RP checking on white man who trained rebels<\/p>\n
MANILA (AFP): The Philippines is looking into intelligence
\nreports that an unidentified white man had trained Moslem
\nterrorists who pillaged a town and killed dozens earlier this
\nmonth, military chief Arturo Enrile said yesterday.<\/p>\n
He also said a joint investigation between the government and
\nthe main Moslem insurgent group, the Moro National Liberation
\nFront (MNLF), was needed to verify charges that MNLF commanders
\ntook part in the raid on the town despite a cease-fire signed
\nwith Manila.<\/p>\n
Enrile confirmed there were intelligence reports that \"there
\nis a Caucasian involved in the training of Abu Sayyaf,\" the group
\nblamed for leading the raid on Ipil town on April 4. The town's
\ncommercial center was torched and 66 people were killed.<\/p>\n
Enrile said officials were uncertain of press reports saying
\nthe man in question was an ex-U.S. Marine and were only certain
\n-- judging from a photograph -- that he was Caucasian.<\/p>\n
He also said authorities had no evidence that foreigners took
\npart in the raid on Ipil. The government has previously charged
\nthat Islamic extremists from Pakistan and the Middle East were
\ngiving support to the Abu Sayyaf.<\/p>\n
In a related event, Enrile said the MNLF have denied the
\nmilitary's charges that some of their men joined the Abu Sayyaf
\nfor the Ipil raid. But he added that police evidence \"says
\notherwise so a joint investigation is in order.\"<\/p>\n
The government met with MNLF representatives in the southern
\nPhilippines earlier this week to discuss the reports of MNLF
\ninvolvement in the raid. MNLF leaders have denied that any of
\ntheir men were involved.<\/p>\n
At the meeting, the government also told the MNLF to submit a
\nlist of the areas they control, apparently to make sure Abu
\nSayyaf raiders do not take refuge with the MNLF.<\/p>\n
The MNLF, who led a bloody war for a separate Moslem state in
\nthe southern Philippines in the 1970s, signed a cease-fire with
\nthe government to negotiate for autonomy last year.<\/p>\n
Defense Secretary Renato De Villa has admitted that some MNLF
\ncommanders are dissatisfied with the present MNLF leadership and
\nare attracted to Islamic fundamentalism in the Abu Sayyaf, itself
\nan offshoot of the MNLF.<\/p>\n
In a related event, the Philippine Department of Foreign
\nAffairs (DFA) said here yesterday that Foreign Secretary Roberto
\nRomulo has met with the foreign ministers of Bangladesh, Jordan,
\nOman and the Palestinian territories, to discuss cooperation
\nagainst international terrorism.<\/p>\n
The DFA said in a statement that Romulo held talks with his
\ncounterparts of these four Moslem states at the meeting of the
\nNon-Aligned Movement in Bandung, Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The DFA said the four all agreed with the idea of an
\ninternational conference to counter international terrorism.<\/p>\n
The minister from the Palestinian territories, Farouk Kaddoumi
\nsaid they would assist the Philippines in dealing with terrorist
\nactivities and all four ministers expressed their support for
\nManila's peace negotiations for the MNLF.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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