War on terror comes to Philippines

A steady stream of U.S. transport aircraft have been arriving at the southern Philippine airbase

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines -- Joint military operations involving U.S. and Philippine troops have been officially launched in what is being seen as the most significant expansion of the war on terrorism since the military campaign in Afghanistan.

Some 650 U.S. troops are expected to take part in training and advising the Philippine military in its fight against the extremist Abu Sayyaf Muslim militants in the south of the country.

Both the U.S. and Philippine governments believe the Abu Sayyaf has ties to the al Qaeda terror network of Osama bin Laden, receiving both weapons and training from the millionaire Saudi dissident.

The group has held a U.S. missionary couple and a Philippine nurse hostage for the past eight months in their remote jungle camps.

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Last year the group beheaded another American hostage.

In preparation for the joint exercises, the U.S. military has been steadily building up its presence at their base near Zamboanga in the southern Philippines.

But many in the country feel threatened by the participation of U.S. forces in what they see as a Philippine conflict.

Training

The joint operations will see U.S. troops -- armed for self-defense -- entering a combat zone on Philippine territory for the first time.

The exercises, billed to last for six months, are ostensibly to provide training and asses the technical needs of Philippine troops in their long-running campaign to root out an estimated 800 or so Abu Sayyaf fighters.

Philippine soldiers have spent months battling the Abu Sayyaf but with little success

However, critics say they fear the U.S. troops are merely the thin end of the wedge leading to a permanent American military presence in the country.

The constitutional legality of the American military deployment has been fiercely debated among Philippine lawmakers and several protests have been held outside the U.S. Embassy in Manila.

According to the Philippine constitution, overseas troops are not allowed to enter into combat on Philippine soil unless under a formal treaty.

'Threats'

Meanwhile Philippine government officials have given a cool reception to President George W. Bush's State of the Union warning Tuesday that if countries fail to deal with terrorist activities on their soil, "America will."

"It's clear in my mind that one president of a friendly country does not threaten another friendly country," the Associated Press quoted Justice Secretary Hernando Perez as saying.

Protests have been growing from groups opposed to the U.S. military presence

"We don't depend on what the Americans would claim to be necessary. We do seek assistance from them in case of need, but that doesn't mean they will run the foreign policy of our country."

Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes echoed his comments saying Washington was free to freeze the assets of groups linked with terrorism or pursue diplomatic measures, but warning the U.S. against forcefully imposing its will on other countries.

"We're a self-respecting sovereign state, and we will not allow any other country to impose its will on us if it's against our national interest," Reyes said.

"They have their interest to protect and we will do everything to pursue ours."