THOUSANDS of American troops are being deployed indefinitely to combat Islamic militants in the Philippine jungles in a major extension of Washington’s war against terrorism.Posted on 02/21/2003 3:17:57 PM PST by MadIvan
THOUSANDS of American troops are being deployed indefinitely to combat Islamic militants in the Philippine jungles in a major extension of Washington’s war against terrorism.
Advance teams will begin arriving in the southern islands within days, followed by more than 3,000 troops charged with destroying the Abu Sayyaf group of bandits linked to al-Qaeda.
The deployment treads sensitive ground with the Philippines, a former US colony which evicted American forces in 1992 and amended its constitution to ban foreign troops from carrying out unilateral combat missions.
But it also marks a deliberate move by the Pentagon to show that it can take the fight to Islamic militants around the world even as it prepares for war in Iraq. Domestic critics have accused President Bush of ignoring the threat posed by al-Qaeda as he confronts President Saddam Hussein.
Despite the build-up of American forces in the Gulf, Donald Rumsfeld, the US Defence Secretary, has been keen to re-establish a US military “footprint” on the Philippines.
Last year a six-month training mission involving 1,300 US troops in an advisory role culminated in the botched rescue attempt of an American couple held hostage for more than a year by Abu Sayyaf rebels. Gracia Burnham was freed, but her husband Martin was killed. Unlike that mission, the troops now heading for the Philippines will be allowed to play a frontline combat role. “This is different. This is an actual combined operation and it is US forces accompanying and actively participating in Philippines-led offensive operations,” a US official said.
The deployment includes 350 special forces troops with 400 support personnel based in the regional capital Zamboanga. They will be backed by 1,000 Marines and a 1,300-strong naval force on two amphibious assault ships armed with Cobra attack helicopters and Harrier combat aircraft.
The ships, deployed from Japan, will provide medical support and a mobile launchpad, and will come under the overall command of Major-General Joseph Weber, commander of the 3rd Marine Division based in Okinawa.
The US forces will initially be directed at an estimated 500 Abu Sayyaf fighters on the island of Jolo. Apart from the Burnhams, the group has kidnapped at least two other American nationals, including Guillermo Sobero, who was found beheaded two years ago.
In October an American special forces soldier, Sergeant Mark Jackson, was also killed in an explosion outside a bar, one of many recent bombings linked to Abu Sayyaf.
Sensitive to the likely backlash from Philippine nationalists, Angelo Reyes, the country’s Defence Secretary, refused to explain the precise role of US troops.
Referring to the Pentagon officials who briefed details of the operation, he said: “I am categorically saying that anything that they say that contradicts the constitution and the laws will not materialize.”
But he added that it was up to constitutional lawyers to decide if there was any room for interpreting the constitution to allow US troops to fight in the country.
Regards, Ivan
The Filipinos can't get them...we will.
Libbers and jelly-fishers will never understand that we ARE focusing on one thing at a time . . . THE WAR ON TERRORISM!! Something their poster-pervert ignored for eight years.
When a coackroach avoids the fumigation fumes, you squash them suckers wherever you find 'em.
But, what could possibly be significant about Iraqi diplomats having ties with Al Qaeda backed terrorists?
I'm not certain, but I think you may have had it right the first time...Sasebo.
I heard something about that. These Bush-bashers -- like Dasshole -- will have a year's supply of crow to feast on after we rid Iraq of Saddam, find all the WMD's, discover who Iraq's weapons suppliers have been, and see how many terrorist groups Saddam has been French-kissing. I think even cynical FReepers like moi are going to be shocked at how wide Iraq's tentacles reach.
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