US revises troops' Philippines role

US revises troops' Philippines role

Adjustments were needed, Mr Rumsfeld said

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said no final decision has been taken on whether American troops should be allowed to fight against Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines.

Last week, US officials said a new deployment of soldiers would go beyond the scope of previous training exercises with Philippines troops.

That caused upset in the Philippines, where the constitution bars foreign troops from combat, though tackling rebels is a priority for the government.

Philippines Defence Minister Angelo Reyes met Mr Rumsfeld in Washington on Friday, and the two agreed that more talks were needed.

To the extent we can be helpful to them... we want to do that

Donald Rumsfeld,
US Defence Secretary

The US planned to send troops to its former colony to help the Philippines Government in its battle against Abu Sayyaf separatist rebels.

Mr Rumsfeld said: "The goal is to have the Philippine military capable and successful in dealing with the terrorist problems that exist in that country.

"To the extent we can be helpful to them in a variety of different ways that are consistent with their circumstance, we want to do that."

Damage limitation

The BBC's correspondent at the US defence headquarters in the Pentagon, Nick Childs, says Mr Rumsfeld's comments were an attempt to damp down the controversy.

Our correspondent adds that the 2003 deployment of US troops had been portrayed as a major escalation in military co-operation.

Officials had talked of 350 special forces troops being involved, backed by 400 support personnel and 1,000 marines stationed on ships offshore.

Critically, officials said the soldiers would have a combat role and be able to attack, rather than firing only in self-defence as in previous exercises training Philippines soldiers.

Mr Reyes said ending the problem was more a matter of semantics rather than having to resolve policy differences.

"We are groping for a correct solution to the legal problem," he said.

Deadline

The Philippines defence chief was speaking after his President, Gloria Arroyo, set a 90-day deadline for her armed forces to end the threat posed by the Abu Sayyaf.

Mrs Arroyo warned that commanders who failed to perform would be replaced.

[It] would be far easier if we are assisted and supported by American forces

Angelo Reyes,
Philippines Defence Secretary

The BBC correspondent in Manila, John McLean, says government officials have set similar deadlines against the Abu Sayyaf several times in the past, but they have always run out with the group still intact.

But Mrs Arroyo said on Friday that she was confident the Abu Sayyaf could be defeated within the allotted time.

In Washington, Mr Reyes said the task "would be far easier if we are assisted and supported by American forces".

A US-backed Philippine offensive last year on Basilan island was credited with breaking up the main faction of the Abu Sayyaf - a group fighting for a Muslim territory in the overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country.

The US has also said the rebels may have links to al-Qaeda.