US Military Operations in Basilan a success

When was the last time you read something good about Basilan, Philippines? By mere mention of the place, an image of terror appears. CNN called it the wild west of the Philippines. For the New York Times it looks like Vietnam.

But a Los Angeles Times article written by Robert Kaplan cited gains in the war-torn area. In his November 25, 2007 article he mentions the development introduced in the area. For Kaplan, it might not be much and at times uneven but he is optimistic:

"Before 9/11, the southern island of Basilan was a Muslim terrorist hide-out. In 2002, with the help of Green Berets, Filipino army forces cleared it. By last year, Manila-based businesses felt safe enough to invest there. When I visited last year, Basilan had cellphone towers, more roads and bridges paved with asphalt, more schools and increased agricultural production. Power outages were common because of surges in demand, a sign of uneven development but of development nevertheless."

Read the entire article here.