Posted on 02/18/2002 2:59:08 AM PST by Byron_the_Aussie
ELEANOR HALL: Well another key theme of the United States President's Asian tour is thanking the supporters of his war on terrorism and high up on that list is Philippines President, Gloria Arroyo.
President Arroyo has controversially invited US forces back to the Philippines to help hunt down the Muslim separatist guerrillas of the Abu Sayyaf, who are allegedly linked to Osama bin Laden, and after weeks of political wrangling, the joint mission has now been launched.
From Zamboanga in the Southern Philippines, Geoff Thompson reports.
GEOFF THOMPSON: US Green Berets begin Balikatan. It's a Filipino term meaning shoulder-to-shoulder. So, flanked by their Filipino Special Forces counter-parts, the Americans march down a road towards a new front in a movable war on terror.
Anyone who has been in Afghanistan here as well?
US GREEN BERET: Not that I'm aware of, no.
GEOFF THOMPSON: Different job, different people.
US GREEN BERET: Yes, different environment all together.
GEOFF THOMPSON: Do you mind telling us where you've deployed to in the past?
US GREEN BERET: Oh numerous areas. Pretty much every continent except for Antarctica.
GEOFF THOMPSON: The Island of Basilan certainly isn’t that. Bigger than Singapore and densely forested, it's provided years of jungle sanctuary to the kidnapping separatists of the Abu Sayyaf but Philippines intelligence suggests the support for the kidnap gang is running out among locals and that's why US Special Forces are focussing on learning Basilan's culture and winning the equally important battle for the hearts and minds of local Muslims.
Commanding that battle is the Philippines Secretary for Social Affairs and Development, Corazon Juliano Soliman.
CORAZON JULIANO SOLIMAN: The other week when I was here, seven children were turned over to us by the army, ages 11 to 15, and they were with the Abu Sayyaf for the last two years and they have been asked to go down by the Abu Sayyaf. In fact, they were brought to a place where they could take a ride and the reason for this is that they have no more food and they have been split up into smaller groups and it's very hard to move around now.
GEOFF THOMPSON: So this suggests the Abu Sayyaf has lost the hearts and minds of the people?
CORAZON JULIANO SOLOMAN: I think so, I think so and this is largely done by the local government units and the military or the Armed Forces of the Philippines. They have narrowed the food corridor and they have demonstrated that it is better for their economy, the social and political life of the island if there is no support to a terrorist group like the Abu Sayyaf.
GEOFF THOMPSON: Officially US forces are here only to advise and train but opponents are fond of saying that that phrase also described America's first presence in Vietnam.
US Special Forces Command Sergeant Major, Vic Allen.
VIC ALLEN: I'm a little bit young for Vietnam. I wasn't there.
GEOFF THOMPSON: Advising and training has long been known to be a euphemism for helping out.
VIC ALLEN: Well that is my mission right now. You know the Filipino government asked me to come here, my country asked me to come here and I'm a soldier and that's my mission right now. I think this generation learns something from Vietnam and nothing will happen like that here.
GEOFF THOMPSON: Of course it's impossible to predict just what will happen here. For the US, Afghanistan was a success while Somalia was not, but there's little doubt an angry minority is opposed to the US presence.
SHOPKEEPER: There's a trail of bloody footprints leading away from the cinema and there's a pair of women's shoes that have been left behind covered in blood.
GEOFF THOMPSON: When a weekend bomb injured five in a Zamboanga mall, most alarming was how little any one really noticed. Shoppers kept shopping and hairdryers kept blowing. Are customers still getting their hair done even though a bomb's gone off upstairs?
SHOPKEEPER: Yes of course. They have to be beautiful because they have been there, JF, you know the students. Their prom.
GEOFF THOMPSON: The final year prom?
SHOPKEEPER: Yes.
GEOFF THOMPSON: Sometimes known as a debutante's ball amidst what is clearly no debut for terror in this town. In Zamboanga, this is Geoff Thompson for AM.
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