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Pete
06-09-2012, 03:19
The US Will Re-Open Massive Philippine Bases Not Occupied Since The Cold War

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-us-is-reopening-massive-philippine-military-bases-not-used-since-the-cold-war-2012-6#ixzz1xHnRlzJH


"With the U.S. moving the majority of its naval fleet to the Pacific, commanders are eagerly looking for invitations to park the planes and ships that will be pouring into the region.

Travis Tritten at Stars and Stripes reports that the Pentagon has apparently been fanning the old flame of friendship with the Philippines and will be re-opening two bases it left in 1991 — Subic Bay and Clark Air Base...................."

Subic Bay & Clark AFB? Now that assignment beats the hell out of the middle east.

Richard
06-09-2012, 05:10
The 'parking lot' at Guam must be full. ;)

Olongapo and Angeles City - you young ME oriented guys don't know what you've missed. :D

Richard :munchin

Peregrino
06-09-2012, 07:11
What's it going to cost us?
How will China react?
Will we still have sufficient conventional capability to counter-react if China takes it poorly?

Competing (in the "game of nations" which BTW includes presenting a credible threat of exercising the military option) with no intention of winning is criminal. The current administration isn't about America and the State Department has never been about winning.

Surgicalcric
06-09-2012, 07:21
...The current administration isn't about America and the State Department has never been about winning.

Well said Brother.

greenberetTFS
06-09-2012, 09:57
What's it going to cost us?
How will China react?
Will we still have sufficient conventional capability to counter-react if China takes it poorly?

Competing (in the "game of nations" which BTW includes presenting a credible threat of exercising the military option) with no intention of winning is criminal. The current administration isn't about America and the State Department has never been about winning.

Very good point........:eek:

Big Teddy :munchin

mark46th
06-09-2012, 10:08
Subic and Clark? I see many Hapa babies in the future...

Ret10Echo
06-09-2012, 10:55
The 'parking lot' at Guam must be full. ;)

Olongapo and Angeles City - you young ME oriented guys don't know what you've missed. :D

Richard :munchin

Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) warned us that Guam could flip-over with all that "stuff" being put on it. :eek:

They must be taking him seriously.

(Video here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNZczIgVXjg))

(At :1:24 - 1:52)

Richard
06-09-2012, 11:08
The Phillippines - the nearly forgotten campaign in the GWOT.

Its proximity to China, Vietnam, and Malaysia via the South China Sea, and access to the Moluccan Straits and IO makes it an important strategic location.

I can see regaining Subic/Cubi Point as a joint base for the USN, USAF, and the USMC (the MEF being withdrawn from Okie) - not so much Clark, though, which still lies in the shadow of Mount Pinatubo.

...the State Department has never been about winning.

Based on my personal experiences (especially with the likes of Ambassador Vernon Walters) and studies, I disagree...but it does vary quite a bit from ambassador to ambassador, charge' to charge', SecState to SecState, and Administration to Administration.

And so it goes...

Richard :munchin

BKKMAN
06-09-2012, 12:27
The former Clark AFB has a resort hotel, two casinos, a golf course, duty free shops, etc. I believe Subic has seen the same sort of private entity investment...I will defer to others who have a more up-to-date and intimate knowledge...

It will be interesting to see if this US military revival pans out and if we are welcomed back with open arms, since it was the Philippine government who nixed the last treaty and kicked us out...we would have to have an airtight long term base use agreement to make it worth us sinking tens of millions of dollars back into the PI...

mojaveman
06-09-2012, 15:07
Watch out China, the Great White Fleet is coming back...

ZonieDiver
06-09-2012, 15:24
The former Clark AFB has a resort hotel, two casinos, a golf course, duty free shops, etc. I believe Subic has seen the same sort of private entity investment...I will defer to others who have a more up-to-date and intimate knowledge...

It will be interesting to see if this US military revival pans out and if we are welcomed back with open arms, since it was the Philippine government who nixed the last treaty and kicked us out...we would have to have an airtight long term base use agreement to make it worth us sinking tens of millions of dollars back into the PI...

