"Philippine Rebels To Target US Troops"


Monday 26 December 2005
Courtesy of: al-Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net

Marxist Guerrillas in the Philippines have given warning of possible assaults on American troops and threatened to escalate attacks against the government of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

The communist party of the Philippines, in a statement on Monday, its 37th anniversary criticised the US military for its increasing intervention in the Philippines. It urged its members to take steps to deter the US from "further plundering" the country.

It called on its armed wing, the New People's Army, to "study and learn in advance how to inflict casualties on US military personnel" and said the rebels should look forward to
"the glorious opportunity" of avenging the deaths of Filipinos killed during the 1898 to 1946 US occupation.

The rebels--blacklisted by Washington as a terrorist group--have stepped up their attacks in recent months, killing several Filipino soldiers and wounding dozens more in landmine attacks.

There have been no known attacks on American soldiers.

Communist rebels have said Washington's counterterrorism training also intends to wipe them out. They have warned US troops to stay away from their strongholds.