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The Tragedy: An American Dilemma
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10038 |
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Section : |
CURRENT ISSUES
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4 / 1986 |
1,454 Words |
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Ramon H. Myers
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The Republic of the Philippines stood on the brink of civil war, its economy is a shambles, and the nation is continually threatened by a takeover of communist-led guerrilla forces and their well-organized supporters in major cities. The United States cannot abandon this republic because its stability is so important to preserving the peace and security of the Pacific Basin, as well as America's own security interests.
Power Balance
It is significant that the U.S. Pacific Fleet maintains the balance of military power in the region. Nuclear submarines provide an important element of the overall U.S. nuclear deterrent. Units of the Seventh Fleet protect both the vital sea-lanes upon which the countries of the Pacific Basin depend and the critical choke points: the three straits around Japan and the Malacca Straits, connecting the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The U.S. fleet discourages military aggression and prevents any naval blockade of America's friends and allies.
The bases at Subic Bay and Clark Field are vital for the effective operations of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and Air Force. They lie midway between the north and south choke points and very near the vital sea-lanes in the region. Subic Bay's docks and repair facilities enable the U.S. fleet to project its power throughout the northeast and southeast sectors and to rapidly deploy units to the Persian Gulf. Clark Field enables the United States to maintain air and sea surveillance over the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Vacating these two bases and retreating to Guam or elsewhere would be extremely costly and would greatly reduce the operational efficiency of the U.S. fleet and air units. Those two bases could potentially fall into the wrong hands, an event that would tip the balance of regional military power in favor of the Soviet Union. Without these two bases it would be extremely difficult for the United States to guarantee effectively the peace and security of the Pacific Basin. Their loss to an anti-American regime in the Philippines would disastrously destabilize the entire region. It would be an unthinkable outcome for the United States.
The Current Crisis
In the late 1970s the Philippine's gross national product was expanding at more than 5 percent per annum, unemployment was only 4 percent annually, the population growth rate was slowing, and economic conditions seemed favorable. The communist-led New People's Army (NPA) had almost been eliminated. Even the political situation was relatively stable.
By early 1986 a monumental tragedy had occurred. Communist insurgency and influence had mushroomed. The Philippine government states that 1,885 villages--roughly 5 percent of some 40,000--have been penetrated and politicized by the NPA. U.S. intelligence counters that the true figure is closer to 8,000 villages--20 percent--and that the actual Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) membership has doubled in the past five years. Whichever figure is correct, acts of terrorism and the murder of local leaders, mostly at CPP hands, have greatly increased. CPP strongholds are located in northern Luzon and on the islands of Samar, Leyte, Negros, and Mindanao.
The CCP-led
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