Friendly militias to combat terrorism

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon has urged Congress to authorise US$500 million for building a network of friendly militias around the world to purge terrorists from “ungoverned areas” – and warned Muslim clerics against providing “ideological sanctuary” to radicals.

Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, a key architect of the Iraq war, told the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday the money would be used “for training and equipping local security forces – not just armies – to counter terrorism and insurgencies.” If approved as part of a larger defence bill, the package will “provide greater internal security in areas that are or could become sanctuaries for terrorists,” he said.No specific beneficiaries of the program were named, but US officials have repeatedly expressed concern about vast tracts of land along the Afghan-Pakistani border, in Iraq, the Caucasus, Horn of Africa and various islands in the Philippines where radical Islamic fighters could set up shop.The strategy has already been tried in Afghanistan, where US special forces managed to forge alliances with some tribal warlords, who became instrumental in bringing down the Taliban government in 2001 and keeping its remnants at bay, said US military experts.”Indeed, our most important allies in the war on terrorism will be Muslims who seek freedom and oppose extremism,” Wolfowitz stated.The request comes amid a concerted push by top Defence Department and other administration officials to develop new forms of “asymmetrical” warfare that would be more effective against small terrorist cells and would spare the United States the need to deploy large contingents of its own forces around the world.Addressing the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations last week, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld spoke of the need for the Pentagon to adjust to the new reality of not having to confront big foreign armies, navies and air forces it was originally trained to fight.”There are not a lot of them around at the moment,” the secretary pointed out.”And we’ve got manhunts going on.”To help establish contact with local chieftains and get into their good graces, the Pentagon is considering hiring immigrants to serve as “bicultural advisors” in unfamiliar areas and implementing a number of economic aid projects there, according to defence officials.In his testimony, Wolfowitz also suggested expanding the scope of the war on terror by including into the list of its possible targets radical Islamic clerics, who, in his words, provide “ideological sanctuary” to terrorism.- Nampa-AFPIf approved as part of a larger defence bill, the package will “provide greater internal security in areas that are or could become sanctuaries for terrorists,” he said.No specific beneficiaries of the program were named, but US officials have repeatedly expressed concern about vast tracts of land along the Afghan-Pakistani border, in Iraq, the Caucasus, Horn of Africa and various islands in the Philippines where radical Islamic fighters could set up shop.The strategy has already been tried in Afghanistan, where US special forces managed to forge alliances with some tribal warlords, who became instrumental in bringing down the Taliban government in 2001 and keeping its remnants at bay, said US military experts.”Indeed, our most important allies in the war on terrorism will be Muslims who seek freedom and oppose extremism,” Wolfowitz stated.The request comes amid a concerted push by top Defence Department and other administration officials to develop new forms of “asymmetrical” warfare that would be more effective against small terrorist cells and would spare the United States the need to deploy large contingents of its own forces around the world.Addressing the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations last week, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld spoke of the need for the Pentagon to adjust to the new reality of not having to confront big foreign armies, navies and air forces it was originally trained to fight.”There are not a lot of them around at the moment,” the secretary pointed out.”And we’ve got manhunts going on.”To help establish contact with local chieftains and get into their good graces, the Pentagon is considering hiring immigrants to serve as “bicultural advisors” in unfamiliar areas and implementing a number of economic aid projects there, according to defence officials.In his testimony, Wolfowitz also suggested expanding the scope of the war on terror by including into the list of its possible targets radical Islamic clerics, who, in his words, provide “ideological sanctuary” to terrorism.- Nampa-AFP