Powell in Philippines to Bolster Anti-Terror Partnership
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Powell with Arroyo |
MANILA,
Aug 2 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – After pledging more than
50 million dollars to Indonesia for the so-called war on terrorism,
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell flew into the Philippines late
Friday for talks with President Gloria Arroyo to bolster the
Washington-led coalition against terrorism.
Powell's
jet taxied to a heavily guarded private hangar at Manila airport where
a limousine fetched the official and his wife Alma, reported Agence
France-Presse (AFP).
Powell
is scheduled to call on Arroyo at Malacanang palace Saturday morning,
after which he would fly back to the United States.
Manila
is the last leg of his grueling Asian tour that began last week and
included six stops in Southeast Asia.
U.S.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters:
"We’re coming to a valued ally and partner that works with us
in the fight against terrorism."
Arroyo
was among the first world leaders to declare support for the U.S.-led
military campaign in Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks
that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York and Washington.
U.S.
President George W. Bush subsequently sent over about 1,000 military
advisers to the south of this troubled Southeast Asian archipelago to
train and advise local troops fighting the Abu Sayyaf, a Muslim rebel
group with alleged links with the Islamic militants blamed for the
U.S. attacks.
The
U.S. mission ended two days before Powell's arrival in Manila, but the
two allies drew up plans for a new set of joint operations in the
Philippines in October.
Powell
is expected to use the visit to highlight a successful case of U.S.
cooperation with a Southeast Asian nation against international
terrorism.
"I
think we have demonstrated to all the nations in Southeast Asia that
terror is a threat to all of us," he said earlier in an interview
with the Far East Economic Review.
"It
may come in the form of al-Qaeda, and learning more and more about
al-Qaeda and how they are in so many of these countries or they're
trying to get themselves imbedded in these countries having been
displaced in Afghanistan," he said.
"We
need to link our law enforcement efforts and our intelligence efforts
and our response efforts and I think the United States has the
leadership role to play," he added.
"We
saw it most vividly in the Philippines when we provided military
support to the Philippine armed forces."
Powell's
visit has spurred protests by leftist groups which insist the United
States is seeking to re-establish U.S. military bases in the
Philippines, a decade after the last such installations were shut
down.
Riot
police and about a thousand left wing protesters jostled for position
outside the U.S. Embassy in Manila Friday, August 2. One policeman was
injured but there were no arrests.
In
an interview with Thai television earlier, Powell stressed that
"in the case of the Philippines, it's a situation where we have
returned only in the sense that we are there on a temporary basis to
help the Philippine army become more proficient, to help them with
their training."
"But
there is no effort on our part to reinsert ourselves on any permanent
basis in the Philippines."
He
cited the Abu Sayyaf as an example of terror groups with al-Qaeda
links operating in Southeast Asia and said U.S.-Philippine cooperation
was an example of how Washington hoped to help other countries in the
region with similar security problems.
In
Jakarta, the United States earlier Friday pledged more than 50 million
dollars to help Indonesia combat terrorism by boosting its war on
extremist violence in Southeast Asia.
Powell
also said Washington was prepared to expand military cooperation with
Jakarta, nearly three years after most military ties were broken off
over the violence in East Timor.
The
sum includes four million dollars in counter-terrorism training for
military officials. But Powell warned that a restoration of full
military ties depends on the armed forces improving its human rights
record.
A
U.S. statement announcing the funding said Indonesia, and Jakarta in
particular, suffered from a string of terror bombings over the past
two years.
"The
United States and Indonesia are committed to assisting each other in
this fight. We will be undertaking a long-term security and
counter-terrorism program with Indonesia valued at a little over 50
million dollars," it said.
Powell
said the funding would be paid out over "a several year
period", with 47 million dollars going to the national police.
The
police are not affected by congressional restrictions on U.S.
assistance which bars military funding over human rights concerns.
Powell
announced the funds after meeting President Megawati Sukarnoputri,
Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda, top Economy Minister Dorodjatun
Kuntjoro-Jakti and top Security Minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
"We
have full confidence in President Megawati and her officials and the
TNI (armed forces) to deal with threats," Powell said after talks
with Wirayuda.
Some
31 million dollars will be provided to police for training and other
programs through 2004. Some 16 million dollars, including 12 million
dollars to create a new police counter-terrorism unit, has already
been approved by Congress.
Another
400,000 dollars is to provide for a resumption in training of civilian
elements of the Indonesian defense ministry next year on top of
400,000 dollars for the same programs this year.
Indonesia
will also receive four million dollars through next year for
counter-terrorism "fellowships" for military officials. That
money is not covered by congressional restrictions.
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