US access to bases? Learn from Iraq, Afghanistan, PH warned

MANILA, Philippines — Will the US help the Philippines defend its territory against China? Think again, warned US-based lawyer Azadeh Shahshahani, president of National Lawyers Guild.

Shahshahani is among a delegation of human rights defenders who are in Manila to support the calls of progressive groups against the US military presence in the Philippines and the continuing human rights violations perpetrated by government security forces.

READ: From Arroyo to Aquino, impunity continues

“Look at the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan. Direct US military intervention led to the devastation of those countries. After decades of US aggression in different forms, Afghanistan and Iraq have been destroyed,” she said. 

“Afghanistan has finally realized that military aggression is not the answer… their peace negotiations with Taliban,” Shahshahani added.

The government announced in June that it was drafting a plan that would allow US as well as Japanese forces to spend more time in Filipino bases.

READ: PH wants to give US, Japan more access to bases

Shahshahani also warned that the US could turn the Philippines as a launching pad for its drones.

“We are also concerned that the bases could serve as launching pad for US drones that have already led to the deaths of thousands people in the Middle East and South Asia, including significant numbers of civilians,” she said. 

ICHRPP spokesperson Teddy Casiño said the US military’s pivot to Asia could worsen the human rights situation in the country. “The situation is seen to worsen with the continued local crisis and the pivot of US militarism from the Middle East to the Asia Pacific, especially the use of the Philippines as launching pad for increased US military aggression in the region,” he said.

Various concerns were raised when fishermen found a US drone off Masbate in January. 

READ: US drone crashes off Masbate — police

The US said the drone was fired 4 months earlier during an American naval exercises off Guam.  — Rappler.com