Phillipines Withdrawal from Iraq
The national security adviser to the Philippines has called Australia ‘narrow minded’ after Foreign Minister Downer suggested the Philippines withdrawal of troops from Iraq, encouraged terrorist activities. The Spanish government also rejected Mr. Downer’s claims, arguing that the pullout is a result of a belief that the war in Iraq was illegal from the beginning. The decision by Filipino president Gloria Arroyo to withdraw troops from Iraq came after insurgents kidnapped Filipino truck driver, Angelo Dela Cruz. While this decision was portrayed in the media as a selfish one that would encourage terrorist threats, it had also gained massive support from the Filipino community.The decision was made easier for Arroyo because troops were due to leave Iraq shortly anyway. The decision was also influenced by the fact that more than 1 million Philippinos work as foreign labor in the Middle East. Hagar Cohen spoke to International relations expert Dr. Michael McKinley from The Australian National University and Filipino citizen, Christopher Van Opstal.