Progress in the War on Terror
Great News from the Phillippines
Recently on a remote island in the Philippines named Tawi-Tawi, there was a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new boat landing. The 12,000 inhabitants (mostly Muslim) of the seaside village of Balingbing make their living off the sea as fishermen, shrimpers, and seaweed farmers. At a cost of $75,000, the pre-cast concrete commercial pier was designed and built by the U.S. Agency for International Development along with a 25% contribution by the provincial government.
While this may seem a waste of our money on a remote island in a foreign country, the real story is this island was once a haven for terrorist groups like the Abu Sayyaf Group, who are linked to al-Qaeda, and Jemaah Islamiyah. If something was not done, according to Lt. Col. Arturo Biyo, the commander of the Philippine 2nd Battalion Landing Team, “these islands could well have become a new training ground for international terrorists – just like Afghanistan in the 1990s.”
Col. Biyo and his men hunted Judnam Jamalul, affectionately referred to as “The Black Killer.” Jamalul was among 17 Abu Sayyaf wanted by the U.S. for attacks on American citizens. Maj. Joseph Cuizon led the force that tracked down and killed Jamalul. Cuizon believes what turned things around in Tawi-Tawi was “Good intelligence, the appropriate use of force when necessary and consistent civil-military programs that help the people.”
To show how far things have come, the Moro National Liberation Front, which formerly was a terrorist group, attended the ceremony in uniform. Instead of resisting the government, the group showed up to thank the Americans for the Arms to Farms program. The leader of the group is now a seaweed farmer and has a daughter in college.
In Camp Bautista last week, the U.S. State Department handed out $10 million to four brave Filipinos who provided information that led to the deaths of two ASG leaders, Khadaffy Janjalani and Abu Solaiman. Two of the informants were former ASG bandits. Janjalani was killed in September, and his presumed successor Solaiman was killed last January. The U.S. had $5 million bounties for each terrorist leader.
It was once thought that the Rewards for Justice program would have little effect in the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos are Muslim, and it was unlikely that monetary rewards would trump religious and tribal loyalties. What has changed is that the U.S. and Philippine governments are beginning to win the battle for hearts and minds. Instead of simply fighting the terrorists, the 160 U.S. commandos of Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines are also building schools, performing medical, dental, and veterinary clinics, paving roads, and helping local police solve crimes. A Philippine officer said, “Today we are making a difference in the lives of the people. It has taken time, but now they can trust us. That’s why they cooperate with us against the terrorists.”
With this much progress in the Global War on Terror in the Philippines, I can only imagine with patience and persistence, we will soon see similar progress in Iraq.
©COPYRIGHT 2007 UNTO THE BREACH MEDIA