US denies troops involved in combat in Philippines

US officials on Friday denied American troops were violating Philippine laws by engaging in combat against Muslim militants, saying they were only training Filipino soldiers and their mission was temporary.

Manila: US officials on Friday denied American troops were violating Philippine laws by engaging in combat against Muslim militants, saying they were only training Filipino soldiers and their mission was temporary.
Allegations that US troops in the southern Philippines are building permanent structures and joining the fight against al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militants have roiled nationalist and left-wing forces opposed to the American presence.

A retired Philippine Navy lieutenant, Nancy Gadian, testified at a congressional hearing yesterday that US troops were embedded with Filipino units in combat situations in violation of the Philippine Constitution, which bars foreign troops from fighting in the country.

"US forces are not involved in combat operations," US embassy spokeswoman Rebecca Thompson said in a statement today.

She said American troops were on temporary deployment at the invitation of the Philippine military and government.

Several hundred US troops have been stationed in several southern posts since 2002, training Filipino counterparts and sharing intelligence in their fight against the Abu Sayyaf, blamed for kidnappings, beheadings of hostages and bomb attacks that have victimised Filipinos and Americans.

Bureau Report

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