VZCZCXRO6201
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHML #4805/01 3261010
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 221010Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4049
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IMMEDIATE
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA IMMEDIATE 9481
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO IMMEDIATE 2972
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHHMUNA/CDRUSPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHHMUNS/COMSOCPAC HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 004805
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP, PM, AND EAP/MTS
USPACOM ALSO FOR FPA HUSO AND J5
SECDEF/OSD/ISA/AP (TOOLAN/BAILEY)
JOINT STAFF/J5 (WILKES/ROBINSON/CLEMMONS)
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER MARR MASS MOPS MCAP PREL RP
SUBJECT: ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILLEN SEES FIRST-HAND HOW THE
U.S. IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE ON JOLO
1. (SBU) SUMMARY. On a November 11 trip to Jolo Island in
the Sulu Archipelago, Political-Military Affairs Assistant
Secretary Hillen witnessed the transformational programs
SIPDIS
underway with collaboration among the Armed Forces of the
Philippines, the U.S. Joint Special Operations Task
Force-Philippines, and the Embassy. He opened a
USAID-financed community center in Jolo City and inspected
the construction site of a future USAID-financed community
center and an Armed Forces of the Philippines/Joint Special
Operations Task Force-Philippines Medical Civic Action
Program in the former Abu Sayyaf Group stronghold of Indanan.
He toured the rejuvenated village of Panamao, which in
February 2005 had been devastated by fighting between the
Philippine military and Muslim separatists. Complementing
the current Philippine military campaign to capture or kill
the senior Abu Sayyaf Group and Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist
leadership now on the run on Jolo, integrated and
synchronized U.S. defense, diplomacy, and development efforts
are helping the Philippine government isolate and defeat the
terrorists and assist local populations. END SUMMARY.
2. (SBU) PM Assistant Secretary Hillen's November 11 trip to
Zamboanga City and Jolo Island in the southern
Philippines provided an on-the-ground view of ongoing
counterterrorism efforts. Deputy Chief of Mission Jones
and Brigadier General Toolan, Acting Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asian Affairs,
SIPDIS
joined him along with poloff O'Friel. Rear Admiral Tracy,
the PACOM J-5, attended the Zamboanga portion of the trip
before his departure for Kuala Lumpur.
3. (SBU) In Jolo City, A/S Hillen opened a USAID-financed
community center, with remarks to a packed hall and
onlookers in the center of Jolo City. He then traveled to
the former Abu Sayyaf Group stronghold of Indanan to
inspect the construction site of a future USAID-financed
community center and an Armed Forces of the Philippines/Joint
Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF) Medical
Civic Action Program (MEDCAP). He later toured the
rejuvenated village of Panamao, which in February 2005 had
been devastated by fighting between the Philippine military
and Muslim separatists. He witnessed how the USG's defense,
diplomacy, and development efforts are integrated and
synchronized to help the Philippine government track down the
Abu Sayyaf Group and Jemaah Islamiyah leaders on Jolo island,
as well as to attack the underlying factors that feed
terrorism.
4. (SBU) Lieutenant General Eugenio Cedo, the Philippine
commander of Western Mindanao Command, praised U.S.
development and civic activities, saying that economic
development was helping to prevent the lawlessness that leads
to terrorism and commented that the people of Jolo were now
seeing a positive difference in their lives. "They are more
friendly to us; they don't want the ASG and are providing us
information on the High Value Targets," he stated. Cedo
noted that, although he had been apprehensive about dealing
with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) following the
2005 clashes with the Misuari Breakaway Group, the attitude
of the MNLF leaders on Jolo had now changed, and they were
increasingly willing to cooperate with his forces.
5. (SBU) Indanan Mayor Felip Jainal was effusive in his
thanks for U.S. help during the inspection of the site of the
future community center, a multi-purpose building that would
serve as a market, meeting place, and classroom. "We
couldn't have done this with our own resources," he admitted.
At the nearby MEDCAP, the first-ever in this part of the
Indanan municipality, U.S. and Philippine soldiers and NGO
representatives from the Philippine Red Cross and Save the
Children worked side-by-side to treat over 600 patients of
all ages. From the smiles, it was clear that the response
was overwhelmingly positive.
6. (SBU) Panamao has become a showcase of U.S. efforts.
Once war-torn, the village is now becoming a regional
pole. The dynamic Mrs. Anang Abdurajak, the mayor's wife,
has organized a cooperative to produce clothes with sewing
MANILA 00004805 002 OF 002
machines donated by the United States, and has embraced
USAID-donated computers and Internet linkup as a means to
educate the young Muslim women in her community. Looking to
generate further economic activity, the Abdurajaks have
developed a sweat-equity proposal to turn an abandoned
building into a market to serve the surrounding area.
JSOTF-P has the proposal under consideration and will likely
implement it by first quarter 2007. According to Mayor
Abdurajak, the Mayor of Kalingalang Caluang in southeastern
Jolo, an area of suspected terrorist activity, has already
asked how his community, too, can benefit from U.S.
assistance.
COMMENT
-------
7. (SBU) The synergy between USAID and JSOTF-P efforts,
coupled with robust public diplomacy and regular visits by
the Ambassador and other senior U.S. officials, are beginning
to tell in the campaign to capture or kill the terrorist
leadership on Jolo. In this campaign, the population is the
center of gravity, and the United States is helping to move
the momentum solidly in the direction of the Philippine
government. Successful bilateral efforts in the Philippines
serve broader U.S. multilateral security interests by helping
the GRP to cooperate more effectively with its neighbors not
only on counterterrorism, but also on maritime security,
counter-proliferation, disaster response, and other regional
issues.
8. (SBU) Assistant Secretary Hillen has cleared this
telegram.
Visit Embassy Manila's Classified website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm
KENNEY