MILF has arsenal of ‘human bombs’ – Scholar

A prominent Muslim scholar revealed yesterday that the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has been training suicide bombers in the past two years as part of its arsenal in preparation for an all-out war in Mindanao.

Datu Norodin "Noor" Lucman, author of the Moro Archive which traces the armed conflict in Mindanao and the Middle East, said the MILF has adopted the guerrilla tactics of the Palestinians and Tamil rebels in Sri Lanka involving the use of human "smart bombs" to achieve their targets.

"The training of suicide bombers is ongoing. It started in the year 2000 when former President (Joseph) Estrada launched an all out war against the MILF. The government is aware of this training," Lucman told The STAR.

Lucman said the use of suicide bombers has become an effective weapon of extremists in achieving maximum destruction of their targets but with minimum loss on the part of those who ordered the attack.

"Suicide bombers are smart bombs. It will be the weapon of the future," Lucman said.

The Muslim author, however, was not able to comment on whether the recent bombing incident in Kabacan, North Cotabato was indeed carried out by a suicide bomber.

The alleged bomber became the lone fatality after prematurely presetting the explosive in an open market place in Kabacan town last Thursday. Ten people were also injured in the blast.

The military, however, downplayed the possibility that the lone fatality, Imran Makalogi, was a suicide bomber claiming "they (MILF) has not reached that level (of dedication and indoctrination)."

Lucman said a unit of suicide bombers is part of a tactical force of the MILF based somewhere in Central Mindanao.

In a position paper released recently, Lucman also revealed the MILF has been building up its military capability by recruiting and training new cadres, stockpiling weapons and putting up clandestine strongholds in central and western Mindanao.

He confirmed military claims that the MILF has been stockpiling weapons and engaging in mass recruitment of new fighters during the past two years of the shaky truce with the government until the military struck back in securing their stronghold in Pikit, North Cotabato recently.

The military has accused the MILF of harboring members of the kidnap-for-ransom Pentagon group, in violation of the truce agreement that Muslim separatists turn over to authorities wanted criminals in their territory.

Lucman, however, added that the MILF has already acquired "portable surface-to-air-missiles (SAMs), lethal medium and heavy anti-tank weapons."