Cablegate: Senator Inouye Supports Philippine

VZCZCXRO4067
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHML #3479/01 2300854
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 180854Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2568
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IMMEDIATE
RHHMUNA/CDRUSPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//OSD/ISA/AP// IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 003479

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR H, EAP, AND EAP/MTS
USPACOM FOR FPA HUSO
OSD/ISA/AP (LAWLESS/TOOLAN/BAILEY)
JS/J5 (WILKES/ROBINSON/CLEMMONS)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL OREP PTER MCAP MOPS MARR RP
SUBJECT: SENATOR INOUYE SUPPORTS PHILIPPINE
COUNTERTERRORISM MODEL, DEFENSE REFORM; VISITS ZAMBOANGA

REF: MANILA 3450

1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Senator Inouye stressed publicly and
privately his admiration and support for the Philippine-US
approach to counterterrorism and defense reform during his
August 11-15 visit to the Philippines. Inouye enthused at
the "Philippine model," which extends a "hand of friendship"
to local populaces afflicted by terrorism through significant
humanitarian, development, and civil-military assistance,
while strengthening the "iron fist" of military/police
capabilities to combat terrorists. He praised Secretary of
Defense Cruz for his personal leadership of defense reform
that is changing the culture of the Philippine military and
enhancing its capabilities. Inouye marveled at his
enthusiastic reception by Muslims and Christians alike during
a USAID turnover of solar electricity units to 185 villages
in Muslim Mindanao, providing electricity for the first time
to some 5,000 families, and praised USAID's success at
providing livelihood skills to some 28,000 former Moro
National Liberation Front fighters. He recounted the
extraordinary joint effort he witnessed by the US Joint
Special Operations Task Force-Philippines, USAID, and
Philippine civil and military officials to rid Mindanao of
terrorists. Given Senator Inouye's extensive experience in
the Philippines, his comments had significant impact on
President Arroyo and her cabinet, leadership of the House and
Senate, and the public at large. Senator Inouye's dinner
with President Arroyo and other aspects of his visit are
reported spetels. END SUMMARY.

2. (SBU) During his one-day trip to Zamboanga August 12,
Senator Inouye was briefed on US Joint Special Operations
Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P) support for ongoing Southern
Command operations on the island of Jolo. He later
participated in a USAID ceremony turning over solar
electricity generation units to 185 villages serving 5,000
families in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Senator Inouye was impressed by how JSOTF-P's close working
relationship with USAID and partnership with Philippine
counterparts was helping to address the underlying conditions
of terrorism through short-term civil-military operations
involving medical, dental engineering projects, and
longer-term infrastructure; renewable energy; health;
education; and small enterprise development. Senator Inouye
was particularly impressed that the governor of Basilan (a
former Abu Sayyaf Group member) now carefully guards the
island's security so as not to endanger the improved economic
environment, and took admiring note of how USAID's "Arms to
Farms" program had reintegrated 28,000 former Moro National
Liberation Front fighters back into productive society. The
moving ceremony of USAID's Alliance for Mindanao Off-Grid
Renewable Energy Program ("AMORE") included senior ARMM
representatives, local government authorities, community
organizations, children, the Governor of the island of
Tawi-Tawi, and the GRP Chairman of the National Anti-Poverty
Commission.

3. (SBU) Senator Inouye said he was deeply impressed by the
"Philippine" model of combating terrorism and progress on
defense reform, and returned to these themes throughout his
visit in meetings with President Arroyo, Senate President
Villar, House Speaker de Venecia, and other senior officials,
as well in public comments to the press. Describing the
joint US-Philippine civil-military counterterrorism efforts
he had observed in Mindanao, Senator Inouye noted the
effusive welcome he had received from Muslim youth. He said
the sight of Muslims and Christians, and Filipinos and
Americans united in an effort to bring peace to Mindanao
filled him with hope and optimism for a secure and prosperous
future. Given the enormous admiration for Senator Inouye in
the Philippines, his comments had significant impact on
President Arroyo and her cabinet, leadership of the House and
Senate, and the public at large.

4. (SBU) In his August 14 meeting with Secretary Cruz,
Senator Inouye said he was struck by the close working
relationship between US and Philippine troops in Zamboanga.
He stated that the combination of "hard and soft power"
appeared to work, adding that this "positive way" of
combating terrorism could serve as a model for
counterterrorism efforts elsewhere. Cruz agreed on the
effectiveness of the approach, noting that the "Philippine
model" of civil-military operations had helped change the

MANILA 00003479 002 OF 002

attitude of the Muslim population toward US service members
from hostility to warmth.

4. (SBU) Complimenting Secretary Cruz on his efforts to
transform the Philippine military and defense establishment,
Senator Inouye said he was extremely impressed by the
progress the Armed Forces of the Philippines had made, and
linked progress on reform to improvements in fighting
terrorism. Senator Inouye stated that the Philippines would
find that other countries stood ready to help as it pursued
reform.

5. (SBU) An AFP briefing hit the PDR's highlights and cited
successes in its 10 key areas.

-- Multi-year Defense Planning: The rationalized and unified
multi-year defense budget is currently in its second cycle
and serving as a model for other government agencies.

-- Operations/Intelligence/Training: Joint doctrine
development is now underway and a 10-year Philippine
Intelligence Reform program has just been approved.

-- Logistics Capacity: Marked improvements have been achieved
in operational readiness rates and inventory controls,
allowing for better sustainment of units in field.

-- Professional Development: The concept of train-the-trainer
has been embedded into all training programs. There is
special focus on professional military, enlisted, and staff
development.

-- Personnel Management: The AFP has adopted a whole cycle
approach to managing its personnel from recruitment to
retirement, with special emphasis on morale and welfare and
law and order.

-- Multi-year Capability Upgrade Plan (CUP): Broken into two
tranches, this 18-year plan focuses first on internal
security/counterterrorism and then on external defense. With
a budget of 30 billion pesos (roughly equivalent to $585
million) for the first six years, the CUP will upgrade the
AFP's command and control, mobility, and firepower, while
also improving training through the Battalions of Excellence
(BOE) program. The non-commissioned officer corps will be
the key element to implementing BOE.

-- Financial Controls: An internal audit system will act to
check fraud and corruption.

-- Defense Acquisition: The newly created Undersecretary for
Defense Acquisition will oversee the establishment of a cadre
of acquisition specialists, held to high standards of
professionalism, accountability, and transparency.

-- Strategic Communication: A new cadre of trained
professionals will help get the right message out to the
public.

-- Information Management: A modern information technology
backbone will provide support for and help implement PDR.

A draft National Defense Act now under consideration by the
Philippine Congress would institutionalize PDR policies and
principles and help make transformation irreversible.

6. (U) Senator Inouye did not have the opportunity to clear
on this telegram.

Visit Embassy Manila's Classified website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm
Jones

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