U.S. and RP plan new exercises against rebels<\/p>\n
Raju Gopalakrishnan, Manila, Reuters<\/p>\n
A fresh round of U.S.-Philippine anti-terror exercises will be
\nheld later this year, possibly extending to other strongholds of
\nMoro rebels linked to al-Qaeda militants, the Philippine defense
\nchief said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes said the new exercises might be
\nheld on the island of Jolo in the Sulu archipelago, where Moro
\ngunmen have held three Indonesian seamen hostage for more than
\nthree weeks.<\/p>\n
\"Its purpose is to enhance the capability of Filipino forces
\nto fight domestic and international terrorism,\" Reyes told
\nManila-based foreign correspondents.<\/p>\n
About 1,000 U.S. troops, including special forces units, are
\ndeployed in the south of the country for the first round of
\ntraining in jungle warfare and counter-terrorism. The exercises
\nare centered on the island of Basilan, near Jolo.<\/p>\n
Mountainous and heavily forested, Jolo and Basilan -- more
\nthan 900 km (560 miles) south of Manila -- are separated by a
\nnarrow strip of sea.<\/p>\n
The islands, with largely Muslim populations, have been
\nbastions of the Abu Sayyaf rebel group, which the United States
\nhas linked to Saudi-born dissident Osama bin Laden and his al-
\nQaeda network, prime suspects in the Sept. 11 attacks on New York
\nand Washington.<\/p>\n
The rebels have kidnapped dozens of people over recent years
\nincluding three Americans from a beach resort last year. One of
\nthe Americans was killed soon after the kidnapping. Another was
\nkilled during a military rescue bid last month in which his wife,
\nthe third U.S. hostage, was wounded but rescued.<\/p>\n
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said she wanted the new
\nexercises to be on the main northern island of Luzon, where
\nManila is located, but was flexible about a component in the
\nsouth.<\/p>\n
\"The Sulu idea came from the U.S. side,\" she told reporters.
\n\"Sulu is fine with me as long as the major exercises are held on
\nLuzon\".<\/p>\n
The six-month Basilan exercises, which represent the biggest
\ntroop deployment in America's war on terror after Afghanistan,
\nend on July 31.<\/p>\n
There has been much opposition to the exercises since the
\nconstitution bars foreign troops from operations on Philippine
\nsoil. But Arroyo has pushed hard for them and said they did not
\nviolate the constitution as they only involved training.<\/p>\n
Although armed, the U.S. soldiers are not allowed to engage in
\ncombat but can fire in self-defense.<\/p>\n
Vice-President Teofisto Guingona, who has expressed
\nreservations about the U.S. military presence, quit as foreign
\nminister last week over differences with Arroyo. The Philippines
\nis a former U.S. colony but 10 years ago threw out U.S. forces
\nfrom bases in the country.<\/p>\n
Reyes said the next exercises would probably start in October
\nbut no final decision had been made on their date or location. No
\ndecision has been reached on how many U.S. troops will take part
\nin the second phase.<\/p>\n
Jolo, the main island in the Sulu archipelago, has been the
\nscene of intense military operations in recent weeks against Moro
\ngunmen holding three Indonesian seamen abducted from a
\nSingaporean-owned tugboat on June 17.<\/p>\n
Reyes said U.S. soldiers on Basilan were now conducting
\nexercises with Filipinos at the company level, helping to gather
\nand collate intelligence and advising on counter-terrorism.<\/p>\n
Military commanders say company-level training involves moving
\nU.S. troops closer to combat areas so they can observe Philippine
\ntroops more closely.<\/p>\n
Training during previous weeks had been limited to battalion-
\nlevel exercises in which U.S. forces are confined to areas around
\nbig military camps and away from combat zones.<\/p>\n
Reyes said 300 to 400 U.S. troops would stay on Basilan beyond
\nJuly 31 to supervise the winding down of their operations but
\nthey would all be gone by the end of August.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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