Maybe the Philippine's recent disputes with China's burgeoning imperial designs has made some politicos in the PI rethink their priorities.


http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/NC02Ae01.html

Airbornelawyer
06-09-2012, 16:26
Maybe the Philippine's recent disputes with China's burgeoning imperial designs has made some politicos in the PI rethink their priorities.My thoughts as well. The PRC has been especially bullying of the Philippines over the past few years, on a long list of issues, from the handling of that Chinese tourist bus hostage situation a while back to the Spratlys dispute and everything in between, even Philippine efforts to attract casino investors who might compete with Macao.

On his recent trip to SE Asia, Panetta also made a point of visiting Cam Ranh Bay. Maybe they'll reopen that as well.

The former Clark AFB has a resort hotel, two casinos, a golf course, duty free shops, etc. I believe Subic has seen the same sort of private entity investment...I will defer to others who have a more up-to-date and intimate knowledge...I think there's some sort of amusement park/zoo on a part of it.

Pete
06-09-2012, 16:44
In my cruising around the net today I saw an article about the Philippine President's visit to our President. Didn't mark the link and can't find it.

I got the impression it happened pretty recent - last few days (?).

The gist was that their president asked our president for assurances that we could be counted on if anything happened.

Maybe this is a sign of some assurance.

Radar Rider
06-09-2012, 18:52
Clark, Subic? The Phillipines "kicked us out" at the same time of the Pinatbu eruption. My old man (RIP) did a year in the PI; I and my son spent some time in the PI at the hospital. My wife is half filipino.

While I think that we need to be there, I don't want the U.S. to ever have to deal with a piss ant country when they decide that they don't like us.

ZonieDiver
06-09-2012, 19:41
In my cruising around the net today I saw an article about the Philippine President's visit to our President. Didn't mark the link and can't find it.

I got the impression it happened pretty recent - last few days (?).

The gist was that their president asked our president for assurances that we could be counted on if anything happened.

Maybe this is a sign of some assurance.

It was yesterday afternoon. There was a clip on the news because POTUS was whining about being picked on for his 'the private sector is just fine' comment in his morning address/news conference. The Philippine president had to sit there. No mention then of the substance of their discussions. I did find this:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/09/world/asia/obama-shows-support-for-philippines-in-china-standoff.html

Sarski
06-09-2012, 20:59
The Phillippines - the nearly forgotten campaign in the GWOT.

Its proximity to China, Vietnam, and Malaysia via the South China Sea, and access to the Moluccan Straits and IO makes it an important strategic location.

...



Richard :munchin

My guess, sir, is that those results/events are not as highly publicized compared to other AOs, however, I am sure the hunting is still good.

greenberetTFS
06-10-2012, 05:28
Maybe the Philippine's recent disputes with China's burgeoning imperial designs has made some politicos in the PI rethink their priorities.


http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/NC02Ae01.html

Zonie

Acquisition is part of the government's military modernization plan that aims to purchase both refurbished and new aircraft, ships...........:rolleyes:

I didn't know we bought(:eek:)refurbished planes,ship,etc,from who?........:confused:

Big Teddy :munchin

Richard
06-10-2012, 05:42
I didn't know we bought (:eek:) refurbished planes, ship, etc, from who?........:confused:

Teddy,

They''re talking about the RPI's armed forces, not the DOD.

Richard :munchin

Situ Shanren
06-10-2012, 20:56
What's it going to cost us?
How will China react?
Will we still have sufficient conventional capability to counter-react if China takes it poorly?

Although US-Chinese relations are based primarily around multi-lateral economic security, I wouldn't put it past the PRC to make a power play if they feel threatened.

Maybe something like what Russia did with Georgia when they saw we were bogged down elsewhere? They could feel NATO encircling them so they made a play to show those countries in their sphere of influence that the US couldn't defend all of them.

There's a fairly prolific group of older officials who have been trying to push pro-Mao policies recently. And one of his favorites was "The People's War" strategy--throw millions of Chinese soldiers out there and bleed the enemy dry. Sort of the mindset of, "no matter how many of us you kill, we've got more where they came from." It's the strategy they used during the Korean War, their "liberation" of Tibet in the early '50s, and it's the strategy they were posturing to use with Vietnam.

Things are certain to get more tense with our shifting of Naval forces to PACOM, opening bases in the Phillipines will enliven things even more.