The Battle for Marawi

[LittleLebowski]

Amazing footage, Filipinos getting it done!


https://youtu.be/_4zXI0X8Brc

[RJ]

That’s an amazing video.

[LittleLebowski]

Funny how Muslim insurgents in a non Arab country isn’t newsworthy to American media.

[blues]

Brave men answering the bell.

[TheNewbie]

I love seeing the good guys win for real.

[Kyle Reese]

Funny how Muslim insurgents in a non Arab country isn’t newsworthy to American media.

It doesn’t really further The Narrative, so why cover something so inconsequential? Better to bash Republicans 24/7/365.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[fixer]

wow. great video. thanks for sharing.

[Wondering Beard]

The Filipino armed forces have been at this for decades. Don't mess with them.

[03RN]

The Philippines ain't no joke. First time I ever patrolled for real was there

[okie john]

The Filipino armed forces have been at this for decades. Don't mess with them.

Plenty of folks in those islands still remember when the Japanese came to visit, so they've got a cultural memory that we lack. They've also got a leader who's willing to take the fight to the enemy. I don't like everything that Duterte does, but he gets results.

On the tactical level, it was interesting to see so many guys using M-16 platform rifles with iron sights. I had also never seen an M-2 on a tripod in house-to-house fighting before.


Okie John

[Lex Luthier]

That insurgency has been going on since 1569 AD. Wow.

[ReverendMeat]

A guy in my unit served with these guys. After hearing his stories I definitely would not want to be on their bad side. Thanks for sharing this LL

[Coyotesfan97]

Several months ago my work car had a new radio installed and I had to wait for it. I happened on the Discovery show Manhunt and watched the Scout Rangers track down a former SEAL. They got him and made him work. It was the best one of the three or four I saw.

http://www.philstar.com/news-feature/2014/03/31/1307278/pinoy-scout-rangers-hunt-down-ex-navy-seal-new-discovery-channel


https://youtu.be/PzkB4QNGrMI


https://youtu.be/WMIVeA9sFLs

[11B10]

Amazing footage, Filipinos getting it done!


https://youtu.be/_4zXI0X8Brc



Great stuff, thanks for bringing it to us, LL.

[JodyH]

Funny how Muslim insurgents in a non Arab country isn’t newsworthy to American media.
Because the left (US media) hates a hard nationalist like Duterte who makes killing Muslim terrs his hobby.
Yet they love a fucking commie monster like Mandela (because his hobby was killing conservative white people)

[Greg]

I'll reveal my massive ignorance about the Philippines by asking if Marawi has been wrecked since WW2 or has there been that much fighting in that city for years?

The devastation is striking.

[Duelist]

I'll reveal my massive ignorance about the Philippines by asking if Marawi has been wrecked since WW2 or has there been that much fighting in that city for years?

The devastation is striking.

Agreed. The place looks like a post-apocalyptic nightmare.

[JodyH]

I'll reveal my massive ignorance about the Philippines by asking if Marawi has been wrecked since WW2 or has there been that much fighting in that city for years?

The devastation is striking.
The southern Philippines have been a war zone forever.
The United States has been at war with Muslims in the southern Philippines since 1899.

[TGS]

I'll reveal my massive ignorance about the Philippines by asking if Marawi has been wrecked since WW2 or has there been that much fighting in that city for years?

The devastation is striking.

There has been a constant state of warfare with two groups in the southern Philippines for some time: 1) Communists, and 2) Islamic fundamentalists. I think the former have started to dwindle.......don't quote me though. There was an HKPro member who was still in an infantry unit fighting them as of a few years ago in Mindanao.

#2 has ranged from truly committed/ideological all the way down to gangs using it as an excuse to justify extortion and racketeering for profit as opposed to funding operations. One of my former roommates and friends, 1st Lt Roger Flores (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVTgOn9L570), was killed in action when fighting fundamentalists in the southern Philippines (http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/06/22/1337573/slain-soldiers-flown-manila). In the last several decades the hostilities were usually carried out in the jungle, though they were also present in urban areas but mostly for terrorism and generic 5th Column purposes. Marawi is the first large scale kinetic MOUT operation in a large time......so no, I wouldn't say that's the norm other than understanding that southeast Asian urban centers are in general big dumpsters to begin with. I don't think Marawi was the site of any significant battles in WWII, either.

