Posted by
Doctor Poddy on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 10:35:18 PM
this is an excerpt from my main blog:
The war on terror continues in the Philippines, with
several recent battles that resulted the killing of second in command Sulaiman last week.
There was
a large reward
for Janjalani and Sulaiman and other Abu Sayyaf leaders, posted by the
US government because they had kidnapped and beheaded an American, but
too often western newssources forget that other people are involved in
the fight, for their own reasons: Janjali has kidnapped and killed
Philippinos, including 100 in a ferry that was bombed.
As a result of the peace talks,
the MILF has decided to deny sanctuary to fleeing Abu Sayef terrorists, whose attacks on civilians go against Islamic law.
But
experts warn
that if the Philippine Army continues to attack such radicals might
lead to more attacks by remaining personnel, and might push the
survivors to more extreme actions (as if bombing a ferry is not already
an extreme act).
This may be why the US is holding
a three week training course
in Taguig City, to teach first responders about both gas and
radiological ("dirty bomb") attacks. The US has not been involved in
the fighting, but has been active in
training, logistics, and intelligence that assists the Philippine Armed Forces in the fight against groups with ties to international terrorist organizations.
There
is a worry also that Islamic converts from Luzon, who know the language
and culture of that region, will be used to attack vulnerable targets
in the Manila region.
The war against Abu Sayyef has been mirrored in recent developments in Indonesia, where
a push against terrorists has killed nine Jemaah Islamiah fighters in Sulawesi. That push was with the help of Australian and American special forces,...