Philippines needs neighbors' help in combatting terrorism

Philippines needs neighbors' help in combatting terrorism

Philippine Daily Inquirer, Asia News Network, Manila

The international campaign against terrorism takes an ASEAN
accent this week when the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
summit in Brunei considers a draft declaration calling for
increased regional cooperation in combating terrorism. The
declaration grew out of a Philippine initiative seeking the
formation of a coalition among the Philippines, Indonesia and
Malaysia as the tripod of the ASEAN anti-terrorism effort.

While ASEAN members have joined the condemnation by the
international community of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the
United States, two of the largest Muslim countries in the ASEAN
-- Indonesia and Malaysia -- have called on the U.S. and its
Western allies to halt bombings on Afghanistan, emphasizing the
divergence between the U.S. and some of its Asian allies over the
mode of battling terrorism.

Indonesia and Malaysia, which are both secular Islamic states,
have been roiled by protests from extremist Islamic groups which
have manifested support for the Taliban regime in Afghanistan,
Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda network. It is in the interest of
the stability of their governments to strike a balance between
fighting terrorism and not taking part in the military action
staged by the United States and its Western allies.

The part of the Philippines in this three-nation coalition
stems from the fact that has a home-grown Islamic extremist
group, the Abu Sayyaf, which has carried out terrorist activities
in the form of abduction of innocent civilians and fighting
government troops. The Abu Sayyaf has links to the al-Qaeda
network.

The Philippines has a significant Muslim population, and the
governments of Malaysia and Indonesia are concerned over reports
that the attacks on Afghanistan have fueled the resentment of
fundamentalist Islamic groups against secular governments. Some
governments in the ASEAN are worried that Islamic extremists may
forge links within the region and undermine the stability of
secular regimes. Already, there are reports that the Abu Sayyaf
has sent arms to extremist groups in Indonesia. Many Filipino
Muslims have declared themselves ready to volunteer as fighters
joining the Taliban.

While the Philippines has a Muslim minority with close ties to
the Muslims in Malaysia and Indonesia, it has gone farther than
these two countries in assisting the U.S. military action in
Afghanistan. The Philippines has allowed the use of former
American bases in Clark and Subic for refueling of aircraft and
ships and transit of troops and supplies to staging points for
Afghanistan.

American counterterrorism specialists are already in the
Philippines acting as "advisers" to Filipino troops to improve
their capability to fight the Abu Sayyaf. The more aggressive
commitment of the Philippines to help U.S. military action is in
contrast to the more restrained posture of Indonesia and
Malaysia, whose governments have to prevent Islamic extremism
from spreading among their population.

Because of the different outlooks among the Philippines,
Indonesia and Malaysia in their support of the international
anti-terrorism campaign, their basis of cooperation is
necessarily limited to not military action.

As President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has pointed out, "through
this coalition, we will work to share intelligence on terrorist
activities, tighten border patrols and, when necessary, take part
in joint peacekeeping operations."

Such a coalition does not, however, inhibit the Philippines
from pursuing the other dimension of its policy aligning the
country with the U.S.-led military action against terrorism. Its
support for the campaign is anchored on the United Nations
Security Council resolution establishing the framework for action
against terrorism in many areas. While the Philippines' ASEAN
allies are less enthusiastic about joining military action,
President Macapagal has offered Filipino troops for combat
duties, if requested within the UN framework.

The prospects of Philippine military involvement in the
campaign appear remote. Our problem with terrorism centers on its
local variants. We have had a long experience with banditry and
outlawry in the South, but with the rise of Islamic extremism,
our immediate concern is to check it from spreading, with the
help of our Islamic neighbors.