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