US troops might not see action in Philippines

RAJU GOPALAKRISHNAN

MANILA, JANUARY 18: Philippine officials, dismayed by mounting criticism of US troops joining operations against local Muslim guerrillas, said on Friday that American troops might not go out in the field at all.

Presidential advisor Eduardo Ermita told reporters the Philippine and US Governments were still reviewing a programme for exercises and could decide against allowing joint patrols, although such patrols are currently planned.

In any case, it would be at least three months before any US soldier joined a patrol in rebel-infested territory, other officials said.

Although officially non-combatants, the deployment of hundreds of US troops represents Washington’s biggest expansion of the war against terror after Afghanistan.

Despite government protestations, there has been widespread speculation that the US troops would be involved in fighting the Abu Sayyaf, a militant group linked to Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda network and infamous for kidnapping.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo reiterated in an interview with CNN that US troops were in the Philippines to provide training, and not to flush out Abu Sayyaf guerrillas.

But Vice-President Teofisto Guingona, who has denied rumours he was resigning from his post as foreign secretary over differences with the President, said he still had some reservations on the issue.

‘‘I fully support President Arroyo in the objective of rescuing the remaining hostages of the Abu Sayyaf,’’ Guingona told a local radio station. ‘‘But I also expressed some of my concerns.’’ The Abu Sayyaf, based mainly on the rugged and jungle-clad southern island of Basilan, have been holding a US couple and a local nurse hostage there for over seven months.

Some 650 US troops, including 160 special forces, will participate in exercises with the Philippine military on Basilan and in nearby Zamboanga city at least until June and possibly until year-end. The exercises were formally launched earlier this week and some US soldiers have already landed on Basilan.

Opposition politicians and Left-wing groups here have said the move violates the Constitution, which does not allow foreign troops in a combat role in the country.

Former senator Francisco Tatad has said it has made the Philippines ‘‘a virtual extension of Afghanistan’’ and that Arroyo could be impeached for treason.

‘‘People might think the soldiers are there for combat, but they are not there to do combat, they are there to do training...the joint military exercises are intended to be mutual training,’’ Arroyo said in her interview.

‘‘The overwhelming majority of the people support it...because the people want to see an end to the Abu Sayyaf problem.’’ (Reuters)