US-led antiterror unit deactivated
ZAMBOANGA CITY—An antiterrorism group led by the US government was deactivated on Tuesday but US officials said it didn’t mean that the United States was leaving the war on terror in the Philippines.
After 13 years, the United States-led Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines (JSOTFP) will cease to exist but would be replaced by what some officials said was a smaller group that would be called Forward Liaison Element.
A small ceremony was held on Tuesday marking the deactivation of JSOTFP at the headquarters of the Philippine military’s Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) here.
US Army Capt. Nonie Balboa, JSOTFP liaison officer, said the decision to deactivate JSOTFP, which provided training to Philippine security forces, is part of the US government’s “drawing down of forces and
realignment of the Pacific assessment team.”
He would not elaborate.
Col. Erick Brown, JSOTFP commander, said the JSOTFP deactivation did not mean there would be a complete withdrawal of US military personnel from Mindanao.
“The mission will continue and the partnership will continue in a different role,” said Brown.
“This is the right time for us to transition to a smaller role,” he said.
He said the partnership between US and Philippine security forces “will remain strong even though our presence will be somewhat smaller and our locations will be a little bit smaller.”
He said the new group, Forward Liaison Element, will work directly with the Philippine military and police “to provide operational assistance and continue the partnership in a noncombat role.”
Brown said a “small element” to be based in Manila would work closely with the US Embassy.
“They (will) work closely with the forward liaison officer here in Mindanao to meet the needs of the AFP for support and to continue the progress that they made over the last 13 years,” he added.
Brown said the JSTOFP brought achievement and success through cooperation.
“Our greatest achievement was to watch our partners grow in capacity and capability and be able to do more for themselves,” he said.
He said the US military would “transition to a more behind-the-scene role.”
“This is just a transition and this is not an ending,” said Brown. “For as long as your government asks us to be here, we are going to be here to back you up and be partners with you,” said Brown during the deactivation ceremony.
During the ceremony, at least 48 US military servicemen witnessed the folding of the JSOTFP flag and paid tribute to 17 fallen servicemen and women since the Americans’ arrival here in 2002.
Brig. Gen. Orlando de Leon, deputy commander of Wesmincom, said the US and Philippine armed forces shared a common goal, which is to bring terrorism to an end.
“The bond that binds us together is our yearning to eliminate global terrorism,” said De Leon.
“That was primarily our mission and the reason why we are all here,” he said.
De Leon said the war on terrorism continues. “Did we eliminate terrorism? No we did not but we certainly did our part. We certainly gained ground and we leave it to others to continue,” he said.
The deactivation of JSOTFP came amid the continuing furor over the deaths of 44 Philippine National Police Special Action Force commandos in an operation that officials said succeeded in getting international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias “Marwan” but failed miserably in protecting the men involved in it. Julie S. Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao
