In a brief talk with reporters at the Department of National Defense at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Ricciardone stressed that the United States will remain an ally and a friend that will always be around to help the Philippine government.
"This is the time of a severe test to your country... we are allies... we are here for you. In a time of crisis, it’s up to us as your allies to help you to be strong, to encourage you," Ricciardone said.
"In a crisis, an ally, a friend, helps a partner to be strong and that’s what we are trying to do," Ricciardone told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo as he accompanied Rear Adm. Charles Kubic, commander of the US Navy Civil Engineer Corps, First Naval Construction Division, in a courtesy call on Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita.
Kubic arrived for a brief orientation visit and to observe the RP-US military-to-military infrastructure improvement activities in various areas of the country.
"In a time where enemies demand that you kneel, and (I) just ask you, please don’t confuse your enemies with your friends," Ricciardone said.
Ricciardone earlier called on President Arroyo, who has kept a low profile throughout the crisis.
It is understood Ricciardone impressed on Mrs. Arroyo the need not to bow to the demands of the hostage-takers and underlined that recent statements by her ministers were vague.
The US Embassy would not give details of the meeting, but diplomatic sources say he came away unimpressed with Mrs. Arroyo’s explanations.
Embassy assistant information officer Ruth Urry said they remain in close contact with the Philippine government as she reiterated the disappointment over the decision to pull out troops.
Urry said the embassy continues to seek clarification over the decision to pull out, claiming ambiguity.
The US State Department also indicated yesterday Manila’s decision to pull its troops out of Iraq to save the life of De la Cruz could affect ties with the US.
"I think we’ll have to see," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters in Washington when asked whether bilateral relations would be affected by the Philippine decision, which runs contrary to US policy on terrorism and giving in to terrorist demands.
Boucher said the decision of Manila to pull out its 51-strong peacekeeping force from Iraq last Tuesday was totally unexpected.
Washington has not been given a "precise clarification" yet by Manila on its exact plans in Iraq but Boucher said "they’ve reconfirmed the original statement that they would leave as soon as possible."
Boucher earlier expressed regret over the announcement made by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis who read a statement over Arabic television station Al-Jazeera on Monday that the Philippine government has decided to pull out its "humanitarian forces out of Iraq as soon as possible."
Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Albert announced Wednesday that the troop pullout had begun, suggesting eight members of the 51-member contingent had already left the war-torn country.
"I express once again the fact that we’re disappointed in that statement. We think that withdrawal sends the wrong signal and that it is important for people to stand up to terrorists and not allow them to change our behavior," Boucher said.
He said Manila had stood beside the United States "as a friend and an ally on many, many occasions in the decades past, and so we look forward to continuing to work with the Philippines in all the areas where we can productively do that."
Asked to elaborate on any possible review of US links with the Philippines, a US government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said "it’s hard to speculate at this point."
"There is no indication of a change in policy across the board on cooperation in fighting terrorism," he said.
Boucher said he was still waiting for clarification from the Philippine government as to "what date they might be leaving (Iraq) or how they might be working that out."
The Philippines, facing a terrorism threat in its own backyard, was among the first to support the US-led global war on terrorism after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
Among other forms of assistance, the US government grants financial and military aid to the Philippines, which was given the non-NATO ally status by Washington last year to highlight their close defense links.
The United States also helps train Filipino soldiers battling the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf terror group in southern Mindanao.
Boucher also said he did not expect the Philippine move to set a precedent for other countries with troops in Iraq and facing death threats from militants to bail out.
Citing Japan, South Korea and Bulgaria as among countries which had stood their ground in Iraq despite their citizens facing death threats, he said the resolve of nations in the war on terror had largely been strengthened by the cruelty of the militants.
"And so in many nations, the reaction has only been to strengthen their resolve, to know even more strongly what they’re fighting for and why it’s important to fight to end that sort of cruelty and that sort of terrorism, which goes against all the world’s religions," Boucher said.
