President Aquino rejected the 3rd Class Citizens Mindanao

Visayas and Mindanao fought for recognition to be a called a real Filipino Citizen as Luzon coined themselves as "Filipino" the real and dominant Filipinos with language Filipino based in tagalong inspite of the dominance of Visayan language throughout the country.

Discrimination for Visayan and Mindanaoan people are common in Manila as they were called as 2^nd and 3^rd class citizen of the Philippines, respectively.

Development of the country are focused only in Manila and Luzon which funding are from the government coffers which taxes are collected from Luzon,  Visayas and Mindanao islands.

Only Luzon benefited progress and development for infrastructure and other development project leaving the 2 poor islands Visayas and Mindanao behind.

 The issue rises again; the 2 poor islands Visayas and Mindanao of the Philippines are rejected by their highly respected country leader President Benigno Aqguino III after Aquino ignored their suffering and prioritized his party life in Manila.

Inspite of the thousands of dead floating bodies around Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City shores by the destructive typhoon Sendong, Aquino preferred to stay in Manila and to celebrate parties than giving his moral support to the hundreds of thousands displaced Mindanaoan.  

Mindanaoan needs strong arm to hold but rejected.

People of Mindanao are suffering; thousands of dead bodies floating in the water and some are covered by the mud but no leader show up to give a hand.

The most devastating typhoon killed thousands of poor people in Iligan City and Cgayan de Oro City calling for help from Manila government but rejected as President Aquino prioritized his personal life, partying with 1^st class citizen of the capital Manila in Luzon.

OFW's from different part of the world are busy sending aid and donation to the victims but Manila gives only a promise after Christmas.

The 3^rd class citizen Mindanaoan needs not only food, money and shelter but also a moral support from the country leader to help them stand.

Many victims commented, "Christmas is a party season, we understand the president to celebrate Christmas, but if he care for us in Mindanao, even for 1 hour that we could see him in his chopper to see us, it could turn a magic of another hope that there is a president who care for us".

Bad politics overpower in Aquino's heart

Iligan City is known to be the place of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as she studied her elementary in one of the public school in such devastated city and her grandmother Macaraeg  is an Iliganon.

Opposite from what the Pro Aquino supporter's thoughts; Iligan City rejected former Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to be a country leader.

People in Iligan City led the protests to oust the known corrupt Arroyo during her term.

Bomb explosions as sign of protest even happened at the backyard of the Macaraeg-Macapagal ancestral in Timoga, Iligan City when Arroyo visited the ancestral house. Iliganon really resist the presidency of the former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo after "hello garci scandal" but they were rejected now for the bad political imagination that they are pro Arroyo supporters.

Virgilio Garcillano , the alleged  responsible for Hello garci scandal is now residing in Bukidnon, a city next to Cagayan de oro.

Philippine leader denies partying

President Benigno Aquino III has fought off accusations that he was partying with starlets as the Philippines was mourning hundreds of people killed by a storm.

The presidential palace said today Aquino briefly stopped by the traditional Christmas party of his elite security group at their compound on Sunday to show gratitude for their services.

"The president stayed for a little over 30 minutes. But he did not go up on stage, he did not sing, he did not dance. There was no partying," the head of the presidential security group, Colonel Ramon Dizon, said in a statement.

Tropical storm Washi hit the southern island of Mindanao at the weekend, spawning swollen rivers, flash floods and landslides which left 652 dead with hundreds other missing, according to Philippine Red Cross figures.

Reports of Aquino's alleged partying spread after a local TV actress and show host, Valerie Concepcion, said in her Twitter account that she met Aquino at the party, where she performed for the troops and their families.

Concepcion said Aquino laughed at her jokes and enjoyed her performance, triggering a wave of criticism directed at both.

The 51-year-old bachelor president, who comes from one of the country's richest landowning clans, had previously been linked to female celebrities and was once criticized for buying a Porsche sports car, which he has since sold.

Unlike previous presidents, including his own mother Corazon Aquino, the current leader has chosen to live in the compound of the presidential security group rather than the state palace used by the country's Spanish and American colonial rulers.

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Kim Jong Il, N. Korean dictator, dies at 69

The Philippines and the Korean Peninsula

Philippines' General Carlos Romulo, who was the president of the UN General Assembly when the Korean War broke out in 1950, staunchly advocated the international defense of South Korea. "The application of military sanctions in Korea is in itself an act of the greatest significance," he said before the Assembly on 25 September 1950, reflecting on the decision of the Security Council to take military action in the peninsula and on the need to strengthen collective action against acts of aggression.

"The Philippine Government, for its part, has given concrete proof of its support of the principle of collective security by sending troops to help the UN forces in Korea," he added, referring to the first of five battalion combat teams from the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (PEFTOK), which rushed to Busan only six days earlier on 19 September 1950.

The relations between the Philippines and South Korea have always been characterized by such mutual trust and support. Bilateral relations between the two countries started on 3 March 1949 when the Philippines became the fifth country to recognize South Korea.

The Philippines sent 7,420 soldiers to South Korea over a five-year period, among them former President Fidel Ramos and two former ambassadors to South Korea. After the Korean War, the Philippines is still one of the richest and most powerful in Asia next to Japan helped to rebuild South Korea by constructing infrastructure project

The Philippines advocate democracy together with America.

During the most corrupt Marcos dictatorship, the Philippines becomes a sick-man in Asia and become poor economically with rich of untapped resources as corruption become a culture.

The death of North Korean Leader is now the issue as question would rise, what would be the next role of the Philippines in reuniting Korea as the Philippines is rising again its power and economy in Asia in the Aquino III administration?

