U.S., Filipino Leaders Meet to Strengthen Ties
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
MANILA, Sept. 18, 2000 -- Defense Secretary William S.
Cohen said the main theme of his trip to Asia is to
solidify relationships, and he spent the weekend doing
exactly that.
The Philippines was the first stop on his nine-day trip. He
met with Philippine President Joseph Estrada, noting the
United States supports Estrada’s efforts to promote a
unified, democratic country.
“We support his opposition to the groups now that are
holding hostages -- including an American,” Cohen said. The
secretary stressed the United States will not pay a ransom
for the return of the American held hostage by a Muslim
separatist rebel group on the island of Mindanao.
He said the United States had repeatedly urged the
Philippine government to negotiate the release of the 21
hostages. The Philippine military launched an attack
against the rebels at 7 a.m. Sept. 16. Cohen said he
received advance word of the operation as a courtesy, but
had no details.
He stressed to reporters the United States has no role in
the situation.
Cohen said U.S. planners believe the Philippine military
needs to form “special units that would be able to conduct
military operations under the right circumstances.” He said
the United States is willing to work with the Philippine
military in that regard. Cohen said the United States would
play no direct or indirect role in any operations against
rebel groups.
“The longer term solution [for the Philippines] would be to
have appropriate training in counterterrorism types of
activities which we are prepared to move forward on,” Cohen
said.
Cohen also seeks to reinvigorate the U.S.-Philippine
defense relationship. In 1991, the Philippine Senate
rejected a treaty allowing the United States to maintain
the Subic Bay Naval Complex and other bases in the country.
The last U.S. service member left in November 1992.
Last year, the Philippine Senate ratified a Visiting Forces
Agreement with the United States, and U.S. service members
began participating in exercises with their Filipino
counterparts.
Since the agreement was signed, 34 exercises have been held
or are planned through the end of 2001. The largest was
Balikatan 2000, a joint combined field training exercise
held in April and May. Plans are afoot to make the exercise
an annual event, with the next Balikatan exercise slated
for April and May 2001.
In addition, the United States maintains close military-to-
military contacts with the Filipino military. The United
States provides military training and some equipment to the
Filipino armed forces.
Other exercises that included the Philippines were the
Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training, or CARAT,
series. The exercises also include units from other Asian
allies such as Thailand and Singapore. CARAT was held June
13-26 and contained several humanitarian relief projects as
well as peacekeeping exercises. CARAT is scheduled to be
repeated in 2001.
Another series of exercises, called Piston, seeks to
strengthen U.S.-Philippine interoperability in the special
forces arena. Six Piston exercises have already been held
and seven more are set through the end of 2001. Dates for
the exercises are not available.
Cohen said the exercise program with the Philippines would
probably grow with larger units participating.
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