Looted: The Philippines After the Bases (International Herald Tribune)

In Looted, veteran correspondent Donald Kirk cuts through the mystique of democracy that has shrouded the Philippines since the American withdrawal from its military bases there in 1991 and 1992, revealing the corruption that exists beneath the surface. Making use of his extensive firsthand knowledge of the region, Kirk recounts the drama of one of history's greatest volcanic eruptions as just the beginning of a period of looting and exploitation. He provides details and revelations of the Philippine role in the stripdown of Clark Air Base and the subversion of Subic Bay to serve the purposes of one ambitious politician, and he offers a disturbing analysis of the efforts to resolve Muslim and Communist revolt.