Word: manila
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...Manila's financial district squeaked away from a showdown that might have turned it into a Southeast Asian Beirut, the President essayed a show of strength by reaching for the People Power that brought her to office. Still, in tacit disobedience to Aquino's stand against a negotiated end to hostilities, her military did not so much quell the coup as reconcile with those who had come closer than ever to unseating her. Even before the latest coup ended, plots were being hatched for the next stage of the rebellion, one the planners are certain will bring about Aquino...
According to a White House official, Laurel, stranded in Hong Kong during the mutiny, had his chief of staff telephone U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Platt in Manila. Laurel's aide requested U.S. support for the Vice President's offer to broker a negotiated solution to the impasse. The deal: Aquino would be replaced by a rebel junta, presumably including Laurel himself. The U.S. declined the offer. Late last week Laurel denied he had made such a request and demanded a denial from Platt as well. The embassy replied that during the coup attempt there was no "communication" between Laurel...
Suddenly, Manila seemed to be besieging itself as rebel troops and government soldiers staked out territory in the city and launched attacks on each other. Not since World War II had so much firepower been seen and used in the capital region. More than ever before, the Aquino regime tottered on the brink of collapse as rebel bazookas blasted away at soldiers defending television broadcast facilities and as factions within the air force joined the rebels and bombed the presidential compound...
Even as she declared the situation under control, Aquino made a humiliating admission of weakness: she requested and was granted U.S. military assistance. The rapid deployment of several U.S. F-4 Phantoms from Clark Air Base, the American air base north of Manila, retook the skies for Aquino. The unusually decisive action by George Bush earned him bipartisan praise for coming to the rescue of democracy. Said U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell: "The President's decision was an appropriate and prudent one under the circumstances." But Aquino may be haunted by her decision for the rest of her political...
Bush received word of the coup before departing for Malta, and was kept posted on events while he was aboard Air Force One. Just before 11 p.m. Thursday , Bush learned of Aquino's request that U.S. fighters place an "aggressive cap" over two airfields near Manila from which the rebels had launched attacks against government positions. Meanwhile, Vice President Dan Quayle chaired a crisis-management group in the White House Situation Room to review options. At 11:30 the Quayle group recommended granting Aquino's request, and Bush approved it an hour later. In addition, 100 U.S. Marines, part...