Jordan’s king offers help vs terrorism

NEW YORK (via PLDT) — President Arroyo accepted yesterday an offer by King Abdullah II of Jordan for bilateral cooperation in the fight against terrorism, including sharing of intelligence information pertaining to terror groups operating in both countries.

The President said the King extended the offer following a luncheon meeting of world leaders attending the World Economic Forum held at the posh Waldorf Astoria here.

Mrs. Arroyo said the King of Jordan told her that their governments were fighting the same terrorist groups.

"Those guys that you’re fighting are the same guys that we’d been fighting for so many years," Mrs. Arroyo quoted the Jordanian monarch as saying.

The President said she will instruct retired Gen. Cesar Garcia, director general of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), to immediately meet with his Jordanian counterpart on the King’s offer.

Mrs. Arroyo said she believed that the Jordanian leader was referring to a direct link between the Abu Sayyaf and a terrorist group in Jordan.

"He mentioned a group which I never heard at all. It’s not a familiar group for me," the President told Manila-based reporters covering her US visit.

She also said the King divulged to her the exact haven of the terrorist group in his country.

Mrs. Arroyo emphasized that cooperation among nations is significant to stamp out international terrorism.

"This is not a United States war only. Jordan is in it, too. With Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, there is a tripartite agreement. Singapore and Thailand are also coming in soon," she said.

She said earlier that Australia has likewise expressed interest to join the regional collaboration against terrorism.

Both Manila and Washington have acknowledged that the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group in Mindanao maintained links with the al-Qaeda network of international terrorist Osama bin Laden, principal suspect in the Sept. 11 attacks in the US.

The Abu Sayyaf, which has been included in Washington’s list of global terrorists, is now the target of a joint Philippine-US military exercise in Mindanao dubbed "Balikatan 02-1."

Both governments clarified, however, that the US troops will merely act as trainers of the Filipino soldiers and will not engage in actual combat. –Marichu Villanueva