Washington Post: Why are we in Jolo?

WASHINGTON – The dispatch of US combat troops to fight Muslim guerrillas in the Philippines is potentially dangerous and requires an explanation of "why young Americans might need to die for this new cause," the Washington Post said.

In an editorial on Saturday, entitled "Why are we in Jolo?" the daily said sending combat soldiers to the Philippines, "though dwarfed, perhaps, by the scale of the impending war with Iraq, sounds like a substantial and potentially treacherous campaign.

"Yet neither the president nor any senior official has explained to the country why young Americans might need to die for this new cause – nor has Congress, which is on recess, discussed it. Whatever the merits of the Philippine operation, that is a bad start."

The editorial was published after Malacañang repeatedly denied that it would allow US troops to participate in combat operations on Philippine soil.

The Post said it was worth remembering that US troops have already fought Muslim guerrillas in the southern Philippines a century ago and "the result was a bloody quagmire and damaging accusations of brutality by US troops."

It said "there may be a strong case for once again putting young Americans in harm’s way in the Philippine jungle" but the Bush administration has not made the case, either to Congress or to the public.

"Nor has it explained what the costs of the intervention might be and what limits there might be to it.

"History shows that such limits are needed when the mission is counter-insurgency in a foreign land. If the administration hasn’t set them, Congress should ask for them," the Post added.

In a separate news analysis, the newspaper said "fresh signs of . . . links between Abu Sayyaf, other terrorist groups and Iraq" was one reason why the Pentagon was committing 3,000 Army, Marine and Navy personnel to fight the relatively small outfit with a reputation more for local thuggery than global terror.

Another reason was an "expanded, more aggressive mandate granted by the Philippines to US forces."

"In broader terms, the new initiative is regarded by Pentagon officials as a strategic opportunity to reinforce a critical alliance with the Philippines, the Post added.

Last year about 1,200 US troops were sent to the southern Philippines for six months to train Filipino soldiers and provide noncombat advisory roles in the fight against the Abu Sayyaf.