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AP. 10 April 2002. Rumsfeld Nears Decision to Intensify U.S. Military Involvement in Philippines. WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Wednesday he is nearing a decision on intensifying anti-terrorism aid to the Philippines, where 160 U.S. Special Forces troops are helping train and arm Filipino soldiers battling the Abu Sayyaf terror group. "There is a reasonable likelihood that we will be doing it sometime in the period immediately ahead," Rumsfeld told reporters after a ceremony in the partially rebuilt section of the Pentagon that was attacked Sept. 11. "Once we figure out what we think makes sense from our standpoint, we'll want to talk to the Philippine government" for final approval, he said. Talks with lower-level Philippine officials have produced a "general comfort level" with the concept of intensifying U.S. military help, he said. He would not discuss details, but other defense officials said Wednesday that one part would involve sending about 300 members of a Navy construction battalion from Okinawa, Japan, to drill wells and improve roads on Basilan Island. "It's a mixed bag; there are a series of different things" the United States would do to increase its assistance, Rumsfeld said. One idea proposed to Rumsfeld is to get U.S. Special Forces trainers involved with Philippine troops closer to the combat zones. The trainers currently are working with battalion-sized units and are authorized to fire only in self-defense; the proposal is to push the level of training down a notch, to company-sized units, an arrangement that would bring U.S. soldiers in closer proximity to Abu Sayyaf fighters, one defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Left-wing groups in the Philippines oppose the U.S. military presence, saying it violates constitutional restrictions on the presence of foreign troops in the former American colony. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9617B Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
