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Philippine president gets special welcome

By RICHARD TOMKINS, UPI White House Correspondent

WASHINGTON, May 19 (UPI) -- Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo arrived at the White House Monday for talks with President George W. Bush on efforts to combat terrorism and also to foster stronger bilateral ties between the two countries.

A role for Manila in rebuilding Iraq was another key item on Macapagal's agenda in her White House meeting Monday.

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Filipino government sources said Washington is to provide $60 million for counter-terrorism operations against the Islamic Abu Sayyaf organization, which has links with Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida movement.

Macapagal has promised 300 military personnel for an international peacekeeping force in Iraq. In return, press reports say, she has told Bush her country's business community would like to see some of the contracts for rebuilding Iraq coming its way.

Arroyo, the fourth Philippines president since the ouster of Ferdinand Marcos in the late 1980s, was only the third foreign leader to be given official state-visit status by Bush, underlining the importance the president places on U.S.-Filipino ties and his thanks for her support for the war against Iraq.

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"Just over a century ago, Americans and Filipinos worked side by side to liberate the Philippines," Bush said. "Nearly half a century later, in a world war, our soldiers fought and died together in places like Bataan and Corregidor. And on this foundation of common sacrifice, America and the Philippines built an alliance that remains strong, an alliance that is essential to the peace of the Pacific.

Bush said both nations were threatened by terrorism, and were determined to fight that threat until it is defeated.

The Philippines, initially a Spanish colony, passed to U.S. control after the Spanish-American War. U.S. plans for Filipino independence, however, were stalled by World War II and Japan's occupation of the country.

Arroyo was welcomed to the White House with a guard of honor on the South Lawn and a troop review. In the evening, there will be a formal state dinner.

"Our alliance abides strong as ever, even as the world today requires a new perspective on political and economic security in Asia Pacific," Arroyo said at the welcoming. "This new perspective must recognize that while Asia must take greater responsibility for its own political and economic security, it must also recognize that strong relations with the U.S. will contribute greatly to regional peace and prosperity, stability and security, especially from terrorism."

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The Philippines has been plagued by militant movements for decades, first from communist guerrillas in the north and later from Muslim separatists in the southern islands.

One of the groups fighting in the south is Abu Sayyaf, which has been linked to al-Qaida, the terror network held responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.

U.S. military forces were temporarily deployed to train Filipino troops in counter-insurgency operations and Bush and Arroyo announced Monday a similar mission would be undertaken soon.

The presence of U.S. forces in the Philippines, however, is a touchy issue for Filipinos. In the early 1990s, strong nationalist sentiment led to the closing of two long-time U.S. bases in the Philippines -- Clark Air Base and the Subic Bay naval base.

In addition to the war on terrorism, trade loomed large on the agenda Monday for both leaders. The Philippines is seeking new U.S. investment, duty-free status for Filipino goods and increased military aid and cooperation.

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