Mickey Z

Cool Observer

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Sunday, February 05, 2006

U.S. War Crimes Explained: 105 years ago today (and RIP: Al Lewis)

In the aftermath of the Spanish-American War, the U.S. fought a brutal war of conquest in the Pacific. By 1900, more than 75,000 American troops—three-quarters of the entire U.S. Army—were sent to the Philippines. In the face of this overwhelming show of force, the Filipinos turned to guerrilla warfare.

The February 5, 1901 edition of the New York World shed some light on the U.S. response to guerilla tactics: “Our soldiers here and there resort to terrible measures with the natives. Captains and lieutenants are sometimes judges, sheriffs and executioners. ‘I don’t want any more prisoners sent into Manila’ was the verbal order from the Governor-General three months ago. It is now the custom to avenge the death of an American soldier by burning to the ground all the houses, and killing right and left the natives who are only suspects.”

For more about U.S. war crimes in the Philippines (excerpted from Seven Deadly Spins), please click “more” below. So, go ahead and…