Duterte says he wants U.S. special forces out of southern Philippines

MANILA, Sept 12 (Reuters) - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday called for the withdrawal of U.S. special forces troops from a group of islands in the southern Philippines, saying their presence could complicate offensives against Islamist militants notorious for beheading Westerners. Duterte's order came a week after he called US President Barack Obama "a son of a whore", causing Obama to cancel their scheduled bilateral meeting at a summit in Laos. Duterte did not specify when or how many Americans would be expelled but said the Philippines alignment with the West was at the root of the persistent Muslim insurgency. Another U.S. official said there were only a "handful" of special forces in the Mindanao acting in limited liaison roles. That's certainly something that the Filipino people are well aware of." If they see an American, they will really kill him.”

The Pentagon said it was aware of Duterte’s statements but had not been contacted by authorities on the issue. His comments were in sharp contrast to an initial explanation by Duterte spokesman Ernesto Abella, who said the demand "reflects (Duterte's) new direction towards coursing an independent foreign policy. Duterte also criticized President Barack Obama for raising human rights concerns about the Philippine leader's bloody crackdown against drugs when the U.S. leader, he says, has not apologized for the American atrocities against local Muslims.
In response to criticism of his government's extrajudicial killings of 1,800 people since July, Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte says that U.S. forces advising the Armed Forces of the Philippines against an Islamic insurgency in Mindanao are doing more harm than good and must leave the country, saying, ”I do not want a rift with America, but they have to go," during a speech in Manila.