The Death of Kim Jong IL – the toughest North Korean Communist Leader

North Korea will move into a shadowy period of effective control by its army generals and would-be dynastic regents after the death of its dictator Kim Jong-il, possibly making it less adventurous.

His nominated heir is 27-year-old younger son Kim Jong-un, who has had barely two years to prepare for the succession.

By contrast, the ''Dear Leader'' Kim Jong-il - who died on Saturday aged 69 - had a lifetime of preparation for leadership in the Stalinist system created by his father, the ''Great Leader'' Kim Il-sung, and a decade as nominated successor before the father died in 1994.

An array of grim-faced, medal-bedecked Korean People's Army generals may look more to Kim Jong-il's brother-in-law Jang Song-taek, who in 2010 was appointed vice-chairman of the powerful National Defense Commission, the effective No. 2 post in North Korea.

This occurred about the same time as Kim Jong-un was declared the ''Bright Leader'' to succeed, after Kim Jong-il suffered a devastating stroke that left him greatly weakened and shrunken in stature, and pointed Jang out as the effective political regent in the ruling dynasty. Kim Jong-il was an even bolder gambler than his father, who launched a strike across the 38th Parallel in 1950, thereby starting the Korean War, when the United States seemed to be losing interest in the southern half of the peninsula.

The junior Kim assumed charge of North Korea's clandestine activities, which included the kidnapping of Japanese citizens to help train its agents, bombings and sabotage of South Korean targets, and the shadowy Room 39 of the Korean Workers Party (the communist party), which raised hard currency from counterfeiting US currency and from trafficking of amphetamine.

Kim Jong-il was also a driver of the secret nuclear weapons program, which continued with secret help from Pakistan's A.Q. Khan Network after a 1994 agreement with the Clinton administration supposedly froze all developments.

Mass starvation among the North Korean population, after the collapse of the Soviet Union ended critical external aid and floods ruined successive crops, did not divert Kim from his cultivation of the Korean People's Army, under his ''Songun'' (army first) doctrine.

Kim's role as chairman of the National Defense Commission, commanding the army, became more important than the general-secretary role in the Worker's Party. Frequent on-the-spot ''guidance sessions'' and sharing of meals with frontline soldiers were aimed at reinforcing personal loyalty among the soldiers.

The sybaritic personal lifestyle of his younger days — which included  importing Italian and Japanese chefs and the foodstuffs they needed, French wine and brandy, Scandinavian models for company, and a massive library of the foreign films denied his people — was pushed firmly into the background.

A vast Gulag of labor and punishment camps, picked out by Western satellite images, limited internal communications and isolation of the favored elite in Pyongyang kept the starving population under control until mobile phones and visits from China began to penetrate in recent years.

The drive for nuclear weapons and testing of the Taepodong ballistic missile stepped up after the election of President George W. Bush, who listed North Korea as part of an ''axis of evil'' with other ''rogue'' regimes and declared his ''visceral hatred'' of Kim.

When Bush emissary James Kelly confronted the North Koreans in late 2002, Kim responded by withdrawing his country from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The past decade has seen Pyongyang engage in on-off negotiations about disarmament at the Beijing Six-Party Talks while advancing weapon and missile tests.

North Korea will now go into a paroxysm of grief that may continue until the 100th anniversary of of Kim Il-sung's birth in April.

Everyone will be watching sideways to see who might emerge as North Korea's Khrushchev or Gorbachev.

The People's Army will have its work cut out watching both the Demilitarized Zone and trying to stop a mass breakout into China.

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United Nations hails Philippines’ protection of migrant workers

Philippines—While the sob stories usually make the headlines, the country's efforts to help thousands of overseas Filipinos, especially those caught in wars and calamities, have not gone unnoticed in the United Nations.

A UN executive speaking at a recent conference in Geneva has commended the Philippines for its exemplary efforts to protect its nationals caught in international crisis situations, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Peter Sutherland, the special representative of the UN secretary general for international migration and development, "specifically mentioned the Philippines as rising to the challenge by setting up a system to protect and engage its migrants," the DFA said.

Sutherland made the remarks at the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) held in the Swiss city earlier this month, where he said the forum participants "could learn from the Philippines' initiatives and good practices," the foreign office added.

The Philippines drew praise for its repatriation efforts in troubled countries like Libya, Yemen and Syria, among others, DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez told the Inquirer on Saturday.

"He (Sutherland) probably saw that we're proactive in protecting our people by taking them out of harm's way," Hernandez said.

In the forum, the UN official also drew attention to the plight of domestic workers, particularly the so-called "kafala" or sponsorship system which he said "constituted a modern form of slavery," the DFA said.

More fleeing Syria

Hernandez said another batch of at least 51 Filipinos from Syria will be repatriated in the next few days. The last group that arrived in Manila over a week ago totaled 55, bringing the current number of Filipino repatriates to 240 since political violence escalated in the Arab state earlier this year.

"Our embassy in Damascus continues to negotiate for the release of the workers from their employers or agencies," Hernandez said, adding that securing airline seats for the next batch had been difficult of late because of the peak Christmas season.

The year 2011 has been one of the busiest for the DFA in terms of evacuating Filipinos from strife-torn regions, starting with those fleeing Egypt in February, at the height of street protests against the regime of then President Hosni Mubarak.

From that same month to March, the repatriation efforts shifted to Libya, with no less than Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario personally leading one of the missions across the Sahara desert to fetch compatriots fleeing the fighting between rebels and government forces under dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

The turmoil in Yemen also prompted Del Rosario to go there in March to assess the situation and offer voluntary repatriation to the less than 1,500 registered migrant Filipinos working in that country.

Review of 'unsafe' countries

Apart from the repatriation efforts, the DFA is currently conducting a review of the 41 countries earlier considered unsafe for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and could be covered by a labor deployment ban.

