We shall overcome by Paulino Jose Misa

Because of the US presence here (Philippines), we are of course the ideal "test case" for the invasion of ISIS into SEA (South East Asia). Otherwise why would they not start with the largest Muslim nation, Indonesia?

In fact, apparently Omar Maute already tried as he is married to an Indonesian but was kicked out before long because he did not have much support around him. They made much better headway here because there were so many avenues of support as well as income. Aside from familiarity and friendly surroundings, his family's connections with the Moro rebels, they had drug manufacturing and narco-politicians, Alliances with bandits masquerading as extremist Moro rebels and of course, "technical support" , gave them the needed impetus to make a serious effort.

But while the beginning was rather easy, getting to the next level will not be as simple as it was in the ME (Middle East).

The ASG was able to pursue its operations in large part because the fruits of their banditry was showered on the population of Basilan and Sulu which then also made recruiting much easier and provided a mantle of protection from the authorities. Brutal as they were with their victims, they took good care that the local population would not suffer.

Along comes ISIS and what is the first thing they do to make themselves known? Make a wasteland of the jewel of Muslim culture and tradition in the PH! Like snakes in the grass, even as they were welcomed or at least tolerated by their fellow Muslims, they deviously planned what they knew would lead to death, destruction and the dislocation of hundreds of thousands of Muslims whose lives will never be the same again. Biting the hand that feeds you is not really the best strategy for expansion.

Had they any kind of intelligence in their gunpowder and shabu addled brains, they would have kept Marawi untouched even as they used it as their base of operations to strike elsewhere. As it is, not only do they have nowhere else to go, no Muslim family with half a brain will allow their kin to join them only to have ISIS destroy everything they hold dear and make them bakwits at first opportunity. Unlike in the Middle East, where there are plenty of war-shocked mercenary candidates with no other future or family left, most people here still have families and loved ones to consider. It is doubtful if even Sulu or Basilan will accept Hapilon now or allow any of their remaining kin to join him only to face the prospect of losing all the fruits of ransom they have learned to enjoy.

Logistically speaking, while it may be relatively easy to slip foreign fighters through our porous borders and lengthy coastline, getting more bulky and sophisticated heavy weapons and equipment into the country is a lot more complicated. It is not a matter of simply driving across the desert unless the US arms them from their local armories.

How long veteran desert warriors will last in unfamiliar terrain and a potentially hostile population which is used to conflict, has access to arms and will fight back is an interesting question as well. Filipinos are not known for running away from a fight.

That is not even considering the MILF and the MNLF. True, they may have turned a blind eye to occasional banditry by their erstwhile members or relatives. These may have even helped their cause somehow. But with their declaration of being stooges for yet another foreign, albeit Muslim, ideology, created and supported by the US no less, this is now an entirely different proposition. They are in effect trashing the centuries-old Moro struggle and rendering meaningless (if successful) all the progress that has been made to form a Bangsamoro state that will at last have a chance at a peaceful, progressive future. Their agenda would sound more like treason than something they would probably join. Were Hapilon & Co. really expecting the MILF and the MNLF to be defecting to them in droves to augment their ranks in a fit of religious fervor? So they should just accept that their centuries-old Muslim traditions are false and that they should now adopt the "real thing" on some Arab bozo's say so? Gagawin na lang ba nilang tau-tauhan sina Misuari? Now that would be really incredible!

Not just the Moro rebels but even the NPAs had at least some kind of valid, reasonable grievances as well as proposed solutions for a better future. Yet neither have managed to eke out strategic victories mainly because they do not have enough support from the people. Exactly what support does the ISIS expect for their barbarous agenda that has nothing to offer except endless war, death and destruction?

So yes. the situation is serious and quite alarming and it has to be dealt with definitively and as ruthlessly as the enemy would. But despite our limited military resources, it will not be as easy for ISIS to make headway here as people may think. We have a great and astute leader. We shall not lose if only we can keep the faith and unite behind him.

This was in my wall feeds in Facebook today, and as a recap, President Duterte declared Martial Law in Mindanao last May 23rd, this in relation to the invasion to Marawi City by the ISIS Maute Group. Recent stories of the CIA's presence in Mindanao have also come up.

The questions are, after Syria, what is the CIA doing in Mindanao? What is their connection to the Maute group?

https://www.facebook.com/benson.bautista.9/posts/1533517113353949