Here's fresh news from the Philippines (including a helpful map) about the War on [Islamic] Terror. The Philippines government isn't as successful as it would like everyone to believe.
A secret government report says Muslim guerrillas in the southern Philippines have hosted terror training camps for militant groups from Indonesia and Malaysia for at least seven years — a period when Southeast Asia was plagued by bombings that have killed hundreds of people, like the Bali nightclub attack in 2002.The training lasted at least until 19 new members of Jemaah Islamiyah — the al-Qaida-linked Southeast Asian terror group — finished in January, according to a copy of a government security assessment obtained Wednesday by the Associated Press.
The report discusses the training of foreigners from Jemaah Islamiyah and other extremist groups at the camps, regarded as a lifeline for Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida following the destruction of its key training camps in Afghanistan.
U.S. and Australian officials have expressed deep concerns over persistent reports of such camps here, saying Jemaah Islamiyah could pass deadly skills to a new generation of militants capable of striking anywhere. A number of suspected Jemaah Islamiyah militants arrested in Southeast Asia have said they trained in the Philippines.
The Philippine government has acknowledged that foreign terrorists have trained in the south in the past, but officials say the camps have been broken up, thanks in part to military training and logistical support from Washington. The military says up to two dozen Jemaah Islamiyah members may still be in the south, but they're on the run.
Other military officers said on condition of anonymity that training continues at the camps.
Related:
• The Australian - Region's terrorists in secret alliance
• AP - Officials: Abu Sayyaf letter can help prove rebels' link with Jemaah Islamiyah
• Sun-Star (Philippines) - Philippine team to visit alleged JI training camps, Australia begs off
• U.S. Pacific Command - Combating Terrorism in the Philippines