The Real World

Australia should get a grip. (Archives ain't working so the link is only good for the day.)

Granted, the Philippines is getting a lot of flak from its recent decision to pull out their humanitarian contingent in Iraq over the release of the Filipino hostage and some of it is justified.  Ditto with Spain. But it seems that Australian Foreign minister Alexander Downer, as well as Prime Minister John Howard, are pushing this thing a bit too far.

I mean, 'marshmallow'?  Aren't we getting a bit juvenile?  As it is, it looks like the Australian envoy to RP Ruth Pearce has to do some fast talking in order to stave off some serious diplomatic row between the two countries.

Makes me think that what RP ambassador to Australia, Christine Ortega, accused Downer was true, that:

"... Mr. Downer is not a diplomat, he is a politician."

Huh, get over it, guys.  

What I see they're essentially doing is that they want to pin the blame on someone for the further terrorist-hostage incursions.  But there is a difference between finding the blame for the September 11 attack in the US and finding blame for the rise of hostage-taking in Iraq. 

One is that there was a failure of intelligence in preventing such an attack against military and business centers in the US.  The other is that these terrorists will continue taking hostages (or continue doing terrorist activities) even if the Philippines had not withdrawn their troops.  They will continue to do so-- with or without the Philippines' presence in the area-- until they get what they want. Ditto with Spain.

What do they want?  Take that up with the US.  Them listening, ahhh, that's another matter.

Wala lang.