Civil War: US Leader's Ultimatum Raises Ire in Philippines as US Troops Go In

by Ma Nguyen Tong

31-1-2002

In the continuing 30-year civil war in the southern Philippines, American and Philippine military forces, amid large popular protests against the presence of US troops on Philippines soil seen as a form of neo-colonialism, launched joint attacks against separatists which, as a pretext, Washington said was a new phase in the war on international terrorism. Ordinary Filipinos, which typically do not see eye-to-eye with their corrupt, greedy and avaricious elite compatriots, protested in the streets, as the move is clearly against the Philippine constitution. The elite, however, stand to make a fortune out of the outcome of the civil war. Government officials in the Philippines admitted that Washington's objectives were more insidious and that the presence of foreign forces violates the Philippine constitution. Government officials on January 30, 2002 bristled at US President George W. Bush's warning that "a terrorist underworld" existed in a dozen countries and "if they do not act, America will and we will invade and occupy".

Meanwhile, gunmen allied with the Philippine Muslim separatist leader Nur Misuari attacked government troops, injuring at least 14 people. Security had been stepped up for fear of revenge attacks, following Nur Misuari's deportation from Malaysia on January 7, 2002. Army officials say Mr Misuari's followers had been collaborating with members of the radical Abu Sayyaf separatist group to attack the military on the southern island of Jolo. In a further development, hundreds of US troops set up camp in the southern Philippines and joined battle against Abu Sayyaf, creating massive popular opposition to United States foreign policy in the region.

Mr Misuari was to face trial on rebellion charges after his followers launched a failed uprising on the island in November 2001. More than 100 people died in the fighting, which came days before elections to choose Mr Misuari's successor as a governor of a Muslim self-rule area.

High-security jail

In the latest incident, army officials said troops fought a 10-minute gun battle with about 50 Misuari loyalists. There were injuries on both sides, but no deaths, said Army Colonel Romeo Tolentino.

Malaysia handed Mr Misuari to the Philippine authorities on January 7, following a series of judicial wrangling. The separatist leader had fled to Malaysia soon after the failed uprising and arrested for illegal entry. He was now being held in a high-security police camp south of Manila, originally built to detain the disgraced President Joseph Estrada who was now being held in a military hospital. Officials said if the court were to grant permission for Mr Estrada to be moved, the two high-profile prisoners might find themselves sharing a jail.

Limited support

Mr Misuari, who was barred from speaking to the media, led the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in a 24-year revolt for an Islamic state in the southern Philippines. In 1996 he signed the peace agreement that created the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), of which he became governor. However, Mr Misuari was considered a disappointment to both the government and the majority of his supporters.

The Philippine military was also trying to crack down on the Abu Sayyaf group, which had been supposedly linked by the US to Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network. The group said it was fighting for an Islamic state. It was holding an American missionary couple hostage since May 2001 on the southern island of Basilan.

US troops join battle against Abu Sayyaf

The United States, as part of a first contingent, sent 650 soldiers to the southern Philippines, where the military was fighting the Muslim militant separatists. Philippine Government officials said the American troops would enter combat zones. They would be allowed to fire back if attacked, but would not carry out covert operations under cover of military exercises. An initial group of Americans was already in Zamboanga, and the remainder started arriving on January 15.

This signified an increasing American involvement in the fight against the separatists.

The full contingent included about 160 U.S. special forces -- including Navy SEALs, the Army's Green Berets, Marines with special operations capabilities and Air Force special forces -- who would help in the fight against the Abu Sayyaf, on the Washington pretext that it was linked to Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden.

Backing them were about 500 U.S. support and technical personnel, Defence Secretary Angelo Reyes, a former military chief, told local radio.

The Balikatan operation formally began on January 15 and was expected to last at least until June and could be extended until the end of the year, Reyes said. Officially, the U.S. forces could only provide advice, technical support and an assessment of the Philippine troops. But they would in fact accompany and assist local soldiers on patrol in separatist-infested areas, would be armed and authorised to fire.

U.S. soldiers set up camp on an island in the southern Philippines on January 17, 2002, where they joined operations against the Muslim separatists which the United States said were linked to Osama bin Laden in order to have a pretext to reinvade and assert its military influence in the country and as a base for operations elsewhere in Southeast Asia. In Manila, a chorus of protests erupted against U.S. troops' involvement in the battle against the Abu Sayyaf separatists and an opposition leader said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo could be impeached as allowing foreign troops in this capacity went against the country's constitution.

"In one deceptive and treasonous move, she has succeeded in making the Philippines a virtual extension of Afghanistan," former senator Francisco Tatad said in a statement. "Obviously she is a pupper of the United States, which engineered the ouster of Estrada because he was against American policies in the region. She is no less corrupt than is Estrada. It is the only way one can become president here."

