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STRATFOR.com
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THE INTERNET SOURCE FOR GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE
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Philippines: Rebel Presence in Military Endangers U.S. Troops
January 16, 2002
Summary
Fighting has broken out on the southern Philippine island of Jolo between military forces and supporters of jailed Muslim rebel leader Nur Misuari, some of whom are members of the police force. The clashes signal the inability of the Philippine military and police to control former militants within their ranks. As a result, U.S. troops who are being deployed in the country as part of the post-Sept. 11 anti-terror campaign could find themselves in the precarious position of training and working alongside Muslim militant elements.
Chart Credit: Stratfor.com.
Analysis
Philippine police officers loyal to jailed Muslim rebel leader Nur Misuari have clashed with the country's military forces on the southern island of Jolo, with more then 30 people killed in two days of fighting. The most recent attack occurred when former members of Misuari's Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) who are now part of the police force fired on an army Jeep Jan. 16.
The fighting comes on the heels of an
announcement that more than 650 U.S. troops will be deployed to the volatile southern Philippines region -- where Muslim rebels are highly active -- to participate in anti-terrorism exercises with Filipino troops. But the Jolo incident has revealed the military's inability to control former rebel elements within the country's security forces. This could prove dangerous for U.S. forces, whose efforts to help Philippine troops fight terror groups may put them in close contact with Muslim extremist elements.
The United States and the Philippines have mostly kept close relations for the past 50 years, although Washington has paid even more attention to the country since Sept. 11 due to the ties between its Muslim militant groups and Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network.
(The Rest of the Story)
(c) 2001 Stratfor, Inc.
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Philippines: Rebel Presence in Military Endangers U.S. Troops . . .