VZCZCXRO6201
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHML #4805/01 3261010
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 221010Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4049
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IMMEDIATE
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA IMMEDIATE 9481
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO IMMEDIATE 2972
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHHMUNA/CDRUSPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHHMUNS/COMSOCPAC HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 004805 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP, PM, AND EAP/MTS 
USPACOM ALSO FOR FPA HUSO AND J5 
SECDEF/OSD/ISA/AP (TOOLAN/BAILEY) 
JOINT STAFF/J5 (WILKES/ROBINSON/CLEMMONS) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER MARR MASS MOPS MCAP PREL RP
SUBJECT: ASSISTANT SECRETARY HILLEN SEES FIRST-HAND HOW THE 
U.S. IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE ON JOLO 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY. On a November 11 trip to Jolo Island in 
the Sulu Archipelago, Political-Military Affairs Assistant 
Secretary Hillen witnessed the transformational programs 
 
SIPDIS 
underway with collaboration among the Armed Forces of the 
Philippines, the U.S. Joint Special Operations Task 
Force-Philippines, and the Embassy.  He opened a 
USAID-financed community center in Jolo City and inspected 
the construction site of a future USAID-financed community 
center and an Armed Forces of the Philippines/Joint Special 
Operations Task Force-Philippines Medical Civic Action 
Program in the former Abu Sayyaf Group stronghold of Indanan. 
 He toured the rejuvenated village of Panamao, which in 
February 2005 had been devastated by fighting between the 
Philippine military and Muslim separatists.  Complementing 
the current Philippine military campaign to capture or kill 
the senior Abu Sayyaf Group and Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist 
leadership now on the run on Jolo, integrated and 
synchronized U.S. defense, diplomacy, and development efforts 
are helping the Philippine government isolate and defeat the 
terrorists and assist local populations.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) PM Assistant Secretary Hillen's November 11 trip to 
Zamboanga City and Jolo Island in the southern 
Philippines provided an on-the-ground view of ongoing 
counterterrorism efforts.  Deputy Chief of Mission Jones 
and Brigadier General Toolan, Acting Deputy Assistant 
Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asian Affairs, 
 
SIPDIS 
joined him along with poloff O'Friel.  Rear Admiral Tracy, 
the PACOM J-5, attended the Zamboanga portion of the trip 
before his departure for Kuala Lumpur. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) In Jolo City, A/S Hillen opened a USAID-financed 
community center, with remarks to a packed hall and 
onlookers in the center of Jolo City.  He then traveled to 
the former Abu Sayyaf Group stronghold of Indanan to 
inspect the construction site of a future USAID-financed 
community center and an Armed Forces of the Philippines/Joint 
Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF) Medical 
Civic Action Program (MEDCAP).  He later toured the 
rejuvenated village of Panamao, which in February 2005 had 
been devastated by fighting between the Philippine military 
and Muslim separatists.  He witnessed how the USG's defense, 
diplomacy, and development efforts are integrated and 
synchronized to help the Philippine government track down the 
Abu Sayyaf Group and Jemaah Islamiyah leaders on Jolo island, 
as well as to attack the underlying factors that feed 
terrorism. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Lieutenant General Eugenio Cedo, the Philippine 
commander of Western Mindanao Command, praised U.S. 
development and civic activities, saying that economic 
development was helping to prevent the lawlessness that leads 
to terrorism and commented that the people of Jolo were now 
seeing a positive difference in their lives.  "They are more 
friendly to us; they don't want the ASG and are providing us 
information on the High Value Targets," he stated.  Cedo 
noted that, although he had been apprehensive about dealing 
with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) following the 
2005 clashes with the Misuari Breakaway Group, the attitude 
of the MNLF leaders on Jolo had now changed, and they were 
increasingly willing to cooperate with his forces. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Indanan Mayor Felip Jainal was effusive in his 
thanks for U.S. help during the inspection of the site of the 
future community center, a multi-purpose building that would 
serve as a market, meeting place, and classroom.  "We 
couldn't have done this with our own resources," he admitted. 
 At the nearby MEDCAP, the first-ever in this part of the 
Indanan municipality, U.S. and Philippine soldiers and NGO 
representatives from the Philippine Red Cross and Save the 
Children worked side-by-side to treat over 600 patients of 
all ages.  From the smiles, it was clear that the response 
was overwhelmingly positive. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Panamao has become a showcase of U.S. efforts. 
Once war-torn, the village is now becoming a regional 
pole.  The dynamic Mrs. Anang Abdurajak, the mayor's wife, 
has organized a cooperative to produce clothes with sewing 
 
MANILA 00004805  002 OF 002 
 
 
machines donated by the United States, and has embraced 
USAID-donated computers and Internet linkup as a means to 
educate the young Muslim women in her community.  Looking to 
generate further economic activity, the Abdurajaks have 
developed a sweat-equity proposal to turn an abandoned 
building into a market to serve the surrounding area. 
JSOTF-P has the proposal under consideration and will likely 
implement it by first quarter 2007.  According to Mayor 
Abdurajak, the Mayor of Kalingalang Caluang in southeastern 
Jolo, an area of suspected terrorist activity, has already 
asked how his community, too, can benefit from U.S. 
assistance. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) The synergy between USAID and JSOTF-P efforts, 
coupled with robust public diplomacy and regular visits by 
the Ambassador and other senior U.S. officials, are beginning 
to tell in the campaign to capture or kill the terrorist 
leadership on Jolo.  In this campaign, the population is the 
center of gravity, and the United States is helping to move 
the momentum solidly in the direction of the Philippine 
government.   Successful bilateral efforts in the Philippines 
serve broader U.S. multilateral security interests by helping 
the GRP to cooperate more effectively with its neighbors not 
only on counterterrorism, but also on maritime security, 
counter-proliferation, disaster response, and other regional 
issues. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Assistant Secretary Hillen has cleared this 
telegram. 
 
Visit Embassy Manila's Classified website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm 
KENNEY