Apocalypse, er, Not.(jungle warfare in Philippines)(Brief Article)

The symbolism is almost too obvious. U.S. Green Berets deploy in a steamy Southeast Asian jungle in order to help their local proxies hunt down hardy, elusive guerrillas. The scenario describes Vietnam three decades ago as easily as today's Philippines, where American Special Forces troops have been invited to bolster the campaign against the Muslim terrorist group known as Abu Sayyaf ("Bearer of the Sword"). Left-wing groups in Manila have already drawn the Vietnam parallel, and at least one senator has accused Philippine President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo of treason for inviting foreign troops onto Philippine soil.

Such talk is as overheated as the jungles of Basilan and Sulu, the southern Philippine islands that are home to the Abu Sayyaf. The campaign against the group, whose links to Al Qaeda are sketchy, may not even represent the most strategic blow against global terror. Certainly the deployment of 160 U.S. Special Forces commandos and an additional 500 support troops that is to take place over the next month doesn't signal an Apocalypse Now Redux. And it's precisely the differences between the two missions that indicate how the Americans might fare in this latest Southeast Asian intervention.

Formally, the Special Forces will be taking part in a routine, U.S.- Philippines joint military exercise. Their task will be to train two light reaction companies (about 1,200 troops) in techniques ranging from flying choppers at night to psychological-warfare operations--what national-security adviser Roilo Golez calls "on-the-job training." They will be allowed to accompany Filipino troops into combat, but will be able to return fire only in self-defense. The operation is expected to last much longer than usual--at least until June, and possibly till the end of the year. At the same time the Pentagon is shipping planeloads of new gear to the outgunned Filipino military, including night-vision goggles, sniper rifles and advanced helicopters.

The one true similarity between Vietnam and the southern Philippines may be the mountainous, critter-infested terrain. Much of Basilan and Sulu is covered with thick foliage, which has hampered efforts to locate Abu Sayyaf bases from the air. On the ground, rebels melt into the jungle after fire fights. In some small towns and villages, the Abu Sayyaf has apparently relied on supporters who alert them to Army movements.

That said, these guerrillas are not the Vietcong. Current links to Al ...