"At present, we have asked a review of the present status of each of the 41 countries to determine if they have already acceded or enacted laws that would protect our migrant workers," Hernandez said in an earlier interview.

The DFA proceeded with the review after asking the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to defer the ban for three months.

"We will use the deferment period to revisit the 41 countries with the view of moving forward toward compliance with the amended Migrant Workers Act (Republic Act No. 10022)," which forbids the deployment of OFWs to countries certified as not protective of migrant workers, Hernandez said.

"We will submit new certifications after 90 days, taking into account results of DFA's dialogue with countries concerned and new developments in those countries with respect to the protection of migrant workers," Hernandez said.

9M in 200 countries

More than 1.4 million Filipino workers were deployed overseas last year, according to the POEA. Of this number, 1.1 million were land-based, while around 350,000 were sea-based workers.

For land-based OFWs, the top destinations were Saudi Arabia (293,049), United Arab Emirates (201,214), Hong Kong (101,340), Qatar (87,813) and Singapore (70,251).

Among the newly hired overseas Filipino workers deployed last year, the top occupational categories included household service workers (96,583), cleaners and related workers (12,133), nurses (12,082), caregivers and caretakers (9,293), and waiters, bartenders and related workers (8,789).

According to the latest estimates by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, some 9 million Filipinos are in more than 200 countries around the world as of December 2009. With a report from Inquirer Research

Sources: Commission on Filipinos Overseas, POEA

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Unemployment rate of the Philippines Dropped down to 6.4% in October from 7.1%

2 Million Jobs Created in the Philippines in 1 year period

The country's unemployment rate fell to 6.4 percent in October—the lowest in four years—from 7.1 percent in the same month last year, the National Statistics Office (NSO) reported on Thursday (December 15, 2011).

But despite the employment opportunities created this year, some economists believe these were mostly either temporary work or worse, unpaid family work.

Economists like former Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the numbers themselves were too optimistic, considering that the Philippine economy grew only 3.2 percent in the third quarter.

"How can a decelerating economy create some 2 million jobs? But that's exactly what the Philippine economy did, which grew at 3.2 percent in the third quarter, as unemployment fell from 7.1 percent in October 2010 to 6.4 percent in October 2011," Diokno said.

While it was true that more than a million jobs were created, he said around half a million of these were unpaid family work, which is common in the agriculture sector. Around 956,000 new jobs were in labor and unskilled work.

He also said the average hours worked also declined, while the number of part-time workers significantly increased. Diokno said Filipinos who worked for less than 20 hours a week increased by 1.5 million, while those who worked more than 40 hours increased by 500,000.

"The labor-participation rate rose from 64.2 percent to 66.3 percent, year-on-year. More are looking for a job now than ever before. With hard times, there may be a need for a second or third worker in the family," Diokno said.

But National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Director General Cayetano Paderanga Jr. said that even if economic growth was slow this year, it should be taken into consideration that the government has been spending funds on areas that needed them. And this is why it was able to generate more jobs.

Paderanga noted that even if Metro Manila had the highest unemployment rate at 10.4 percent, this was one of the effects of a larger labor force. As the labor force in an area increases, the number of those who do not have jobs also increases.

He also said this is an indication of the amount of economic activity in a given location. This means that many Filipinos from other places continue to migrate to the National Capital Region (NCR) because of the belief that they can participate in more economic activities in the city.

"When an area is growing, it's actually possible that there is bigger unemployment in that area as new migrants collect there. So we also need to consider that as a concern and, at the same time, an indicator that something good is happening in that place. Many of our investments, and this we're trying to correct, have still been concentrated in Metro Manila and Central Luzon," Paderanga said.

The NSO data showed that 38.5 million Filipinos were employed as of October 2011. Those in the services sector comprised 52.1 percent of the total employed population, with those engaged in wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, and personal and household goods comprising the largest work force in the services sector.

The second-largest group was in the agriculture sector, which accounted for 33.4 percent of the total employed. The remainder of the total employed was in the industry sector at 14.5 percent.

The National Statistics Office (NSO) said laborers and unskilled workers comprised the largest proportion at 33.2 percent of the total employed population, followed by farmers, forestry workers and fishermen with a 15-percent share.

Meanwhile, the number of underemployed—defined as those who want to work more hours in their present job, to have another job or move to new job with longer working hours—was estimated at 7.4 million in October or an underemployment rate of 19.1 percent. Most of the underemployed were working in the agriculture sector at 41.9 percent and services sector at 41.7 percent.

Among the unemployed, there were more males accounting for 62.6 percent of the total. Almost 50 percent of the unemployed were in age group 15-24 years.

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Filipinos: Salute to our South Korean Brother Died to defend their territory

Chinese fishing boat crew resisted being boarded in the latest clash over diminishing fishing stocks in the Yellow Sea stabbed to death a Korean Coastguard

A tribute to the South Korean coastguard officer Lee Cheong-ho, who was stabbed to death while trying to board a Chinese fishing boat. Photograph: Yonhap/EPA

The bloody dispute over diminishing fish stocks in the Yellow Sea has claimed another victim when the South Korean coastguard said one of its officers was fatally stabbed while trying to seize a Chinese fishing boat.

The killing, which prompted a diplomatic protest by Seoul, is the latest in a series of deadly clashes involving Chinese fishermen who are driven increasingly far from their own shores by the lack of stocks.

The officer was stabbed in the stomach and another injured when the Chinese crew resisted being boarded as they were fishing illegally about 55 miles (90km) from Socheong Island, the South Korean coastguard said in a statement.