Washington had said a pullout would send the wrong message and pointed out that other countries whose nationals had been kidnapped had refused to meet the hostage takers’ demands.
"Our general stance has always been that making concessions to hostage-takers and terrorists only encourages that behavior," Boucher said.
Boucher, however, stressed Washington and Manila will still continue cooperating in the war on terror, but he left it open whether the withdrawal of the troops from Iraq would affect bilateral relations.
They endured hostage crises without changing policy, but declined to comment specifically on Manila’s decision.
"There is no change to our government’s position," said a South Korean government official. South Korea plans to send 3,000 more troops to Iraq next month.
Seoul is still reeling from the beheading in June of a South Korean interpreter by Islamic militants in Iraq after it rejected demands to scrap the deployment and pull out about 600 military engineers and medics.
The South Korean public is evenly divided over Iraq. Opponents in parliament have introduced two bills demanding South Korea halt its deployment.
In Tokyo, Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hatsuhisa Takashima said: "We have heard that delicate negotiations are still being conducted so there is nothing for us to comment on."
Iraqi militants captured three Japanese civilians in April and threatened to kill them unless Tokyo withdrew some 550 non-combat troops.
But Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi refused to budge and the three hostages, along with two others taken separately, were released.
The reports about Manila’s plan to pull out its troops came after news of a Bulgarian hostage in Iraq had been killed and another threatened with death.
Bulgaria said on Wednesday it would not withdraw its 470 troops in Iraq despite the hostage crisis.
Analysts in Washington said the Philippines has set a bad precedent in its decision to pull out its forces from Iraq.
They said the decision will make Filipinos like De la Cruz at risk and more vulnerable to terrorist blackmail.
"It is always counterproductive to give in to terrorist threats because even though in the short term the result may be the release of a particular hostage, the terrorists can always take more hostages," said Rand Corp. senior policy analyst Angel Rabasa.
"There are many Filipinos in the Middle East. What’s to stop the terrorists from kidnapping some of them again and making demands related to a situation in Mindanao?" he asked.
Rabasa said he had the impression that Mrs. Arroyo was the strongest supporter of the war against terror in Southeast Asia until the decision to pull out troops from Iraq was made.
"I don’t think I would make that judgment today," Rabasa said.
Dana Dillon of the think tank Heritage Foundation said the withdrawal of Filipino soldiers from Iraq in an effort to avert the execution of De la Cruz could affect international peace efforts in the war-torn country.
"I think as a result of the pullout the United States will cast a more critical eye on what it’s giving the Philippines and how it’s being utilized. The amount of security systems we give will probably be more in direct proportion to what we’re getting out of the relationship," Dillon said.
Details of the pullout have been shrouded in secrecy.
Col. Essel Soriano, senior Philippine liaison officer at the US Central Command in Tampa, Florida, who coordinates with the US military in the transport requirements of Filipino forces in Iraq, is in the dark.
"I have not been informed of any movements with regards to our people in Iraq since the kidnapping of De la Cruz. I am totally in the dark," he said when asked if he knew when the eight Filipinos left, how they left and where they went.
In the last two days the Philippine embassy in Washington has reported receiving numerous calls from members of the public expressing sadness and disappointment at the decision to withdraw from Iraq under duress.
Rabasa, for his part, said the Philippines looks bad in comparison with other countries whose nationals had also been taken hostage.
He cited Bulgaria and South Korea’s decision to keep their troops there despite the beheading of their citizens by the militants who also demanded that they withdraw their respective contingents out of Iraq.
Many analysts believe the pullout will have a negative effect on relations between the United States and the Philippines.
But since both sides share the same interests, the slight dip in the road now will even out.
"Over the long haul ties between both sides will stay close because we both have reasons to have a good, close relationship," Dillon said.
"I think the US government will want to continue the cooperation with the Philippines. What will happen is that opinion and decision makers in the United States will see the Philippines in a far less favorable light than it did before," Rabasa added. - With reports from Marvin Sy, Lito Katigbak (STAR Washington Bureau), AFP