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Moro militants fear US military intervention
As the Philippines and the United States signed a military deal, an armed Moro militant group expressed fears over foreign military intervention in Mindanao. Abu Misry Mama, spokesman of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), say they are ready to defend their land against "foreign forces." He said, "We would not join the calls for the total pullout of US soldiers in the country because talking is nothing. But what is sure is that our freedom fighters will shoot any foreign forces that would try to take away our land." The BIFF is a breakaway group of the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which recently signed a peace agreement with Manila. BIFF forces are based mainly in Maguindanao and other parts of central Mindanao. Mama said they're not at all worried that the US government would put them on its terror list. On that list is the Abu Sayyaf group, which is behind many kidnappings in Mindanao, mainly in the provinces of Sulu and Basilan. Mama said the BIFF is hoping that the US government will not intervene in the internal affairs of Mindanao and provoke hostilities. He said, "The BIFF will not meddle with their political agenda in Manila as long as they would not meddle with Mindanao and the Bangsamoro homeland." He also warned the MILF to be careful in dealing with the US government considering the Americans' "long history of atrocities" in the region. Posted by: ryuge 2014-04-29 |
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