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US
Troops In Secret Basilan Camp To Attack Mindanao Islands
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Presence
of US troops has angered many in Philippines |
By
Kazi Mahmood
IOL
Southeast Asia correspondent
JAKARTA,
Feb. 10 (IslamOnline) - The revelation on Sunday that U.S. troops are
hiding in a secret camp in Basilan Island with the intent to attack extremists
in Mindanao Islands has raised the furor of the local army and civilians in the
Philippines.
Filipinos
expressed alarm over U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s admission that
200 American troops are already in a jungle training camp, despite unresolved
issues in the Balikatan war games’ Terms of Reference (TOR). Rumsfeld’s
claims that the exercises would be expanding to Jolo, Sulu and other parts of
Mindanao Island further alarmed the people.
A
top ranking Southern Command official, who requested anonymity, expressed anger
at Rumsfeld’s remarks at a Pentagon press briefing. “We have been under
orders to keep all U.S. troop movements strictly confidential. That is for their
(U.S. troops) security. I am surprised that the U.S. Defense Secretary would
admit what we are supposed to keep secret,” the official said.
Rumsfeld’s
statements aired on the C-Span channel, just an hour after the same Socom source
said he would “neither confirm nor deny” reports of U.S. troops in a jungle
training camp on the outskirts of Islabela City, in Basilan.
The
island is the site of the major joint RP-U.S. military exercise and is where the
Abu Sayyaf group is still holding two Americans and a Filipino maid as hostage.
While
Manila has said only 160 trainers would join ground exercises in Basilan, with
the rest of the 600-strong US Balikatan force representing support services,
Rumsfeld said there will be another 400 U.S. troops in Mindanao.
Critics
have questioned reports of the U.S. presence in Basilan during the Balikatan
preparatory phrase, noting differences involving command of the joint exercise
force. President Arroyo has claimed the Balikatan military exercise would be
confined to Zamboanga and Basilan.
Members
of the U.S. Army Green Berets and the composite service Delta Force are to train
Philippine troops in counter-terrorism operations as part of the Balikatan
exercises, which are slated to commence some time next week.
Why
the Americans are in Basilan this early raises some questions about their real
role in counter-terrorism operations, Filipino sources said.
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