Hmmm, so this is quite curious, Moro Islamic Liberation Front has suggested vacating some of its camps, so that the largely catholic Filipino army can go after the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah groups.
Remember these two groups are suspected in a variety of terrorist offences, such as the Bali bombing of 2005, and the airline bombing of 1994. They also have deep links with Al Qaeda.
These groups are very amorphous, and members switch easily between the groups, so if I was the Philippines military and intelligence sources, I would agree totally in return for some intelligence on the other groups.
But why this offer? Are the thieves falling out? Did some personalities clash? Another alternative could be that the MILF is getting hammered so it wants to clear out, get protection for its own people and families and in return, get the army to knock the stuffing out of its enemies. Nothing like a spot of poking and prodding to get rid of these jihadi's.
Muslim separatists offer to vacate camps amid offensive
Posted September 16th, 2007 by Tarique Anwar
* Muslim World News
By DPA
Manila : The Philippines' largest Muslim separatist rebel group has offered to abandon some of its camps in the south to avoid hampering a military offensive against Al Qaeda-linked militants, a spokesman said Sunday.
Eid Kabalu, a spokesman for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said the rebel group's leadership has made the offer as a goodwill and confidence-building gesture ahead of the resumption of peace talks with the government.
He said MILF fighters were prepared to temporarily move out of their camps in Basilan province, 900 km south of Manila, to give way to the military's offensive against Abu Sayyaf rebels and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) operatives.
"We are prepared to leave the area, on the consideration that the security and livelihood of the families of our fighters are taken care of," he said.
More than 50 soldiers have been killed in Basilan and nearby Jolo island -another stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf - since July.
While the military continues to have suspicion that some MILF members have ties with Abu Sayyaf or JI militants, the rebel group has denounced terrorism and has vowed to help the Philippine government's hunt down suspected terrorists.
Peace talks between the MILF and the Philippine government have been stalled since September 2006 over disagreements on what areas would be included in a proposed Muslim homeland.
All this to be taken with a grain of piquant salt!!!
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