A helicopter took the casualties to a hospital in Incheon, along with the Chinese boat captain, who was allegedly responsible for the stabbing and then injured in the fight, it said. The remaining eight crew members and their boat have been seized and are being taken to Incheon port, west of Seoul.

South Korea's foreign ministry summoned China's ambassador later on Monday and lodged a strong protest over the latest skirmish in an area of the Yellow Sea that Seoul claims as its exclusive economic zone.

As competition for mackerel, jellyfish, blue crab, croaker and anchovy has intensified, South Korea has seized about 470 Chinese ships for illegal fishing in the Yellow Sea so far this year, up from 370 in 2010.

The skirmishes are often violent. Last December, Beijing demanded compensation after a Chinese fisherman was killed and another went missing during a confrontation between South Korean coastguards and 50 vessels that were suspected of fishing illegally. In March, a coastguard official shot a Chinese fisherman in the leg during a fight with axes and shovels. Two months ago, South Korean coastguard officials used teargas to arrest 31 fisherman who resisted with shovels and staves.

The disputes are not so much about protecting fish stocks as competing for the economic exploitation of what is left. The market for anchovy, jellyfish, mackerel and croaker is increasingly lucrative as demand grows in China.

South Korea has ramped up its exports of marine products by more than 30% in the first nine months of this year, largely thanks to shipments to China more than doubling.

Last week, Seoul raised fines on illegal fishing by foreign boats and moves are afoot to change the law so catches can be confiscated.

"Eradicating Chinese boats' illegal fishing in our waters is a most urgent task to safeguard our fishermen and fisheries resources," South Korea's Yonhap news agency said in a recent editorial. "The government should mobilize every possible means and continue the crackdown on illegal fishing."

The East Asian neighbors have tried to ease tensions. In October, they agreed to reduce catches in each other's exclusive economic zones. Authorities in China's Liaoning province – the origin of many of the fishing boats – say they have tried to curb illegal fishing. But the domestic media say fishermen are driven further from the Chinese coast by pollution and overfishing.

Lu Chao of the Liaoning Academy of Social Science said the long-term problem was an excess of Chinese fishing boats, declining fish stocks and changing views about which waters belonged to which country.

"Traditionally, the older generation believed the fishing area belongs to China. Their grandchildren know they should get permission from the South Korean government to fish there, but the license is expensive so only 10% of them get it," he said in calling for calm. "If South Korea continues to enforce the law violently, it will increase conflict. The use of teargas and similar measures is excessive. Chinese fishermen will not stand for this treatment.

He said the Chinese government was trying to ease bilateral tension by encouraging fishermen to sail even further offshore, into international waters. But with demand for marine products rising, this looks likely to shift the pressure from East Asia on to global fish stocks.

Fishing has heightened diplomatic tensions with other nations in the region. In September 2010, Japan detained a Chinese trawler and its crew after a collision with a coastguard vessel.

The issue has also become the focus of long-standing territorial disputes, particularly in the South China Sea, where Beijing's efforts to assert sovereignty has led to unease – and occasional clashes – with the fishing boats and naval vessels of Vietnam and the Philippines.

Tribute to the Korean Victim: We encouraged all the readers to offer a short prayer for peace in all the country surrounding china and hope that there is a divine intervention for any conflict in the sea and we pray that china must learn how to be contented of what they had and they must stop invading neighbors.

To our Filipino Brothers: You must not forget that the Philippines lead for the victory of the South Korea over the communist North Korea during the Korean war; Filipinos' love to South Korea is already a culture. After the Korean War, the Philippines government helps the South Korea to stand up by funding and building infrastructure for their country, now even South Korea is already rich and more richer than the Philippines in terms of economy, still the Philippines is always be at the back of South Korea. Filipinos let hand in hand with South Korea as we are facing the same conflict with China.

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U.S. military leaves Iraq to Focus in Asia-pacific Security over China's aggression

U.S. soldiers gather before the start of a ceremony marking the end of the U.S. military engagement, with the last American troops withdrawing nearly nine years after the invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein, at the former U.S. Sather Air Base near Baghdad December 15, 2011. REUTERS/Mohammed Ameen

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. forces formally ended their nine-year war in Iraq on Thursday with a low key flag ceremony in Baghdad, while to the north flickering violence highlighted ethnic and sectarian strains threatening the country in years ahead.

"After a lot of blood spilled by Iraqis and Americans, the mission of an Iraq that could govern and secure itself has become real," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said at the ceremony at Baghdad's still heavily-fortified airport.

Almost 4,500 U.S. soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqis lost their lives in the war that began with a "Shock and Awe" campaign of missiles pounding Baghdad and descended into sectarian strife and a surge in U.S. troop numbers.

U.S. soldiers lowered the flag of American forces in Iraq and slipped it into a camouflage-colored sleeve in a brief outdoor ceremony, symbolically ending the most unpopular U.S. military venture since the Vietnam War of the 1960s and 70s.

The remaining 4,000 American troops will leave by the end of the year.

Toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is dead, executed in 2006 and the worst sectarian violence has, at least for now, passed. But Iraq still struggles with insurgents, a fragile power-sharing government and an oil-reliant economy plagued by power shortages and corruption.

 

A member of U.S. security personnel pulls her luggage while waiting to depart from Iraq, at the former U.S. Sather Air Base near Baghdad December 15, 2011. REUTERS/Mohammed Ameen

"Iraq will be tested in the days ahead, by terrorism, by those who would seek to divide, by economic and social issues," Panetta told the rows of assembled U.S. soldiers and embassy officials at the ceremony. "Challenges remain, but the United State s will be there to stand by the Iraqi people."