There's a bit of nationalism/propaganda in the linked video (I'd be surprised if a good bit of the "fighting" scenes aren't staged), but if those dudes were anything like my buddy Flores then they were die-hard believers in a better Philippines. Roger was super fucking proud to be Filipino, a true believer that really wanted to make a difference in uniting his country for a better future.

[JodyH]

There's a bit of nationalism/propaganda in the linked video (I'd be surprised if a good bit of the "fighting" scenes aren't staged), but if those dudes were anything like my buddy Flores then they were die-hard believers in a better Philippines. Roger was super fucking proud to be Filipino, a true believer that really wanted to make a difference in uniting his country for a better future.
My wife spent her elementary through early high school years in the Philippines and she's always said the Filipinos are some of the best, most loyal people she's ever been around.
They really do love being Filipino and love their country.
Some fierce fighters as well.

[TiroFijo]

The southern Philippines have been a war zone forever.
The United States has been at war with Muslims in the southern Philippines since 1899.

That was a filthy colonial war... nothing to be proud of, IMO.

In the video you can see brave christian and muslim Filipino soldiers fighting the terrorists.

[JodyH]

That was a filthy colonial war... nothing to be proud of, IMO.

In the video you can see brave christian and muslim filipinos sodiers fithgting the terrorists.
Since this is a predominantly US centric site I used the 1899 time reference as an example of how long the southern Philippines have been a war zone, I didn't assign any morality to it either way.
Lighten up Francis.

[DocGKR]

I lived in the PI for middle school--great country, wonderful people, consistently poor government...

[JodyH]

I lived in the PI for middle school--great country, wonderful people, consistently poor government...
My wife's family left the PI when all the turmoil started up to oust Marcos.

[NEPAKevin]

There's a bit of nationalism/propaganda in the linked video (I'd be surprised if a good bit of the "fighting" scenes aren't staged), but if those dudes were anything like my buddy Flores then they were die-hard believers in a better Philippines. Roger was super fucking proud to be Filipino, a true believer that really wanted to make a difference in uniting his country for a better future.

Looked to me like some of the sequences had guys in nice, clean, gear, close ups in good focus, sunny day and others that were shot further away, guys not so clean, actual explosions and stuff, not so bright and sunny. Drone shots were neat.

[Kukuforguns]

Drone shots were neat.

One of the drone scenes was of several fighters moving through an alley and was immediately preceded by some captured, ground level-footage of fighters moving through an alley. I go the distinct impression that the footage from the drone and the ground-level footage were showing the same event. It was a "Wow!" moment. A single event recorded by both sides from different perspectives.

[Irelander]

In the video you can see brave christian and muslim filipinos sodiers fithgting the terrorists.

That is awesome to see.

The fighting in the video is pretty amazing. That is one hell hole of a place to do battle. So many places to hide and so much unstable terrain/rubble. Amazing.

[Lex Luthier]

That was a filthy colonial war... nothing to be proud of, IMO.

In the video you can see brave christian and muslim filipinos sodiers fithgting the terrorists.

Tiro Fijo, It is dangerous to judge the past with the mores of the present. There is a saying in the English-speaking world: "The Past is another country, and they do things differently there."
(Having excellent English skills yourself, I bet you've heard it before.)

The US took up the battle against Moro separatists that had been previously fought by the Spanish and Filipinos for over 300 years at that point. Since Philippine independence, the rest of the country has fought the same battle.

[Casual Friday]

There's a bit of nationalism/propaganda in the linked video (I'd be surprised if a good bit of the "fighting" scenes aren't staged), but if those dudes were anything like my buddy Flores then they were die-hard believers in a better Philippines. Roger was super fucking proud to be Filipino, a true believer that really wanted to make a difference in uniting his country for a better future.


My wife spent her elementary through early high school years in the Philippines and she's always said the Filipinos are some of the best, most loyal people she's ever been around.
They really do love being Filipino and love their country.
Some fierce fighters as well.

They are a proud people indeed. When I was in middle school one of my best friends was Filipino. We were playing Super Nintendo in his room one day and he made a white joke to me to which I responded by calling him Vietnamese. Friendly banter he and I participated in on a regular basis. His mother only heard my end of the joke and she was so pissed she kicked me out and wouldn't let him or I explain. It was probably 2 years until I was allowed back there.

[LittleLebowski]

That was a filthy colonial war... nothing to be proud of, IMO.

In the video you can see brave christian and muslim Filipino soldiers fighting the terrorists.

Great post and spot on. What our country did in the Philippine-American war was shameful.

