A Rebellion in Twilight.(Moro Islamic Liberation Front)(Brief Article)

Militant groups come and --eventually--go in the Philippines. Right now, about 1,000 American troops are on the impoverished southern island of Mindanao, doing engineering work and trying to hunt down members of Abu Sayyaf, the small but nasty terrorist group that's been kidnapping (and in some cases killing) tourists over the past two years. The group still holds two U.S. hostages--despite receiving a ransom payment from their families last week. But while Abu Sayyaf has grabbed the media spotlight, one of Asia's oldest and largest Muslim separatist groups seems nearly ready to give up its long and quixotic battle with the government.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was founded in the jungles of Mindanao in 1984. The rebels demanded a Muslim state of their own, and over the years fought many battles with the Philippine Army. Tens of thousands of soldiers and rebels have been killed. Two years ago the Army destroyed the MILF's sprawling base at Camp Abubakar, a training complex for several thousand men that had a mosque, a school and other facilities. Today the guerrillas are in a weak and defensive mode, spread out in small bases around Lanao del Sur, with no more than 400 rebels in each camp. Many of them are young people from farming families, serving the MILF cause part-time. They still carry U.S.-made rifles, still talk of jihad and of making raids against the Army. The MILF remains a modest military threat--but the group is now talking peace with Manila for the first time.

An outsider deserves much of the credit for the breakthrough. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has urged the ...