After September 11, 2001, United States President George W. Bush put
together a "Coalition of the Willing." From the very beginning this
coalition included the Philippines, a willing participant in the
U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq and the larger War on Terror.
This timely and persuasive book argues that the Philippines' recent
foreign policy must be understood by considering three factors: the
crucial role of overseas employment to the Philippine economy, the
mendicant relationship between the Philippines and the United States,
and the Catholicism of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Between September 11 and August 4, 2004, the Philippine State
identified itself as a loyal and supportive member of the Coalition of
the Willing, in part to take advantage of the labor opportunities in
the reconstruction efforts of Iraq. However, in the face of mounting
violence and instability in the war-torn country, the Philippines
became increasingly reluctant to actively participate in the
coalition. When Angelo de la Cruz, a Filipino truck driver, was
kidnapped, the Philippine government withdrew its forces from Iraq.
This decision can only be understood in the context of
Macapagal-Arroyo's political fundamentalism. Specifically,
Macapagal-Arroyo believed that it was God's will to spare the life of
de la Cruz. This study of the Philippines' recent foreign policy
examines the interconnections of international relations,
transnational labor migration, military conflict, theology, and
terrorism. It is unique in its explicit examination of peripheral
states' participation in the War on Terror, the invasion of Iraq, and
the Coalition of the Willing, as well as its willingness to discuss
the religious context of a state's foreign policy.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781461637905
Publisert
2015
Utgiver
Vendor
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter