US
warns
of
‘multiple’terror
attacks
in
RP
|
|
By
Jose
Katigbak
STAR
Washington
Bureau
The
Philippine
Star
03/27/2005
|
| |
WASHINGTON
—
Al-Qaeda-linked
groups
and
the
radical
arm
of
the
largest
Muslim
separatist
rebel
organization
in
the
Philippines
are
planning
to
stage
"multiple"
attacks
throughout
the
archipelago,
the
United
States
has
warned.
The
warning
issued
by
the
US
State
Department
on
Wednesday
(Thursday
in
Manila)
advised
Americans
to
"consider
carefully
the
risks
of
travel
to
the
Philippines."
The
updated
travel
advisory
named
the
"terrorist
groups"
as
the
Indonesia-based
Jemaah
Islamiyah
(JI),
the
local
extremist
group
Abu
Sayyaf
and
renegade
rebels
of
the
Moro
Islamic
Liberation
Front
(MILF)
—
both
based
in
Mindanao.
After
similar
advisories
from
Britain
and
the
US,
Australia
followed
suit
last
week
in
cautioning
its
citizens
against
traveling
to
the
Philippines.
A
new
public
announcement
issued
by
Canberra’s
Department
of
Foreign
Affairs
and
Trade
also
cited
that
"extremist
groups"
such
as
the
Abu
Sayyaf
and
MILF
operate
in
the
country,
while
persistent
reports
point
to
brewing
terror
acts.
"Reports
suggest
that
terrorists
may
be
in
the
final
stages
of
planning
an
attack.
Attacks
could
occur
at
any
time,
anywhere
in
the
Philippines,"
said
the
advisory,
which
was
similar
to
what
the
British
Embassy
in
Manila
had
said
earlier
when
warning
its
citizens
of
such
assaults.
The
MILF,
for
its
part,
was
quick
to
deny
it
was
plotting
any
terror
attacks,
and
said
it
was
actually
looking
forward
to
the
resumption
of
peace
talks
with
the
Philippine
government
in
Malaysia
next
month.
"There
is
a
policy
statement
from
the
MILF
leadership
for
all
members
to
turn
their
backs
on
other
groups"
such
as
the
Abu
Sayyaf
and
JI,
MILF
spokesman
Eid
Kabalu
told
Agence
France
Presse
by
telephone
from
his
base
in
Mindanao.
Kabalu
pointed
out
there
is
an
ongoing
"ceasefire"
with
government
forces.
"We
don’t
know
what
is
the
basis
for
this
advisory,"
he
said.
The
US
State
Department
travel
advisory
warned
against
"all
but
essential
travel
throughout
the
country
in
light
of
a
heightened
threat
to
westerners."
It
said
travelers
should
be
aware
that
since
security
has
increased
at
official
US
facilities,
terrorists
could
seek
softer
targets.
"Such
targets
could
include
but
are
not
limited
to
places
where
Americans
and
other
westerners
live,
congregate,
shop
or
visit,
including
hotels,
clubs,
restaurants,
shopping
centers,
identifiably
western
businesses,
housing
compounds,
transportation
systems,
places
of
worship,
schools,
or
public
recreation
events,"
the
advisory
stated.
Britain
highlighted
the
"high
threat"
of
terrorism
"throughout
the
Philippines"
in
its
latest
advisory.
"There
continues
to
be
threats
against
western
interests
and
there
is
a
danger
of
collateral
damage
from
terrorist
attacks
targeted
at
others,"
it
said.
Australia,
on
the
other
hand,
also
warned
its
nationals
to
be
alert
to
the
dangers
of
kidnapping
in
the
Philippines,
advising
them
to
defer
all
travel
to
the
Zamboanga
Peninsula
and
the
Sulu
archipelago,
including
Basilan,
Jolo
and
Tawi-Tawi.
Military
sources
in
Manila
said
some
10
JI
and
Abu
Sayyaf
militants
were
on
the
loose
and
could
hit
targets
across
the
Philippines
after
authorities
uncovered
a
plot
to
bomb
"soft
targets"
in
the
capital
over
Easter.
Philippine
security
forces
have
been
bracing
for
retaliatory
attacks
by
the
Abu
Sayyaf
since
a
foiled
jailbreak
in
Taguig
City
last
March
14
that
left
22
Muslim
detainees
dead,
including
three
ranking
Abu
Sayyaf
leaders.
Some
15,000
police
officers
were
deployed
across
the
metropolis
to
guard
vital
installations
while
personnel
were
on
guard
at
churches
around
the
predominantly
Catholic
country.
In
Indonesia,
where
Easter
is
also
a
holiday
although
it
is
the
world’s
largest
Muslim-populated
country,
police
said
they
were
hunting
up
to
20
Indonesian
graduates
of
a
JI
training
camp
in
the
Philippines
believed
to
have
returned
home
to
carry
out
attacks.
The
JI
has
been
blamed
for
the
October
2002
Bali
bombings
in
which
202
people
died,
in
addition
to
deadly
attacks
on
a
Jakarta
hotel
in
2003
and
a
blast
outside
the
Australian
embassy
in
September
last
year.
Japan
and
Hong
Kong,
meanwhile,
have
also
advised
their
citizens
to
exercise
caution
when
traveling
to
the
Philippines
and
Indonesia,
or
to
stay
away
completely
amid
a
heightened
risk
of
attack
and
kidnapping.
Many
US-based
Filipinos
were
surprised
at
the
extent
of
the
area
covered
by
the
US
travel
warning
–
the
entire
Philippines.
Previous
warnings
had
been
careful
to
specify
the
risk
of
travel
"in
certain
areas"
due
to
kidnappings,
bombings
and
other
violence
and
criminal
activity.
The
travel
warnings
from
different
countries
come
after
the
arrest
of
two
extremists
from
JI
and
the
Abu
Sayyaf
earlier
this
week
and
the
seizure
of
10
sacks
of
explosives
in
Quezon
City.
One
of
the
detainees,
an
Indonesian
alleged
bomb
maker
identified
as
Rohmat,
told
reporters
after
his
arrest
that
the
Abu
Sayyaf
were
plotting
major
attacks
in
the
southern
cities
of
Davao
and
Cagayan
de
Oro
in
addition
to
Manila.
Rohmat
also
confessed
he
was
given
shelter
by
the
MILF
when
he
was
on
the
run
from
authorities.
Kabalu
admitted
this
was
possible,
adding
they
were
investigating
the
Indonesian’s
revelation.
"We
will
try
to
get
to
some
details
from
the
negotiating
panel,"
he
said.
A
recent
US
report
said
that
despite
repeated
denials
by
the
MILF,
evidence
shows
it
has
strong
links
with
JI
and
provides
the
Indonesian
terror
group
training
facilities
in
its
area
of
control
in
Mindanao.
The
MILF,
however,
stressed
it
is
sincere
about
entering
into
peace
talks
with
the
government.
To
further
dispel
suspicions
of
ties
with
the
JI,
Kabalu
said
MILF
commanders
had
been
told
to
"weed
out
and
hold
responsible"
rogue
members
of
the
group
who
may
shelter
or
provide
sanctuary
to
foreign
militants
who
may
jeopardize
the
peace
process.
—
With
reports
from
AFP,
Pia
Lee-Brago |
|
