Next battle: Philippines San Francisco Chronicle
Jan. 18, 2002
EditorialAfter months of feverish speculation about which country would follow Afghanistan as focus of the U.S. war on terrorism, the answer came this week.
With little prior notice, the Pentagon announced that about 660 U.S. soldiers are being sent to participate in military exercises by serving as trainers for Philippine troops battling the Abu Sayyaf Muslim guerrillas. As of yesterday, 250 American soldiers had arrived in Basilan Island, the rebels' stronghold.But the "trainer" label is deceptive. Many of the troops will be in frontline positions during counterinsurgency sweeps, and despite official Pentagon disavowals, it's likely that some will be drawn into combat. And despite the fig leaf of temporary military exercises, the deployment is scheduled to continue for most of 2002.
Indeed, there are many problems with the U.S. mission:
-- Weak links with al Qaeda. Abu Sayyaf reportedly had meetings in 1995 with a brother-in-law of Osama bin Laden, and previously had some contact with one of the 1993 World Trade Center bombers. But there is no proof of more recent contact with bin Laden.
-- Other rebel groups. Although the U.S. troops' mission is merely to help fight Abu Sayyaf, many Filipinos fear that the Americans will move on to battle the nation's two Islamic rebel groups or the New People's Army (NPA), a large, Maoist rebel army that has been fighting since 1969. The only effective way to stop these groups is through peace negotiations, land reform and an end to abuses by the Philippine army and paramilitary groups.
-- Colonialism. Because of the legacy of U.S. colonial rule, which ended in 1946, any extended U.S. troop presence -- or expansion of the fight to include other rebel groups, especially the NPA -- would likely spark intense public opposition.
In general, however, no one disputes the appropriateness of helping the Philippines track down Abu Sayyaf, a band of brutish kidnappers that has no defenders among civilized folk anywhere. The group is currently holding an American missionary couple, Martin and Gracia Burnham of Wichita, Kan.
But Washington must not get carried away, and must remain mindful of its resources and priorities. U.S. troops and intelligence agencies should remain focused on tracking down al Qaeda and its worldwide network. Our soldiers cannot go after all of the world's kidnappers and thugs.