[mutchdutch]

For those of you with a bent toward history.......we've been there before

[NovemberCharlie]

Bump for reference.

[dts32041]

Do you think we will have to reinvent to M1911A1 to deal with this enemy again?

[encm(ss)]

Only 16 virgins for the Moro's suicide warriors? Not fair. Call in the EEOC.

[luvzhottea]

It is clear that the US Government can wipe out any 3rd World nation without blinking an eye. These moros are in for a surprise as they have no air defense.
In the same way any "militia" types in America should realize that the U.S. Government will squash them like bugs if they try to pull anything.
In terms of 2nd rate nations I think the Bombing of the Serbs by Clinton showed how much air superiority means. Now China, Russia, England, Germany and India, thanks to Israeli tech help, might be another story.

[Restorer]

that chain of conflicts that began with the Crusades

Generally good article, with this exception.

The Crusades, by any standard, were a belated reaction to Muslim jihad. They were a counter-attack and did not start anything.

[PoisedWoman]

Thanks for fascinating piece. Everyone should read it to understand some background of Muslim problem.

I went to Mindanao -- Zamboanga, Davao City, some offshore island -- on a press trip in '79. The Filipino newspeople we met at a reception in Manila were amazed that they were taking us down to that area, as they wree refused access by the government. Too dangerous.

Our "tour guides" provided by the government were the biggest Filipinos I've ever seen, obvioulsy body guards. Nice guys, hunks, but people in the streets backed up when they saw them coming. We went into a Moro settlement outside Zamboanga where houses were built on stilts over the water and some people lived on boats. Naturally, I dashed away from our group to get some photos. A bodyguard dashed after me and stayed so close that his shoulder touched mine as walked around. Those little Moros crowded around me pointing and laughing and babbling. Translation: "She's a funny color." They'd never seen a sunburned blond before! And I'd never seen people who were actually tinged blue either.

You could feel the tension all over Zamboanga, see the Moros and Philippinos glaring at one another in the streets, and all the people were surprised to see Americans there. Of course, back in '79 most were very happy to see us. Big smiles, friendly people, hugs, "Do you know my aunt in DesMoines?", all that jazz. But at night, instead of wining and dining us at a restaurant, which was customary of press trips, they drove us out to the Navy base where they had a nice banquet set up for us. I sat between the head of the Army and head of the Navy (Philippine, not US) at dinner and heard all kinds of horror stories...i.e., we were at the base because if the officers came into town after dark, their throats would be cut. Very comforting! NOT! Of course, we had bodyguards all over our hotel...good thing, as my room was on first floor overlooking the water. Not such a romantic setting when you consider that there were people out there with guns and knives who'd love to slit my pink throat.

I loved the Philippines and went back on my own to Manila a couple of years later. So sad that relations between USA and Phillipines are strained now. Due to what? Rotten commies in Manila?

[AppyPappy]

The only way to handle Moros was to be just and firm: “Every concession to them is a mistake.”

[curmudgeonII]

The big killer of Americans in the Spanish-American War and the Moro insurrection wasn't gunfire. Approximately seven times the number of Americans died from yellow fever as died from enemy action.

[etcetera]

"...they would be serviced by 16 virgins."

What is it about Muslim men that they conceive heaven as a whorehouse?