Envoy says US played key role in Marawi success
CLARK— Washington’s top diplomat in the Philippines said on Tuesday the US military provided assistance to Filipino forces against pro-Islamic State (IS) militants during the Marawi campaign that was critical to a successful outcome.
US Ambassador Sung Kim said US surveillance aircraft and other equipment helped monitor and assess the positions of the militants during the fivemonth operation.
The US military assistance made a “huge difference” in the battle, particularly its intelligence support, including the deployment of Gray Eagle and P-3 Orion aircraft, Kim said.
He said the extent of the militants’ infiltration of Marawi was a surprise to both the US and Philippine governments.
“When you encounter a situation like that, you obviously need good intelligence to be able to target key areas, and I think that’s where our support was quite critical,” Kim said.
The ambassador spoke on the sidelines of a meeting of defense ministers from the 10-na- tion Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The United States is not a member, but US Defense Secretary James Mattis attended portions of the group’s meetings and held separate talks with many of his counterparts.
Mattis, on his flight to the Philippines, commended Manila on the operation and on Tuesday discussed ways to deepen US-Philippines military ties in talks with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.
As Mattis prepared to meet President Duterte later on Tuesday, five Russian warships were parked off the Philippines and Moscow prepared to formally hand over thousands of assault rifles, a million rounds of ammunition and 20 Army trucks at a public ceremony on Wednesday.
Mr. Duterte, known for his strident anti-American rhetoric, has made no secret of his plans to cultivate ties with America’s rivals, Russia and China. Those efforts appear to be starting to bear fruit.
Duterte credits China
He has credited China for its military assistance, saying it was one of the 100 sniper rifles donated by Beijing that fired the bullet that killed Isnilon Hapilon, the IS “emir” in Southeast Asia, on Oct. 16.
The ranger unit involved in the operation, however, said the shot was fired from a heavier weapon mounted on an armored vehicle.
Just before he meets Mattis, Mr. Duterte was scheduled to sit down with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who, like Mattis, was attending a gathering of Asian defense ministers at Clark, Pampanga province.
Lorenzana told reporters on Tuesday about the receipt of heavy equipment from China to help rebuild Marawi. He expected to receive four fast boats from China before the end of the year.
The United States is the Philippines’ only defense treaty ally and its biggest source of hardware and training, providing about $1 billion in equipment since 2000.
The United States has a treaty obligation to defend the Philippines from potential aggressors, but the relationship had deteriorated in recent years.
Mr. Duterte last year called then US President Barack Obama a “son of a whore,” and Obama canceled plans to meet with him.
US President Donald Trump has praised Duterte for his violent crackdown on drug suspects. The two presidents are expected to meet when Trump travels to the Philippines next month as part of an Asia tour.
Kim said the “tone and substance” of bilateral ties have improved over the 10 months since he’s been in his post.
“President Duterte has made clear that even as he pursues improved relations with countries like China and Russia, he will continue to focus on making sure that the US-Philippines alliance remains strong,” Kim said.
“The fact that the Chinese and the Russians have provided some rifles, I’m not sure is really such a cause for concern for the United States,” he said.—