<< MARINE CORPS AIR STATION FUTENMA – Marines load palletized equipment onto a KC-130J Hercules aircraft Nov. 11 at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan, during preparation for a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission to the Philippines in the wake of Super Typhoon Haiyan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. David N. Hersey/Released) Image: Flickr
By DAN DE LUCE
WASHINGTON — The US military’s relief efforts in the storm-ravaged Philippines will save lives, but also illustrate how humanitarian operations promote Washington’s interests in the Asia-Pacific, experts said Wednesday.
The rapid deployment of US naval ships, cargo planes, helicopters and troops to the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan underscores America’s growing emphasis on disaster relief missions.
These are seen as a strategic tool, allowing the United States to exert “soft power” through means usually tied to “hard power.”
“Having assets in the region allows the United States to provide aid assistance in ways that augment US leadership and legitimacy in Asia,” according to a report released Wednesday by Ely Ratner of the Center for a New American Security, a think tank with close ties to the Obama administration.
The Pentagon’s version of “disaster diplomacy” evolved after the Cold War, with US officials adopting a broader approach to forging security ties with other states.
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