XPost: alt.drugs.heroin, alt.politics.obama, sac.politics   
   XPost: soc.culture.filipino   
   From: bksperman@outlook.com   
      
   Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s plan to “kill all” the   
   country’s suspected drug users and dealers has many foreign   
   critics, including the United States, the European Parliament   
   and the International Criminal Court. It now has at least one   
   high-profile supporter: President-elect Donald Trump, at least   
   according to Duterte.   
      
   In a statement Saturday, Duterte shared details of a seven-   
   minute conversation that took place Friday. He said that during   
   the call, Trump endorsed his campaign against drug users and   
   dealers — a campaign that has left at least 4,500 Filipinos dead   
   in about five months. Trump told Duterte that he was doing it   
   the “right way,” according to Duterte’s account.   
      
   “I could sense a good rapport, an animated President-elect   
   Trump,” he added. “And he was wishing me success in my campaign   
   against the drug problem.”   
      
   The comments, which have not been confirmed by Trump’s team,   
   could signal another significant twist in U.S.-Philippine ties.   
      
   The Philippines is a former U.S. colony that has been a close   
   U.S. partner for decades. Since sweeping to power last spring,   
   Duterte has repeatedly lashed out at his longtime ally,   
   threatening to ditch the United States for China and Russia.   
      
   In September, when President Obama raised questions about the   
   bloody anti-drug crusade, Duterte lectured him on colonialism,   
   referring to him with a slang term that translates, roughly, as   
   “son of a whore.”   
      
   In the weeks that followed, he made several surprise   
   announcements on U.S.-Philippine military ties, calling for the   
   ouster of U.S. Special Operations forces from the southern   
   island of Mindanao and the end of joint U.S.-Philippine military   
   exercises — only to backtrack repeatedly.   
      
   But Trump’s triumph in the U.S. presidential race saw Duterte   
   switch direction again. Weeks after railing against   
   “uncivilized” Americans, Duterte greeted the U.S. president-   
   elect with an enthusiastic “long live” Trump. Duterte also mused   
   that they might get along — because they both like to swear.   
      
   For the Philippine president, an expression of support from   
   Trump could help reset ties with the United States. But   
   endorsing Duterte’s crackdown may put Trump at odds with allies   
   such as the European Union, whose parliament issued a resolution   
   urging the Philippines to halt “extrajudicial executions and   
   killings” in connection with the drug war.   
      
   https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/12/03/dut   
   erte-during-phone-call-trump-praised-my-drug-war-as-right-   
   way/?utm_term=.e6c6430547cf   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)