From: "Magnus Bernhardsen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Peoples War] News from the Philippines 1) MILF warns rebels on kidnapping 2) 650 US troops due for 'war games' against Abu Sayyaf 3) MILF, gov't agree on local teams to monitor ceasefire 4) US troops may be used against us: MILF spokesman 1) http://www.inq7.net/reg/2002/jan/15/reg_1-1.htm MILF warns rebels on kidnapping Posted: 10:02 PM (Manila Time) | January 14, 2002 By Charlie S. Señase and Anthony S. Allada Inquirer News Service COTABATO CITY -- The Moro Islamic Liberation Front on Monday vowed to impose "harsh sanctions" against its members who are involved in kidnapping. Ghazali Jaafar, MILF vice chair for political affairs, issued the stern warning following persistent police and military reports about the alleged links of some MILF rebels to kidnapping groups in Mindanao. "The MILF Central Committee has warned its members not to get involved in kidnapping or else they may face harsh sanctions from the organization," Jaafar said. The warning came in the wake of a threat from Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte that he would lead an attack against MILF camps that were being used as sanctuaries of kidnapping groups. The tough-talking mayor said he had enough of the wrongdoings that "these people" have committed. "These people are full of sh_t. They do not deserve to live," Duterte blurted during his weekly radio and television program in Davao City. "And since I said this, I will really do it, mind you. Just wait for me," he said. Duterte also identified several areas in Southern Mindanao as hideouts of the Pentagon Group, which, he said, has links to some MILF leaders. Earlier, Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Piñol also denounced the involvement of some MILF guerrillas and called on rebel leaders to do something to stop the guerrillas' involvement in criminal activities. Piñol, irked by nearly a dozen kidnappings that took place in his province, declared an "all-out war against kidnappers." He challenged Malacañang to convince the MILF, which is negotiating peace with the government, to help stop the kidnappings. Jaafar told the Radio Mindanao Network here that the Bangsamoro Armed Forces would run after members "who will violate the order." "The MILF, through its military arm, will not hesitate to launch military actions against these kidnappers," he said. Jaafar vowed that the MILF would see to it that none of their camps would be used as hiding places of kidnap groups. "No MILF camp would allow (the) entry of kidnappers and their victims," he said. Eid Kabalu, MILF spokesperson, clarified that Jaafar's warning did not mean that the rebel group admitted the involvement of some of its leaders in kidnapping. He challenged Duterte and other officials who have linked MILF leaders to kidnappings to formalize their charges. "The mayor's accusation is very general. If there are problems, why not make it (accusation) official," Kabalu said. He defended an MILF commander who had earlier been reported to be one of the protectors of the Pentagon. "Commander Boy Hashim has not been involved in any nefarious activity," he said. The Inquirer learned that Boy Hashim, who is based in Cotabato, is the younger brother of MILF chair Salamat Hashim. With a report from Dennis Jay C. Santos, PDI Mindanao Bureau 2) http://www.inq7.net/brk/2002/jan/14/brkpol_13-1.htm 650 US troops due for 'war games' against Abu Sayyaf Posted: 7:40 PM (Manila Time) | January 14, 2002 By INQ7.net with Agence France-Presse ABOUT 150 US Special Operations Forces and 500 "support and maintenance" soldiers will join their Filipino counterparts later this month to help crush the Muslim bandit group Abu Sayyaf, whom the Philippine and American governments link to terror suspect Osama bin Laden, officials said Monday. An initial group of US advisers have already arrived to check logistics in the military's sprawling Southern Command in Zamboanga City. The others will be arriving in batches from Tuesday, Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes said. The US soldiers will follow Filipino troops as they pursue Abu Sayyaf gunmen in the jungle-clad terrain of Basilan island. Some 1,200 Filipino soldiers will be involved in the exercise. The Americans will not engage in actual combat, but will be armed and will fire back if attacked. The Abu Sayyaf, a small group of Muslim militants set up in the early 1990s with seed money from suspected terrorist mastermind bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, is holding hostage US Christian missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham and a Filipina nurse in Basilan. "In Basilan, the US troops will join the (Filipino military) units. They will observe and make joint assessments on the (Filipino) troops as the latter go out in operations," Reyes told a news conference. "The US troops will be armed for self-protection and will engage in combat only