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| Southeast Asia |
| Philippines has a "Muklas" too |
| 2003-03-08 |
| The mastermind of the Rizal Day bombings in 2000 was also behind the explosion that killed more than 20 people at the Davao City airport on Tuesday, according to intelligence officials of the military and the National Bureau of Investigation. Armed Forces officials identified the mastermind as a certain Mukles, an explosives and bomb-assembly expert believed to be working for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. They said Mukles was seen recently in an MILF camp in Cotabato City. The Armed Forces report was confirmed by a source at the NBI which is conducting its own investigation into the Davao bombing. Mukles reportedly planned the bombing of a Light Rail Transit coach at the Blumentritt station that killed scores of passengers. Mukles and an Indonesian, Fathur al-Ghozi, were charged in a Philippine court with illegal possession of explosives, firearms, multiple homicide and frustrated murder for their part in the LRT bomb attack. A joint police and military antiterrorist team arrested al-Ghozi in Manila early last year. He was extradited by Indonesia. Mukles and al-Ghozi are suspected of having links with Osama bin Ladenâs al-Qaida network. Any surprises there? The NBI source said the information on Mukles is âA-1ââhighly reliable and provided by a deep-penetration agent. The information on Mukles bolsters the governmentâs allegations that the MILF, and not the Abu Sayyaf, was behind the bombing of the Davao airport. And its genesis is Gloria's surrender ultimatum... The source said Mukles was actively involved in planning the Davao blast, and trained the MILF members who carried out the attack. âOur contact told us that Mukles came to the MILF camp some three months ago and appeared to be training recruits in basic bomb and explosives handling,â the source said. Another NBI official said Mukles is skilled in converting 81mm mortar rounds into powerful remote-controlled devices. He reportedly visits every MILF camp to teach new recruits. Mukles learned to assemble bombs as a mujahid or Muslim guerrilla, during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the source said. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #1 Mukles the Clown? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-03-09 06:21:34 |