US court documents reveal MILF protected Marwan

(Update)

MANILA, Philippines – Documents from the US District Court in California have revealed the ties between Zulkifli Abdhir also known as “Marwan” and the Moro Islamic Liberation  Front  (MILF).

This information was contained in a 32-page indictment filed against  Marwan and  his brother, Rahmat Abdhir, in 2007.

The office of Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano furnished reporters copies of the charge sheet against the brothers filed with the United States District Court in the Northern District of California in August 2007.

“It’s becoming more and more clear that Marwan has an intimate relationship with the MILF, and their claim that they don’t know or are not protecting Marwan is a falsehood,’’ Cayetano told reporters.

The US District Court issued warrants for their arrest for conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, and for providing material support to terrorists, among others.

In the charge sheet, they were identified as Zulkifli Abdhir, a Malaysian believed to be living in the Philippines, and Rahmat Abdhir, an American citizen living in the Northern District of California.

In September 2003, US designated Zulkifli as a specially designated global terrorist, effectively blocking any interest in his property within its jurisdiction, and prohibiting him from giving or receiving donations.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed that it was Zulkifli who was killed by the Special Action Force commandos in a pre-dawn raid on his hideout in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Jan. 25.

Zulkifli’s DNA sample matched that of Rahmat, now detained in the US.

Forty-four SAF troopers were later killed in a clash with guerrillas from the MILF and its breakaway group, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, while withdrawing after taking down Zulkifli, alias “Marwan.’’

MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal denied coddling Zulkifli or his Filipino deputy Abdul Basit Usman, who escaped during the SAF raid.

“MILF has no links with these terrorists and terrorist organizations. Marwan and Usman were in areas outside the MILF-controlled areas,’’ Iqbal told senators last Thursday.

According to the indictment sheet, the brothers communicated often in the Malaysian language by email. They avoided using their real names, and referred to Zulkifli as “Hulagu,’’ “Holago’’ or “Lagu.’’

“Zulkifli Abdhir  kept Rahmat Abdhir  informed of the situation in the Philippines by providing reports of battles  that were occurring in the region where Zulkifli Abdhir  was  located between troops of the Philippine government and individuals or groups  who were actively  protecting Zulkifli Abdhir, including but not limited to elements of the MILF, as well as by reporting on the involvement of the United States in these conflicts  through the use of Orion spy planes and Predator drones,”  the indictment reads.

“Zulkifli Abdhir kept Rahmat Abdhir informed of his own activities in the Philippines, including where he was located and whom he was with,” it further said.

The US then cited the email exchanges written in the Malaysian language between the brothers way back in  2006 and  2007.

In an email on or about June 29, 2006, Marwan  told his brother that: “Earlier, a commander called to inform me that the person who hosted me last year has died a martyr. There has been a battle at his location for six days, and it is still not over yet. The guy was young. I think he was 45. His eldest child is 18 years old. His son-in-law is a friend of mine.”

In another email  on or about July 4, 2006, Marwan  wrote again to his brother: “ My friend was just telling me again that there are four martyrs now. He is in the field right now. The other day, two of my friends from here (They’re about 5km from my location), went out to reinforce. They did not tell me when they were leaving. My next door neighbor told me about them after they were gone.”

“In the future,  I want to go when there is need for reinforcement. I can’t go by myself. I must  have a local guide with me. If I died as a martyr, and if there was some inheritance  from the sale of dad’s land, please son’t forget about  my two children here…Please don’t forget to  transfer them into the same account that you’ve been using,’ Marwan added.

The brothers communicated in the Malaysian language by email and avoided using their real names, and referred to Zulkifli as “Hulagu,” according to the indictment.

Marwan again wrote to his  brother on or about July 30, 2006, saying: “The commander at Hulagu’s location died on Sunday, July 30th at around 4:00pm. He was riding a motorcycle with another person ad a man stopped him. After they talked a little bit, three men with a Garand, an M-14, and an Armalite showed up and shot them at close range. There were a lot of bullets on his chest and abdomen his intestines spilled out, and some of the bullet hit his legs. He died on the spot…”

“It looks like Hulagu needs to relocate again because there is nobody strong enough to provide protection at the location. Need to use money, because relocation requires money,” Marwan added.

The brothers updated each other by sharing news stories and Internet links that reported details about the conflict in Mindanao and elsewhere, and about Zulkifli being a “wanted fugitive’’ in the Philippines, the document said.

The document cited their exchanges of emails from June 2006 to July 2007 that showed “overt acts’’ in furtherance of conspiracy.

Interestingly, on Aug. 11, 2006, Zulkifli emailed his brother to report that a SAF squad, armed with M-4s, M-60 and 9mm pistols and night vision goggles, surrounded the home of “Lagu’’ to capture him.

“His house was broken into and the door got torn off. His wife and child were able to get out before the exchange of fire. Three of Lagu’s neighbors with Armalite rifles were able to assist until the attacking commandos withdrew,’’ he said.

Two commandos, including the team leader, were killed, he added.

Raham inquired: “Yeah, I’ve read it. Had Lagu not gone to bed yet at that time? Was he home or not?’’

Zulkifli replied: “was asleep already, in the house, protected by Allah. The people there took all of the spoils of war. Man! The rifles were new, the latest.”

Rahmat later emailed him a Jakarta Morning Post story on the incident “which occurred as the SAF was attempting to serve an arrest warrant on Zulkifli Abdhir but was engaged by the MILF fighters in a 30-minute gunbattle.’’

The brothers used the code “Lagu’’ for Zulkifli.

Originally posted 8:04 p.m.