In a January 30, 2014 article by Catherine A. Traywick on
ForeignPolicy.com titled, Will
American Troops Return to Philippine Bases?, the author states the reasons
for and against an American presence in the Philippines. After hurricane Haiyan
devastated the central Philippines, the United States was first to respond –
and we did so in grand fashion. Loads of
American supplies, aid money and first responders appeared within days of the
disaster – helping a seemingly overwhelmed Philippine government response. American and Filipino officials began talks
after the disaster about reviving an American military presence in its already
established bases in the Nevada-sized country that is home to over 100 million
people.
What would an American presence in the Philippines mean for
the region as a whole? Given the ongoing territorial disputes with China, the
Philippines could use a strong ally in case China decides to become any more
brazen with their threats. At the same
time, an official American presence could aggravate the situation, although
that seems unlikely given the fact that American troops have been present in
the Southern Philippines assisting the Philippine military deal with the Muslim
terrorist group al Qaeda.
The pros far outweigh the cons in this proposal. Americans
and Filipinos are great allies and have been for some time – the relations
between the countries have been sound, with little hiccups along the way. Why would anyone want to veto American
presence in the Philippines? It would provide a great military vantage point
for the United States in the region and strengthen relation with many of the
nations in the area. American military presence could also provide a counter to
Chinese bullying over the contested seas and islands.
Probably the most significant reason for this alliance would
be an increase in friendly trade relations between the nations. He Philippines
is one of the fastest growing economies since the global recession and is
looking to boost output over the coming years – America could use another
strong trading partner. In conclusion, both nations can benefit from such an
alliance and more importantly, neither has something to lose.
By Christopher M. Vacek
http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2014/01/30/will_american_troops_return_to_philippine_bases
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