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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law Tuesday in the southern region of Mindanao, after deadly clashes between security forces and Islamic State group-linked militants in a major city there.
The announcement, made by his spokesman at a press conference in Moscow where Duterte was on an official visit, fulfills an often-repeated warning by the president that he would enforce military rule to quell security threats. "As of 10:00pm Manila time (1400 GMT) Duterte has declared martial law for the entire island of Mindanao," spokesman Ernesto Abella said in the nationally televised briefing. Abella said martial law would be in place for 60 days, in line with constitutional limits on the use of military rule.
Martial law is particularly sensitive in the Philippines because it was used by dictator Ferdinand Marcos to remain in power during his two-decade reign, which ended in 1986 with a "People Power" revolution.
Mindanao is made up of a large island of the same name, plus smaller islands, and the region of about 20 million people makes up roughly one third of the mainly Catholic country.
[...] The announcement came after security forces battled dozens of IS-linked gunmen in a built-up area of Marawi, a city of about 200,000 people in Mindanao, on Tuesday.
Source: Yahoo! News
In the Philippines, concerns are mounting over the proliferation of Islamic State affiliates on the southern islands of Mindanao. Jihadist groups in the region have been coalescing under the extremist group's flag since the head of Abu Sayyaf, Isnilon Hapilon, declared his allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2014. Less than a decade earlier, Mindanao's various Islamic State affiliates were a jumble of local gangs engaged in criminal activity under the dubious banner of jihad.
By adopting the Islamic State's moniker and mimicking some of its tactics, Hapilon and other jihadist leaders in the Philippines have gained legitimacy, along with notoriety, as part of a well-known, transnational movement. But beyond that, the benefits of taking up the Islamic State banner have been marginal.
Source: Stratfor article published earlier this year.
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(Score: 3, Interesting) by edIII on Friday May 26 2017, @07:15PM (2 children)
Trump is a piece of shit that won't live 10 years more though. He's highly irrational, permanently irritable, which translates into very high levels of stress, and it's all combined with an atrocious diet.
The only thing we ever got about his health were lies from a doctor that looks and acts like a back alley surgeon, and Doctor OZ in a purely impartial manner going over test results on live TV. At the same time, we see this 70 year old needing a button for a high fructose corn syrup infused soda pop, and an unending love for fast food. Not to mention his favorite meal is steak with ketchup. Is he overweight? Yep. Holding on to 50-60lbs at least.
People like that don't live very long lives, and I'm incredibly surprised that Trump has lasted that long. My own grandfather was somewhat similar in disposition, smoked, drank little, but also lived for fast food and terrible diets. He never made 80.
I'm incredibly curious what is going to be said when this tinpot dictator gets looked over by real medical personnel that are typically charged with the care of the Presidents. My money is that he doesn't survive this term, assuming he can escape impeachment.
I was worried about Bernie Sanders surviving a term, and he's in much better health than Trump. People forget just how old some the candidates were, and in the end, it seemed like the oldest ones were the choices.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 3, Funny) by fritsd on Friday May 26 2017, @08:13PM (1 child)
Hey, if Grace Mugabe [wikipedia.org] publicly stated: "Robert Mugabe can continue to govern even after he's dead!", then I'm sure that the Disney animatronics magicians can create a good simulacrum for America's Numero Uno! Nobody'd spot the difference and live.
(Score: 2) by edIII on Friday May 26 2017, @09:59PM
Oh, God...
I just had a vision of a dystopia, set hundreds of years in the future, where an authoritarian class rules using the remains of a 75ft tall animatronic Trump that rises from a swamp in the remains of Universal Studios. Angry as ever, but now with Gollum-like features :)
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.