Here is an interesting piece by very dear American friend, John Brule, who is Syracuse's University's specialist on robotics technology at its Engineering Department. It was published by the City of Syracuse's Post Standard.

                             

                         Professor Roland G. Simbulan

 

June 23, 2002

 

The saga of the excursion of the U.S. into the Philippines continues, and the media still seems to not be able to get the story straight, at least in reporting what the Bush Administration views as its version of the "truth."  Perhaps that's because the Bush Administration doesn't know what it wants people to believe.

On June 8 in the Post Standard a published news item was still using the time-worn and thoroughly discredited appellation:  "al-Qaida linked AbuSayyaf group", when referring to the thuggery going on on the island of Mindanao.  It is well known to any Philippine watcher that for centuries there have been problems between some of the people of Mindanao and any external government of that island.  This has always included kidnapping for ransom and went on long before there was any al-Qaida.

So then on June 9 the story got changed, along with the statements of U. S. officials.  On that day the story referring to AbuSayyaf was: "U.S. officials say these links are tenuous at best.  The group over the years  has degenerated into little more than thugs who engage in kidnappings for ransom."  Now this is really in line with reality. 

However on June 22 there had to be another switch - the truth is too hard for the Bush Administration to bear.  For on this day the pictures of four captured AbuSayyaf members was printed, but the "truth squad" of the Administration had to change back to the old line.  For under the picture it was stated: "The group reportedly got support from the al-Qaida terrorist network but had steadily moved toward becoming a bandit gang, thriving on kidnapping-for ransom and killing captives whose family couldn't afford to pay."  The implication is that the al-Qaida set up the AbuSayyaf, and then the group moved towards kidnapping for ransom.  That is, the time line is reversed so that the Bush Administration's need to lay the blame on al-Qaida could be reinstated.

We Americans are being exposed to half truths and lies in this case of the Philippines.  How many more of the Bush Administration's stories are also false?  It is time for us to search out the truth in the web that the Bush Administration is weaving.

 

John D. Brule

Syracuse, New York

445-0698