US Brings War Games To Jolo Island

U.S. troops in Jolo island in South RP on Wednesday, 14 Feb 2007. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

JOLO ISLAND (Mindanao Examiner / 14 Feb) – Thousands of U.S. and Filipino soldiers are to begin a series of joint military exercises aimed at improving their combat capabilities in the southern Philippines.

Both countries are to stage their first military drill, dubbed as Balikatan 2007, which means “shoulder-to-shoulder,” in the war-torn island of Jolo, about 950 km south of Manila, starting February 18 and would last until March 4.

And this would be followed in Tawi-Tawi island near the Sabah border and continued in central Mindanao island, where Filipino troops are hunting down members of the militant Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya groups, blamed for the string of bombings in the Philippines that had already killed tens of dozens the past years.

U.S. and Philippine troops would also embark on humanitarian missions, that included infrastructure projects and medical outreach in poor Muslim areas in during the exercises, said U.S. Air Force Major John Redfield, spokesman of the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines.

“The Balikatan is about to start and we have began transporting humanitarian equipment here in Jolo. There will be military trainings and humanitarian missions and both U.S. and Filipino troops are eager to start,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

U.S. troops on Wednesday unloaded tons of cargoes, including at least 32 trucks and equipment used for road infrastructure projects.

The Balikatan demonstrates Washington's resolve to continue the commitment to train, advice and assist the Philippine military to build capacity to counter terrorism.

The Balikatan, Filipino security officials said, includes support for comprehensive defense reform; security assistance modules for counter-terrorism training; operations intelligence fusion; and aspects in education programs, logistics, and engineering, equipment, and maintenance and helicopter programs.

It will also enhance the skills and capabilities of Filipino and American forces in combating terrorism and other internal and external security threats. And improve inter-operability between RP and US forces through the exchange of training skills and techniques.

The training is part of Washington security assistance to the Philippines, a key US ally in Southeast Asia in the so-called global war on terrorism.

Southern Philippines military commander Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo the Balikatan will benefit poor Muslims communities, especially in Jolo island, one the poorest province in the country.

“The Balikatan will bring peace and development and largely benefit poor Muslim areas through humanitarian mission; there will be new road construction, water wells in far-flung villages, schools and health centers and mosques and many more,” Cedo said in a separate interview.

Security was tight on Wednesday in Jolo. American and Filipino soldiers guarded the pier where a contracted Filipino barge unloaded trucks and ammunition.

Hundreds of Muslims lined up the streets in downtown Jolo and waved as U.S. and Philippine military convoys passed. Motorcycle taxis were spotted sporting small U.S. flags tied on their radio antenna.

“We are really glad that the Americans are coming again. We can expect more medical assistance,” Anam Usman, a passenger jeep driver, told the Mindanao Examiner. “We like them here so we put an end to the Abu Sayyaf terrorism.“

The Abu Sayyaf had previously threatened to attack U.S. targets and had murdered two American citizens kidnapped in the Philippines and killed an American soldier participating in anti-terrorism drill in a bomb attack in Zamboanga City in 2002.

Washington listed the Abu Sayyaf as a foreign terrorist organization and offered as mch as $10 million dollars bounty for two known Jemaah Islamiya bombers, Dulmatin and Umar Patek, now being protected by the Abu Sayyaf in Jolo’s jungle.

Both Dulmatin and Patek were tagged as behind the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.

The Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya are both in the U.S. list of international terrorist organizations, blamed for the kidnappings of foreigners and spate of bombings in the Philippines and Indonesia. (Mindanao Examiner)