U.S. aids Philippines in battle against IEDs, al-Qaida-style warfare

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U.S. aids Philippines in battle against IEDs, al-Qaida-style warfare
By Travis J. Tritten, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Monday, November 30, 2009

JOLO, Philippines — The attack was unusually deadly, and it came in a nightmarish form familiar to U.S. servicemembers fighting thousands of miles away in Iraq and Afghanistan — a homemade roadside bomb.

It was Sept. 29 on this remote Philippine island when an improvised explosive device laid by a terrorist group linked to al-Qaida sheared an American Humvee in half. The blast killed Staff Sgt. Jack M. Martin III and Sgt. 1st Class Christopher D. Shaw as well as a Philippine marine passenger.

The two U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers were helping the marine move food to a neighboring camp, part of an ongoing yet largely hidden effort to counter Islamic terrorism by winning the hearts and minds of impoverished Filipinos.

Seven years into the mission here, about 500 U.S. military advisers remain embedded deep in the jungles of the southern Philippines, assisting the nation’s military as it takes the lead against a violent Islamic insurgency.

So far, U.S. expertise and money have helped the Philippine government win pockets of stability and support. But the assistance has not been sufficient to stamp out persistent violence, and the ultimate goal of peace and stability remains elusive.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=66356