Matblack
29-11-2008, 12:44
Deep in a jungle hide-out in Mindanao's remote Lanao del Norte province, about 100 men armed with American-made assault rifles gather to pledge a jihad, or holy war, against the Philippines government.
They are members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front [MILF]
The MILF controls 12,000 men under arms
The MILF has now broken up into smaller and more mobile guerrilla units, whose leaders are confined to secret locations.
But although the MILF has experience overseas, Mr Murad insisted that their struggle was purely a domestic one.
The MILF does not deny that it has welcomed foreign visitors to its camps in the past.
"And whenever this is raised, the MILF says, oh, we have nothing to do with it. That kind of thing is really not very credible,"
The Philippines government has taken a more hardline approach to the MILF.
Since mid-February, the Philippines government has broken off peace negotiations and has begun large scale assaults on MILF positions, tying up more than half its armed forces in Mindanao.
But Al Haj Murad said that the Americans were really after the MILF!
:D
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3003809.stm
MB
They are members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front [MILF]
The MILF controls 12,000 men under arms
The MILF has now broken up into smaller and more mobile guerrilla units, whose leaders are confined to secret locations.
But although the MILF has experience overseas, Mr Murad insisted that their struggle was purely a domestic one.
The MILF does not deny that it has welcomed foreign visitors to its camps in the past.
"And whenever this is raised, the MILF says, oh, we have nothing to do with it. That kind of thing is really not very credible,"
The Philippines government has taken a more hardline approach to the MILF.
Since mid-February, the Philippines government has broken off peace negotiations and has begun large scale assaults on MILF positions, tying up more than half its armed forces in Mindanao.
But Al Haj Murad said that the Americans were really after the MILF!
:D
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3003809.stm
MB