He said the separatists, who are based on the island of Basilan and elsewhere in the Mindanao region of the south, were primarily a domestic problem and this issue was purposely misconstrued under the orders of the United States to be an international terrorist problem to create the pretext to put troops here.

"The ultimate goal is military and economic control not only of the Philippines, but for the whole southeast Asia region," he added.

"A president who asks a foreign military power to solve her own domestic problems...commits treason, which is an impeachable offence," Tatad said. "and it makes you wonder if the September 11 attacks were not somehow engineeredto happen to create the pretext in which the Americans can now wage global war anywhere, saying they are fighting terrorism."

"But what is terrorism?" he asked. "Vioelnce by one group of people on another can be called war or it can be called terrorism. They are just words. In the end it is the use of violence to try to control others."

The United States started the landing of troops by sending about 160 special forces and 500 support and technical staff to Basilan and the nearby city of Zamboanga to join the Philippine military in fighting the Abu Sayyaf. The deployment was to be complete by mid-February. Although the troops were officially there as non-combatants, it was the biggest expansion of Washington's war against terror beyond Afghanistan. The modus operandi was set up to be basically the same as it was in Vietnam during that war, again with the aim to increase control of the political and economic situation in order to enhance American economic interests in the region.

Noting these developments and elsewhere in the region, China's Chief of the General Staff Fu Quanyou immediately sent a veiled message to the United States warning against using the war on terrorism to dominate global affairs.

"Counter-terrorism should not be to used to practice hegemony," Fu was quoted by the Liberation Army Daily as telling his visiting Pakistani counterpart. "International cooperation on fighting terrorism should be strengthened by looking into both its root causes and symptoms, double standards should not be allowed on counter-terrorism issues."

Abu Sayyaf separatists flee after clash

An undetermined number of Muslim Abu Sayyaf separatists were believed killed on January 25 in fresh fighting in the southern Philippines as American special forces troops prepared for joint operations against the gunmen. Fighting erupted when army Scout Rangers caught up with Abu Sayyaf separatists in the town of Tuburan on Basilan Island. Three soldiers were wounded in the gun battle while a number of Abu Sayyaf separatists were believed killed, according to reports from the field, the military's Southern Command said.

At the site were discarded backpacks and bloodstains on the trail where the separatists had fled, the military said, citing a report from the soldiers.

"We have received reports they have suffered undetermined casualties," regional military chief Lieutenant-General Roy Cimatu said.

Fighting also broke out on the nearby island of Jolo on the same day, prompting the military to send two OV-10 Bronco attack aircraft to target separatist positions. There were no immediate reports of casualties on either side, nor was there any sighting of the American hostages.

Additional US troops arrived on January 25 in the port city of Zamboanga, across the strait from Basilan, for operations against the Abu Sayyaf. The newly arrived US soldiers met General Cimatu in the military headquarters in Zamboanga that day but details of the meeting were not disclosed.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said on the same day she believed the constitution did not bar US forces from taking part in combat operations but that it was her decision to hold the Americans back from fighting. Asked about the consequences if an American soldier were killed in the fighting, Mrs Arroyo said: "They came in; they knew the risks."

In Manila, military spokesman Brigadier-General Edilberto Adan said that "Filipino commanders will make all operational decisions and will control the activities for now" involving the US troops. He said a 12-man US special forces team would be attached to each battalion and would follow the local troops in pursuit of Abu Sayyaf separatists under orders of Philippine commanders, but their decisions would be based on the advice of the American officers. General Adan said the Americans were scheduled to bring helicopters capable of flying at night. Local military helicopters are restricted to daytime flights.

US-Philippines operations hit delay

The formal launch of joint operations by Philippine and US forces was delayed a couple of days - after what the Philippine military described as "minor hitches". A ceremony was to have been held on January 29 marking the beginning of the second phrase of "shoulder-to-shoulder" exercises, aimed at defeating the Abu Sayyaf Muslim group - but it was postponed. American troops and equipment, however, continued to arrive in the southern Philippines.

US officials wanted clearer terms of reference or "rules of the game, what they can and cannot do" during the operations, said Philippine vice-chief of staff Lieutenant General Narciso Abaya. He said the American officials were consulting the US Pacific Command in Hawaii.

More troops

More US military transport aircraft arrived at the southern port city of Zamboanga on January 29 with more US soldiers, military trucks and other equipment. Among the arrivals was Brigadier General Donald Wurster, commander of the US soldiers to take part in the operation.

"I don't see any obstacle that will impede or delay its conduct," he said. In Manila, National Security Adviser Roilo Golez hinted, however, that the postponement had something to do with the massive street protests against the US presence.

