Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Filipino protesters burn Obama in effigy, don't want US military presence increased in Philippines nor free new infrastructure paid by US taxpayers

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4/28/14, "Angry Filipino protesters burn EFFIGY of Barack Obama in protest against military pact aimed at 'greater cooperation' between the two countries," UK Daily Mail, Tara Brady
"An effigy of President Barack Obama was burnt today by Filipino activists during a rally in protest at a a 10-year agreement which will beef up U.S. military forces there.

The military will get greater access to bases across the region as an effort by Washington to counter Chinese aggression. The presence of foreign troops is a sensitive issue in the Philippines, a former American colony....

U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg and Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin signed the agreement at the main military camp in the capital, Manila, ahead of Obama's stop and portrayed it is as a central part of his weeklong Asia trip.

The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement will give American forces temporary access to selected military camps and allow them to preposition fighter jets and ships.

The deal was signed hours before Obama arrived in Manila on the last leg of a four-country Asian tour, following stops in Japan, South Korea and Malaysia. Goldberg said the agreement will 'promote peace and security in the region,' and allow U.S. and Philippine forces to respond faster to disasters and other contingencies.

It is not known how many additional U.S. troops would be deployed 'on temporary and rotational basis.'...

While the U.S. military will not pay rent for local camp areas, the Philippines will own buildings and infrastructure to be built or improved by the Americans and reap economic gains from the U.S. presence, it has been said."...


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