‘The enemy is the idea’

TIPO-TIPO, Basilan – Army Col. James Linder has a gauge for the success of counterterrorism exercises in Mindanao: the opening of a Jollibee outlet.

One opened last year in Basilan’s capital Isabela. Linder, commander of US Special Operations Forces that will be conducting "Balikatan" joint military exercises with Philippine troops next month in Sulu, hopes he will soon see Jollibee in the province.

Basilan not only has a Jollibee outlet; Globe and Smart have also set up cell sites on the island that for a decade served as the base of the Abu Sayyaf. And no, cell phone snatching has not yet become a problem in the province.

Both American and Philippine military officers see Basilan as a model for a successful campaign in the war on terror.

The last time I was in this province, at the end of the first Balikatan that drove out the Abu Sayyaf from the island in 2002, US military engineers had just completed the airstrip. All over Basilan, bridges and roads were being built or repaired, artesian wells were being installed and schools restored to normal operations. Philippine troops were using trucks donated by the US forces.

I wondered how long the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the local government could sustain the development jump-started by Uncle Sam following the departure of Islamic militants.

Coming here yesterday provided a pleasant surprise. This town, once a battleground of the AFP and the Abu Sayyaf as well as the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front, now has a bustling market. Farms planted to rubber for export have been revived. Children swim in a natural pool. Those promoting Philippine coffee might want to take a look at the fine variety grown here.

Two years ago, US military officials had told me that Basilan was increasingly being regarded by their government as a model in successful counterterrorism. These days the AFP itself refers to a "Basilan model" for winning the war on terror.

The two countries hope to replicate this success, starting with Sulu.

* * *

In the war on terror, the comprehensive approach entails "depriving terrorists of sanctuary and an environment to grow," Linder says.

Linder, a member of the US Special Forces for over 20 years, emphasizes that the American contingent in Balikatan 2006 will not engage in combat operations, or even war games using live targets – the euphemistic phrase used to describe the operations to neutralize the Abu Sayyaf in Balikatan 2002.

"What we are doing right now is far more complex than combat operations," Linder told me as a small contingent of his troops undertook a medical and civic action program in this town yesterday. "We want to build a secure environment so the seeds of development can take root."

I heard that line a lot last year when I visited Afghanistan – another front in the war on terror where there is general agreement that the war is being won despite continuing security problems.

Linder, however, stressed that Afghanistan "is totally different from the Philippines" in terms of culture, problems and even the nature of the terror threat.

No matter where the war is being waged, however, the enemy, as far as Linder is concerned, "is an idea."

* * *

Linder acknowledged that Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) "is a threat and we need to take the threat very seriously." But he added, "I think the enemy is not JI or Abu Sayyaf but the idea."

"It is an idea of intolerance… there are groups that foment the idea," he explained. "The enemy that we’re fighting is a global threat. It’s not isolated to the Philippines. And the goal is to eliminate our way of life. And I think that this is something that freedom-loving people cannot accept."

How do you fight this idea?

"I think we defeat the idea by providing the people with choices, by giving them opportunities," Linder replied.

The choices boil down to lawlessness or development. The people of Basilan, Linder said, chose development and are turning their province into a success story.

Fighting that idea can be snagged by anti-American sentiment that may arise from squabbling between the two countries over which one should take custody of four US Marines accused of raping a Filipina in Subic last year.

Linder refuses to be entangled in the rape case. He also tells everyone, from journalists to the residents of Tipo-Tipo, that he and his troops are guests invited by the Philippines and would leave any time they are unwanted.

Sometimes he sounds like a diplomat out to win hearts and minds, but he stresses that there’s more to that in what they are doing in Mindanao.

Soldiers like Linder are the ones sent by their government to the frontlines of the complex war against terrorism.

* * *

US Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets, have built a reputation for being the elite fighting force of the American military.

Linder describes members of the Special Forces as "specially selected soldiers and trained professional warriors."

Most of them, he says, are senior officers and non-commissioned officers "that display a high degree of cognitive flexibility and operational maturity." I translate that into the ability to think out of a box, but Linder insists it is more than that.

Deployed in small teams, the Special Forces have expertise in various military disciplines such as communications, weapons and explosives, hand combat and trauma medicine. They have, Linder says, a "tremendous appreciation for other cultures" and may speak different languages.

These are the men and women who will form part of the Special Operations Forces that will go to Sulu for engineering and medical and civic action programs with Philippine troops. Of some 5,000 US troops to be deployed across the country, only about 250 will go to Jolo.

The impact of their activities can be sustained only if the Philippine government pitches in and gives Sulu the resources needed so that residents will want to abandon lawlessness for development.

If the enemy can be beaten in Basilan, it can also happen in Sulu.