Philippines plan to pull peacekeepers from Golan

Philippine Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario said Friday he had asked his president for permission to withdraw all 342 of his nation’s troops from UNDOF, the international force policing the Golan demilitarized zone saince 1974. An Islamist rebel group kidnapped four Filipino peacekeepers Tuesday. Other governments contributing to the force would likely follow in Manila’s footsteps, ending the UNDOF mission and eliminating the demilitarized sector separating Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan.