Anti-U.S. Terror Threat Grows in Philippines (alliance between terrorist groups)

MANILA, Philippines — Security experts see growing signs of a link between Al Qaeda (search) and home-grown terrorists in the Philippines, raising fears that attacks against the United States could be launched from a country that used to be a U.S. colony.

"The terrorist threat in the Philippines has gone to a high point, especially with the concentration of Al Qaeda morphed into a group called Jemaah Islamiyah (search)," said Gen. Avelino Razon, director of the Philippine National Police.

Intelligence reports indicate that longtime separatist groups that have been fighting the Filipino government for an independent Islamic state are hooking up with Al Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah, Southeast Asia's version of Al Qaeda, which has been designated by the U.S. State Department as a foreign terrorist organization.

Jemaah Islamiyah has been blamed for a string of attacks in that region, including the 2002 Bali hotel bombing that killed 202 people, a blast at Jakarta's J.W. Marriott hotel the following year that killed 12 and the Australian embassy bombing in Jakarta last September that killed 10.

Just this week, a letter written by a member of the Jemaah Islamiyah said the group is planning an attack similar to the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings, said Singapore's minister of home affairs, Wong Kan Seng. Indonesia authorities seized some documents after a homicide car bombing at the Australian Embassy but it was unclear if the letter was among them.

Terrorists connected to the Philippine separatist group Abu Sayyaf (search) — also designated a terrorist group by the United States — are accused of setting off a bomb on a Manila ferry boat last year, killing 116 people.

And now, there's evidence these groups — and others — have formed an alliance,

Something is very wrong with this story. In the first place, Fox news is only shining a light on a fire. The southern Philippines has ALWAYS been a home for terrorists and extremists going back more than 30 years. The Filipino Muslims have been operating out of the southern end of Mindinao for at least a decade, so there isn't any big news flash coming out of there.

Finally, if memory serves correctly, we pulled up stakes and left the Philippines lock, stock and barrel sometime in the 80s when they started asking outrageous "rent" for our military bases there. Now we are not only supposed to fear Muslim attacks in the Philippines against non-existent American facilities, but we are supposed to take responsibility for training and supplying their military!!?? We had full responsibility for their defense when we had bases there and they wanted to be paid for that!!

Screw'em!!

While US military facilities in the Philippines may not be apparent to the less than nuanced eye, don't believe they are "non-existent". Conventional American forces may be on the defensive in Iraq and Afghanistan but in Mindanao Washington's special forces are on the attack.

There is a certain type of operator that you must "use or lose" and in the roaming stretch from Davao to Zamboanga they get there work in. The little green men and snake eaters find regulations burdensome -- when an opposition element is neutralized, the civilian oversight contractors often prefer to knock back a few San Miguels in lieu of filling out the cumbersome paperwork.

When an al-Qaeda "occasional" must be eliminated in Amsterdam or Berlin or Cairo (or anywhere outside the continental US) it is only a 90 minute flight from Davao to Manila. And from there anywhere in the world.

Of course it does cut both ways. Might be a good idea to sustain that steady influx of Fort Bragg "tourists" arriving in Manila every month. A little sun, a few beers, practical training -- and then the real thing down south in lieu of simulation exercises within the more traditional "structure"...

They say Mr Fusion was spotted in Davao City a couple weeks ago having an aperitif with a European colleague. He seemed to be of the opinion that the provincial government was under increased pressure and recommended that funding be redirected to more non-traditional operations in the south.

After all, the opposition can take down a few highrises in Makati anytime they want to -- but what would be the point? Certainly it is in the best interests of all sides for the federal government to remain in power while slowly bankrupting the state.

When it crashes in the Philippines it will come down hard. Best to use limited funding to accelerate operational capacity-building instead of pouring it down the sinkhole of conventional security.

When they come swarming over the walls -- like the NVA romping down Highway 1 thirty years ago this month -- it won't be a pretty sight.

The southern Philippines has ALWAYS been a home for terrorists and extremists going back more than 30 years.

Much longer than 30 years.

The Filipino Muslims have been operating out of the southern end of Mindinao for at least a decade, so there isn't any big news flash coming out of there.

The MORO has been operating out of the southern Islands for, literally, hundreds of years. They had a beef with the Spanish before they ever had a beef with the USA.

Now we are not only supposed to fear Muslim attacks in the Philippines against non-existent American facilities,

I think that we would be talking about access to the USA would be easier from the Philippines by a Philippino, not targets in the Philippines.

but we are supposed to take responsibility for training and supplying their military!!?? We had full responsibility for their defense when we had bases there and they wanted to be paid for that!!

Ahh, another DITHF. Don't talk like you're in the know unless you can back it up.
There is some limited cross training going on between US 'special forces' and Philippine 'special forces' but don't try to play it off as some kind of special ops/CIA training course where they travel all over the world committing assassinations

We have not had responsibility for training their military nor reponsibility for their defense since they became a nation after they were a US territory. Don't get me wrong, some cross training occurred and we had military exercises together but we haven't had responsibility for training or defense for quite some time.

First, did you read the entire article? If you did, you must have missed this:
The U.S. military recently finished training two anti-terrorism companies in the Filipino army to familiarize them with night-vision goggles, M-4 rifles and assault vehicles. Critics of the Filipino military, however, say it's just a fraction of what they need.

"We don't have a good maritime operation; the navy is helpless. The air force is nothing. We have the air, but we don't have the force," said Erick San Juan, former assistant national security advisor in the Philippines.

The United States is also paying Filipinos for information that could bring down a terrorist. The State Department's Rewards for Justice (search) program recently made its first payout — $1 million to three tipsters — whose identities were concealed for their own safety.

"There are a lot of people who are fed up with the terrorist groups, especially in this country, but they're afraid to say things," Mussomeli said. "The money not only is enticement, it's also a protection."

Military and counter-terrorism spending in the Philippines by the United States is now approaching $100 million per year. Add to that an equal amount of humanitarian aid and the American taxpayer's investment in this country has never been costlier. But scaling back, local politicians warn, could cost a lot more.

"By assisting the Philippines, you assist your country. You prevent elements from being trained out here to wreak havoc in any number of places," said Richard Gordon, a Filipino senator.

What this is basically saying to the US is "Come back, protect us again like you used to, and keep spending huge amounts of dollars to prop up our non-existent economy."

In essence, they want to return to their former position of sucking on the US teat without having to tolerate Americans. We have bailed their butts out more than they deserve and Aquino was the final straw. As far as I am concerned, the Philippines (a place I dearly loved, by the way) is on their own. It is time to wean them completely so they can either join the world as an adult nation, or look for another surrogate mother nation to take care of all of their needs.

Perhaps the Chinese will colonize them?

The U.S. military recently finished training two anti-terrorism companies in the Filipino army to familiarize them with night-vision goggles, M-4 rifles and assault vehicles.

Two anti-terrorism companies does not give us the reponsibilty to train their military. We do much the same for many other countries around the world.

The United States is also paying Filipinos for information that could bring down a terrorist. The State Department's Rewards for Justice (search) program recently made its first payout — $1 million to three tipsters — whose identities were concealed for their own safety.

Much the same as we would pay any other nation's people 25 million for the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden. People, especially 2nd or 3rd world countries, are not going to give information about terrorists unless there is something in it for them. Mainly, American $$s.

Military and counter-terrorism spending in the Philippines by the United States is now approaching $100 million per year. Add to that an equal amount of humanitarian aid and the American taxpayer's investment in this country has never been costlier.

This is a drop in the bucket compared to what the Philippine economy used to get from America, both directlry and indirectly. The highlighted portion of the statement is just so much BS.

We have bailed their butts out more than they deserve and Aquino was the final straw.

It wasn't Aquino that was the driving force behind the removal of the bases, nor was it the everyday person, it was their legislature.
I agree that the decision to pull out was the right one, considering the price they wanted to keep them there.

OTOH, do you really WANT the Chinese to become the major player in the Philippines that the US once was, and still is to some extent?

You seem to be missing my point. I (as in me) am not advocating that we do anything with these people. What I started out responding to (and, still am, by the way) is the comment made by one of the Filipino legislators, in essence, that the US isn't doing enough to train or equip their military.

I don't think that we have any obligation to train or equip any part of their military unless they want to pay us for it. They seem to think that we owe them something. I don't.

I also agree that the decision to close the bases and leave was the right one considering the outrageous prices they wanted us to pay in "rent", especially in light of the requirements they placed on us for hiring Filipino nationals to work on the bases.

I also agree that the Philippine Legislature is ultimately responsible for the outrageous "rent" demand, but Aquino floated and pushed the idea.

Finally, the Filipinos are obviously searching for another teat to suckle. Shortly after we departed our bases in the P.I., the Soviets moved in until their collapse. It was a little eerie seeing pictures of Soviet ships at Subic Bay after so many decades as an American base. However, the Chinese are seeking to expand their global presence. The Philippines should make a cozy arrangement for them since the Filipinos want a new surrogate mother who will suckle and nurse them, and the P.I. will make a great strategic facility for the Chinese. Politically and economically, the arrangement might serve both nations' interests quite well.

But, no, I don't particularly want to see the Chinese extend their sphere of influence to the P.I. I just think it's a political reality.

What I started out responding to (and, still am, by the way) is the comment made by one of the Filipino legislators, in essence, that the US isn't doing enough to train or equip their military.

OK, I see where your thought train is coming from now.
I would tend to agree that we don't "owe" them anything.
However, the Philippine is a strategic area in for the South Pacific, the South China Sea, and even Australia. I would hate to see us lose the, possible, advantages just because we were unwilling to help out some.

Maybe not as much as the legislator wants, but some.

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