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Manila expels Iraq envoy over terror link
MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippines government is expelling an Iraqi diplomat, accusing the envoy of having ties to the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group. Second Secretary Husham Husain has been given 48 hours to leave the country, according to a statement by Philippine Foreign Secretary Blas Ople. The Philippine government said it had intelligence that the Iraqi diplomat has ties to the Islamic extremist group, which is one of several outfits fighting for a separate Muslim state in the south of the predominantly Catholic Philippines. The Abu Sayyaf is also believed to have links with Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network. The Iraqi embassy has denied the allegations, saying the expulsion was part of a U.S. campaign to distort the image of Iraq and link it to terror, according to Reuters. "What astonished us was the Philippine following the U.S. campaign of disinformation, which spread allegations about the Iraqi diplomat having links to the Abu Sayyaf group," the Iraqis said in a statement. Meanwhile, a cease-fire between the Philippine army and separatists has broken down after rebels reportedly failed to show up for peace talks scheduled for Wednesday. Suspected Muslim rebels occupied a village Thursday and blocked residents from leaving, the military said. Army spokesman Major Julieto Ando said about 100 residents of Bual village, near the town of Tulunan on southern Mindanao island, were trapped inside their homes after scores of rebels burst in looking for food, The Associated Press reported. Government troops took positions around the village, and helicopter gunships hovered above, Ando said. The standoff developed as government forces battled Moro Islamic Liberation Front guerrillas in the Pikit area, about 900 kilometers (575 miles) southeast of the capital of Manila. Renewed assaultsThe military accused the insurgents of sheltering members of the notorious kidnap gang Pentagon, which is on a U.S. terrorist list. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered renewed assaults against the Muslim rebel stronghold on Wednesday. Ando said 87 rebels were killed and 17 wounded since the fighting broke out, and the military suffered three dead and 21 wounded. The rebels said only three of their fighters were killed. "We're being hit and we're hitting back," Ando said. "We are battling these Pentagon criminals, lawless elements, and if these other groups get in the way, we have to take countermeasures against them." Up to 25,000 villagers have sought shelter from the fighting, near the border of North Cotabato and Maguindanao provinces, in schools and other government buildings. Fearing an escalation in fighting, the military closed the major road linking Pikit in North Cotabato with other provinces on the island. The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report.
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