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Sunday, February 08, 2004
Talks with Muslim rebels shadowed by JI links (5:45 p.m.)
DAVAO -- The resumption of peace talks between the government and Muslim separatist rebels may be stymied by suspected links between the group and regional militant network Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), a top official said Sunday.
Government peace negotiators said JI "would remain to be a continuing major concern" that may affect the talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), military chief of staff Lieutenant General Rodolfo Garcia said.
"We have an ongoing mission pertaining to the JI," Garcia said after meeting with an MILF panel enforcing a ceasefire pact with the government.
The government is still trying to establish whether members of JI -- the group thought to be responsible for the Bali bombing -- were training in MILF camps in the main southern island of Mindanao, he said.
The military earlier said some 30 Indonesian militants allegedly belonging to the JI are believed to be in Mindanao, where the MILF has been fighting for the establishment of an independent Islamic state since 1978.
The MILF has earlier denied having links with the JI, said to be the southeast Asian arm of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network.
President Arroyo called on the MILF to cut off links to the JI as a precondition for the resumption of formal negoatitions, set to be hosted by Malaysia soon.
Both sides earlier agreed to a ceasefire and creating a monitoring team headed by Malaysian observers to oversee violations in the agreement. AFP |
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