Hawai'i troops likely for Philippine counterterror
By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer
Dozens of U.S. soldiers — among them troops from Special Operations Command Pacific based at Camp Smith — are expected to be sent to the Philippines as advisers to help ratchet up counterterrorism efforts as the war on terrorism shifts from Afghanistan to other parts of the world.
U.S. troops from the Pacific region will be sent later this month to advise the Armed Forces of the Philippines on issues including intelligence gathering, psychological operations and medical training as part of a renewed effort to root out Abu Sayyaf, a Muslim extremist group linked to al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden.
"This will involve a number of Americans who will be coming over from U.S. Pacific (Command)," Philippine Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Teodosio told the Manila Times. "They'll be here to observe for some time and then they will sit down together with their AFP counterparts ... and discuss the areas that need to be improved and enhanced by the operating troops of the AFP."
Philippine officials said the American troops will not take part in fighting, but will be there to train and assist. Advance parties of U.S. military advisers have been arriving at Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines, but the bulk of the force is expected to arrive by Jan. 15.
Hawai'i-based military officials said Special Operations Command Pacific is preparing a training program that may range from instruction on dropping cargo from a C-130 transport — a task that could fall to a Hawai'i unit — to "tactical observation," hiding in a foxhole and watching without being seen.
A C-130 Hercules was delivered last month to the Philippines with 16,000 pounds of military hardware as part of an assistance package promised by President Bush when Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visited Washington in October.
The United States also recently delivered hundreds of weapons, including sniper rifles, mortars and grenade launchers.
The latest effort is seen as building upon Pacific Command initiatives such as last summer's four-month training initiative with the Philippine Light Reaction Company, a special forces unit.
Advanced infantry skills covered included communications and medical and logistical support.
More than two dozen Special Operations Command Pacific soldiers, logisticians and medical experts from Hawai'i and the Pacific region were in the Asian country at any one time.
SOCPAC acts as the "executive agent" for Pacific Command during the training, drawing military expertise from the 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces in Japan and other parts of the Pacific.
"The best way to describe (the training getting under way now) is there is an increased sense of urgency," said a Hawai'i-based military official. "The pace at which we're making this happen and dedicating resources to it is somewhat more rapid than pre-Sept. 11."
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reportedly has directed Pacific Command to focus on al-Qaida members seeking to flee to the Philippines.
Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-5459.
