O'ahu-based troops at work in Philippines

By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer

Special Operations Command Pacific, based at Camp Smith, is leading the way for the deployment of hundreds of U.S. soldiers to the Philippines to act as advisers as the war on terrorism is stepped up on new fronts.

About 25 SOCPAC soldiers arrived in the Philippines about a week and a half ago to conduct site survey work and determine logistical requirements for the larger force, a Hawai'i-based military official said.

"They (the additional soldiers) are standing by right now," the official said. Drawn from around the Pacific region, those troops will train, advise and assist members of the Philippines' armed forces on counterterrorism tactics, but will not take part in fighting.

"They will be armed (only) for their own self-defense," the official said.

The Washington Post reported yesterday that over the next 30 days, about 150 troops, primarily Army Special Forces, will arrive in the Philippines and begin accompanying Filipino forces on patrols on Basilan as part of a U.S. contingent that could swell to 650 soldiers.

The force would represent the most serious expansion of U.S. antiterrorism efforts yet beyond Afghanistan.

President Bush has promised Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo millions of dollars in military aid, a C-130 transport plane, eight Huey helicopters, and 30,000 M-16 rifles for its fight against Abu Sayyaf, the Muslim extremist group that the U.S. government says is linked to Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida terrorist network.

Small numbers of additional Hawai'i-based troops could help train Philippine soldiers, officials said.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld yesterday re-emphasized that the terrorists pose a serious threat — a global problem involving networks beyond al-Qaida and Afghanistan.

"The Philippines has a problem with terrorists and terrorism," Rumsfeld said. "The government of the Philippines has been addressing it. And the United States, through the combatant commander in the Pacific Command, Adm. Dennis Blair, has been working with the government of the Philippines."

Rumsfeld said there are "something like" 240 or 250 U.S. military personnel in the country, and he expects "several hundred more people going in" for exercises and training.

About 400 U.S. soldiers from the Pacific region are taking part in "Balanced Piston," joint training exercises with the Philippines that have been held since 1994. The training includes small-unit leadership and tactics, maritime operations, parachuting skills, medical care, and combat search and rescue, officials said.

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-5459.