U.S. could boost rebel support, some fear

By Philip Pan

The Washington Post

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines – One recent morning, as U.S. troops were arriving in this garrison city to help Philippine soldiers fight a band of Islamic rebels known as the Abu Sayyaf, a spokesman for the group called a radio station here with a message for the Americans.

“For more than 300 years now, the Muslims in the Philippines have faced and fought numerous invaders, foreign and local,” he said. “Praise be to Allah, (the invaders) were not fully successful in their version of the Crusades.”

Speaking quickly over a crackling phone line, he recalled the brutal pacification campaigns that the U.S. military conducted in the Philippines a century ago, killing thousands of Muslims who resisted U.S. rule. He said this time, “You will be the losers.”

There’s growing concern among local officials, religious leaders and residents that the Abu Sayyaf will drag the U.S. military into a prolonged conflict and gain support by recasting its members as righteous Muslim warriors resisting foreign Christian trespassers.

U.S. and Philippine officials say the 650 U.S. soldiers arriving here won’t engage in combat and will only train, advise and support their Philippine counterparts. But if the Abu Sayyaf manages to kill or capture even a few Americans, many people fear that the United States will respond with an all-out assault and provoke a backlash in these largely Muslim islands of the southern Philippines.

The people of these islands once sympathized with the Abu Sayyaf and its mission to establish an independent Islamic state. But support for the group fell sharply as the rebels became more interested in kidnapping foreigners and wealthy Filipinos for large ransoms.

“The arrival of U.S. troops plays into the anti-American sentiment of a lot of ideologues who otherwise would be against the Abu Sayyaf,” said Glenda Gloria, a Philippine journalist and author of a book on Muslim insurgencies in the Philippines. “These are Muslims who have been very opposed to the Abu Sayyaf. But if the American soldiers get into combat, there’s a risk the political landscape could change.”

When U.S. soldiers venture into the jungles of Basilan island this month, they’ll be chasing an enemy that has eluded the Philippine military for years, still enjoys some local support and sometimes hides in territories controlled by other Muslim rebels who have agreed to cease-fires with the government.

The return of U.S. troops to a nation with a long history of subjugation by foreign armies has triggered a political uproar in Manila, and U.S. and Philippine officials have yet to sign an agreement on what U.S. soldiers can do on the battlefield.

U.S. military officials said their troops are prepared to suffer casualties to defeat the Abu Sayyaf, which the U.S. government says has ties to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida terrorist network.

“There is no question that American soldiers will be there where they could become injured or killed if the Philippine element is attacked,” said Brig. Gen. Donald Wurster, commander of the U.S. forces. “But the mission needs to be accomplished in support of our allies.”

Fewer than 80 members of U.S. special forces will join Philippine troops in the jungles, or about two U.S. military advisers to each company of 120 to 140 Philippine soldiers. They’ll be permitted to fire only in self-defense and will take instructions from Philippine commanders.

Local officials say the mere presence of U.S. troops on Basilan could strain an already fragile cease-fire between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, or MILF, the largest Muslim rebel group in the Philippines. The group has been participating in peace talks for nearly a year. The Philippine military accuses its forces on Basilan of harboring Abu Sayyaf fighters and sometimes backing them up in battle.

The MILF denies this, saying it condemns the Abu Sayyaf and its tactics. Still, it insists Philippine troops must seek permission before entering its territory, a condition the Philippine military has rejected.

Sharrif Julabbi, a local MILF leader, warned U.S. forces not to venture into MILF areas. “It’s a very volatile situation,” Julabbi said. “The American soldiers are not our enemies. But we would like them to stay as far away as possible from the places we have troops. Otherwise, there will be a confrontation.”

The Abu Sayyaf isn’t known for engaging in sustained combat or terrorist activities. Instead, they lie low and strike once or twice a year, seizing hostages at a resort or ambushing government soldiers.

The Abu Sayyaf is believed to be operating only on two islands, Basilan and Jolo. U.S. troops will pursue only the Basilan group, which is holding hostage a U.S. missionary couple and a Philippine nurse. Reports indicate the group has suffered heavy casualties and now numbers only 40 to 100 fighters.