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Puck
The Texan
Joined: 05 Jan 2004
Posts: 5596
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 Mon Jul 12, 2004 8:07 pm Official:Philippines Withdrawing Troops 'as Soon as Possible |
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| Quote: |
Official: Philippines Withdrawing Troops 'as Soon as Possible'
Monday, July 12, 2004
BAGHDAD, Iraq � Pleading for the life of a truck driver held hostage in Iraq, Philippine Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Rafael Seguis (search) said the country would withdraw its troops "as soon as possible."
Seguis' appeal to the group holding Angelo dela Cruz (search) was aired on Arab-language television network Al-Jazeera on Tuesday. But he did not elaborate on whether the Philippines would move up their scheduled Aug. 20 pullout from Iraq.
It is unclear if dela Cruz is still alive. The militant group, the Iraqi Islamic Army-Khaled bin Al-Waleed Corps (search), had initially said they would kill the hostage by Sunday if the Philippines did not agree to pull out its 51-member peacekeeping force one month earlier than planned. Earlier on Monday, the Philippines announced that the kidnappers had extended their deadline to 3 p.m. EDT Tuesday.
But in a videotape and statement broadcast by Al-Jazeera, the group said it was only extending the deadline to 3 p.m. EDT Monday.
In the videotape, dela Cruz, while pleading to be spared, also asked that his body be sent to the Philippines for burial should he be killed.
He appeared to wearing an orange garment similar to those worn by two other hostages who have been beheaded: American Nicholas Berg (search) and South Korean Kim Sun-il (search).
Cruz's sister, Lydia Ghazzawi of Pacifica, Calif., began to sob when she learned about the new deadline. She had thought her brother's captors had extended the deadline until Tuesday.
"We're still hoping," the 35-year-old Ghazzawi, one of dela Cruz's three sisters, told The Associated Press. "I don't know what to believe. I'm confused right now."
On Tuesday morning Iraq time, Seguis said on Al-Jazeera the pullout would come according to the government's commitments when asked what "as soon as possible" meant.
Seguis also made a heartfelt plea to the kidnappers.
On behalf of the Philippines and dela Cruz's family, "I appeal to your compassion and mercy for his release," he said from Baghdad.
Seguis, who was in Baghdad working to get dela Cruz freed, said that Islam was the religion of peace and compassion.
"I appeal to you and to your kind hearts as Muslims to please release Angelo dela Cruz so that he can return to his family and children," he said.
Dela Cruz' wife and eight children live in the Philippines in a poor rural town in the province of Pampanga, north of Manila. Ghazzawi said the hostage's wife and a brother were flying from the Philippines to Amman, Jordan, with an official from the Philippines government to plead for his life.
"We hope the negotiations succeed," said Khaled Ghazzawi, Lydia's husband.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Ugh....what a ignorant decsion. Why don't they just shake the terrorists hand and thank Al-Quaeda for taking the time out of their busy schedule to negotiate.
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Jeremy
J's Guy
Joined: 03 Oct 2002
Posts: 7823
Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
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| Tue Jul 13, 2004 8:36 am |
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Actually they were going to be leaving the counrty at the end of the month anyway. Also 51 people isn't exactly going to make much of a difference when they are removed. And I know it is bad to negatiate most of the time with terrorists, but thing of it from that person's family's view. They would want him back. We also don't know what happened behind the scenes, so there could have been something else that we don't know about.
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borgslayer
Rear Admiral
Joined: 27 Aug 2003
Posts: 2646
Location: Las Vegas
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| Tue Jul 13, 2004 9:31 pm |
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Those protestors on the picture they are what i call "Volatile People"
The people in the country are "Politically Unstable" so if the President Gloria Arroyo did not withdraw troops things like a riot could break out in several small towns or cities.
( I think it was a good move )
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Jeremy
J's Guy
Joined: 03 Oct 2002
Posts: 7823
Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
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| Wed Jul 14, 2004 2:59 am |
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I think it's not such a matter as they are unstable, but rather they were against the war in the first place and now that one of thier people's lifes are being threatened they have started protesting again. People in Britain have been protesting, does that mean it is a politically unstable country?
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Seven of Nine
Sammie's Mammy
Joined: 16 Jun 2001
Posts: 7871
Location: North East England
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| Wed Jul 14, 2004 5:21 pm |
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Yup, me go protest against war on Saturday 
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Republican_Man
STV's Premier Conservative
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 14823
Location: Classified
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| Tue Jul 20, 2004 11:32 pm |
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So they only had 50-some troops. That does NOT mean that they should give into the terrorists.
And I hate how people could protest to the extreme throughout combat operations.
-------signature-------
"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
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Puck
The Texan
Joined: 05 Jan 2004
Posts: 5596
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| Tue Jul 20, 2004 11:48 pm |
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What is the point of protesting now? You already have troops over there. Be a good patriot and support them. Voice your dismay for the war at the ballot box.
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Pah-Wraith
Sheikh
Joined: 30 Nov 2001
Posts: 6012
Location: Londonistan.
