Philippines' Duterte to scrap future war games with US

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Philippines' Duterte to scrap future war games with US

Updated 2:53 am, Thursday, September 29, 2016

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he was giving notice to the United States, his country's long-standing ally, that joint exercises of Filipino and American troops next week will be the last such drills.

He told the Filipino community in Hanoi late Wednesday night that he will maintain the military alliance with the U.S. because of the countries' 1951 defense treaty. But he added next week's exercises will proceed only because he did not want to embarrass his defense secretary.

Duterte said during a two-day visit to meet Vietnam's leaders that he wants to establish new trade and commercial alliances with China and Russia, and that the war games were something Beijing does not want.

"I would serve notice to you now that this will be the last military exercise," he said. "Jointly, Philippines-US, the last one."

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Philippines-Duterte-to-scrap-future-war-games-9413434.php

[cynzke]

1. LITTLE DICTATOR.....

reminds me of Trump. Wants to align with Russia and China. Not to worry, if Trump is elected we will all be on the same side again.

[mahina]

2. I care because a man with connections to Hawaii and the UH Richardson School of Law is a marine envi

Ronment hero.

We hear nothing from him lately.

He saved so much marine life and stopped the dynamiting of Manila Harbor, among many other saves.

Prayers for the environment.

[NWCorona]

3. Let him cozy up to the Chinese government. He'll see what happens.

[Nitram]

4. He may change his tune if China tries to grab more nearby ocean...

[geek tragedy]

8. he'll sell his country out to the Chinese in a nanosecond.

This is what happens when people elect people like Trumpito

[GeoWilliam750]

9. Past tense

[Sunlei]

5. actually good, we need to save several billion dollars and stop "war practice training" saves $$$

China & Russia don't want to cut free any of their customers, all the crap they sell to their neighbor countries. Including 'military supplies'. Assad probably can't afford anymore of Putin's WW2 junk choppers and barrel bomb bills and the 100? choppers Russia? stole from Turkey(during the fake coup) and resold to ? were the last big sale.

[Coventina]

6. I think we should cut ties to this brutal dictator, especially since he moved to do so first.

Good riddance!!

[geek tragedy]

7. Hope the people in the Phillippines are able to learn Chinese, cause

they're going to be taking orders from Beijing in the not too distant future.

[cstanleytech]

10. Other than the language would they really notice much of a difference compared

to their current government?

[geek tragedy]

12. Ask the people of Tibet nt

[cstanleytech]

13. So Tibets government was behaving like the Philippians government is now?

[Eugene]

11. Pentagon chief calls U.S. alliance with Philippines 'ironclad'

Source: Reuters

WORLD NEWS | Thu Sep 29, 2016 | 7:11pm EDT

Pentagon chief calls U.S. alliance with Philippines 'ironclad'

By Yeganeh Torbati | SAN DIEGO, CALIF.

The United States has an "ironclad" alliance with the Philippines, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Thursday, countering statements by the southeast Asian nation's president that have thrown bilateral relations into deepening uncertainty.

Carter spoke a day after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has branded President Barack Obama a "son of a bitch," declared upcoming U.S.-Philipppines military exercises "the last" and ruled out any joint navy patrols.

"As it has been for decades, our alliance with the Philippines is ironclad," said Carter, speaking to American sailors aboard the U.S.S. Carl Vinson at its home port in San Diego.

Through a "landmark" recent agreement, "the United States is supporting the modernization of the Philippine Armed Forces," he said.

Duterte has engaged in near-daily outbursts against the United States for the last month, raising questions about whether Manila's next moves could complicate regional diplomacy.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-philippines-carter-idUSKCN11Z304