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| General Simcock...old CO of 1/7...hard as nails. |
The Marines are in the Philippines negotiating basing rights...or something like that. Thanks to everyone that filled my inbox with the news but I just don't see the significance. We've been down this road too many times. I got excited a couple of times before only to see nothing happened. I'll save the popping of corks until we see a base established.
Dirty little secret.
The Philippines aren't the lynchpin in the strategy to contain China.
India is.
If we can get a real deal defense treaty with India then China will be fully encircled and will be vulnerable from attack from several different directions. If the treaty is modeled on the NATO model where an attack against one is an attack against all then war will be particularly costly for the rising dragon.
You are right that India is the key terrain.
ReplyDeleteHowever the Phillipines would be a key part of the "Air/Sea" battle currently being floated and tossed around the E ring (puns intended).
Better to bring India into SEATO and work to conduct more multinational exercises.
That's the SEATO should model themselves after NATO and follow the NATO Format
ReplyDeleteIt makes more sense for the USMC to have bases in the Philippines than Australia IMO.
ReplyDeleteConsidering the sad state of the Philippine military, I think Clark and Subic are going to have some new tenants.
Back in the day, all Clark rated was a wing of F-4 Phantoms. I wonder if it will be F-16s or F-15s now.
With all those IRBM China has, Clark would need a massive upgrade in hardened facilities.
i don't know about that. getting our people caught in the middle of that insurgency isn't what we're going to the Pacific to take care of. i'd rather see us in Thailand (even with their troubles...it seems a bit less than what the Philippines are dealing with)
Deletethe insurgencies that have been taking place in the Philippines are nothing new.
ReplyDeleteWe've been waging a war and winning one of them with Special Forces:
https://medium.com/war-is-boring/3a8b708016d7
The insurgencies aren't anywhere near Clark AF or Subic Bay.
Besides, the Philippine Marine Corps could benefit from a closer relationship with the USMC. Of the nations most likely to have the PLAN try to seize an island from them, the Philippines is at the top of the list.
i'm well aware of the issue. i'm also aware that SF is their in force. but stationing troops is another issue entirely. station 1000 Marines on the island and the insurgency will gravitate toward those troops simply because it'll raise the profile of the insurgency. thats a fact. besides. if China seizes an island it won't make a difference whether Marines are at Clark or not. what will matter is US policy towards that eventuality.
DeleteI don't get it. Why station USMC in Philippines? Does not make any sense other than it's the cheapest R&R station. USMC won't get into political trouble like they do in Japan.
DeleteInsurgency? It doesn't matter whether USMC, USAF, US Army is there. The insurgency will be there and will get stronger as corrupt military and government officials will funnel the weapons and equipment down to the rebels. This happened before when US bases were there. Old habits die hard.
why are you so down on the Philippines. they've had their share of issues but they're trying to climb out of it and seem to be on the right road now.
DeleteThis Gen Simcock fellow looks like he puts up with 0% bullshit. I like it.
ReplyDeleteSimcock looks like a pro wrestler in that pic. He's got that pro wrestler, NFL brow ridge going on.
ReplyDelete