for self-defense," he said, adding that a Filipino commander would make all decisions on the field. Reyes also ruled out any possibility that US forces might be secretly dropped into Basilan's jungles, saying: "This is not a covert operation." The training, called "Exercise Balikatan 02-1" is to cover the period January to June, but may be extended up to the end of the year "depending on the situation," Reyes said. By the time the Americans leave, the Filipino military "shall have acquired the competence to conduct its own counter-terrorist training." Officials said the soldiers will be staying in a military camp in Zamboanga City, across the strait from Basilan, but will also be joining as observers in foot patrols conducted by Filipino troops. Military spokesperson Brigadier General Edilberto Adan said the US troops had been briefed of the dangers of operating in Basilan, and that there was a possibility that the Americans could sustain casualties. "The Americans are coming here into the Philippines knowing full well the situation, meaning there are risks involved. If they sustain casualties, they have already factored that in their planning," he said. 3) http://www.inq7.net/brk/2002/jan/14/brkpol_7-1.htm MILF, gov't agree on local teams to monitor ceasefire Posted: 4:00 PM (Manila Time) | January 14, 2002 By Lira Dalangin, INQ7.net THE GOVERNMENT and the Muslim separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have agreed to set up local monitoring teams to ensure compliance with the ceasefire and rehabilitation agreement they signed in August. The agreement, contained in a joint communiqué issued on Aug. 7, calls for a halt to the fighting, normalization in the conflict areas in Mindanao, and relief, rehabilitation and development programs. "The local monitoring teams would hopefully strengthen the ceasefire agreement," MILF spokesperson Eid Kabalu told INQ7.net Monday. Representatives of government and MILF negotiating panels met Saturday in Cotabato City on the composition of the monitoring teams, which will include representatives of local government units, two non-government organizations, and the religious sector. MILF commander Taps Julhani and Army Colonel Romeo Caliza will head the respective monitoring teams, Kabalu said. The negotiating panels have also urged representatives of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), the influential group Muslim-led nations – especially Malaysia, Libya, and Indonesia – to "observe and monitor" the ceasefire as well as the implementation of an agreement contained in a joint communiqué the two sides issued on Aug. 7. Kabalu said the panels would meet again in Feb. 11 on putting the monitoring teams into operation. Kabalu said MILF fighters would defend themselves when attacked. Government troops and the MILF engaged in brief skirmishes last year despite the ceasefire agreement. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had initiated talks with the Muslim separatist group early in her year-old administration, in a sharp departure from the policy of ousted president Joseph Estrada who adopted an all-out war policy against the MILF. 4) http://www.inq7.net/brk/2002/jan/14/brkpol_5-1.htm US troops may be used against us: MILF spokesman Posted: 12:31 PM (Manila Time) | January 14, 2002 By Agence France-Presse MUSLIM separatist guerrillas holding peace talks with the Philippine government expressed concern Monday that Manila could use anti-terrorist US military advisers against them. More than 100 US counter-terrorism troops are due to be deployed in the southern city of Zamboanga next month, but President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has said they would be there to hold joint exercises with Filipino troops. "There are fears that the American troops will be used against us," said Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) spokesman Eid Kabalu. The 12,500-member MILF, the largest Muslim guerrilla group in the country, signed a ceasefire with Manila last year in support of ongoing talks for a political settlement to the 23-year-old rebellion. "As you know, we are on a defensive stance since we are holding negotiations with the government," Kabalu told reporters through a conference call with the Manila press. "But in the event that the US troops will be used against us, we are ready to adopt the necessary measures to defend ourselves." Philippine military officials earlier said the US troops would advise Filipino forces fighting against a smaller Muslim guerrilla group, the Abu Sayyaf. Both governments say the Abu Sayyaf has links with the al-Qaeda network of Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden, the main suspect in the September attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in the United States. The Abu Sayyaf is holding a Christian missionary couple and a Filipina nurse hostage in the southern island of Basilan. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
