ABSTRACT
This chapter considers some of the irruptions that the War on Terror and its security narratives have had for and on the region. It examines the impacts of the renewed US military presence in Southeast Asia after 9/11, and particularly in the Philippines. The chapter examines the impact of rising anti-American sentiment resulting from the War on Terror, and the ways that it has contributed to terrorist violence aimed at “Western” targets in the region. The War on Terror itself is not unique in creating these insecurities but is notable in this respect because it provided a felicitous scenario for a renewed continuation of American imperial formations in Southeast Asia. The post-9/11 period saw a marked increase in “strong state” repression of a wide range of political and religious interests under the aegis of a newly legitimized, extra-judicial, and very broad umbrella of counter-terrorism in Southeast Asia.