In Falluja, the former heartland of an al Qaeda insurgency and scene of some of the worst fighting in the war, several thousand Iraqis celebrated the withdrawal on Wednesday 9December 14, 2011), some burning U.S. flags and waving pictures of dead relatives.

Around 2,500 mainly Shi'ite muslim residents of the northern territory of Diyala protested on Thursday in front of the provincial council building for a second day against a move to declare autonomy from the mainly Sunni Salahuddin province.

Police used batons and water cannon to disperse demonstrators who tried to storm the council headquarters, witnesses said. Some protesters climbed to the roof of the building and raised green and black Shi'ite flags.

Some parts of Diyala are disputed territories between the minority Kurds in the north and Arab Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad. The long-standing dispute over land, oil and power is considered a potential flashpoint for future conflict in Iraq after American troops depart.

Iraq's neighbors will watch how Baghdad tackles its sectarian and ethnic division without the U.S. military. Events there could be influenced by conflict in neighboring Syria that has taken on a sectarian hue in recent weeks.

U.S. President Barack Obama, who made an election promise to bring troops home, told Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki that Washington will remain a loyal partner after the last troops roll across the Kuwaiti border.

"I AM HAPPY BUT WE NEED TO BE SAFE"

Iraq's Shi'ite leadership presents the withdrawal as a new start for the country's sovereignty, but many Iraqis question which direction the nation will take without U.S. troops.

"I am happy they are leaving. This is my country and they should leave," said Samer Saad, a soccer coach. "But I am worried because we need to be safe. We are worried because all the militias will start to come back."

Some like Saad fear more sectarian strife or an al Qaeda return to the cities. A squabble between Kurds in their northern semi-autonomous enclave and the Iraqi Arab central government over disputed territories and oil is another flashpoint.

Violence has ebbed since the bloodier days of sectarian slaughter when suicide bombers and hit squads claimed hundreds of victims a day at times as the country descended into tit-for-tat killings between the Sunni and Shi'ite communities.

In 2006 alone, 17,800 Iraqi military and civilians were killed in violence.

Iraqi security forces are generally seen as capable of containing the remaining Sunni Islamist insurgency and the rival Shi'ite militias that U.S. officials say are backed by Iran.

But attacks now target local government offices and security forces in an attempt show the authorities are not in control.

Saddam's fall opened the way for the Shi'ite majority community to take positions of power after decades of oppression under his Sunni-run Baath party.

Even the power-sharing in Maliki's Shi'ite-led government is hamstrung, with coalition parties split along sectarian lines, squabbling over laws and government posts.

Sunnis fear they will be marginalized or even face creeping Shi'ite-led authoritarian rule under Maliki. A recent crackdown on former members of the Baath party has fueled those fears.

Iraq's Shi'ite leadership frets the crisis in neighboring Syria could eventually bring a hardline Sunni leadership to power in Damascus, worsening Iraq's own sectarian tensions.

"WAS IT WORTH IT?"

U.S. troops were supposed to stay on as part of a deal to train the Iraqi armed forces but talks over immunity from prosecution for American soldiers fell apart.

Memories of U.S. abuses, arrests and killings still haunt many Iraqis and the question of legal protection from prosecution looked too sensitive to push through parliament.

At the height of the war, 170,000 American soldiers occupied more than 500 bases across the country.

Only around 150 U.S. soldiers will remain after December 31 attached to the huge U.S. Embassy near the Tigris River. Civilian contractors will take on the task of training Iraqi forces on U.S. military hardware.

Every day trucks with troops trundle in convoys across the Kuwaiti border.

"Was it worth it? I am sure it was. When we first came in here, the Iraqi people seemed like they were happy to see us," said Sgt 1st Class Lon Bennish, packing up recently at a U.S base and finishing the last of three deployments in Iraq.

"I hope we are leaving behind a country that says 'Hey, we are better off now than we were before.'"

BACK TO ASIA PACIFC

In Australia, US President Barack Obama  agreed to expand the US military presence in Australia; and vowed military support for the Philippines, indicating US concerns over an increasingly aggressive China.

The US-Australia agreement, announced during a joint news conference with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, will position more US equipment and increase military personnel in Australia.

"With my visit to the region I am making it clear that the United States is stepping up its commitment to the entire Asia-Pacific region," Obama said during his visit.

Deployment of an initial company of 200-250 Marines would begin in 2012 and expand to up to 2,500 eventually, Gillard said.

The move may be seen by Beijing as further evidence of Washington's attempt to encircle China, with US bases in Japan and Korea and now in Australia.

Obama also plans to raise maritime security in the South China Sea at the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Bali and will give 24 F-16 Fighter to Indonesia.

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Indonesia supports Philippines stand on Spratlys - Buy 24 F-16 Fighters

Indonesia is keeping its support for the Philippine proposal to delineate and segregate the disputed parts of the South China Sea from the undisputed areas in drafting the Code of Conduct that will bind countries with territorial claims in the Spratlys group of islands.

Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said the guidance from the ASEAN Summits is how to link the Philippine proposal for a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Cooperation to the drafting of the Code of Conduct in 2012.

"We don't move out of the script from what has already been (agreed upon)," Natalegawa said at the conclusion on Wednesday of the 5th Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation between Indonesia and the Philippines.

He said the Code and the Zone are in the interest of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) which has four members — Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei — with South China Sea claims.

Leaving things unresolved will continue to cause conflict and disrupt peace and stability in the region," said Natalegawa. "Asean as a whole has a very strong interest to settle the dispute peacefully in accordance with maritime laws."

Indonesia's top diplomat said ASEAN leaders would like to see the Code in place by 2012, in time for the 10th anniversary of Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea).

During the talks, the Philippines and Indonesia approved a 2013-2015 action plan to advance trade, security, defense, border, and cultural cooperation.