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| Wed Jul 21, 2004 2:17 am |
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Let's just say now that the Philippines did that, those "Muslims" in the MLF demanding Autonomy for Mindanao and the Southern Filipino Islands will completely harass the Government with demands and threats. The Philippines is a Politically Unstable nation (Speaking as a British Filipino myself) it has loads of problems in the South of the Philippines with the MLF and many of the Presidents after Ferdinand Marcos (the Dictator) are thought to have been Corrupt- especially that Idiot a few years ago- Josef Strada.
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Seven of Nine
Sammie's Mammy
Joined: 16 Jun 2001
Posts: 7871
Location: North East England
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| Wed Jul 21, 2004 6:50 am |
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| JanewayIsHott wrote: | | What is the point of protesting now? You already have troops over there. Be a good patriot and support them. Voice your dismay for the war at the ballot box. |
I back the troops, just not the decision for them to be over there. And I do use my (and other peoples, if I can wrangle it  ) vote to show I disagree with the war. I now feel that this occupation should come to an end as soon as possible. I'M NOT SAYING IMMEDIATELY, because I know that won't work. It's too far gone, and we have to repair the damage we've caused. I also disagree with all the contracts going to companies that are not based in Iraq, but obviously if they are they should use Iraqi workers, not Americans/Brits, etc.
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Republican_Man
STV's Premier Conservative
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 14823
Location: Classified
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| Wed Jul 21, 2004 10:37 am |
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| Seven of Nine wrote: | | JanewayIsHott wrote: | | What is the point of protesting now? You already have troops over there. Be a good patriot and support them. Voice your dismay for the war at the ballot box. |
I back the troops, just not the decision for them to be over there. And I do use my (and other peoples, if I can wrangle it ) vote to show I disagree with the war. I now feel that this occupation should come to an end as soon as possible. I'M NOT SAYING IMMEDIATELY, because I know that won't work. It's too far gone, and we have to repair the damage we've caused. I also disagree with all the contracts going to companies that are not based in Iraq, but obviously if they are they should use Iraqi workers, not Americans/Brits, etc. |
Have you seen the news lately? The occupation has ENDED . Don't forget that. We're just staying in there now to help them out and stop terrorists, as we need to do.
But by "And I hate how people could protest to the extreme throughout combat operations."
I basically meant what Janeway said with, "What is the point of protesting now? You already have troops over there. Be a good patriot and support them. Voice your dismay for the war at the ballot box."
And another thing to Seven: | Quote: | | I also disagree with all the contracts going to companies that are not based in Iraq, but obviously if they are they should use Iraqi workers, not Americans/Brits, etc |
Well, you've probably have been getting that the Iraqis are hardly doing anything, but it is true that jobs are being handed over to the IRAQIS each day or so now, making the American/British workers leave more often. Just wanted to set you on the right course. 
-------signature-------
"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
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Seven of Nine
Sammie's Mammy
Joined: 16 Jun 2001
Posts: 7871
Location: North East England
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| Wed Jul 21, 2004 1:15 pm |
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The occupation ends when the troops get out. And when the Iraqis get to vote for their own leaders. I'm glad that's only a few months away.
Anyway, now it's the Palestine/Isreali problem that I'm concentrating on. Oh, how I wish I could take away the USA's veto on the Security Council....
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Republican_Man
STV's Premier Conservative
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 14823
Location: Classified
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| Wed Jul 21, 2004 1:36 pm |
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| Seven of Nine wrote: | The occupation ends when the troops get out. And when the Iraqis get to vote for their own leaders. I'm glad that's only a few months away.
Anyway, now it's the Palestine/Isreali problem that I'm concentrating on. Oh, how I wish I could take away the USA's veto on the Security Council.... |
No. The occupation ended when Sovereignty was given to Iraq. We'll get out if they ask us to. We aren't controlling everything anymore.
-------signature-------
"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
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Pah-Wraith
Sheikh
Joined: 30 Nov 2001
Posts: 6012
Location: Londonistan.
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| Wed Jul 21, 2004 8:11 pm |
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| Seven of Nine wrote: | | Anyway, now it's the Palestine/Isreali problem that I'm concentrating on. Oh, how I wish I could take away the USA's veto on the Security Council.... |
Good on you!!
Liberate Palestine with East Jerusalem as Capital!
www.bigcampaign.org
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Puck
The Texan
Joined: 05 Jan 2004
Posts: 5596
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| Wed Jul 21, 2004 11:53 pm |
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Let's not be to quick to put down Israel...they may not be perfect, but the Palestinians certainly are not at all perfect either.
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Republican_Man
STV's Premier Conservative
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 14823
Location: Classified
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| Thu Jul 22, 2004 1:46 pm |
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Boycott French goods, not Israeli goods.
The French people--well, the government, in particular--have been nothing but jerks to the US, participated in scandals, and aided and abetted the enemy of the US (being Saddam). If we boycott French goods, then we assist in damaging the French economy, hence damaging the government.
I am also in support of Israel.
-------signature-------
"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
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Puck
The Texan
Joined: 05 Jan 2004
Posts: 5596
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| Thu Jul 22, 2004 2:29 pm |
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Tsss, I looked at a list of French goods that you may find so that I could boycott.....hardly anything I heard of was on it.  However, I do keep my eyes out to double check to make sure we don't buy anything from them.
As for Israel and Palestine, I don't like either of them personally....but weighing what I know, I would say that Israel has the high-ground.....most of the time at least.
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