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| Southeast Asia |
| Filippino military wary of JI inactivity |
| 2004-01-20 |
| THE military is on its toes against terrorist threats in the country, especially with the silence of the militant Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) so far this year. Aside from saying there was nothing new in the US’ renewed terrorist warning for its citizens in the Philippines, Armed Forces spokesman Daniel A. Lucero said the military has already issued its own terror alerts to areas vulnerable to possible attacks. "So far, the JI in the country has been quiet in this time of the year. However, we believe this is the most alarming part since silence means they might be into something else," Lieutenant Colonel Lucero said without elaborating. Lucero said the military is still trying to determine the whereabouts of 30 JI terrorists believed to be still in the country. Lucero said the Armed Forces are looking into reports that the JI has linked up with a faction of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) opposing the ongoing peace negotiations between the secessionist group and the government. The MILF faction is believed to be behind the January 4 Parang, Maguindanao bombing that killed 15 people and injured several others. "However, we are also banking on the assurance made by the MILF that it will assist the government in looking, pursuing and arresting any JI member whom they find in its area of influence," he added. The JI’s links with two of the country’s main threats to internal security, the bandit Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), is a specific concern of authorities. Although troops have degraded the capability of the ASG, the group’s ties with the JI means that they cannot be ruled out. In particular, troops in western Mindanao, specifically in Zamboanga, have been alerted to be on the lookout for ASG members. "But we are more alarmed with the links of the JI with this MILF faction which is opposing the peace talks," Lucero said. The military is still scouring Mindanao for at least 30 JI operatives believed to be conducting bomb training with MILF lost commands. Although investigators said the January 4 explosion in a sports hall in Parang, Maguindanao that killed 16 people was politically motivated, rogue members of the MILF were believed to have perpetrated the attack. The military has tagged JI as the group behind the Rizal Day bombing in 2000. Meanwhile, the Armed Forces shrugged off the United States’ renewed warning for its citizens to take extra precautions against a perceived high terrorist threat in the Philippines. The US advisory reminded its citizens not to go to Mindanao due to bombings and other criminal activities in the island. The US cited in particular the threats of the Abu Sayyaf and the communist New People’s Army (NPS) in the country. Lucero said even the AFP has issued the same warning, particularly in areas where the communist rebels are operating, following an attack by the New People’s Army of a power plant in Calaca, Batangas. Carried out using MILF weaponry, if memory serves ... |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #2 well i will tell you what. When i saw MILF i was thinking something else |
| Posted by: smokeysinse 2004-1-20 3:46:59 PM |
| #1 THE military is on its toes against terrorist threats ... especially with the silence of ... Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) so far this year. "It's quiet. TOO quiet. Think them jemaahs is up to sumthin'!" Sounds like a good excuse to go preemptive on the JI mutts. |
| Posted by: 4thInfVet 2004-1-20 12:28:44 AM |