Friday, September 05, 2008 Speak out: Military offensive and Ramadan By Ge. Roger H. Deinla (Ret)
GOVERNMENT security operations could overlap into Islam’s observance of the Ramadan.
It is important, however, to pursue criminal elements while respecting Muslim sensibilities at the same time.
The true Muslim faithful will fast and pray during this holy period.
But the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) could seek Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) support and reorganized during the expected lull.
Recent developments in Central Asia create a great potential to favor the MILF in its campaign for diplomatic support.
Russia has recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the breakaway regions of Georgia, with vehement opposition from the US and the European Union.
The MILF is expected not to let this opportunity pass without doing something about it.
It could move and call for OIC to pressure government to stop its military offensive to give it time to regroup and reorganize and replenish resources.
It can ask OIC to support implementation of the aborted Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD), which it claimed to be a “done deal.”
It can seek the recognition of independence for their so-called Bangsamoro state based on the MOA-AD.
The last scenario is fraught with unimaginable consequences and clearly a security threat to the territorial integrity, unity and sovereignty of the country.
The expected government diplomatic offensive utilizing the inhuman/terroristic acts and civilian atrocities committed by the MILF does not seem to work effectively. The barbaric acts seem to be slowly being forgotten.
So far, there were no condemnations and outcry from significant/major Islamic countries from Asia and the Middle East.
It is not enough that the local Muslim faithful bear the burden of propaganda efforts.
Their lonely voice has been drowned out by the photogenic/articulate appearances of MILF leaders in media broadcast around the world.
Forecasting the moves of the MILF and its allies will give government the upper hand in preventing and disrupting terrorist goals tactically and strategically.
