PHILIPPINES: U.S.SPECIAL FORCES AND PHILLIPINE ARMED FORCES HOLD BOAT RAID EXERCISES IN TERNATE.

Record ID: 646717

  • Title: PHILIPPINES: U.S.SPECIAL FORCES AND PHILLIPINE ARMED FORCES HOLD BOAT RAID EXERCISES IN TERNATE.
  • Date: 10th February 2003
  • Summary: (W3) TERNATE, PHILIPPINES (FEBRUARY 10, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS: OF BOAT RAID EXERCISE BY PHILIPPINES AND AMERICAN TROOPS AT TERNATE BEACH. (2 SHOTS) 0.12 2. VARIOUS: OF THE DEPLOYMENT OF PHILIPPINE AND AMERICAN SOLDIERS. (4 SHOTS) 0.33 3. CU: BANNER WHICH READS: "MARINE INTEROPERABILITY EXERCISE MIX 2003" 0.37 4. CU/MV: AMERICAN SOLDIERS CLEANING THEIR GUNS 0.47 5. WS: OF U.S. MARINE CAMP AND SOLDIERS CLEANING EQUIPMENT. 0.52 6. CU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. MARINE CHIEF LIEUTENANT COLONEL DAVID BERGER SAYING: "We are on a deployment away from Okinawa for six months and, before any marine unit is deployed, there is a training period where we train to try to peak before we go. So, our forces right now are very ready right now in equipment, in training to go anywhere that our president might direct us to go. They're ready, absolutely." 1.21 7. WS: U.S. HELICOPTER ON STANDBY TO FLY OUT U.S. MARINES. (2 SHOTS) 1.34 (W3) MANILA, PHILIPPINES (FEBRUARY 10, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 8. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) PHILIPPINES DEFENCE SECRETARY ANGELO REYES SAYING: "We've had clamours from local officials to have a replication of Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder military exercise) in their own areas. So, these are very encouraging developments, and so there is continuing discussion on how further co-operation between the two governments, the Philippines and the United States and the two militaries, could be effected to counter and to address the problem of terrorism". 2.04 9. MLV: JOURNALISTS INTERVIEWING DEFENCE SECRETARY ANGELO REYES. 2.11 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 25th February 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: TERNATE AND MANILA, PHILIPPINES
  • Country: Philippines
  • Reuters ID: LVA1491LMUXO0VR3M8UIMJ76SPND
  • Story Text: Hundreds of U.S. special forces conducting military
    exercises in the Philippines said they are ready for combat
    and are prepared to be deployed wherever U.S. President George
    W. Bush orders them to go.



    About 600 hundred U.S. marines conducted boat raid
    exercises in Ternate, about 60 kilometres away from Manila.

    The U.S. marines, with more than a thousand Philippine
    troopers landed at the former U.S. naval base, Sangley point,
    where they simulated deployment of assault teams.

    The U.S. special forces are due to begin the second phase
    of military exercises in southern Mindanao on February 18.

    U.S. Marine commander Lieutenant Colonel David Berger said
    the exercises are aimed at upgrading the anti-terrorism skills
    of local troops.

    But, if needed in the Gulf, Berger said they are prepared
    to go.

    "We are on a deployment away from Okinawa for six months
    and, before any marine unit is deployed, there is a training
    period where we train to try to peak before we go. So, our
    forces right now are very ready right now in equipment, in
    training to go anywhere that our president might direct us to
    go. They're ready, absolutely."
    Security officials in the Philippines have issued a
    warning the Philippines faces a very real prospect of
    retaliatory attacks by Muslim militants on American and other
    foreign targets, if the United States launches a war against
    Iraq.

    But Philippine defence minister Angelo Reyes said the
    American soldiers conducting training in the Philippines are
    secured.

    "We've had clamours from local officials to have a
    replication of Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder military
    exercise) in their own areas. So, these are very encouraging
    developments, and so there is continuing discussion on how
    further co-operation between the two governments, the
    Philippines and the United States and the two militaries,
    could be effected to counter and to address the problem of
    terrorism".

    The training will only last for a month, unlike the past
    Balikatan exercises which took six months.

    The training involves 12 Army and four Marine companies
    from the Philippines' Armed forces and about 600 American
    instructors.

    The U.S. government is spending about 25 million U.S.

    dollars on the training exercises.



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