 |
Bin Laden's Network in Philippines Still Intact: Police
Police intelligence officer Senior Supt. Rodolfo Mendoza disclosed on Thursday that Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect in last week's attacks on the U.S. still maintains his network in the Philippines.
Bin Laden's network, which took roots in the early 1990s, remains intact contrary to some reports, the ABS-CBN news channel quoted Mendoza as saying.
Bin Laden maintained his network through an "informal and invisible command structure" sustained by local Muslims who see him as a "legendary jihad hero", said Mendoza, who has been investigating activities of Muslim radicals in Mindanao since the 1980s.
"There is no concrete, visible command structure involving Bin Laden but his group maintains a cohesive network with veterans of the Afghan war, and that includes Filipino Muslims who are now either with the Abu Sayyaf, with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), even some lost commands roaming in Mindanao," Mendoza said.
Abu Sayyaf, the MILF and the MNLF are major Muslim armed groups in southern Philippines. Abu Sayyaf is notorious for kidnapping- for-ransom activities. There are at least 18 hostages, including two Americans, still in the hands of Abu Sayyaf bandits.
The MILF and the MNLF have signed peace agreements with the government.
The Presidential Palace said in a statement on Wednesday that the link between the Abu Sayyaf and Osama bin Laden had been cut off as early as 1995.
Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said Wednesday that in the early 1990s, the Islamic Internatioal Relief Organization led by Muhammad Jamal Khalifa, brother-in-law of Bin Laden, came to the Philippines and was believed to have funded both the establishment and operations of the Abu Sayyaf and the MILF.
In 1995, he said, there was indeed a terrorist cell linked to bin Laden in the Philippines. The Philippine Police in 1995 discovered and neutralized Bin Laden's associates Ramzi Yousef and his followers as suspects of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
But after that there had been no reports or any intelligence information that international terrorist cells especially those linked to Bin Laden had been able to use the Philippines as a base.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes said Wednesday Bin Laden continues to have links with the Abu Sayyaf, also contradicting to Tiglao's statement.
In This Section
|