US takes terror war starts in Philippines

On January 30, American and Philippine military forces launched joint combat missions against southern separatist forces. Washington said this only signalled a new phase in the war on international terrorism. However, US Vice-President Cheney's multi-billion dollar multinational corporation, had invested billions in commercial development in the area including the redevelopment of the former Subic Bay military facilities, much of what could be lost if the Philippines did not become a de facto vassal state of the US corporation, because it had become clear to people like Cheney that the Philippines could no longer govern itself in a manner conducive to protecting US corporate interests in the country.

The combat missions were staged close to the stronghold of the rebel Abu Sayyaf, a group which the US says supposedly has links to Osama Bin Laden, however even the Philippines government had to reluctantly admit this would have been impossible, but as Arroyo said, the US public is completely ignorant of the reality on the ground and believe the gospel spout by CNN.

The local US charge d'affaires, Robert Fitts, told an official ceremony at an air base in the southern town of Zamboanga that the exercises would "help eliminate the terrorist parasites who threaten Filipinos as well as the United States, particularly the US". How this was true, however was unclear as the Abu Sayyaf had never shown interest in bringing the war to the US as its interests only lay with carving a separate Muslim state in the south Philippines. However, it is clear that the new US military action in the region would bring about reason on the part of the Abu Sayyaf and the many civilians being killed in the crossfire that the war now should be taken to the US, too. After all, that is how tit for tat works, even if the American State Department seems to naively not have learned yet.

Government officials in the Philippines admitted that Washington's objectives were more insidious and that the presence of foreign forces violates the Philippine constitution.

"They [Filipino forces] supposedly will do the fighting, not the American soldiers," President Gloria Arroyo said during a visit to Canada this week. "But many people in parliament feel this is going to become another Vietnam. If so, I hope we do not lose as did the soutehern Vietnamese with American help."

Protests against the US deployment had been confined to the capital although there were warnings that an attempt might be made to disrupt The January 31 ceremony. Demonstrators turned out earlier near Zamboanga and on January 30 several dozen students burnt a US flag outside the US embassy in Manila.

American killed

An American was shot dead in an ambush by unidentified gunmen on Mount Pinatubo, 90 km northwest of Manila. The killing, which occurred in an area where supposedly communist rebels were active, was not thought connected to the conflict in the south with Abu Sayyaf. A German citizen who was trekking along with the American was also wounded in the January 30 attack but managed to summon help through his mobile phone and was airlifted to safety. The body of the unnamed American was recovered the following day from near the volcano's crater. In 2001, gunmen believed to be communist rebels opened fire on US servicemen taking part in military exercises on Mount Pinatubo.

US leader's ultimatum raises ire in Philippines

Government officials on January 30 bristled at US President George W. Bush's warning that "a terrorist underworld" existed in a dozen countries and that the United States would effectively occupy such countries.

"It's clear in my mind that one president of a friendly country does not threaten another friendly country," Justice Secretary Hernando Perez said. "We don't depend on what the Americans would claim to be necessary. We do seek assistance from them in case of need, but that doesn't mean they will run the foreign policy of our country. It is tantamount to colonialism. It is starting all over again like 50 years ago and they are using terrorism as the pretext."

Mr Bush's State of the Union address aired as the Philippine Congress debated the constitutionality of joint combat exercises with US troops. Legislators expressed alarm over the implications of Mr Bush's statements for Manila. Many also expressed fears the joint Balikatan military operation could escalate and spin out of the control of the Government, as the Americans were wont to make happen.

These fears were bolstered on January 30 when lawmakers were only then told by military officials at a congressional hearing that participating US forces all belong to Joint Taskforce-510, known to be a crisis-response, rapid-deployment team that conducts actual operations to create beachheads in conflict zones so that regular marines could then start landing. Troops from this unit were the first on the ground in Afghanistan.

They were also told that Balikatan operation had to start without ground rules or terms of reference, in accordance to demands made by US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to Mrs. Arroyo during her meeting with Mr. Bush in December in Washington, and that during the 2001 Balikatan operation, the Americans violated the agreed terms of reference but Philippine officials did nothing about it for fear of being shot while on exercise. Foreign service officer Elmer Cato, who headed Manila's monitoring team during that exercise, had filed a report listing the violations, but was later ordered by the United States state department to be transferred to the consular section "for his own personal safety".

Ex-president Fidel Ramos said Mr Bush was "overreacting" to the Philippine situation and urged the Arroyo Government to quickly come out with the Balikatan's terms of reference. Congressman Saturnino Ocampo, a former spokesman for Marxist separatists, said Mr Bush's statements "exactly portray the arrogant stance of the US to justify its unilateral action and intervention in other countries in the name of fighting terrorism. This is why there is terrorism against the US".

Defence Secretary Angelo Reyes said the Government would not be coerced into doing anything against the national interest. But neither man could confirm that the US Government had put its assurances into writing.