1st batch of GIs arrives in Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY — The first batch of United States Special Forces arrived here Sunday afternoon to train battalions of Filipino soldiers to combat terrorism, an American military spokesman said.

Capt. Steve Wollman, spokesman for the Special Operations Joint Task Force-P (SOJTF-Philippines), said the first batch was composed of a 12-man team of anti-terror experts from Japan.

"About a dozen of them just arrived this afternoon from their base in Okinawa, Japan. They are going to train the Filipino troops of the light infantry battalions," Wollman said.

He said the 12 anti-terror experts "are the advance party of the trainers and part of the five Special Forces teams that are due to arrive here in two weeks’ time."

The other teams are now "preparing and familiarizing themselves with everything and in two weeks more are arriving here for the training," Wollman said.

The trainers will give 10 months of anti-terrorist instruction to at least four Light Infantry Battalions or around 2,000 Filipino soldiers from Basilan and Sulu starting early February.

Under the long-term security assistance program of the US government, the soldiers will also be equipped with night vision goggles, assault weapons and communication gadgets.

Brig. Gen. Donald Wurster, who commanded the US forces in the joint military exercises last year, said no American troops will be deployed in Basilan and Sulu, as the training will be held mainly in Zamboanga City.

US Special Forces trained a separate batch of Filipino soldiers in Basilan last year.

That first batch focused on the threat posed by the Abu Sayyaf, a kidnap group with alleged links to the al-Qaeda network of Islamic militants blamed for the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the US.

Meanwhile, Armed Forces Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Narciso Abaya denied reports about a "credible threat" that forced Wurster to cancel his trip to Basilan last Sunday.

Abaya said Wurster cut off his planned visit to Basilan for the formal turnover of the US-funded Lamitan District Hospital due to his tight schedule, as he had to wait and give instructions to the first batch of US Special Forces.

Wurster and Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, who also failed to show up at the turnover rites due to the commemoration of EDSA II, were supposed to turn over the hospital, the renovation of which cost P4.7 million, to local government officials.

Wurster left for Okinawa, Japan aboard the same US C-130 plane that brought the first batch of trainers minutes after meeting them at the training center in Barangay Malagutay.

"We have not received any information on any threat against Wurster. We don’t know where it came from," Col. Daniel Lucero, spokesman for the Southern Command, said.

Lucero said Abaya also denied reports of the "credible threat" against Wurster.

Earlier, Wurster said in a statement that the Abu Sayyaf can no longer go back to Basilan as Filipino troops are getting "better and they can respond faster."

On the other hand, some suspected Abu Sayyaf members aboard a speedboat were reported to have fired at the power barge of the Basilan Electric Company on Sunday.

No one was hurt as elements of the 24th Special Forces thwarted the suspected rebels, who fled towards the high seas.

In a related development, the militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said yesterday that the upcoming military exercises are part of the US government’s preparations for its war against Iraq.

Bayan chairman Rafael Mariano said the presence of the 200 American soldiers in the Philippines was in line with the Visiting Forces Agreement and the recently approved Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA), allowing American troops, facilities and vessels access to Philippine ports, airfields and military facilities.

"Under this situation, the US can easily make the Philippines a staging area, transit point or supply facility for its war on Iraq," Mariano said.

He added that the military exercises "are already part and parcel of America’s war plans against Iraq. They want US troops to be present here in case they use the Philippines as a jumping point for their operations in the Middle East."

Bayan and its allied groups are supporting a call made by Vice President Teofisto Guingona for a national day of prayer for peace, saying that all efforts should be made to prevent the US-led strike against Iraq.

"Bayan fully supports Guingona’s call and is ready to join him in any activity against the war on Iraq," Mariano said.

He suggested that aside from declaring a national day of prayer, anti-war groups and various churches should hold a giant prayer rally for peace "at the soonest possible time."

Bayan’s leaders are also pushing for a nationally coordinated day of action for peace and against the US-led "war of terror" which he said was affecting Filipinos both here and abroad. — With reports from AFP