JOLO ISLAND, 27 June 2007 — The US military commander for the Pacific, Adm. Timothy Keating, made a surprised visit yesterday on the southern Philippine island of Jolo in a bid to boost the moral of American and Filipino troops trying to flush out Al-Qaeda-linked militants.
Keating was accompanied by US Ambassador Kristie Kenney and Philippine military chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, who were briefed by local commanders on the progress of an ongoing operation against the Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah on the island, about 950 km south of Manila.
Clad in a green camouflage uniform, Keating met with US troops stationed inside a Philippine Army base near Patikul town and then hiked Mount Tugas where Filipino commanders showed him a captured Abu Sayyaf base.
Keating used a broken tree branch as a cane to help him climb Mount Tugas, where he inspected bunkers and trenches and secret tunnels used by rebels.
Local commanders also briefed Keating on the progress of the hunt for militants.
“We welcome the visit of Adm. Keating in our area, particularly in Jolo. It also gives a moral booster to the US and Filipino troops. The visit gives us a higher spirit because it recognizes the efforts of the Filipino soldiers and our country in the fight against terrorism,” said Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo, the Philippine military commander for Western Mindanao.
“His visit is a manifestation of a strong US support in our fight against international terrorism,” Cedo told Arab News.
Hundreds of US troops are deployed in Mindanao and training local soldiers as part of a cooperation pact between Manila and Washington.
In April, Keating told the US Senate Armed Services Committee: “We intend to concentrate on winning the war on terror, advancing security cooperation and engagement in the theater, making sure that our forces are properly postured and equipped to respond to crises should they develop.”