The Philippines said it is open to hosting the 6th Meeting of the Joint Working Group of Senior Officials next year to implement the existing Agreement on Trade, Investments, Handicraft and Shipping, as well as review and update the Border Trade Agreement.

Indonesia to buy 24 refurbished US F-16 fighters

Will boost ability to protect "outermost" border regions

Second militarily significant announcement of Obama trip

May stir questions about Taiwan's request for F-16C/Ds

USA plans to supply 24 refurbished F-16C/D fighter aircraft to Indonesia, the presidents of the two countries announced in Bali on Friday on the fringes of an Asia-Pacific summit.

It was the second militarily significant announcement of President Barack Obama's ongoing nine-day Asia-Pacific trip.

The upgraded Lockheed Martin Corp F-16s will give Indonesia a "much-needed" capability to protect its sovereign airspace, the White House said in a "fact sheet" that emphasized the relatively low price tag, put at $750 million by the Pentagon.

Under a separate tightening of ties with Australia, U.S. Marines will start rotating through northern Australia next year, eventually growing to a 2,500-strong task force, the two governments said during a visit by Obama before he flew to neighboring Indonesia for the summit with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Jakarta was seeking more capable F-16s able to carry out operations "in the outermost border regions of Indonesia."

The air force's existing fleet of 10 F-16 A/Bs cannot do this, the agency said in a mandatory notice of the tentative deal to the U.S. Congress. It put the estimated cost at $750 million. The aircraft are from excess U.S. inventory.

"The proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a strategic partner that has been, and continues to be, an important force for economic progress in Southeast Asia," the notice to lawmakers said.

The White House said the plan was to start deliveries by July 2014, as requested by Jakarta. The deal would help boost Indonesia air defenses significantly "without compromising the defense budget and other national priorities," it said.

The transfer of F-16C/D models to Indonesia may raise new questions about Obama's refusal to meet Taiwan's standing request for 66 new F-16C/Ds of its own to help deter China, which regards the island as a rogue province.

The Obama administration in September notified Congress of a proposed $5.85 billion weapons package for Taiwan, including upgrades of 145 F-16 A/B fighters but none of the C/D models that Taiwan has sought.

Obama said on Thursday in Canberra the U.S. military would expand its presence in the Asia-Pacific despite budget austerity, declaring the United States was "here to stay" as a Pacific power that would help shape the region's future.

The F-16 deal involves the overhaul of 28 United Technologies Corp Pratt & Whitney engines including spares. The aircraft will have the most advanced "Modular Mission Computer" produced by Raytheon Co, along with improved radar, avionics and the capability to carry and field more advanced weaponry and sensors, the White House said.

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Chinese carrier pictured at sea - China Facing Neighboring Anger

WASHINGTON - A satellite image of China's first aircraft carrier has been captured while the vessel was undergoing sea trials in the Yellow Sea, a US company said on its website Thursday.

The 300-metre ship, a refitted former Soviet carrier, was photographed on December 8, said Colorado-based DigitalGlobe Inc, and an analyst from the company spotted it when reviewing images five days later.

The Beijing government said earlier this month that the carrier had started its second sea trial after undergoing refurbishment and testing.

The ship underwent five days of trials in August that sparked international concern about China's widening naval reach amid growing regional tensions over maritime disputes and a US campaign to assert itself as a Pacific power.

The West Philippines Sea (South China Sea), which is believed to be rich in oil and gas and is claimed by several countries, has dominated such disputes involving China, leading to run-ins with rival claimants including Vietnam and the Philippines.

Chinese President Hu Jintao on December 7 urged the navy to "accelerate its transformation and modernization" and "make extended preparations for military combat" to safeguard national security.

Beijing only confirmed this year that it was revamping the Soviet ship, the Varyag, and has repeatedly insisted that the carrier poses no threat to its neighbors and will be used mainly for training and research purposes.

But the August sea trials were met with concern from regional powers including Japan and the United States, which called on Beijing to explain why it needs an aircraft carrier.

China only provided the first official acknowledgment of the carrier in June when Chen Bingde, the nation's top military official, gave an interview to a Hong Kong newspaper.

Nepal & Myanmar Rejects China, SKorea and Japan hard Stance against China

China is facing increasingly hardened diplomatic attitudes from its neighboring countries, with four – Nepal, Myanmar, South Korea and Japan – allowing protests at varying degrees of what is considered Chinese belligerence.

A South Korean coastguard official was stabbed to death at sea after the Korean coastguard intercepted a Chinese fishing vessel in its waters in an incident the South Korean media have talked up as "Chinese Piracy at Sea." The Chinese vessel's captain has been charged with murder and 17 Chinese fishermen have been detained. The situation further deteriorated between the two countries after what sounded like a gunshot was fired at a window of the South Korean Embassy in Beijing on Tuesday afternoon.

Tokyo is expected to lodge protests after China sent their new, and largest 3,900-ton armed patrol ship on its maiden voyage to islands and areas considered disputed between China and Japan, including several offshore oil and gas fields and various Sino-Japanese joint development zones.

Also, in highly unusual moves, Premier Wen Jiabao's scheduled trips to Nepal and Myanmar next week have both been cancelled. Myanmar, which recently hosted US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently cancelled a Chinese project to build a Dam on the Irrawaddy River. No explanation has been given for the Nepal cancellation.

