Interview: Some Moro front members may have links with JI

The allegations that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is helping and training Al Qaida linked terror group Jemaah Islamiya are a ploy to get more funds from the United States and other international sources, according to Eid Kabalu, MILF spokesman.

In an exclusive interview with Gulf News from his his base in central Mindanao, Kabalu admitted that some MILF commanders may be involved with the JI but said his organisation will cooperate with any investigation by any agency. Kabalu also expressed hope that peace talks with the front will continue even if there is a change in the country's leadership after the next elections. Excerpts:

GULF NEWS: What is your response to recent accusations by the government of the United States that the MILF could be abetting the presence, or are actually engaged in training members of the regional extremist group Jemaah Islamiya (JI)?
KABALU: These accusations have been made in the past even by the Philippine government and apparently some officials in Manila are just stirring this accusations, that are based on so called "intelligence reports," as a reason to, first, get more allocation for the military from the national budget and secondly, to secure more funding from the United States and other international sources for the government anti-terrorism efforts. For our part, we want these accusations investigated. Once a probe into the issue is made they (the government) could pinpoint specific personalities in the MILF who are actually involved in training JI members and then we in the organisation can take action. We want the truth to come out.

You mentioned "investigation." Does this mean that you also have doubts within the MILF leadership that some of your commanders may be involved with the JI?
There is a probability that some of our commanders are actually involved with the JI, but as far our understanding and knowledge, none of them are involved. But who knows? We are offering our cooperation with whoever wants to investigate this issue.

The Philippine government announced on Friday that they have received communications from the Malaysian government, which is brokering the peace process, that formal negotiations would resume this week. Can you confirm this?
As far as the MILF is concerned, we have not received communications from Kuala Lumpur informing us about the resumption of formal negotiations.

What you were referring to is apparently a unilateral announcement from the government. In any case, we are ready to engage them in talks. But whatever talks that would take place in the next few weeks, given it takes place, are likely "exploratory" meetings and not formal negotiations concerning a political settlement.

If you will recall, our exploratory meetings in the past made mention about our desire for the government to withdraw its forces from the Buliok Complex (former MILF sanctuary in Central Mindanao) and the withdrawal of court charges against top MILF leaders with regards to accusations that they were involved in last March and April's Davao City bombings. So far, the government has not totally complied on these requests.

But our point is if the government in Manila could not implement these requests, which we consider minor, what more if we arrive at a political settlement and we sign more significant agreements?

The Philippine government announced two weeks ago that Malaysia has conveyed plans to send a seven-man advance party of peace observers. Can you confirm this?
Yes, we believe that this team will be arriving by mid-December and this consist of a people who will look into the administrative requirements for sending a bigger team of peace observers from Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Bahrain. It is actually the discretion of the Malaysian government when these peace observer team will arrive. But definitely their presence will be a big if not necessary boost to the peace negotiations.

With the pace the negotiations are going, do you still expect to sign an agreement with the present government under President Gloria Arroyo since her incumbency is expected to end in May 2004?
As you've mentioned the pace of the talks are slow and our prospects of signing an agreement with the Arroyo government is dimming since the end of her term is drawing near. But we hope that in case she does not win the elections in 2004, a president with the same understanding of the situation in Mindanao would replace her.