Commander seeks more U.S. troops in Philippines

0 Comments | Asian Political News, April 22, 2002

MANILA, April 16 Kyodo

The commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific indicated Tuesday that more U.S. troops should be sent to the southern Philippines for a longer stay to help the Philippines deal with terrorists.

''I believe we need to look at the situation and finish the job to support our ally here in the Philippines,'' Adm. Dennis Blair said at a press conference in a military camp in the southern Philippines' Zamboanga City, even as he denied any U.S. intent to set up a permanent presence in the country.

He said it is important to improve security and prosperity of the people in the southern Philippines and to deny safe haven to terrorists, who can target the United States or people in the region.

''That is important and not whether that month or this month or that number or this number,'' Blair said, referring to the conclusion of joint counterterrorism exercises with Filipino counterparts in Zamboanga and nearby Basilan Island and the number of U.S. troops taking part in the exercises.

An earlier agreement on terms of reference for the Balikatan or shoulder-to-shoulder antiterrorism exercises stipulated that 660 U.S. troops would take part in the six-month exercises, which began earlier this year.

This includes 160 U.S. Special Forces deployed in Basilan, where Abu Sayyaf Muslim extremists with alleged links to the al-Qaida network of militant Osama bin Laden are holding hostage U.S. missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham and Filipina nurse Ediborah Yap.

Blair said the U.S. is now holding active discussions with Philippine officials about the sending of additional U.S. military engineers for infrastructure projects on Basilan, which are important not only from a military point of view but also for the economic benefit of the people on the island.

''I think the U.S. military engineering activity is part of a larger question which is going to benefit Basilan and I think the sooner we can get all that moving the better and that is soon,'' he added.

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Diomedio Villanueva quoted Blair as saying during their meeting in Zamboanga on Monday that the U.S. military engineers' mission is for socioeconomic development ''that should be pushed through as a priority project.''

U.S. defense sources said in Washington the U.S. is considering sending about 350 naval engineers to the Philippines from Okinawa, Japan, as part of its efforts to help the Philippine military fight the Abu Sayyaf.

In Manila, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has said she was in favor of receiving the additional U.S. naval engineers because the people of Basilan have called for them and look forward to improved infrastructure with the U.S. military's help.

Philippine officials have said the matter was being considered carefully in view of some domestic-sector resistance to the U.S. military presence in the country, and a possible need to amend the terms of reference of the joint exercise.

On the hostages, Blair said the military's stance is to keep the pressure on the Abu Sayyaf and make them realize that it would be in their interest to release all the hostages unharmed and not to take any more captives.

He denied knowledge of any talks about ransom payment during the press conference prior to his flight to Manila, where he is scheduled to meet in the afternoon with Philippine Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes.

But Philippine Presidential Adviser for Special Concerns Norberto Gonzales said the presence of U.S. troops on Basilan has forced the Abu Sayyaf to lower their ransom demand for the Burnhams from 100 million pesos (about $1.96 million) to 10 million pesos.

Gonzales also said three to four families from the southern Philippines are serving as brokers for the Abu Sayyaf, but that the government is maintaining the policy of paying no ransom.