29 March 2015

Questions Being Asked About U.S. Intelligence Role in Botched Philippine Commando Operation

Trefor Moss
March 27, 2015

MANILA—The most easterly outpost in the U.S. military’s global war on terrorism was close to signing off in triumph after helping to eliminate one of the last high-value terrorist targets in Southeast Asia.

Instead, after 13 years of operations, the U.S. military deployment on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao is ending on a sour note.

A Philippine-led, American-supported mission succeeded in killing Malaysian terrorism suspect Zulkifli Bin Hir on Jan. 25, but at a dreadful price: 44 Philippine police commandos died in accidental firefighting with Muslim rebels, and a delicate peace process on Mindanao that took years to foster has been left hanging in the balance.

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