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ARROYO: More Must Be Done to Find Terrorists At Large
Wednesday, July 24, 2002
(13:09 UTC)
By Alisha Ryu
Voice of America

About 1,000 U.S. soldiers have been in the southern Philippines for the past six months, helping train Philippine troops to hunt down the Abu Sayyaf. For decades, the group which claims to be fighting for a separate Islamic state, has waged a militant campaign often involving violent, kidnapping-for-ransom schemes.

HONG KONG -- VOA
Philippine President Gloria Arroyo says Manila's fight against terrorism will not end with the recent capture of two bombing suspects with alleged ties to the radical Muslim group, the Abu Sayyaf.

Philippine police and military officials presented the two suspects, Abdulbasit Usman and Moamar Timbao Esmael, to President Arroyo Wednesday at the presidential palace. The pair was arrested earlier this week in connection with an April bombing, which killed 15 and injured nearly a hundred people in the southern Philippines.

While Ms. Arroyo praises the arrests, she warned that more must be done track down the terrorists still at large. Speaking before Congress two days ago, the Philippine leader emphasized that the country's future depends on how well Manila can combat terrorism on its soil.

"We cannot afford to lose. Even a stalemate will be a defeat, for what is at stake is our country as a viable proposition in the world economy," Ms. Arroyo said.
(More: VOA News Source)
2002 © Voice of America.

Dan