Bad Move

Bush Cites Philippines as Model in Rebuilding Iraq
The Phillipines probably aren't the best example of successfull American nation building. After the Spanish-American war, the United States fought a bloody counter-insurgency campaign against Fillipino nationalists that ended up killing hundres of thousands of Fillipinos and the Phillipines didn't gain independence untill after the Second World War. Having the president say that the Phillipines are our model for Iraq can't exactly be reassuring for many Iraqis.