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Philippines
Vows To Finish Abu Sayyaf Soon
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| Arroyo says no need for
U.S. troops
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By IOL correspondent in South
Asia Kazi Mahmood
Jakarta,
Jan. 20 (IslamOnline) – Philippine President, Gloria Macagapal Arroyo, said
Saturday, January 20, 2002, that there is no need for American troopers to
engage in combat operations in Mindanao because Filipino soldiers can wipe out
the Abu Sayyaf by themselves.
Arroyo denied agreeing to allow the participation of U.S. troops in operations
against the kidnap gang in a bid to finally free three hostages who have been
held for almost eight months in the jungles of Basilan.
The Abu
Sayyaf group is still holding two Americans and a Filipino nurse in Basilan.
Arroyo, who is also the commander-in-chief of the Philippines army said Filipino
soldiers have extensive experience in quelling armed uprisings in Western
Mindanao and all they need are additional equipment and training.
The government decided to transfer the venue of this year’s joint RP-U.S.
military exercises, called "Balikatan 2002," from Central Luzon to
Western Mindanao and allow armed US troopers to "observe" local
military operations against Abu Sayyaf.
U.S. advisers said they would leave the Philippines once they were satisfied the
local army was well equipped and capable of dealing with the Abu Sayyaf once and
for all.
A possible intervention of U.S. troops, 600 of them now in the Philippines, has
caused widespread opposition in the country. Muslims as well as non-Muslim
dwellers in Mindanao voiced their opposition to the participation of U.S. troops
in the region.
Arroyo maintained that her country want to get more credibility in annihilating
the Abu Sayyaf.
The President recalled having stressed this point in bilateral talks at the
White House with U.S. President, George W. Bush, during her visit to the U.S. in
September last year.
"When President Bush asked me: ‘Do you want our soldiers to fight with
you?’ I replied: ‘No, because my soldiers are very good. All that my
soldiers need are equipment and training.’ And that is what Bush gave
us," she said.
Armed Forces Southern Command (Southcom) chief, Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu, said the
current problem in Basilan, where the Abu Sayyaf are hiding their hostages, is
not fighting the extremists but finding them.
According to Cimatu, the Abu Sayyaf, who are holding the American missionary
couple, Martin and Gracia Burnham and Filipina nurse, Deborah Yap, do not even
fire their weapons for fear of revealing their positions.
"Even their frontal forces are not firing a single bullet because they
don’t want to compromise their position," Cimatu said. "The game now
is not the rescue (itself) but locating the hostages and the Abu Sayyaf."
About 2,000 local Special Forces, consisting of Army Scout Rangers, a
U.S.-trained light reaction company and Marine Recon Force, are still combing
the mountainous jungles of Basilan in search of the bandits and their hostages.
Cimatu said there were recent sightings of the group but he refused to divulge
further details for fear of revealing the position of government troops.
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