US Military Expected in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — U.S. military instructors will arrive in the Philippines next week to prepare for large-scale counterterrorism training exercises with Philippine soldiers, officials said Monday.

More than 300 U.S. special forces, Marine and Air Force troops will take part in training exercises starting in February with about 1,300 Philippine army, marine and light reaction troops, said Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Teodosio, the Philippine military's deputy chief of staff for education and training.

The training will take place in the southern city of Zamboanga, in northern Nueva Ecija and Cebu in the central Philippines.

Last year, more than 1,000 U.S. soldiers trained and armed Philippine troops battling Muslim extremists during six months of counterterrorism maneuvers that ended in July in the southern Philippines.

The exercise was credited with breaking up the Abu Sayyaf — a Muslim group that officials say is linked to al-Qaida — and tracking down its key leaders. The United States has included the Abu Sayyaf on its list of foreign terrorist organizations and has indicted 11 of its top leaders and members.

Unlike last year's exercise, the training starting in February will involve no military operations and will focus on group and leadership skills and night flying, Teodosio said. It was originally scheduled to run until November but may be extended to February next year, he said.

Next week, the advance team of U.S. military personnel, led by an admiral, will discuss the details of the training, Teodosio said.

The U.S. Embassy in Manila declined to comment, saying it was up to the Philippine government to release details of the exercise.

Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Narciso Abaya said the new training program would cost about $30 million, to be footed by the U.S. government. The Philippines will put up a fund mainly to cover salaries and other personnel expenses, officials said.

U.S. Undersecretary of State John Bolton will visit Manila on Wednesday and Thursday for talks on Iraq and other security issues, U.S. and Philippine officials said.