China has been more assertive recently in refusing to give ground over disputed border areas, and appears to have been playing too hard to gain projects through use of financial and trade muscle. The Chinese efforts to extend territorial land borders with India, where it claims the State of Arunachal Pradesh in its entirety, as well as parts of Ladakh and Kashmir, have long grated with India. Meanwhile, attempts to claim the whole of the South China Sea, in addition to parts of the East China Sea and Yellow Sea have been stepped up. 2point6billion learns that Chinese Embassy officials around the world have been paying particular attention to antique dealers in maps and similar cartographic relics, buying up whatever they can find, presumably in order to prove long held claims or to destroy examples that do not fit with their stated aims. Officials from nations affected by such territorial disputes may wish to consider the importance of such items concerning both cartographic and anecdotal evidence in ancient and historic documents.

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The West Philippine Sea? Not South China Sea!

New Leaders Forum contributor Javad Heydarian speaks with Right Livelihood Award winner Walden Bello about China, the U.S. role in Asia and his call for the renaming of the South China Sea.

In light of China's increasingly bellicose rhetoric and recent incursions in the South China Sea, you were among the first leading Filipino figures to call for a more "assertive" position by the Philippine government by drafting a resolution that called upon the executive branch to rename the South China Sea as the "West Philippine Sea." Was this proposal more of a symbolic gesture, or a tactical move to strengthen our claims in the Spratly islands?

Of course, the primary battle was at the politico-psychological level. If you keep on calling a site the South China Sea, it subliminally connotes some kind of "possession" by China.  This is in light of the fact that often times our actions and thoughts are guided and shaped by forces that operate on the subliminal level. For us Filipinos, calling the area the West Philippine Sea marks a subliminal paradigm change. Suddenly the name that always carried China is now changed. This was a psychological blow to China.

Our proposal was also symbolic. It was meant to show to the world that our claims to the Spratly Islands are legitimate. There was also a tactical-legalistic dimension to our proposal, in terms of advancing our legitimate claims. There would be an impact in terms of advancing the legality of our claims to parts of the Spratly Islands and our exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which we are entitled to based on the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Did the terms West Philippine Sea carry any specific spatial demarcation or geographical specificity? Why did you choose to name the area after the Philippines when there are other claimant countries aside from China?

We didn't make any clear demarcations. The resolution wasn't meant to connote a specific territorial boundary. We wanted it just to reflect that this wasn't China's sea. We are by no means fixed with regards to our attitude to the name. We are open to multilateral arrangements and diplomatic solution. We are even open to calling it the Southeast Asia Sea or ASEAN Sea or what have you. Our proposal was at most a symbolic and politico-psychological move.

Earlier this year, you led the so-called "peace and sovereignty mission," composed of congressional delegations, government officials, media, and members of the armed forces, in the Spratly islands, despite vehement opposition from Beijing. What was your primary objective in organizing this mission? In your opinion, to what extent was the mission successful? And, to what degree do you think that the mission reflected greater public sentiment?

Firstly, I think the mission reflected tremendous public sentiment. I think there's no doubt in Filipino minds that we have rightful claims in the area. Second, we wanted to support our government stance that we have rightful claims in the Spratly Islands, and that we have a 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone.  Most importantly, we wanted to reflect the country's desire for a peaceful settlement of the issue. This was the main objective. Going there in a civilian plane and leading a congressional delegation had a very high impact. We wanted to make clear the reality that this isn't just a diplomatic game, but instead it's about the interests of the people. We had several audiences, but we definitely wanted to signal to China that they can't get away with such brash claims that the entire West Philippine Sea belongs to them. We wanted to remind Beijing that it can't take its neighbors for granted and just advance any claim it wishes to.

This was also an effort on our part, in term of messaging to China, that it should not follow the path of other imperial powers. Unfortunately, in this case, China was threading this path, and we wanted it to move away form that path before it was too late. What we didn't expect was the vehement Chinese reaction, when they condemned the mission, denying our right to visit the area. This made the issue even bigger and more controversial. I'm very surprised at how China's diplomacy, known for its sophistication, made a very bad mistake by polarizing the issue further, coming off to the world as a bully.  They were practically telling others where they can and can't go.

What do you think is the main driver behind China's increasingly assertive behavior in the area?

There are several explanations. First, geo-economic factors are at play, serving as a motivation for some actors in Beijing to think that given China's economic trajectory – and all the needs of the country to reach developed country status – they need to secure as many resources as possible, particularly in resource-rich areas, such as the West Philippine Sea, which are adjacent to the mainland. So it's basically about locking up necessary resources to keep up the economic push.

Another explanation is that since China has achieved the first stage of economic modernization, namely the transition from an agricultural to an industrial economy, it has entered into a post-Deng period of "national assertiveness" in both the military and diplomatic realms. Third, China is developing its navy, and the navy has been aggressively espousing its bureaucratic interests at the expense of other branches of the military, by emphasizing China's need to assert itself in adjacent maritime waters. This is, after all, about China's long-term bid to match U.S. supremacy in global waters.

The three factors are interrelated explanations. I think all three are functioning here to a certain degree. Does this mean China is moving onto an imperial path? I don't think so, but there's a danger of it happening. Yet the cooler heads and more strategic minds could still prevent this.

What was your impression when the Department for Foreign Affairs and the armed forces decided to formally adopt your proposal to rename the disputed waters as the "West Philippine Sea"? Do you think this was a reflection of a renewed strategic posturing by the Philippine state, or more of a symbolic move to stoke brewing nationalist sentiment among the Filipino populace?

I think they were getting worried about Chinese incursions, and how they have been harassing our fishing boats and exploratory ships, preventing them from navigating the area. Perhaps they weren't expecting our proposal to come up. I remember my earlier conversations with Department of Foreign Affairs people, who focused on territorial disputes in the area. They were very excited about the possibility of our proposal coming out. They reacted very positively and said our idea is very good. In light of our weak military capabilities, the resolution provided a symbolic counter-attack, which was very effective. They realized how powerful "discourse" is. People realized that discourse was power. So our proposal carried immense tactical and symbolic implications, which were welcomed by the executive branch as well as the country's armed forces.

