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>From Philiipine Star Newspaper 21/6/2000
'MILF buying arms from North Korea'
The separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF) has arranged to purchase anti-tank and
anti-aircraft weapons from North Korea using $3
million, or roughly P126 million, reportedly given
by international terrorist Osama bin Laden, the
military said yesterday.
Armed Forces vice chief of staff Lt. Gen. Jose
Calimlim said a representative of the MILF met
with a North Korean official as arranged by
Malaysian arms dealer Samuan bin Akmad at the
Palma Hotel in Malaysia.
Calimlim, concurrent chief of the Intelligence
Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,
said MILF leader Salih Balamul, deputy of MILF
vice chairman for military affairs Al Haj Murad, left
for Malaysia last May 6 to receive the donation.
However, MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu denied
Calimlim's report, saying the military was merely
trying to discredit the MILF in view of the
forthcoming meeting of the Organization of Islamic
Conference (OIC) in Kuala Lumpur on June 29.
The MILF has applied for observer status in the
56-nation grouping of Islamic states.
"They are trying to influence the member-states of
the OIC," Kabalu charged.
He said they would not accept anything from Bin
Laden, a billionaire who is in exile from Saudi
Arabia.
But Calimlim insisted on the veracity of the
intelligence reports, saying the firearms will be
smuggled into the country through the southern
backdoor.
"We are now maintaining a high alert status
particularly in the monitoring of the possible arrival
anytime of the shipment," Calimlim told reporters.
He said his revelation of the financial assistance to
the MILF and the arms deal was a "preemptive
measure and a way to alert authorities."
Malaca�ang expressed confidence that since the
military has learned about the MILF arms
transaction, troops have mapped out plans to
intercept the shipment.
For its part, the Department of Foreign Affairs said
it will verify the intelligence report on the arms deal
with the foreign ministers of Malaysia and North
Korea.
The 15,000-strong MILF, which has been waging
a war for an independent Islamic state in
Mindanao, has been on the run from a relentless
military campaign launched last month even as the
government was pursuing peace talks with the
rebel group.
Troops have captured 24 MILF camps, dealing
the Muslim guerrillas their worst setback since their
armed struggle began in 1978.
The weapons being eyed by the MILF were
reportedly stored in a warehouse in Pyongyang
and are ready for shipment to the Philippines
through the South.
Bin Laden has reportedly given instructions to use
the $3 million, deposited in a Malaysian bank, for
food and medicine for MILF guerrillas.
A military source said the MILF was running low
on ammunition.
Calimlim also hinted that the MILF could be
deliberately stalling peace talks with the
government while beefing up its strength.
The MILF said on Monday it will indefinitely
postpone the peace negotiations, scheduled to
resume on June 28, due to the ongoing military
offensive. Government negotiators said they will
ask their MILF counterparts to reconsider.
Kabalu also denied they were trying to delay the
peace talks, but admitted they asked for the
postponement to have time to consult their
members on the government's political proposal
submitted during the last meeting.
Arrest warrants issued recently by the court against
MILF chieftain Hashim Salamat and other leaders
of the rebel group have also become a problem,
the MILF said.
Another military official, who asked not to be
identified, said Malaysia has become a
transshipment point for smuggled firearms for
Muslim rebels in Mindanao.
Being an Islamic country, it would be easier for
Muslim rebels in Mindanao to establish contacts
there, the source said.
He also cited the territorial dispute between the
Philippines and Malaysia over Sabah.
"There may also be some interest groups in
Malaysia, including some businessmen in Sabah,
who profit from the terrorist activities in the South,"
the source added.
He recalled that the Moro National Liberation
Front, which forged a peace agreement with the
government in September 1996, had training
camps in Sabah.
In a telephone interview, Kabalu said he found
Calimlim's story "very interesting," but admitted
that the MILF has several sympathizers in
Malaysia.
Lt. Gen. Diomedio Villanueva, chief of the
military's Southern Command, said apart from Bin
Laden, it is likely the MILF was also receiving
support from other groups.
"This is something of a grave concern," Villanueva
said.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado
called for the strengthening of the joint border
patrol agreement between Malaysia and the
Philippines, saying the lack of patrol boats and the
Philippines' long shorelines make it easy for rebel
groups to smuggle firearms.
Mercado underscored the need to procure modern
and faster seacraft to keep the country's part of the
bargain.
He said instead of looking for "areas of
differences" with Malaysia, the two countries
should work for active cooperation.
"It is also in the interest of Malaysia to have good
relations with the Philippines. I don't think they
want to see a destabilized Philippines as they will
be affected. In this age, our borders have become
less-defined," Mercado said.
He pushed for the passage of a law to enable the
government to stop the flow of funds to communist
and secessionist rebels in the country, adding that
the Bank Secrecy Law has made it easier for
terrorist groups to sustain their operations with
outside financial support.
"I hope the collective wisdom of the legislature can
strike a compromise and address the fears of
libertarians and the clamor of the citizenry to
cripple terrorist organizations," Mercado said.
"One of their potent weapons is their money. We
should go after their financial resources," he said. -
By Paolo Romero, with reports from Roel
Pare�o, John Unson, AP, AFP
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