The first month of January, 2002, has been a seemingly auspicious one for the Arroyo administration. Glorietta (AKA GMA or Ate Glo) is basking in the glow of the TIME mag cover dubbing her the "Iron Lady" and jetting off this week to Britain to hobnob with Tony Blair and the original Iron Lady herself. The administration just spent a million bucks (that's US greenback dolla) to retain a hotshot international PR firm; it was reportedly their contacts and lobbying that landed the cover and (some say) the kid glove treatment of the piece inside the cover. Since when has Time written a positive (or at least neutral) piece on a Philippine President? Anyway, supposedly these spinmeister pros will ensure that Glo gets the best possible image-building during her trip to the Continent and the US of A.

Big problem is that there is no real strategic vision re: the GI Joes down south. Although 600 troops ain't that many, there weren't that many advisors in South Vietnam in 1963 either and look where that quagmire ended up. A highly reputed Prof from Hawaii's East-West Center just put out a report to that effect, pointing out that the US troops' mission is ill-defined and that there is nothing resembling an exit strategy. What happens if some of the well-armed and combat savvy Abu Sayyafs manage to ambush, say, a squad of American boys who are supposedly just there to train the Filipino troops? What happens if, say, 20 or so sons of the American midwest die in the ensuing firefight? What happens if, say, the Abus behead the two American hostages in the aftermath? Betcha George Dubya would react with great indignation, betcha Glorietta will say "yessir" to whatever the Americans dictate, betcha 600 troops could escale to four figures real quick. Five figures would be just up there ahead.

Raoul from Manila suggests that a couple of questions ought to be asked. First, now that the immediate post-9/11 glow is off the pumpkin, isn't this current American crusade starting to bear a striking resemblance to the late, great Cold War? (Which implies: Al Queda = Commies?). And, second, did you notice the uncanny resemblance of those jungles on the island of Basilan and those of the Mekong Delta?