U.S. GIs Fighting In Philippines
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Courtesy Of: Yahoo News
By OLIVER TEVES,
Associated Press Writer
Mon Jan 15, 5:47 AM ET
MANILA, Philippines - U.S. troops, in possible violation of the Philippines' constitution, have taken part in combat operations against guerrillas linked to al-Qaida, an activist group said in a report Monday.
The group Focus on the Global South, citing a number of U.S. military writings, doctrines and eyewitness accounts to back its claim, said an independent investigation should be conducted to determine whether the alleged combat operations violated the Philippine constitution.
The U.S. Special Forces contingent has been deployed in the south since 2002, ...
Lussenhop said the number of Special Forces troops average "no more than a few hundred at any one time."
Herbert Docena, who wrote the report for the activist group that promotes human rights and fair trade, said U.S. troops may also be violating the Philippine constitutional ban on the stationing of foreign military bases in the country since the they have not left the south since they arrived five years ago.
Lussenhop, however, said the facilities and camps being used by the Americans were only temporary.
The U.S. military presence in this former American colony is a sensitive issue, heightened following the recent conviction of a U.S. Marine on rape charges. The Marine was not part of the U.S. task force.
Docena said eyewitnesses claim to have seen U.S. troops near hostilities, operating military equipment, defusing land mines and performing other war-related activities. U.S. troops also operate spy planes over areas of hostilities, including one unmanned aircraft that crashed last year, he said.
Philippine Senator Rodolfo Biazon, head of the Senate defense committee, said U.S. troops are explicitly banned from joining Filipino troops on combat patrols or operations.
U.S. forces, however, are allowed to fire back if they come under attack, he said.
Link To Report:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070115/ap_on_re_as/philippines
***********************************
Courtesy Of: Yahoo News
By OLIVER TEVES,
Associated Press Writer
Mon Jan 15, 5:47 AM ET
MANILA, Philippines - U.S. troops, in possible violation of the Philippines' constitution, have taken part in combat operations against guerrillas linked to al-Qaida, an activist group said in a report Monday.
The group Focus on the Global South, citing a number of U.S. military writings, doctrines and eyewitness accounts to back its claim, said an independent investigation should be conducted to determine whether the alleged combat operations violated the Philippine constitution.
The U.S. Special Forces contingent has been deployed in the south since 2002, ...
Lussenhop said the number of Special Forces troops average "no more than a few hundred at any one time."
Herbert Docena, who wrote the report for the activist group that promotes human rights and fair trade, said U.S. troops may also be violating the Philippine constitutional ban on the stationing of foreign military bases in the country since the they have not left the south since they arrived five years ago.
Lussenhop, however, said the facilities and camps being used by the Americans were only temporary.
The U.S. military presence in this former American colony is a sensitive issue, heightened following the recent conviction of a U.S. Marine on rape charges. The Marine was not part of the U.S. task force.
Docena said eyewitnesses claim to have seen U.S. troops near hostilities, operating military equipment, defusing land mines and performing other war-related activities. U.S. troops also operate spy planes over areas of hostilities, including one unmanned aircraft that crashed last year, he said.
Philippine Senator Rodolfo Biazon, head of the Senate defense committee, said U.S. troops are explicitly banned from joining Filipino troops on combat patrols or operations.
U.S. forces, however, are allowed to fire back if they come under attack, he said.
Link To Report:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070115/ap_on_re_as/philippines
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