US Ambassador Harry K. Thomas Here to Ensure RP Remains a “Treaty Ally and Long-Term Partner”

Since the RAB was set up, human rights’ groups said extrajudicial killings and instances of “custodial torture” have surged. From January to October in 2005, US Ambassador Thomas’ last year in Bangladesh, the RAB and other law enforcement agencies killed an estimated 300 ‘criminal’ civilians in ‘encounters.’

Before flying to the Philippines as new US ambassador, Thomas served as director of the entire Foreign Service of the US State Department where, in the interest of keeping up the US invasion of Iraq, he presided over the largest diplomatic call-up since Vietnam. With Condoleeza Rice, he forced hundreds of American diplomats to agree to being posted in Iraq, or face sanctions including dismissal.

Thomas’ first official act when he arrived in the Philippines was to visit Aquino. Senator Aquino is being described by Prof. Jose Maria Sison, in a recent interview with Bulatlat, as the US imperialism’s new number 1 puppet. The new US ambassador is indeed making no bones about it. Weeks before Aquino’s presumed proclamation, he and Ambassador Thomas were already briefing each other on the state of US-RP relations, with Thomas talking already of “potentials for increased cooperation.”

In a report, Aquino told Manila Bulletin that the briefing with the US ambassador last week had also included the “terrorism” aspect. While it was “not that extensive,” and Aquino said he is “not at liberty to discuss” the details of how the US-RP relationship will prosper, he started saber-rattling to the tune of the US war on terrorism.

“We are not breeders of terrorism,” Aquino said after conferring with Ambassador Thomas.

For the US government the word “terrorism” does not only mean the likes of the mysterious Osama Bin Laden or the collector of nonexistent weapons of mass destruction such as Saddam Hussein, but more ominously, protesters against imperialist globalization, liberation movements and communist revolutions.

Preempting Another Thailand in the Philippines, Ensuring the Transition

US President Barack Obama has been in the White House for more than a year when he replaced the ambassador to the Philippines. Why the sudden change?

The US replaced Kristie Kenny with a ‘more senior’ Harry Thomas, for fears that the Philippines might turn into another Thailand, said W. Scott Thompson, a former State Department official and professor emeritus of International Politics, in an interview aired at ANC last month.

Thomas came to the Philippines fresh from leading the entire Foreign Service of the US State Department, the “biggest foreign service show” in the world, said Thompson.

Thomas, it appears, was expected to run another big show in the Philippines: to make sure that the transition from the Arroyo to the Aquino administration is smooth, especially since the situation has become so volatile such that any suspicion that Arroyo is attempting to rig the elections to keep herself in power would possibly ignite another people power uprising.

All these were already building up prior to the May 10 polls as reports of various Arroyo Forever schemes were coming out. But before US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit, the US government was not getting “accurate reports” from Kenney, said Thompson in his ANC interview, because Kenney was mainly relying on President Gloria Arroyo and her executive secretary Eduardo Ermita for information.

In other words, if Arroyo would do a Marcos or “another 1972,” the US fears an even worse uprising in the Philippines.

“The US wants to ensure that there will be a peaceful transfer of power and that its economic, political and military interests in the country will be preserved under the next administration. For the US government, Aquino is the man. The US now wants to make sure Aquino is THEIR man,” Renato Reyes, Bayan secretary general said last week.

After installing Aquino, in this country where “noted” means “ignored,” “salvaged” means brutally murdered, and “respect” means treat with contempt, his closer cooperation with US in matters such as “human rights” and “ending terrorism” shall officially begin. (Bulatlat.com)