|
Rebels
Refute Claims Osama Bin Laden Met MILF Leaders
By
Kazi Mahmood, IOL South East Asia Correspondent
JAKARTA,
March 25 (IslamOnline) - A Moro leader, close to the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF) refuted Sunday claims made late last week by
defense secretary Angelo Reyes that Osama bin Laden met with MILF
leaders 5 years ago.
The
member of the Bangsamoro Consultative Assembly (BCA) said the
Filipino defense secretary's statement was misplaced since the Saudi
millionaire could not be in the Philippines at that time.
"Five
years ago, Osama was in Sudan from where he left directly for
Afghanistan. He could not have been in Mindanao at the same
time," said A. Said Lingga, who is also a cultural and history
professor.
Defense
Secretary Angelo Reyes said last Friday the local defense and the
military establishment is taking seriously the claim of Cotabato
Governor Emmanuel Piñol that Osama bin Laden met with MILF
officials in the country five years ago.
“I’m
sure Gov. Piñol knows from where he speaks. He has lots of
information. I think we should take this statement, very, very
seriously,” Reyes said.
Piñol
claimed that Bin Laden stayed in Camp Abubakar for two days with
MILF Chairman Hashim Salamat and Salamat’s senior religious
adviser, Abu Halil Yahya.
Yahya
had said last year in an interview to the local press that he
thought an Arab looking man, wearing the same outfit known to Osama
bin Laden, traveled with him to Camp Abubakar five years ago.
He
added that he thought that was Osama bin Laden, but was not sure
since the man did not say anything much and was not conversant.
Bin
Laden is tagged as the leader of the Al-Qaeda terrorist network,
which according to the United States was responsible for the terror
attacks in New York and Washington last Sept. 11.
Salamat,
according to Piñol, briefed Bin Laden of the MILF’s
capability. Piñol said his information came from a highly
reliable source.
Other
sources said Bin Laden was not interested in financing the struggle
of the Bangsamoro people saying it was a jihad to the scale of his
expectations.
The
MILF had denied this information, saying Yayha was inaccurate in his
statements.
The
rebel group, however, said it did receive some funding from people
close to Osama bin Laden, including one of Bin Laden's brother in
law who established a business in Mindanao.
Piñol
said the MILF launched a series of attacks, including the bombing of
a ferry in Ozamis City in February 2000, wherein 32 people were
killed as a result of the meeting between the MILF and Bin Laden. 
|
