COTABATO CITY, The Philippines, Oct...

COTABATO CITY, The Philippines, Oct 25 Kyodo

The Moro Islamic Liberation assurance (MILF), seeking an independent Muslim state for three decades, said Friday foreigners have flow to visit its biggest camp here in the previous years nevertheless said the camp is not intended to train for military activities.

MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu categorically denied that there are links between the MILF, operating largely in the southern main island of Mindanao, and the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), a regional terrorist ring associated with the al-Qaida. JI is blamed for several blasts in southeastern Asia, including united in Bali that killed 202 the bulk of mankind last year.

near government officials said a string of Indonesian JI operatives caught in the Philippines claimed to have been trained in the MILF's Camp Abubakar before it was overran through the military in 2000 The camp was the MILF's symbolical seat of power.

These operatives included the late bomber Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi and Taufik Rifqi, caught in this city earlier this month as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but were alleged key JI members. They were among those who said they have been to the Camp Abubakar, officials said.

''It was the policy of the MILF to lay open Camp Abubakar to all nationalities. The idea there is the (then) Chairman (Hashim Salamat) wanted to present to view to the world the kind of community he envisioned to establish in this part of the world,'' Kabalu told a certain Manila-based foreign correspondents in an interview.

on the contrary the foreigners were merely beholders and did not participate either as teachers or as observers in the MILF's military instruct Kabalu said.

Kabalu said they have been urging the direction to investigate the matter to support their claim of noninvolvement with the JI or with any other terrorist group

Kabalu said he is optimistic his assemblage will move towards a peace deal with the sway given the government's willingness to talk, at the extremely least.

He identified at least three items that must be resolv in exploratory talks; the unwarranted attack against the MILF keep in the Buliok tangled in central Mindanao, the withdrawal of criminal charges against MILF leaders linked to bombings in the island, the couple earlier this year and deployment of third-party looker-ons to monitor a cease-fire.

A fresh round of exploratory talks, scuttl on accusations on both sides of military offensives, may happen by and by Kabalu said.

nevertheless the date is dependent in succession Malaysia which has been the traditional third-party peacebroker and armed force of the talks.

Kabalu said the promised aid at the United States for the war-torn Mindanao Island is welcome further is not a decisive factor for pursuing peace.

Al-Ghozi escaped from a Manila detention site in July while serving a 17-year opinion for bombings in the city forward Dec. 30, 2000 that killed 22 and injured numerous others.

Rifqi was caught early October in a tavern in Cotabato. He allegedly tipped investigators about a JI hideout where the authorities seized bomb-making materials sum of two units weeks later.

Camp Abubakar is a large forested and agricultural land, about 100 square kilometers, and intersects across the towns of Matanog, Barira, Buldon and Parang in Maguindanao Province, and Kapatagan, Balabagan and Butig, in Lanao del Sur Province.

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