US, Australia express dismay over escape of Al-Ghozi

The United States and Australia expressed dismay yesterday over the escape of a top Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) member from his Camp Crame jail and warned it could raise the level of terrorism in the region.

US Embassy counselor for public affairs Ronald Post and acting embassy spokesman Frank Jenista expressed concern over the jailbreak.

Post said the US State Department also reiterated the need to have the escapees recaptured and detained immediately.

"These individuals are dangerous and carried out some very serious incidents and these are murderers and they need to be captured and incarcerated as soon as possible," Post said.

"Obviously, we’re deeply disturbed by the escape because it raises the threat of terrorism for Filipinos or Americans, for everybody here in the Philippines," Jenista said. "Of course we look forward to a full and immediate investigation."

The US government remains confident Manila was "spending every effort on the manhunt and we expect the terrorists will be put back in their prison cells as soon as possible," he said.

Visiting Australian Prime Minister John Howard warned that despite a region-wide crackdown on JI militants, the group still has "great capacity to mount further terrorist attacks."

"Obviously, the escape of three terrorists yesterday here in Manila is a serious setback and it underlines for all of us the need to be vigilant and to strengthen our institutional capacity to deal effectively with terrorism," Howard told a forum hosted by the Asia Society.

"Nobody is happy it occurred but the investigation is entirely for Philippine authorities," Howard told reporters.

The prime minister said the ultimate success of countries against the terrorist threat will be measured by the degree to which the police and security agencies can effectively cooperate because great gains can be made at the working level.

"Political agreement is important to set the framework and to provide a guide and a lead, but it is the working police and security level which is so important," he added.

He said the A$5 million security aid package given the country will help hasten cooperation needed to set the two nation’s counter-terrorism efforts.

"(The aid) will help facilitate working level law enforcement and border control cooperation between officials in southern Philippines and counterparts in the neighboring regions. We will give substance to the bilateral counter-terrorism capacity," he said.

Howard, who was to leave for Japan and Korea later yesterday, also warned employees of the Australian Embassy that they remain potential threats of terrorism.

"The government will do all it can to ensure your job is made, not only very rewarding and very productive, but also is conducted in the most secure circumstances that it can be," the premiere said as he inaugurated Australia’s new embassy offices in Makati.

"The diplomatic missions are inevitably, in this age of terrorism, a particular target. That fact has to be bluntly faced and bluntly stated," he said even as he claimed that his official trip was "excellent" and "productive" despite the jailbreak. — With reports from AFP, AP