Who
Takes the Blame for the Emboldened ISIS
and
Uncontrolled Chinese Expansion towards the West Phil. Sea?
By Apolinario Villalobos
When ISIS broke away from Al Q’aida, no
nation ever got worried, thinking perhaps, that it is just another struggling
terrorist group trying to get noticed by the world, every time it claimed
responsibility for certain bombings. Not even the African nations that are
located, a stone’s throw away from the lair of this fledgling terror group. Not
even when the fledgling group started to conduct kidnapping of foreign
correspondents. But when beheadings that they made were posted on facebook and
began to invade surrounding villages, the directly-affected nations began to
take notice. When cities after cities, and provinces after provinces were
overran and European recruits began to trek to the ISIS camps, more nations
became apprehensive. When historic and biblical shrines were flattened to the
ground the group, and finally, indiscriminate bombings in Paris were made, the
whole world took notice….but, too late.
ISIS terrorists practically walked their
way into unsuspecting European nations with the so-called evacuees who escaped
unrests in their countries. No high-tech device can ever set a low-profile
terrorist or a freshly-trained terrorist with no international record yet,
apart from an ordinary displaced businessman say, from Turkey, Syria, or
wherever within the beleaguered region. All of them practically look alike with
their piercing eyes, beards, high aquiline nose, etc.
Pinching attacks were made by an affected
nation or two, and there was even a time when the cry for help of Syria was not
heeded. But since the attacks were nothing but just pinches, it was not felt by
ISIS that has successfully controlled vital cities of Syria. When the
uncontrolled mass emigration of Syrians, both civilian and covert terrorists
began to cross borders, the whole world got worried, because even the far
Southeast Asian nations were asked by the United Nations to accommodate them.
The United Nations made noise when it
realized that ISIS is serious in its threats in eroding the global peace. The
condemnation of some Islamic nations that do not recognize ISIS as a legitimate
jihadist group cannot repair the damage that has been it. Where’s the United
Nations organization while all these transpired?
On the West Philippine Sea meanwhile, when
only a single atoll was “developed” by China by constructing a military
stronghold on its scant topsoil, the Philippines did not mind as it has her own
Kalayaan island with huts and a motley number of settlers, as well as, a
dirt-topped runway. The presence of Chinese patrol boats did not alarm the
Filipino fishermen as the latter were reportedly, swapping foods with the crew.
That was about ten or more years ago.
When the Chinese navy crew-Filipino
fishermen relationship began to get sour, reports were considered petty so they
were not given much attention. Even until the time that the Chinese Navy started
acting harshly by driving Filipino fishermen away from Ayungin Shoal, the
Philippine government was still not alarmed. Only when bigger Chinese Navy
boats began arriving and discreetly reclaimed the Ayungin shoal, did the
Philippine government file a protest in the international tribunal of the
United Nations, in charge with the law of the sea. America did not lift a
finger, because, accordingly, she is on the other side of the world, far from
the disputed body of water. It instead, concentrated on the joint-military
exercises with the Filipino military. Or, could it be that it was the time when
she was in the process of obtaining loans from China?
Of late, however, America seems to be
“noisy” as regard the West Philippine issue. Is she really serious, or just
displaying a nauseating travesty? Several months back then, while Filipino
fishermen were being drenched by the Chinese Navy with water cannons, the
president of America is having a grand time meeting with his Chinese
counterpart.
In the meantime, what has the United
Nations done, since the very start of the controversy? Nothing! It waited until
the issue has grown enormously out of proportion in view of the high-tech
military facilities that the Chinese have installed on the artificial island
that they have boldly built out of an insignificant atoll. Worst, the
double-talking Chinese are heaping blames on the Philippines for the
transformation of simple bickering on boundary, into an inveterate magnitude
today.
The big question now is on the relevance of
the United Nations in the face of all the fiascos from Africa to Asia, not to
mention, the somewhat contained turmoil in Europe. How can it be called an
arbitrational organization of nations when it cannot even prevent tensions
among member- nations, much more, control violent eruption of pockets of unrests
around the world? Is the United Nations chartered for the expedient and
systematic exploitation of the poor member-nations by the powerful ones?
