January 18, 2002, AFP, US troops visit Philippine hostage island but action on hold,

January 18, 2002, AFP, US troops visit Philippine hostage island but action on hold,
5:14 pm

US troops deployed to help the Philippines combat Muslim rebels linked to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network have made their first foray into the militants' stronghold, officials said.

But Philippine officials Friday played down expectations of imminent joint action against the Abu Sayyaf group, saying US troops would not participate in combat missions before April, if at all.

In comments that reflected concern over the scale of US intervention in the southern Philippines, presidential spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said a thorough evaluation would be made before a decision was taken on whether US troops become involved in pursuing Abu Sayyaf guerillas, who are notorious for kidnapping foreigners and Christians for ransom.

"The agreement as of now does not envisage any American military personnel beyond the company level. (For such a move), there will have to be a political decision," Tiglao said.

The United States has branded the Abu Sayyaf as a terrorist group and has pledged to support Manila's efforts to eradicate it as part of the global war on terrorism launched in response to the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfield said this week that some 250 US troops were already in the Philippines at several locations and several hundred more would arrive in the next few weeks to participate in joint operations against the Abu Sayyaf.

An undisclosed number of American soldiers flew to the Abu Sayyaf southern island stronghold of Basilan on Thursday for talks with Philippine officers involved in battling the group.

But up to April, the American troops would only help set up counter-terrorism training frameworks for Filipino soldiers, including the use of high-tech weapons in the night against the enemy, officials said.

Tiglao also dismissed fears that the pursuit of the Abu Sayyaf would lead to a larger US intervention. He said Manila would be firm in not allowing the United States to "escalate" the situation.

"We are not an illegitimate government or unstable government or a questionable government like Afghanistan or Somalia. We are recognised by the world community and we have our own sovereignty.

"Just because American troops are there, it doesn't mean that we go all the way, (on) whatever they want," he said.

The Abu Sayyaf, a small group of Islamic militants, has been responsible for a wave of kidnappings in the southern Philippines and is still holding American missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham and Filipina nurse Deborah Yap.

The group has executed more than a dozen hostages in the past, including an American national, Guillermo Sobero, who was beheaded last year.

The American troops who visited Basilan on Thursday returned to the Zamboanga base after inspecting a temporary barracks to be used during the planned exercises.

The Philippine government has suffered international embarrassment for its failure to quash the Abu Sayaff.

President Gloria Arroyo, who has been criticised for allowing the US troops to operate in the country, Friday defended their deployment, which she said was covered by a 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

Arroyo has called a session of the National Security Council (NSC), which includes opposition leaders, for next week to secure wide support for the deployment and the operations against the Abu Sayyaf, Tiglao said.

Tiglao said the objective of joint operations was for the Americans to train the Filipino troops in counter-terrorism with the Abu Sayyaf as incidental targets.

"The point of the exercise is not the rescue of the Burnham couple. But if we achieved that... that is fine with us," Tiglao said.

In a separate development, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a group of Muslim separatist rebels engaged in peace talks with Manila, assured the government they would not attack American troops deployed for joint operations in the southern Philippines.