US ambassador: Mamasapano not an American operation

MANILA, Philippines - The United States maintained that it did not carry out Oplan Exodus, the operation that led to the death of 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos in an encounter with Moro rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last year.

"This was a Philippine-designed and carried out operation. This is not an American operation," US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg said in an interview with radio dzMM. He also denied that there was an American casualty in the operation.

Goldberg added that the if ever the US gave support to the operation, it is a part of its Visiting Forces Agreement with the Philippines.

The US ambassador, however, did not elaborate the details of the participation of the US in the operation to neutralize Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan.

"There is cooperation and I think most Filipinos support that and it's done in a way that is at the request of and in conjunction with the Philippine Armed Forces and government," Goldberg said.

Goldberg admitted that the US forces have assisted the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police, including the SAF, in its efforts against international terrorism.

"We have provided intelligence... We have done training and we have done some quipping. We admit that's what we do," the US ambassador said.

The Senate joint committee report on the Mamasapano operation, which was released last year, confirmed that the US was involved in the mission.

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