atomic bombs in Japan which killed
>and injured millions in 1945, carpet and napalm bombing in Vietnam in the
>60’s and 70’s , and the massive bombings in Iraq in 1990. 
>
>Liongson expressed alarm over the intensified security measures of the
>government in the name of safeguarding US government facilities and
>ensuring safety for all US citizens and their interests in 
>the Philippines. Liongson said, “The all-out fight against supposed
>extremists has only sown terror among the Filipino people in the Southern
>Philippines.  The exaggerated international manhunt for Bin Laden is
>expected to create an upsurge of human rights violations.”
>
>Liongson added that the  beefing up of military and police forces around
>‘potential terrorist targets’  is not directed against alleged Muslim
>extremists, but against the struggling Filipino masses.  He further
>averred, “The doubtful reports on the purported activities of foreign Muslim 
>extremists in Mindanao can be used by the government as another excuse to
>attack  Muslim rebels and the struggling Filipino people who continue to
>resist US imperialist domination.”
>
>“Consequently, it is highly probable that this will be used as a
>justification to further the dire intent of the two governments to ratify
>the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).  It is also not coincidental that the
>government suddenly revealed that Bin Laden as well as other ‘terrorists’
>are regular 
>visitors in Mindanao.  With this strategy, the US and the Philippine
>government are jointly creating a climate of fear among the people in the
>area.  They will also be able to make this as a lame excuse for the people
>to accept the VFA and the immediate operation of one of the main ports in
>General Santos which was specifically designed and built for the US
>military forces who shall visit 
>the country under the agreement,” said Liongson.  In fact, the VFA would
>only attract more attacks from forces fighting US economic, political, and
>military aggression in different parts of the world.
>
>Moreover, as the government bolsters the ‘alarming threat of terrorism,’
>Liongson averred that this may be used as a reason to enact the
>Anti-Terrorism Bill,  as an amendment to the Immigration Act of 1940,
>proposed by Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado. 
>
>“Unquestionably, the US and its local allies in government will not
>hesitate to employ terroristic means to protect US imperialist interests in
>the Philippines paradoxically under the guise of battling international
>terrorism.   In the end, it will primarily be directed against the
>struggles of the Filipino 
>people and other oppressed peoples of the world who are constantly
>subjected to exploitation and repression,” Liongson concluded. ###
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>KARAPATAN (Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights)		
>23-D Mabuhay St., Central District, Diliman, Quezon City, PHILIPPINES
>Tel. Nos. (++632) 434-1865 / 435-7828
>Permanent E-mail Address: karapatan at bigfoot.com
>Permanent Web Address: http://www.bigfoot.com/~karapatan
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>