Bilateral deal against terrorism planned<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Manila<\/p>\n
The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia will sign a trilateral
\naccord against terrorism next month, Philippine Vice President
\nTeofisto Guingona said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"I learned that there was a memorandum given to me and to the
\npresident, recommending (we) sign the trilateral agreement. The
\npresident approved the recommendation,\" said Guingona, who is
\nalso foreign secretary.<\/p>\n
The new agreement will require the three countries to improve
\ncooperation in suppressing terrorists through exchange of
\nintelligence information, and devising procedures to speed up
\ncommunication between their respective law-enforcement agencies.<\/p>\n
The three neighbors began working out the agreement after the
\nSept. 11 terror attacks in the United States. The closer
\ncooperation on counter-terrorism was highlighted by growing
\nconcerns that Southeast Asia could become another terrorist
\nhaven.<\/p>\n
Some governments have linked Muslim militant groups in the
\nregion to the al-Qaeda terror network of Osama bin Laden,
\nsuspected mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks.<\/p>\n
The trilateral \"Agreement on Information Exchange and
\nEstablishment of Communication Procedures\" was completed last
\nmonth, but Guingona had delayed its approval by asking for
\nchanges.<\/p>\n
He had wanted provisions that would exclude from the
\nterrorists' list Philippine Muslim separatists and communist
\nrebels that Manila has tried to negotiate with.<\/p>\n
However, diplomatic sources said the Malaysians and
\nIndonesians rejected his changes and Arroyo apparently overruled
\nGuingona by agreeing to sign the agreement.<\/p>\n
The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia share a common sea
\nborder frequently used by pirates and terrorists in evading
\npursuing troops. Last year, the Abu Sayyaf Muslim gunmen from the
\nsouthern Philippines raided two Malaysian resorts and seized 21,
\nmostly foreign tourists.<\/p>\n
Security officials here said the group could have also
\nsmuggled firearms to Muslim separatists in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The Abu Sayyaf, which the U.S. and Philippine governments have
\nlinked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, currently hold an
\nAmerican couple and a Filipina nurse from a kidnapping spree that
\nbegan in May.<\/p>\n
The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia are members of ASEAN
\nalong with Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand
\nand Vietnam.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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