U.S.-Philippines Partnership May Be Model For Fighting Terrorism Elsewhere

Philippine Air Force Commanding General Lt. Gen. Oscar Ravena, right, escorts U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, left, past an honor guard upon Gates' arrival in Manila, Philippines, June 1, 2009. Gates is in the Philippines on a one-day visit to discuss bilateral issues concerning security and counter-terrorism. DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison

From L.A. Times:

The U.S. has kept a low profile in the fight against militant group Abu Sayyaf, easing public acceptance of the campaign. Pentagon chief Gates backs the strategy in the first trip to the Philippines by a Defense secretary in a decade.

Reporting from Manila -- The small U.S. military mission in the Philippines attracts little attention, but Defense Department officials say it has been surprisingly effective at reducing the havens once used by militants here -- and that could make the effort a model for other U.S. partnerships with other nations, including Pakistan.

Pakistan has been reluctant to allow more than 70 American trainers into the country, worried about public reaction to a substantive U.S. troop presence. But the low profile and public acceptance of the U.S. military program in the Philippines suggest there could be lessons for American officers eager to step up their efforts with the Pakistan military.

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My Comment: Insurgencies has been a way of life for the Philippines since the last century. Any success in the Philippines should be examined and copied elsewhere.