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CNN Live Saturday

Interview With Amina Rasul-Bernardo

Aired January 26, 2002 - 18:17   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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: For more on the issue of U.S. troops in the Philippines and what may lie ahead, rather, in the fight against terrorism there, we are joined now by Amina Rasul-Bernardo, and she's with the U.S. Institute of Peace. Thank you so much for being with us today.

AMINA RASUL-BERNARDO, U.S. INSTITUTE OF PEACE: And thank you for having me, Ms. Callaway.

CALLAWAY: We just heard Maria Ressa talk to us a little bit about the constitution that prohibits foreign fighters on the soil there. We've also heard from U.S. officials saying that they are actually just there to train, to help the Philippine troops. What are your thoughts on this, and how difficult of a situation is this really for President Arroyo?

RASUL-BERNARDO: Well, politically, there is a certain vulnerability there because we're looking always at politics in the Philippines looking ahead, looking at 2004 at the presidential election. Now having said that, when you talk about the constitutional issues, I understand that the National Security Council of my country has met. The Senate has had hearings and so far there seems to be agreement that the presence of the military troops, the U.S. troops in the Philippines are legal.

However, caveats have been also mentioned, and I think the president has put together a ten-point program, which covers the participation of the troops, and what they're saying is that there really will be no combat action and what you're going to have are American troops who are going to provide advice, who will train, in other words be a support group. If it is this way, then I don't think you'll have problems about constitutionality.

CALLAWAY: But the strong alliance that she's building has to -- that she's building with the U.S. seems to be advantageous to her political career, not to mention that she's about to receive some $100 million worth of military equipment, a cargo plane, eight helicopters.

RASUL-BERNARDO: Yes, it's advantageous to the Philippines as it is to the United States, and the United States definitely needs an ally in Asia in its fight against terrorism. This strengthens the global nature of the fight against terrorism, and the Philippines is a strong ally. So on the other hand, the Philippines receives a lot of support to strengthen its own military operations against terrorism. However, I just would like to state at this point that I hope while we're doing all of this preparations for military operations against the Abu Sayyaf, that we don't forget insurgence and insurgences come about because there are problems at the -- at the roots, and what you need to do if you want to end the reason, the cause for insurgency you look at the root causes and you deal with it.

CALLAWAY: You mentioned that Abu Sayyaf and the U.S. involvement there. Could this not be a slippery slope for the U.S. to get accidentally involved in ethnic conflict there in the Philippines?

RASUL-BERNARDO: I'm glad you mentioned that, Ms. Callaway. Indeed, it could be a slippery slope. However, I am encouraged by statements I've heard coming from people like the CINCPAC head Dennis Blair when he says that although it's a military operation to fight against terrorism and terrorists like the Abu Sayyaf, still he looks at the development issues, that you have to address the poverty situation of places like the Muslim areas in Mindanao.

If the American troops are going to, God forbid, get involved by accident, perhaps, in encounters, which will impact on civilians then there is this possibility that the Muslims can start looking at American intervention as something that is intended to hurt the Muslim population, and not just run after Abu Sayyaf, and this is what we have to avoid.

CALLAWAY: And could you see the U.S. getting involved in perhaps trying to retrieve some of the hostages there?

RASUL-BERNARDO: Well, yes and no. Yes in the sense that they're there to provide expert training and expert assistance, advice to our own Philippine troops as they fight terrorism. And the terrorists are there. They've got the Burnhams and Ms. Yap still in custody. However, what needs to be very clear is that the U.S. troops are not going to be involved in direct action to retrieve the hostages.

If there is a perception that they're doing that, then the political opponents of President Macapagal Arroyo are going to have a field day.

CALLAWAY: All right, thank you very much for your thoughts, Amina Rasul-Bernardo, and thanks for being with us on this Saturday. I hope you have a great night.

RASUL-BERNARDO: You too and thank you so much Ms. Callaway.

CALLAWAY: All right.

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