Foreign embassies likely targets of terror attack -- official

MANILA, Philippines – A ranking security official said today that foreign embassies that belong to countries that support the United States global war against terrorism are likely targets of retaliatory attacks by sympathizers of slain terror leader Osama bin Laden.

National Security Adviser Cesar Garcia said in a briefing in Malacañang that the Philippine National Police (PNP) has deployed additional security personnel to these embassies.

“The government has nonetheless deemed it prudent to upgrade critical infrastructures and other places deemed likely targets of a terrorist attack,” Garcia said, as he assured that there is no “immediate threat in Metro Manila.”

He said that other likely targets of bin Laden’s sympathizers in the country, including members of the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah, are five-star hotels and other “areas frequented by tourists” particularly Americans.

He added that airports, seaports, public transport facilities, malls and other areas of public convergence are also potential targets.

Garcia reiterated that the terror threat level in Metro Manila remains moderate, meaning “war threat groups may have the intent to detect untoward activities, detect terror capability to carry out such intentions has not been monitored and deemed unlikely at this time.”

He said that the threat level in Mindanao remains high as there are groups in the southern region that are sympathetic to bin Laden’s cause.

Aside from the Abu Sayyaf, he said the intelligence community believes that there are 20 to 30 JI militants living with Filipino wives in Mindanao.

Al-Qaida funds to Abu Sayyaf cut long ago

Meanwhile, Garcia said that the death of bin Laden would have no direct impact on the funding of the Abu Sayyaf group for its operations.

Garcia said the United Nations’ sanction against organizations providing funds to terror groups was successful in cutting off the flow of funds from bin Laden’s al-Qaida to local groups in the Philippines, including Abu Sayyaf.

He said local groups gather funds through criminal activities, including kidnapping and extortion. There were also reports that local terror groups have been involved in drug trafficking activities.

Garcia had said yesterday that security monitoring in Mindanao, particularly in Basilan and Sulu, have been intensified to prevent local terrorists there from entering and launching attacks in Metro Manila.

He said that the Armed Forces of the Philippines have been ordered to intensify offensives against the bandit group to prevent them from entering the country’s capital.

Renewed thrust vs terrorism

Garcia, meanwhile, said that the PNP and other law enforcement agencies have been ordered to strengthen the legal offensive against suspected terrorists.

He said that law enforcement agencies, led by the Anti Terrorism Council, will also carry out measures to pinpoint "hardened potential targets" of terrorist attacks.

He added that the government will launch a "comprehensive deradicalization campaign" to prevent terror groups from getting new recruits.

“The PNP has been tasked to intensify the legal offensive against suspected terrorist targets to make sure we account for them and among them are the remnants of the Rajah Solaiman if any,” Garcia said.

The PNP said that leaders of the Rajah Solaiman Movement, a terrorist organization founded by a Christian who was converted to Islam, are mostly in jail. He said some leaders have also been arrested, but were freed after their cases were dismissed in courts for lack of evidence.

He said that the released leaders are now "the target of PNP’s legal counter measures."