US open to longer term military presence in RP — Wolfowitz

US Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said yesterday Washington was open to the idea of keeping American troops in the Philippines after its anti-terror operation in the South ends next month.

US President George W. Bush has emphasized that the war against terrorism is going to be a long process, Wolfowitz said in Manila as he prepared to fly to Basilan island, the focus of the joint US-Filipino military campaign against Abu Sayyaf guerrillas.

"We will be open to all kinds of possibilities, not just with respect to Balikatan (the joint military campaign), but with respect to the larger peace and order problems in this country," Wolfowitz said when asked if some US military advisers would stay behind on Basilan.

"I would like to emphasize that whatever specific steps that we decide to do, or decide not to do, it is a mistake to focus too much on any one detail, or even as I said last time, even (on) one small island," he told a news conference.

Both countries agreed yesterday to move US special forces closer to combat areas in Basilan in a stepped-up manhunt for Abu Sayyaf fighters.

"There was consensus that training will be intensified and pushed forward to the company level," Presidential Spokesman Silvestre Afable said following talks between Wolfowitz and government officials at Malacañang.

"However, US troops will not be allowed to engage the rebels in combat as this is the war of our own armed forces," he added.

Under an accord, the US troops are mandated to leave after June 30 following six months training, advising, and sharing intelligence with Filipino troops fighting the Abu Sayyaf guerrillas linked to the al- Qaeda network of suspected terrorist mastermind Osama bin laden.

Wolfowitz said Washington remained opposed to the idea of using the 1,000 US troops now in the Philippines beyond their current advisory role to go after the Muslim rebel group, which still holds a US Christian missionary couple and a Filipina nurse hostage.

"We are not talking of sending in US troops to do the job of the Philippine armed forces," he said, but on "improving the capability of the Filipino armed forces to do the job themselves."

President Arroyo, who has publicly called for more exercises with US troops focusing on fighting international terrorism, meanwhile said yesterday the training should go down to the tactical level to be more effective.

"There are certain things in the terms of reference that have not been put into practice. For example, the training has not reached down to the company level," she said in an interview on local radio.

"If the training goes down to company level, I think Balikatan (the joint military exercise) would be more effective," she added.

A total of 160 US Special Forces among the 1,000 troops in the South are staying with Filipino battalions in Basilan, but have not joined smaller unit combat patrols against the Abu Sayyaf.

Wolfowitz – perceived as a hawk in the US security policy team – said a decision on extending the operation beyond June would be up to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, after consultations with the host government. — With AFP, AP, Paolo Romero, Pia Lee-Brago

He said the two allies agreed that "this is going to be a series, I believe, of individual steps" with the first phase to end within a month.

The US government believes US hostages Martin and Gracia Burnham are alive, he said, but declined to discuss tactical details on efforts to free them.

While the two armies are doing their best to find and rescue them, "... it’s a misleading impression to suggest to the Filipinos that as soon as the Burnhams are rescued the Americans will leave the Philippines," he added.

Wolfowitz said he was visiting Manila and Basilan "not to make decisions but to have a better appreciation of the situation so that I can better advise Secretary Rumsfeld and he in turn can advise the president." . — With AFP, AP, Paolo Romero, Pia Lee-Brago