U.S. Spy Planes to Scour the Philippines
The U.S. military has deployed surveillance planes to scour jungles in the Philippines for al-Qaida-linked guerrillas posing a threat to American counterterrorism trainers, officials told The Associated Press on Monday. The heightened security comes ahead of a visit Saturday by President Bush and after the Philippines scored a victory in the war on terrorism by killing one of the most wanted terrorist suspects in Asia, a top bombmaker for the regional group Jemaah Islamiyah. Praise rolled in Monday from U.S., Australian and Singapore officials for the shootout that ended a manhunt for the escaped Jemaah Islamiyah operative — and a major embarrassment for President Gloria Mapacapagal Arroyo. Full Story