U.S. wants MILF on terror list

U.S. wants MILF on terror list

PHILIPPINES: The United States wants the Philippines' largest Muslim separatist group placed on a blacklist of terrorist organizations despite a cease-fire and ongoing peace talks, an official said on Tuesday.

Manila instead convinced the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to help the government's crackdown on suspected Jamaah Islamiyah and al-Qaeda operatives in the country, said Norberto Gonzales, a senior adviser to President Gloria Arroyo.

The 1,200-strong MILF has been fighting for a separate Muslim state in the southern Philippines for over two decades. It sealed a cease-fire with Manila last year to negotiate for peace.

Intelligence reports say, however, that leaders of the al- Qaeda and Jamaah Islamiyah have had contact with MILF leaders and that some of their members received training in MILF camps. --AFP