To what degree do you think America's apparent decline is influencing China's regional behavior? Is China exploiting a perceived shift in the global balance of power?

There's a growing recognition that the U.S. has overextended its strategic reach, while China has risen to become the world's second largest economy. Of course, it's just a matter of time before China becomes the world's preeminent economic and also military power. Cognizant of America's relative decline, and confident of China's steady rise, it comes as no surprise if some hawks in Beijing and the People's Liberation Army have this increasing feeling that China must have it's place in the sun.

However, the trend towards greater assertiveness isn't irreversible. There's nothing inevitable with respect to China's behavior. Surely, China can remain rational and calculated in its external behavior? In my opinion, China's increasing assertiveness should be seen from a more structural, rather than ideological, point of view. The country's resource-intensive export-oriented model of development has placed immense pressure on the state to secure as much in raw materials – from hydrocarbon resources to minerals and agricultural products – as possible to sustain its current pace of growth. Unless China makes a decisive shift towards a more stable and tempered form of domestic market oriented model of development, the Chinese state will always feel the compulsion to secure strategic natural resources at any cost. Therefore, it's very important for China to focus on re-structuring its current model of development, which relies heavily on resource-import and energy-intensive production.

What's your impression of the Obama administration's apparent "re-focus" or "re-engagement" with the Asia-Pacific region? This was very explicit in Hillary Clinton's Foreign Policy article, 'America's Pacific Century,' which underlined America's commitment to remain as an anchor of stability and prosperity in the trans-Pacific region. Strategically, do you think that this policy of "re-engagement" is simply a veiled attempt by Washington to "contain" or constrain China's continued rise? 

It seems a desperate effort by the Obama administration to disentangle from the Middle East in order to have a piece of the Asian miracle. There's an element of a "scramble" for Asia's booming markets. But, there's nothing new with Obama's policy. President Bill Clinton was among the first leaders to focus his efforts on East Asia, recognizing the region's economic dynamism and the benefits of greater trans-Pacific economic interaction and cooperation. Despite his initial identification of China as a strategic competitor, the exigencies of the "War on Terror" forced President Bush to increase America's cooperation with China and other East Asian countries. My sense is that Obama's re-engagement with Asia is informed by a sense of panic with the pace of China's rise. There seems to be this lurking nostalgia for containing China. But, China is simply too big and powerful to contain. Any attempt at containment is doomed to fail. Moreover, given how America is still embedded in the Middle East – in light of the Arab uprisings, growing tension with Iran, troubles in Iraq, and the ongoing war in Afghanistan – this shift or re-focus on the Asia-Pacific region would be very difficult.

Let's talk about strategic options for the Philippines as far as managing territorial conflicts with China are concerned. Do you feel that ASEAN has the institutional requisites and necessary political will to be helpful on this issue? Or do you think that the Philippines should strengthen its alliance with the U.S. as some kind of hedge against Chinese aggression?

I think that there's a fundamental zero-sum relationship between pursuing multilateral solutions, within the ASEAN framework and under the auspices of the UNCLOS, on the one hand, and creating a bipolar Sino-American face-off by bringing America into the picture, on the other. The Philippine state should choose the multilateral option as its sole strategy in dealing with our disputes in the West Philippine Sea. Sure, ASEAN has its own shortcomings, but serious issues of common concern, such as territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea, should serve as an impetus for greater institutional development.

There are a lot of opportunities and ways by which ASEAN could be more constructive and productive on this particular issue. I believe that it's time for ASEAN to grow up, develop a collective security arrangement, push forward with the establishment of a regional economic bloc, and deepen its engagements with the region's civil society. Such institutional growth and regional integration would allow ASEAN to play a more decisive role in managing and resolving territorial conflicts, which threaten regional stability and prosperity.

We already see some positive developments in dealing with disputes in the area. For instance, we have recently witnessed efforts by ASEAN leaders to draft and implement a more binding code of conduct in the West Philippine Sea. Development of appropriate guidelines would be extremely crucial, and such efforts are already underway. Most importantly, ASEAN should use its deepening economic interdependence with China as some sort of leverage to moderate Beijing's behavior and encourage a more rational and peaceful resolution of conflicts. After all, China relies heavily on Southeast Asian countries' resources to feed its booming economy and growing needs.

In your opinion, what's the most optimal and effective solution or approach to our territorial concerns in the region? What sorts of strategies could we adopt to influence China's behavior? Do we have any leverage on China at all, given its immense economic dominance in Southeast Asia?

In my opinion, there are three things that the Philippines should do. First, we should maintain a strong posture. This means that we have to clearly communicate to Beijing and our partners that while we are committed to a peaceful resolution of the dispute, we are also equally committed to our national territorial integrity. We are willing to use all diplomatic and political tools at our disposal in order to defend and protect our legitimate territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea.

Second, we have to emphasize a multilateral settlement of the issue. All claimant countries should come to the table and resolve this issue within a constructive atmosphere, which espouses dialogue, discourages the use of force, adheres to principles of international law, and respects regional norms as enshrined by the ASEAN charter.

Lastly, our allies and us should refrain from bringing America into the picture. This will only lead to a great power conflict, which would compromise our efforts to resolve conflicts in accordance with the principles of international law and regional dialogue.

Walden Bello is the author of more than a dozen books including 'Dilemmas of Domination: The Unmaking of the American Empire (2005).' He was awarded the Right Livelihood Award (also known as the Alternative Nobel Prize) in 2003. http://the-diplomat.com/new-leaders-forum/2011/12/15/the-west-philippine-sea/

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