Where chaos looms, the Few emerge. Marines move toward the sounds of tyranny, injustice and despair...Ok. First off let me admit that I hate the idea of Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Response (HA/DR) becoming first in the reasons for our existence as a Marine Corps. I believe that if you can fight from the sea, onto the beach and then onto the objective then a hurricane or typhoon relief effort is a piece of cake.
Having said that I'm at a loss of words of the pathetic Marine Corps/US response to the killer Typhoon that has destroyed parts of the Philippines.
90 Marines tasked to disaster relief? That's all we're sending?
They're going to need the aid of a FULL Marine Expeditionary Unit. They need AAV to deliver supplies to the hungry, our excellent medical facilities (GO NAVY CORPSMEN!!!) to aid their wounded.
They need us.
When it was about getting basing right to Subic Bay we were all up in their "grill".
Now when they're bloodied, hurting and need help?
We're no where to be found.
EMBARASSING!
Note: I've said it once I'll say it again. Watch what the Chinese do. If they go all out to aid the Filipino people then that will tell everyone in the region who the real Pacific power is...especially if we remain as indifferent as we are now to the suffering of a country we call an ally.
Update: Russia is in the game. Read about what they're doing here.
Update 1: I don't believe in fighting other people's wars. Case in point. The enemy in Afghanistan isn't terrorist but Afghans that belong to a different tribe..the Taliban. In that case I want us out of the way of a civil war. But the Philippine situation is different in my mind. To see the news coverage of the event, to see the lack of action from the Obama Administration tells me that we're well on our way to totally backing off the world stage. This is all the proof that I needed. Americans are tired. The world wants us gone and we're saying fine. Strangely, the world will suffer but maybe we can finally get our affairs in order...once we get a new set of leaders---and that's across the board. Military, Political and even a whole slew of the clowns in bureaucracy.
I believe that the aid will be in response to whatever the Philippines asks for, and that the US will attempt to provide that. It may be that a whole bunch of Marines is not what they want.
ReplyDeletefrom the Pentagon:
U.S. Military to Aid Typhoon-devastated Philippine
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2013 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel directed U.S. Pacific Command yesterday to support U.S. government humanitarian relief operations in the Philippines in the wake of a deadly typhoon that has left more than 1,000 dead, defense officials announced yesterday.
The support, provided at the request of the Philippines government, will initially focus on surface maritime search and rescue, medium-heavy helicopter lift support, airborne maritime SAR, fixed-wing lift support and logistics enablers, officials said.
DOD is working in coordination with the U.S. Agency for International Development and U.S. ambassador in Manila, they said, and will continue to monitor the effects of Typhoon Haiyan while standing ready to help the Philippines recover from the monster storm.
when a govt is in chaos and confusion it doesn't operate properly. even in the best of times the Philippine govt didn't operate well. its time to step up and deliver and let them tell us they don't want it instead of sitting on the sidelines.
DeleteDon,
DeleteI admire your posts but this is one post I totally disagree. US aid will not be in response to what the Philippine government "requests" when the Philippine government is asking EVERYONE for help.
The nearest outfit that can immediately assist the cleanup would be the USMC/USN SeeBees. Airport is down and needs to be re-built. Sea port is probably strewn with debris and wreckage. The only way in is via Red Beach and go either south to Ormoc or north towards Tacloban City.
All the wooden power poles have snapped in half. No power means no running water, no sanitation, no lines of communications. What is needed are diesel fuel and a sh1tful of honest people to stop looting and descent into chaos.
The people there need help. US$100K is not enough. 90 USMC are not enough.
The 90 marines and sailors are part of only a first wave of relief: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/10/us-philippines-typhoon-usa-military-idUSBRE9A90GX20131110
Delete"Meanwhile, about 90 U.S. Marines and sailors arrived in the Philippines as part of a first wave of promised U.S. military assistance..."
I think it was only what we had on hand at short notice. Apart from that I think a vast majority of the relief we are giving to the Philippines will be non-military. I don't know why, but that's what it looks like. Other than that, I would have to say that our government right now is waiting for the Philippines to ask us for more help when it is needed through a "formal request." I think we should have just started air dropping in supplies shortly after. I do agree that Obama is moving slow on this and he's losing ground every minute that he does, but he's starting to speed up. Now that he said the US is waiting for a request he would be going back on his word to immediately intervene.
Also, I wonder if Russia's offer caused him to speed up. Obama has been embarrassed by Putin nearly twice now; first with Snowden, then with Syria. I doubt he'd want to be shown up by Russia again in Southeast Asia of all places.
let me add this juicy tidbit to the conspiracy table. the Philippines are a christian country fighting muslim terrorist.
