Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

Philippine army asks for help to fight militants from neighbours

Interesting that the Philippines are not asking for help from the U.S. who is itching to fight in the Philippines.

Background:

The Pentagon's leak of a "private agreement" with Filipino officials for a direct U.S. role in fighting the terror group triggered a political crisis in the Philippines, because the country's constitution forbids foreign troops from operating on its soil. The provision is implicitly aimed at the United States, which had to close down its local military bases in 1992.

The agreement has led to loud calls in Manila for the ouster of "traitorous" defense officials. Opposition parties are accusing President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of Americanizing the fight against domestic unrest, specifically against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the strongest Muslim rebel force, which has 20,000 fighters and controls "liberated territories" on the big island of Mindanao.
http://news.pacificnews.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=713013b4811f4cd741f2e3b2f805343f

Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo recently ruled out the use of U.S. combat troops against the Abu Sayyaf terror gang, quieting speculations that the deadly March 3 bombing in the Davao City airport on the island of Mindanao could be used as a pretext for pushing through with the planned deployment.

However, the plan could spring to life again. With pre-emption driving the foreign policy of President George W. Bush, there is one reason Washington is eager to fight the ragtag band of kidnappers: location.

More important than delivering a coup de grace to the rebels, successful U.S. operations in the southern Philippines could give the United States a forward presence in the Southeast Asian sea lanes. These waters are critical to the movement of U.S. forces from the Western Pacific to the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf. The United States lost a strategic position when Filipino opposition and the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo volcano forced the closure of American military bases in 1992.

More immediately, the United States could stake out a staging area for future strikes against Islamic extremists in Indonesia, which has the world's largest Muslim population, and possibly in Malaysia -- each just hours away by smuggler speedboat. Widespread anti-U.S. sentiment makes stationing American troops unlikely in either country.
http://news.pacificnews.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=a6fd6ed7f7ea38531ed7f7853ae7c383
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In excess of one million tonnes of oil a year -- well over 80 percent of China's imports -- are shipped through the Strait of Malacca, if the U.S. gains control through the Philippines China would be in big trouble. Beijing is distinctly uneasy about the risk of blockage should fighting with the United States break out over Taiwan.
#msg-3700480

To make things more interesting Philippines wants to strengthen ties with China
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,4386,271465,00.html

-Am

Philippine army asks for help to fight militants from neighbours
09/09/2004 -- 11:10(GMT+7)

Jakarta (VNA) - The Philippine army has asked its Indonesian and Malaysian counterparts to help fight the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist organisation, Indonesia's new agency Antara reported on Wednesday.

Addressing the closing ceremony of the 14th ASEAN Armies Riffle Meet (AARM) on Wednesday in Cilodong, Western Java province, Philippine Army Chief Lt. Gen. Efren L. Abu stressed that JI in Southeast Asia and MILF led by the Abu Sayyaf Muslim group in Mindanao island and other areas in southern Philippines have killed many innocent people. The militants and terrorists, he warned, are likely to expand to neighbouring countries like Indonesia and Malaysia.

Indonesian Army Chief Gen. Ryanmizard Ryacudu said the fifth ASEAN Chiefs of Army Multilateral Meeting (ACAMM) that ended on Tuesday in Jakarta aimed to stop the spread of terrorist and separatist activities in the region.--Enditem


http://www.vnagency.com.vn/NewsA.asp?LANGUAGE_ID=2&CATEGORY_ID=33&NEWS_ID=117121

Reference:

The United States is trying for control of the Strait of Malacca. US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said during a visit to Singapore that he hoped to have US troops fighting terrorism in Southeast Asia "pretty soon". His comments fuelled speculation that the United States wants to deploy US forces in the Strait of Malacca, the narrow and busy shipping lane straddled by Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore that is seen as a likely terrorist target. More than one million tonnes of oil a year -- well over 80 percent of China's imports -- are shipped through the narrow strait.
#msg-3404130
#msg-3542419