[TiroFijo]

Tiro Fijo, It is dangerous to judge the past with the mores of the present. There is a saying in the English-speaking world: "The Past is another country, and they do things differently there."
(Having excellent English skills yourself, I bet you've heard it before.)

The US took up the battle against Moro separatists that had been previously fought by the Spanish and Filipinos for over 300 years at that point. Since Philippine independence, the rest of the country has fought the same battle.

The Fiipino independentists fought the US for two years... the moros were a later stage war after the US crushed the Filipine Republic.

Admirald Alfred Thayer Mahan's influential ideas on sea power originated the US overseas colonial expansion, be it blatant and unashamed or under the disguise of helping locals to liberate from the (other) major powers.

It is widely believed by US historians that if Hearst did not made such an issue about the "fight for freedom" of the brave Cubans, Cuba would had been simply annexed by the US after the Spanish-American war.

[JodyH]

Actually, American colonialism and the war with Spain was Teddy Roosevelts power play to propel him to the Presidency.
TR went all in on the Philippines and he was either going to be ejected from his position as Assistant Secretary of the Navy or President.

[Lex Luthier]

I don't dispute what you say, TF, not at all. (Nor JodyH's or LL's take, either.) Merely adding that in most cases we don't make the same choices for exactly the same reasons as our forebears.

(and then I think of the last election and HRC's gleeful destruction of Libya a few years prior, and ponder that maybe it is true that the more things change, the more they stay the same...)

[TiroFijo]

Could not agree more, on both points...

[nate89]

Was in the Phils. in 08-10 on an ecclesiastical mission for my church. Really some of the best people you will ever meet over there. It seemed like you had the mil guys there who were off in some random end-of-the-line post that didn't really seem all that turned on, but there were also the scary dudes who you knew they were ready for work. I've wanted to go back for years (every since I got home), hopefully I'll make it over there in the next 6-12 months. Just thinking about it is bringing back lots of memories.

[LittleLebowski]

Actually, American colonialism and the war with Spain was Teddy Roosevelts power play to propel him to the Presidency.
TR went all in on the Philippines and he was either going to be ejected from his position as Assistant Secretary of the Navy or President.

One of our first Progressives.

[UNK]

I'll reveal my massive ignorance about the Philippines by asking if Marawi has been wrecked since WW2 or has there been that much fighting in that city for years?

The devastation is striking.

First off Marawi is a typical Muslim dominated area. Its not nice, although they do have markets and other necessities. Its not safe for Christians or tourists, drugs are a problem you don't go there. That said it was not destroyed, as you see in the video, before this conflict.

[TiroFijo]

First off Marawi is a typical Muslim dominated area. Its not nice, although they do have markets and other necessities. Its not safe for Christians or tourists, drugs are a problem you don't go there. That said it was not destroyed, as you see in the video, before this conflict.

The desolation is amazing... I really had no idea the figthing was so fierce they actually demolished the town.

Hope for the best. It really moved me seeing muslims and Christian soldiers embracing together to pray before combat. There are no atheists in foxholes, and your comrade is your brother...

[Surf]

The Philippines and Duarte combination has created an interesting state of affairs in the PI. The PI has always had colorful times in history and Duarte is definitely a colorful character only adding to it. There is an interesting push-pull flux in the PI geopolitical landscape happening right now and Duarte is more than a wildcard. The Rangers are no doubt some of THE best trackers I have seen. They own their environment. The south has always been a place to be avoided. Beautiful but dangerous. My wife is pure Filipina but 1st generation Amercian born so my kids are half and we have ties. I enjoy the country and culture and may find myself there quite a bit if certain things pan out.

[DamonL]

It's interesting to see so many people with ties to the Philippines. I worked in Manila for a few years. I was more worried about crime than terrorists.

I looked up info on the Battle for Marawi and was surprised to learn that it lasted for five months. That's enough time to cause the damage seen in the video.

[TGS]

It's interesting to see so many people with ties to the Philippines. I worked in Manila for a few years. I was more worried about crime than terrorists.

I'm not surprised. Luzon is primarily Christian, while the Islamic fundamentalist groups are largely concentrated on Mindanao and the southern islands, with some forays into the Visayas.

[JodyH]

My wife grew up in Bukidnon on the Del Monte Plantation.
Fenced in fully self contained compound with machine gun armed private guards, military patrols on the perimeter and a security detail and Police escort when off the compound.
She was just a middle schooler for most of it so all she remembers being scared of were the Samar cobras.