Hillary's World

SINGAPORE, Nov 12 (AFP) – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was due in Manila on Thursday in a bid to deepen defence ties with a country fighting Islamist militants who officials say are now using Iraq-style tactics.

The two-day visit comes as US Special Forces advisers are in the southern Philippines to train and equip Filipino soldiers in combatting the Abu Sayyaf group that is blamed for the Southeast Asian nation’s worst terrorist attacks.

Clinton is likely to hear “strong support” from President Gloria Arroyo and her defence officials for the Visiting Forces Agreement, a 1999 treaty which governs the deployment of US troops in the Philippines, Arroyo’s aides said.

On the eve of Clinton’s visit, Philippines police broke up a protest by 70 left-leaning students in Manila who demanded the pullout of the US military advisers, saying they are an affront to the nation’s sovereignty.

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