| The state visit of U.S.
President George W. Bush on October 18,2003 further cemented Philippine-U.S.
relations. It came at a time when the world was on the throes of terrorism
which up to now remains unyielding. But firm as the terrorists are, the
U.S. and its allies (including the Philippines) are just as determined
to seek out and destroy their enemies in a kind of warfare that is not
conventional and which could not have an end in sight.
There are no easy solutions
when the enemy is faceless and working in ways that are unpredictable and
always with an element of surprise. The terrorists seem able to find some
chink in the armor of even the most technologically advanced (both economically
and militarily) nation on earth.
On a smaller scale, but just
as worrying, is the task facing the Philippines in battling its own terrorists
on home ground. The wherewithal with which to have a good fighting chance
can come only from the U.S. which can supply us with the necessary hardware
and technological savvy.
Thus, the visit of President
Bush, while symbolically a reaffirmation of the bonds that have tied the
two countries for so long, marks a period when all men desirous to preserve
democracy must act decisively or face ruin. |
