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Monday, February 19, 2007
US assures no hidden agenda in Sulu exercises
By Bong Garcia
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- An official of the US Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P) brushed aside speculations that the US government has vested interests in the conduct of the joint military exercises dubbed as the Balikatan 2007 in Sulu.
JSOTF-P spokesman Major John Redfield said they have no other objective except to help uplift the condition of the province by doing infrastructure projects and conducting medical and dental civic action programs (Medcap).
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Redfield issued the statement after reports came out that some residents in Sulu are speculating that the US is eyeing the province's mineral deposits, like gold and oil.
He said the dozens of heavy equipment that were brought to Sulu are to be used in the construction and repair of infrastructure projects and not for other things.
Hundreds of residents lined up along the streets of Jolo, the province's capital, when they saw the heavy equipment rolled down last February 14 from a landing barge at the wharf towards the designated project sites.
Among the infrastructure projects the US troops intend to work on is the construction of the four-kilometer stretch of road, linking the barangays of Bato-Bato to Buansa in the town of Indanan.
The Balikatan 2007 is the 23rd RP-US exercise. It will end on March 4, 2007.
Aside from Medcap, the US troops will also render veterinary services to farm animals in the province for the duration of their stay.
Redfield said infra and civic projects are aimed at fighting grassroots support for al Qaida-linked militants.
While past drills have involved up to 5,000 US soldiers, only about 400 are on hand for the February 18 to March 4 maneuvers that will focus on humanitarian projects on southern Jolo island, he said.
"We know that terrorists here get some support from the local population, but that level of support continues to decrease with more humanitarian projects," said Redfield.
"We are seeing more and more people come forward with information against the terrorists, and certainly we encourage people to continue to do that," he said.
He also cited recent Philippine battlefield successes for declining support for the Abu Sayyaf, who authorities say number about 400 on the predominantly Muslim island of Jolo, about 950 kilometers south of Manila.
More than 7,000 Filipino soldiers, backed by US military surveillance and other noncombatant assistance, have been waging a massive offensive on Jolo that has so far led to the killing of Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani and his presumed successor Jainal Antel Sali Jr. or Abu Sulaiman. The two were wanted by US and Philippine authorities for various crimes.
A manhunt continues for other Abu Sayyaf commanders and two top Indonesian militants who are wanted for their alleged role in the 2002 nightclub bombings that killed 202 people on Indonesia's Bali island.
Aside from helping repair a 4-kilometer road, the American troops will renovate school buildings and clinics on Jolo. In nearby Tawi Tawi province, US troops will help build a pier and a boat ramp.
US troops will also offer medical assistance in impoverished central Mindanao, including Makilala town, where a bomb attack by suspected Muslim guerrillas killed eight people last year, Redfield said.
While the US humanitarian approach on Jolo has been hailed as a unique model in fighting terrorism, it may not suit other parts of the world where conditions are different, Redfield said. "But again, it's worth looking at...and seeing what lessons can be learned and applied elsewhere," he said.
US and Philippine troops are also holding drills on "crisis action planning" to help them deal with terrorists at sea, along with piracy, drug smuggling and infrastructure protection, the US Embassy said in a statement.
The embassy did not cite any reason for the fewer number of troops in this year's Balikatan drills. Philippine military chief General Hermogenes Esperon said last month that combat field exercises, usually staged simultaneously with civic projects, could be held later this year. (With AP)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Manila. (February 19, 2007 issue)
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