Philippines: 1st nation to give into terrorist...., War In Iraq Options

[patrick004]

...demands for hostage's sake.


The story:
DUBAI (Reuters) - The Philippines will withdraw its forces from Iraq "as soon as possible," Philippine deputy foreign minister Rafael Seguis said on Monday in a statement he read out on al Jazeera television.
"In response to your request, the Philippines ... will withdraw its humanitarian forces as soon as possible," Seguis said according to al Jazeera's Arabic translation of his remarks.

His statement was addressed to a group calling itself the Islamic Army in Iraq, which is holding a Filipino driver hostage and has threatened to kill him unless Manila agrees to withdraw its troops by July 20.

"I hope the statement that I read will touch the heart of this group," Seguis told the satellite television from Baghdad.

He declined to give an exact date for the 50 humanitarian troops' withdrawal, which Manila had insisted would take place by August 20 as earlier scheduled.

Seguis appealed to the group to release their hostage, truck driver Angelo de la Cruz, and added: "We know that Islam is the religion of peace and mercy."

Al Jazeera said earlier the group extended by 24 hours to Monday night its deadline for killing de la Cruz, which had expired at 11 p.m. Iraqi time (3 p.m. EDT) on Sunday.

The channel showed a video tape in which it said de la Cruz appealed to Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to swiftly withdraw troops from Iraq so he could return to his family.

He was shown wearing orange overalls and standing in front of three masked captors holding automatic weapons and ammunition belts.

De la Cruz's family has said he went to Saudi Arabia a year ago to work as a driver after a long period of unemployment.

He was abducted last week near the Iraqi town of Falluja while driving a fuel shipment from Saudi Arabia.

At least 4,000 Philippine civilians work in Iraq, many employed by contractors and working in U.S. military bases.

Three Philippine workers have been killed in attacks by insurgents opposed to the U.S. military presence in Iraq.

© Reuters 2004. All Rights Reserved.
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Do you agree with what the Philippines did?

[PinoyOtaku]

If the PI does pull out before its proposed August 20th deadline, then I'd seriously be outraged. Doing this will just make the other side look good and create more embarassment for the Philippines. If the Philippines does give in then it would be nothing more than a defeat in the War on Terrorism. But at least de la Cruz would live...but more than 4,000 OFWs are at the possibility of being killed in Iraq and the armed forces contingent, although very dismal in numbers, gave the workers some sense of assurance. I'm sorta on a state of quandry wheter if I should agree with the possibility of pulling out troops to save one life or to disagree and have the troops stay thus leading to the execution of de la Cruz... But for now, if the Philippines does give in...I'd be devastated and my pride would be shattered.