US embassy cable - 05MANILA5372

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 005372 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
STATE FOR S/CT, INR/EAP, EAP, AND EAP/MTS 
STATE ALSO FOR DS/IP/EAP, DS/DSS/DO, AND DS/ICI/RFJ 
SECDEF/OSD/ISA/AP FOR ALLEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2015 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, ASEC, PINS, MOPS, EAID, KCRM, RP 
SUBJECT: MEETING WITH MILF CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS 
 
Classified By: (U) Charge d'Affaires, a.i., Paul W. Jones 
for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C/NF) Summary.  Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) 
leaders received a strong message on November 
15 from emboffs that the MILF must permanently cut all 
contacts with terrorist organizations.  MILF Vice Chairman 
for Political Affairs Ghazali Jafaar claimed the MILF 
remained fully committed to the peace process and promised to 
brief the MILF Central Committee on US concerns about 
terrorist safe havens and training in MILF areas.   The next 
step is up to the MILF to demonstrate its will to cut these 
institutional and/or personal ties with terrorists.  End 
Summary. 
 
CLEAR MESSAGE: CUT MILF TIES WITH TERRORISTS 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
2.  (C/NF) Poloffs and RSO met for the first time with MILF 
Vice Chairman for Political Affairs Ghazali Jafaar on 
November 15 at the MILF's Peace Negotiations Headquarters in 
Sultan Kudurat City, Maguindanao Province, Mindanao. 
Present with Jafaar were MILF Central Committee members Jun 
Mantawil, Bobby Mulana Alonto, Muhammad Ameen, and Khalifa 
Nando.  After expressing USG support for the GRP-MILF peace 
process under the sponsorship of the Government of Malaysia 
and readiness to extend development assistance to the MILF in 
the event of a final peace agreement, emboffs delivered a 
strong message to Jafaar that all elements of the MILF must 
permanently cut all contacts with terrorist organizations, 
including training activities.  They also advised Jafaar to 
work closely with the GRP through the Ad Hoc Joint Action 
Group to bring Khadaffy Janjalani, Dulmatin, Umar Patek, and 
other wanted terrorists to justice. 
 
KJ AND HAPILON DEAD?!? 
---------------------- 
 
3.  (C/NF) Jafaar -- who welcomed the opening of a direct 
dialogue with the Embassy -- asserted that the MILF has been 
complying with the provisions of its cease-fire agreement 
with the GRP.  As evidence, Jafaar cited the MILF's temporary 
withdrawal from positions in Maguindanao during July and 
August to facilitate the pursuit of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) 
leaders by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).  Jafaar 
claimed to have received "credible information" that Khadaffy 
Janjalani and Isnilon Hapilon were "neutralized" during this 
operation, leaving Abu Solaiman as the only ASG leader at 
large.  Jafaar pointed to a recent press interview with 
Janjalani's mother in Basilan in which she claimed her son 
was dead.   Jafaar conceded, however, that the MILF lacked 
hard evidence to confirm the deaths of either Janjalani and 
Hapilon.  (Note:  Emboffs reacted skeptically to the claim. 
According to reliable sources, Khadaffy Janjalani and Isnilon 
Hapilon both remain alive and at large.  End note.) 
 
4.  (C/NF) When Jafaar contended to have no knowledge of the 
current whereabouts of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) members Dulmatin 
and Umar Patek, emboffs informed him that the USG had 
reliable information that JI operatives continued to operate 
and conduct training in MILF-controlled areas.  Jafaar 
pledged that the MILF leadership would not do anything to 
jeopardize peace negotiations, since a peace agreement for 
the Moro people finally appeared to be at hand. 
 
PLEDGE TO BRIEF CENTRAL COMMITTEE ON U.S. CONCERNS 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
5.  (C/NF) Emboffs informed Jafaar of the multi-million 
dollar rewards currently being offered for Janjalani, 
Solaiman, Hapilon, Dulmatin, and Patek under the US Rewards 
for Justice Program, emphasizing the importance the USG 
placed upon seeing the MILF take concrete action against 
terrorists in its areas.  Jafaar noted our points, saying the 
MILF did not want any "hindrances" to the peace process.  He 
said he "understood the seriousness" of US concerns and 
pledged to brief the full MILF Central Committee on our 
demarche. 
 
TALKS WITH COTABATO MAYOR AND IMT HEAD 
-------------------------------------- 
 
6.  (C/NF) In separate meetings on November 16, Emboffs also 
raised US concerns about the presence of terrorists in MILF 
areas with Cotabato City Mayor Muslimin Sema and 
International Monitoring Team (IMT) Commander MG Dato 
Pahlawan Soheimi Bin Abbas.  Sema, who claimed one of his 
informants had identified a JI/ASG safe house in the 
Linguasan Marsh for the AFP during an anti-terrorism 
operation earlier this year, pledged to work closely with 
Philippine and US officials to track any terrorists moving 
through Cotabato City.  MG Soheimi noted that, while the ASG 
fell outside his official purview, he had in meetings with 
individual MILF commanders urged them to cut any ties with 
and support for terrorist organizations. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
7.  (C/NF) While this first meeting with MILF leaders was 
cordial, their lack of candor about the presence of Janjalani 
and other terrorists in MILF areas was disappointing. 
Nonetheless, Jafaar should now understand more fully the 
unambiguous nature of US concerns and requests to sever its 
links -- institutional or personal -- with terrorists.  The 
next step is up to the MILF leadership to demonstrate clearly 
it is doing so, especially by reining in its field commanders 
(e.g., Wahid Tundok and Umbril Kato) who have maintained such 
links. 
                      . 
Visit Embassy Manila's Classified website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm 
Jones