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A Catholic priest, alongside 200 other Christians, were just recently kidnapped by ISIS in Mindanao. According to one report:

A Catholic priest who was taken hostage by militants linked to the Islamic State group says he's being held alongside 200 other captives, including children, in what appeared to be a battle-scarred part of a southern Philippine city.

In a video apparently taken under duress by militants, Father Teresito Suganob said his captors wanted the military to withdraw its forces from Marawi, where Islamic militants still hold pockets of territory after a week of gunbattles with the army.

A colleague of Suganob confirmed to The Associated Press that the man in the video is the priest. It was not clear when the video was taken or who released it online, and whether Suganob believed what he was saying or was forced to say it.

"We want to live another day, we want to live another month," Suganob said, standing in front of debris and partially burned buildings. Directing his remarks to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, he said, "We want to live few years and in your generosity, Mr. President, in your heart, we know you can make something (happen)."

The United States government refused to help the Philippines fight Islamic insurgents, who have allegiance with ISIS, in Mindanao, where they recently took the city of Marawi, making the Philippines the first East Asian country that has had to deal with an ISIS takeover of a city. Marawi is becoming another Mosul, with tens of thousands of people having already fled the city.

The US government, last year, refused to send the Philippines arms to fight terrorists, for supposed human rights violations that they have accused the Filipino government of doing. This is quite strange, given the fact that the Trump administration just recently approved of a $110 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia, a nation that has utterly no religious freedom in that country.

“ISIS has established a base in my country, down south. And we are fighting terrorism just like any country and we need arms,” Duterte stated. “And suddenly, two senators of the U.S. Congress said they will not proceed with the exportation. And I said no problem, I can always go to China or Russia.” On account of the US' refusal to help the Filipinos, President Rodrigo Duterte is now going to China and Russia to give his military the weapons needed to combat ISIS in Mindanao. As Duterte said:

"I have nothing against America. They're perfectly alright. Trump is my friend. But my foreign policy has shifted from the pro-Wester one. I am now working on an alliance with China and I hope to start a good working relationship with Russia. Why? Because the Western world, the EU and everything, its all this double-talk."

Duterte also lamented:

"... Its only Russia and China that can be relied on with their words. America is double-talk. The left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. Because I said the arms are suspended and the Senate has not really greed, or is still debating on it, whether to give us the arms or not. My country is fighting terrorism. How long can I wait. How long can I wait? Until time as we are on bended knees? It might be too late."

He also said:

"Russia sells arms. She does not impose any conditions. When Russia sells the arms and she sells the arms -- if you need it, I will give it to you. ... Can you do that with America? No, because the president says he will give you, and the State Department says no. And the US Congress says no, human rights violations and so on".

Duterte also expressed his fear that he could be a target of the CIA:

 "... if I survive the CIA, I still have five years to go." 

This should be a real concern, given the fact that the US government murdered Saddam and Gaddafi, whose deaths have led to the utter anarchy in both Iraq and Libya. Is it possible that the US government is facilitating the violence in Mindanao? Its entirely possible, given all of the fundamentalist elements that the US could use to cause instability in the region.

"What's happening in Mindanao is no longer a rebellion of Filipino citizens," Solicitor General Jose Calida told a news conference. "It has transmogrified into invasion by foreign terrorists, who heeded the call of the ISIS to go to the Philippines if they find difficulty in going to Iraq and Syria," he said, using the acronym for Islamic State. Duterte, in a speech to the military, spoke of Caucasian people entering the Philippines and percolating jihadist ideology. There is obvious foreign influence in this conflict. The CIA financed the Taliban, they also backed the Muslim terrorists who murdered Gaddafi, and the Americans are currently supporting the "rebels" in Syria to overthrow Assad.

Why is the US backing up jihadist rebels in Syria? To remove any preponderating Russian influence in that country. Duterte is getting close to China and Russia, and it would make sense that the US would want to support the jihadist cause in the Philippines as a means of punishment and neutralizing Russian and Chinese political leverage. Why are the Americans supporting Japan? Because they want to use Japan against Russia and China. Why did the Americans take down the Berlin Wall? To strengthen Germany against Russia.

So, I am suspecting Western influence in the Mindanao conflict.

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