Hawaii troops head
to Philippines

A Special Operations contingent joins
the fight against terrorism

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By Gregg K. Kakesako
gkakesako@starbulletin.com

The Special Operations Command in Hawaii has sent people to the Philippines as part of the U.S. force to help combat terrorism. The Hawaii-based troops will help train Philippine soldiers and help with logistics, intelligence and communications in the battle against a Muslim extremist group linked to al-Qaida.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld this week said 240 to 250 American military personnel are now in the Philippines. The service members are located at many points in the country, and "many hundreds" more are going in next month.

A Camp Smith official said the U.S. initiative grew out of meetings in Washington last November between President Bush and Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Maj. Sean Gibson, Pacific Command spokesman, said the few people from the Special Operations Command here were sent there to do "site survey work."

Rumsfeld said the movement of troops is in response to the Philippines' problem with terrorists. It will be the largest single deployment of American military personnel outside of Afghanistan since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

But even as American troops set up camp on the southern island of Basilan to support the government offensive against the Abu Sayyaf guerrilla movement, which has been linked to al-Qaida, one opposition leader said President Macapagal-Arroyo could be impeached for allowing foreign soldiers into the country.

In February about 660 U.S. troops, including 160 U.S. Army Special Forces, are to start training Filipino soldiers. While barred from fighting by the Philippine constitution, some of the Americans will be in combat zones and carry weapons for self-defense, military officials have said.

Rumsfeld said the al-Qaida terrorist group, which may have as many as 2,000 members, has been linked to terrorist activities that have taken place in the Philippines.

The Muslim extremist group Abu Sayyaf has taken hostages, including two Americans, Martin and Gracia Burnham of Wichita, Kan., last spring.

Philippine Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes said Monday in a written statement that the U.S. soldiers are part of an exercise that will take place largely in the southern port city of Zamboanga and nearby Basilan island where the Philippine Army has been battling the Abu Sayyaf.

Rumsfeld said, "The Philippine government and the United States have had discussions about the terrorist problem that exists there, and as we have done with dozens of countries around the world, we're providing the kinds of assistance that we can by way of in some cases technology, in other cases training, to assist that government at their request in ways that are appropriate for their circumstances."