Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Philippines Has Become a New Front in War on Terrorism

Aired February 05, 2002 - 07:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: The Philippines has become a new front in the war on terrorism. More than 600 American troops are now on the ground in the region. It is the largest deployment since Afghanistan. The goal is to help the Philippine military in its guerrilla war against Abu Sayyaf, a Muslim terrorist group with ties to al Qaeda. American forces are up against some tough odds.

Our Maria Ressa has a closer look at what U.S. forces are actually getting into.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARIA RESSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When soldiers here see men with guns they fire; otherwise, they run the risk of being ambushed. Although their target is the al Qaeda link Abu Sayyaf, which continues to hold two Americans and one Filipino hostage, there are also rebels from the largest Muslim separatist group, the MILF, and renegade members of the MNLF, which staged a rebellion last year. Add to that mercenaries, criminals and vigilantes, and you can see why it's hard to tell friend from fore.

Here, soldiers thought they attacked the Abu Sayyaf, killing one man. The group turned out to be civilian volunteers armed by the military. "We thought the Abu Sayyaf was firing at us," says this volunteer now in a military hospital. "We just ran."

In the coming weeks, about 160 U.S. special forces are expected to join Filipino combat patrols. They will be armed and can fire back in self-defense. Although cases of mistaken identity happen often, they could become flash points for nationalists if an American soldier is involved.

There are other dangers. Hundreds of MILF rebels on Basilan say they will shoot American soldiers who enter their territory. Communist rebels who have been fighting the government since 1969 echoed the same warning.

RODOLFO BIAZON, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: If the American troops are put in combat situations and these other (UNINTELLIGIBLE) are sucked into the situation -- the combat situation that we will have over here -- we will have some problems.

RESSA: Last week, an American tourist was ambushed and killed, says the army, by suspected communist rebels. The group may also have fired on a U.S. special forces plane taking part in another joint exercise in the north.

(on camera): This is some of what American soldiers have brought here to the southern command headquarters in Zamboanga. They're here for now, but over the next few weeks about 160 will be deployed in combat areas in Basilan. Their presence there, warned some policy makers, could shift the nature of some of the conflicts in America's only former colony in Asia, and could well make American soldiers primary targets.

Maria Ressa, CNN, Zamboanga City, the Philippines.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: The decision to accept American military assistance may be a risky proposition for the Philippine President Gloria Arroyo. She is facing growing criticism at home because of the way she is pursuing the terrorists. It is a double-edge sword that is cutting both ways. I had a chance to sit down with the president in this exclusive interview while she was in New York for the World Economic Forum.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: President Arroyo, it is an honor to meet you. Thank you very much for joining us on AMERICAN MORNING.

PRES. GLORIA ARROYO, PHILIPPINES: My pleasure.

ZAHN: There are more than 600 U.S. troops that have been deployed to the Philippines extensively for a training mission. But they will be going into hostile areas, and they will be allowed to fire in self-defense. What do you say to your critics who say this sounds like combat to them (ph)?

ARROYO: It doesn't. It's not combat at all, because if you're going to talk about the 660 -- actually, it's only 160 who will be going to the island of Basilan, which is where -- which is that island in Southwestern Philippines where the terrorists are. And the 160 will not all go to the area. They will deployed two Americans for every 120 Filipinos. So that's not combat at all. And this is training. It's not extensive (ph) training, it's real training. Now self-defense is a human right. Wherever you are you have the right of self-defense.

ZAHN: But, of course, there is concern not only among your population, but among Americans, that this could lead to mission creep (ph). Can you guarantee both to the Filipino public and the U.S. public that this will not happen?

ARROYO: It will not happen because our soldiers don't want it to happen. Our soldiers want to do the fighting themselves. But they welcome its assistance in training, assistance in equipment, assistance in surveillance, assistance in this technology, assistance in side war (ph). So it is the -- it is the self-respect of the Filipino soldiers that will be the guarantee.

ZAHN: Describe to us the perception that exists in some parts of the Philippines that you are a puppet of the United States, and you're essentially abdicating some sort of control of your country to the U.S.

ARROYO: The latest survey shows that 86 percent of the people support my policy. So the ones who call me a puppet are the same anti-Americans that have been there for generations now.

ZAHN: So what do you do to quell the course of, you know, "Gloria, go home to the United States?"

ARROYO: I just allow them to have their democratic space and do what they have to do, because I have the support of the majority of the population. And I have the support of the mainstream political leadership.

ZAHN: Can you give us an update on the status on the two Americans currently being held in the Philippines on this island by this rebel group, Abu Sayyaf -- a group that has ties to al Qaeda?

ARROYO: Well these two Americans really are like all the other victims of terrorism. And their presence, I suppose, remind the American people -- reminds the American people how evil terrorism is, because many innocent lives are placed at risk. In fact, in the Philippines, many brave soldiers lives have been lost trying to rescue these two Americans. So this is the evil of terrorism, that's why it must be stamped out of the face of the earth.

ZAHN: Do you think they'll survive?

ARROYO: We're trying our best. And I believe, in fact, that the Americans coming to upgrade our capability to fight terrorism will enhance those chances. To begin with, the reason why the fight against the Abu Sayyaf has taken this long is that my number one instruction to the military is to make sure to -- that we will not jeopardize the lives of the hostages. So this is our number one criteria.

ZAHN: So the idea is to find them, as far as the U.S. role is concerned, but not necessarily flush them out?

ARROYO: The idea of the U.S. role is to train our soldiers. To train our soldiers and has the capability of finding them. And doing all the operational things is to be done by our Filipino soldiers.

ZAHN: How widespread is -- presence is there of al Qaeda in the Philippines right now?

ARROYO: We know that from the various intelligence reports that have been publicized, in fact, that we have -- there our terrorist cells all over the region. So it doesn't matter whether these terrorist cells are connected to al Qaeda or not. In the international coalition against terrorism, we fight terrorism wherever they are, whether or not they have institutional ties with one another.

ZAHN: After this conference that you participated in yesterday, an ambassador noted that it's interesting that you and Cora (ph) Aquino are two women who essentially had to take on a presidency and basically play cleanup for the very corrupt men that proceeded you. Is there something to women in the Philippines having to play that role governmentally?

ARROYO: There are characteristics of -- that are inherent to women that tend to give us -- to make us place great importance on, you know, on moral values. So perhaps that's why through the will of God, as manifested to people in power, both of us became president.

ZAHN: I know you've been working very hard to remind the Filipino public that you've had a 3.7 percent growth rate last year, higher than any third-world country. And that you're well known for being an economic expert. But you also have to deal with the idea of public relations, and I know your government is spending close to $800,000 now to make sure your message is getting across. Is there part of that -- are you completely comfortable with that, or is that sort of the downside to having to be a politician (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?

ARROYO: I wouldn't call it a downside, but I call it an important part of leadership that you must be able to communicate your vision. You must be able to communicate the good news and able to communicate hope.

ZAHN: And do you find much hope in these days after September 11th?

ARROYO: I think that there have been serendipities (ph) that have come out of September 11th. For one, I think September 11th saw an unprecedented international coalition against terrorism. And I would hope that now that the military war is coming to an inevitable victory for the coalition that this coalition should not drift away, but rather be mobilized now into the -- into the battle against the twin of terrorism, which is poverty.

ZAHN: Which, of course, is something that you're fighting so hard to fight in your own country. President Arroyo, thank you very much for spending this time with us on AM.

ARROYO: Thank you.

ZAHN: It's an honor to meet you.

ARROYO: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com