Philippines: February 15, 2004

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Four days of negotiations with the NPA in Norway resulted in agreement to work out several issues, including NPAs presence on the US list of terrorist groups. This is hurting NPA more than anything else, as it interferes with overseas fund raising. The NPA is a communist organization, and has long funded it's military operations with cash collected with the help of foreign communist and socialist groups. The talks haven't slowed down NPA violence, as today NPA gunmen attacked a police stations, killing two. NPA's anger at the United States for screwing up their overseas operations has also led the NPA to threaten attacks against any of the increasing number of American troops in the country to train with Filipino forces. This threat has not slowed down the pace of these training exercises. Meanwhile, talks with MILF negotiators, which were to start tomorrow, were delayed by a few days. This was at the request of the host, Malaysia, and no reason was given. It is known that the MILF is increasingly troubled with factionalism and disagreements between moderates and radicals (some of whom align themselves with al Qaeda.)

 

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