Hillary's World

Hillary Clinton has pledged continued US support for the Philippines in the fight against southern Islamist rebels.

In her first visit to the Philippines as US secretary of state, she also highlighted the US military’s role in relief work after devastating typhoons.

About 600 US troops are in the country providing training and intelligence for the Philippine army fighting the separatist rebels.

She also visited a badly damaged high school and pledged $5m (£3m) in aid.

“I would just reiterate that the United States stands ready to assist our friends in the Philippines who are seeking to counter terrorism and the threat of extremism and we will be willing to support them in any way that is appropriate that they request,” Mrs Clinton said after meeting Philippine President Gloria Arroyo and Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo at the beginning of her two-day visit.

“We were very pleased that we can respond quickly with our military assets,” she said, referring to joint US-Philippine rescue work during widespread floods caused by several back-to-back typhoons.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8356092.stm