Philippine Marine chief in Basilan sacked (tags)
-The commander of the Marine brigade battling Muslim extremists in Basilan was sacked from his post for not personally leading his troops into battle, the military’s chief said Wednesday. The removal of Col. Ra miro Alivio, commander of the 1st Marine Brigade, comes just days after heavy troop casualties in clashes with the Abu Sayyaf. Alivio would be moved to another position in the Marine headquarters in Fort Bonifacio “where his intelligence background will serve our organization best,” said Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon. He has been replaced by Col. Rus tico Guerrero, Esperon said.
More Philippine troops sent to hunt for Janjalani, JI operatives (tags)
News sources and the Philippine military said Tuesday it will send another 2,000 troops to Jolo to bolster a US-backed four-month offensive to capture the country's top terror suspects. According ot news sources, about 6,000 Army troops and Marines have been searching for Indonesians Umar Patek and Dulmatin, suspected members of the Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah network, who fled to the southern Philippines after allegedly plotting the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, Abu Sayyaf leader Khadaffy Janjalani since August 2006.
5,700 US troops coming for war exercises in Luzon (tags)
Some 5,700 American military personnel will join Filipino troops this month in major war drills, including live-fire exercises, amphibious landings and ship interdictions, US and Philippine military officials said yesterday.
5,700 US TROOPS COMING FOR WAR EXERCISES IN LUZON (tags)
ome 5,700 American military personnel will join Filipino troops this month in major war drills, including live-fire exercises, amphibious landings and ship interdictions, US and Philippine military officials said yesterday. Unlike recent training in Mindanao, the new joint exercises will not be aimed primarily at battling terrorism but focus on routine drills to enhance both forces’ capabilities to operate together, US Marine Capt. Burrell Parmer said.