White House shrugs off Philippines president's threat to end military alliance

[rangerrebew]

White House shrugs off Philippines president's threat to end military alliance

By Nicole Duran (@Duranni1) • 10/4/16 4:20 PM
 

The Obama administration is not taking seriously Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte's vow to pull out of the former U.S. colony's military alliance with Washington.

The controversial new leader has launched profanity-laced tirades against President Obama, most recently saying that Obama can "go to hell" during a speech in Manila Tuesday.

"Those comments are at odds with the warm relationship that exists between the Filipino and American people," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Tuesday. "There's also an important record of cooperation between our two governments, cooperation that has continued under the Duterte government," he said, pointing out that the annual joint military exercise in the Philippines got underway this week as scheduled.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/white-house-shrugs-off-philippines-presidents-threat-to-end-military-alliance/article/2603598

[rangerrebew]

Duterte may be a bubble or two off of level but he isn't stupid.  He's sees Obama constantly downsizing the U.S. Military.  Another way to put it is Obama is constantly downsizing America's ability to fend off increasing militaries such as China and Russia - both of which are closer to the Philippines than the U.S.A.  I'm certainly no rocked scientist but I can see the logic of what he is doing.  It's another Obama foreign policy success.

[mountaineer]

We've never had a president who cared so little about national security. Of course, as I always say, it's not his country.