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Combat Mission for U.S. Special Forces in Mindanao Seen

Philippine officials keen on Blair plan

Now awaiting approval by the U.S. and Philippine governments is a proposal by Admiral Dennis Blair, commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, to unleash American Special Forces to the whole of Mindanao island for offensive operations.

By BULATLAT.COM

U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOFs) now in Basilan will likely spread out to the entire Mindanao island. Their reported mission: To join Filipino troops on combat patrols in an intensified anti-terrorist crackdown throughout the island. One of their reported objectives is to stem the tide of bomb attacks in southern Philippines.

If this plan materializes, the U.S. SOFs (or Special Forces) will increase in number and may likely find themselves in armed engagements not only with the Abu Sayyaf but more so with guerrillas of both the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the New People’s Army (NPA).

The proposal, according to Singapore’s The Straits Times which published the report on April 26, came from Admiral Dennis Blair, commander-in-chief of the U.S. Pacific Command (CINCPAC), in his last visit to Manila over a week ago.

Now awaiting approval by the U.S. and Philippine governments, Blair’s proposal calls for U.S. SOFs joining Philippine troops at the company level, the Straits Times reported on its Internet edition.

The proposal for actual combat operations by U.S. troops in the Philippines is prohibited by the two governments’ own Terms of Reference (TOR) and the visiting forces are allowed to fight only in self-defense.

There are close to 1,000 U.S. troops in Basilan and Zamboanga in Mindanao assisting Filipino forces track down the Abu Sayyaf forces whom Pentagon claims is linked to al Qaida.

Filipino officials receptive

Quoting a U.S. official, the Straits Times report said, “There are still diplomatic issues that have to be worked. The indications we've gotten so far from the Filipinos is they like this idea.”

Mindanao has been rocked by a spate of bomb attacks in General Santos City leaving at least 15 killed and scores of others injured. Some Muslim suspects have been arrested, including members of an organization affiliated with the militant Bayan. But Bayan leaders have denounced the arrests saying that police and military officials are trying to concoct a story on a supposed conspiracy between Abu Sayyaf, the MILF and NPA to place Mindanao under a state of siege and bomb attacks.

The Straits Times story came up on the same day a Texas-based think tank, Stratfor, revealed that Washington plans to develop Basilan as a “forward military base” in Southeast Asia. It said that the civic action activities of the U.S. forces on Basilan could be a signal for building a base for counter-terrorism that could even threaten Indonesia.

Agreeing on the think tank’s forecast, retired Navy Capt. Danilo P. Vizmanos, a former AFP Inspector General said: “Stratfor is right on track as far as the U.S. intention to make Basilan and the rest of the country a staging ground and forward base for military operations in Southeast Asia. The policy was set as early as the mid-1990s and the United States found a convenient excuse in the Abu Sayyaf to fast track it.”

What is also obvious, Vizmanos, who is also a convenor of the coalition Out with US Troops Now! (OUT NOW!) said, “is the Arroyo government's feigning ignorance over the whole issue. It should know that Basilan and Gen. Santos City are best-suited for US military interests. Mahirap talaga kapag nagbubulag-bulagan. Its difficult for those playing blind to see the truth."

Vizmanos said previous Stratfor reports on the Philippines have been relatively accurate. Among its more controversial forecasts was the ouster of President Joseph Estrada last year.

"The swift and safe release of the Abu Sayyaf hostages is playing second fiddle to the U.S. government's long-term goal of establishing its forward presence in the region,” Vizmanos said. “The prolongation of the Balikatan 02-1 exercise (and now Balikatan 02-2) is helping the U.S. set up camp through military engineering actions and is giving the people an impression of permanence for U.S. troops.” Bulatlat.com

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