Deletechew on that for a minute.
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DeleteTo be honest I didn't know much about the terrorism issue in the Philippines. I looked it up and all this did was make me angry again. Three more years of Obama is going to do unimaginable damage to our foreign policy.
DeleteDoubt China will step up to bat. The Chinese hate the Pinoys with a vengeance, especially with the blotched hostage rescue resulting in dead Chinese and the recent Chinese fisherman killed by their Coast Guard. More than likely, the Chinese will watch the Philippines ... and laugh at their misfortune. The Philippines are not helping either with their praise of Taiwan's relief aid. Almost calculated to crawl down China's throat and stick sideways.
DeleteThe US is still the Philippine's best friend. Most of the other countries in that region treat it as the unwanted relative.
Again proof of no leadership in the white house. I guess he is to busy trying to learn how to write code to fix that dang website. Come on $600 million spent on a website to sign up 2000 people and what jacks@#$ for an alley.
ReplyDeletetotally agree. no leadership. no foresight. no reaction to chaos. nothing. China will win the Pacific without much effort at this rate.
DeleteI wonder what account the money for this aid is coming out of?
ReplyDeletefrom the US coffers it should be coming out of USAID. but they're a bunch of useless bastards that can't shit properly unless an NCO from a branch of the military tells them what to do and then they rush to the cameras bragging about what good work they're doing. a bunch of incompetent bitches that have infected even the Pentagon.
DeleteAustralia is sending AU$10 mil (not in cash, mind you).
ReplyDeletehttp://www.news.com.au/world/super-typhoon-haiyan-kills-over-10000-in-philippines-destruction/story-fndir2ev-1226757095609
A thought and of one I am not proud but if it had been Indonesia............
ReplyDeleteand you just completed the circuit.
Delete@steve Do go on, as an Indonesian I'd like to read the rest of your comment. Have we wronged you in any way?
Deletegeez Kevin. we're talking about internal US politics. it has nothing at all to do with Indonesia but as a question of how our US president treats christian and muslim countries worldwide. if there is a tilt toward the pacific then many Americans feel that their has been a tilt toward muslim countries against christians.
Deletesorry but the fact of the matter is simple. muslim extremist have spilt much american blood. they have declared war on us and then bitch when we fight back. it appears to many that our leadership would rather kiss ass instead of kick ass.
so no. it has nothing to do with your country or your faith. it has evverything to do with politics, terrorism, attacks against the US in the name of the muslim faith and thats all.
Kevin, it has nothing to do with Indonesia. You might be surprised if you don't know much about internal USA politics but a good part of the US population doesn't believe that Obama was born in Hawaii but that he was born in Kenya. They also believe he is Muslim and not Christian and the fact that he lived in Indonesia is not seen as a positive but a giant negative. Many believe he is a traitor whose agenda is to destroy the USA. This has nothing to do with Indonesia......
DeleteAlso I can't think of a US President or for that matter ANY other world leader that has this problem or even if this has happened BEFORE that so many people question the President, Premier Minister or any other leadership position like Obama has been questioned....I can't come up with an example that would compare to this......
Kevin Jasdu, don't buy the nutty torrent of weird distortions around the duly-elected and re-elected President of the United States.
DeletePresident Obama reflects the multi-cultural family-tree of so many that are Americans, and has been less aggressive on certain military efforts than some wish and more on others than his political allies would like. Any 'spin' on his 'motivations' is just empty speculation, since in politics you are what you do and will be known to have done. He killed (muslim) bin Laden and has been raging the biggest drone-war offensive in history against (mostly muslim) terrorists... But he has also deported millions of (christian) illegal immigrants, has a carefully-crafted multi-facetted relationship with (jewish) Israel, is on good terms with (shinto ?) Japan, and South Korea, and quite multi-cultural Philippines, etc. etc.
So, Kevin, Do not get sucked into the 'nut'-wing distortions about a man in likely the most public office anywhere, with very little room to hide 'grand' conspiracies.
I hope Indonesia is in a position to send at least one of the five DANJUNG DALPELE-class Dock Landing Ships with a belly full of Landing Craft with water-makers, generators, medical supplies, water, food
And any of your 19 Tank Landing Ships would allow direct delivery of road-clearing heavy equipment and lots of vital supplies to be brought into the worst-stricken disaster-zones.
And make sure CNN, Al Jazeera DW, NHK, BBC etc. capture Indonesia's unambiguous expression of support for their northern neighbor across the Celebes Sea.
USS George Washington and 5 other ships are on their way to the Philippines.
ReplyDeletehttp://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/us-sends-aircraft-carrier-aid-philippines-20857924