“Arroyo will leave the presidency with blood on her hands.” True to the constant practice of Islamic groups, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front indulges in finger-pointing rather than introspection, and blames the government for the breakdown of peace talks. Nothing it has done gives it any responsibility for anything. “Muslim guerrillas blame Philippine president for stalled talks, say they’re ready for war,” from The Associated Press (thanks to Twostellas):
MANILA, Philippines: Muslim guerrillas said Sunday they’re ready for war and accused the Philippine government of abandoning Malaysian-brokered peace talks by refusing to honor earlier accords.
Malaysia has complained about a lack of progress in the talks it has brokered between the two sides and withdrew 28 of its cease-fire monitors from the south Saturday in the first serious fallout from the impasse.
U.S. and Philippine officials hope a peace pact between the Manila government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has an estimated 11,000 fighters, can transform parts of the south into flourishing economic hubs instead of battlefields and safe harbors for al-Qaida-linked militants.
The talks hit a snag in December when rebel negotiators walked out to protest government insistence that earlier piecemeal agreements by both sides in more than three years of negotiations should conform with the Philippine Constitution.
In a statement on their Web site, the rebels accused President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s administration of “deliberately reverting to war after it consistently refused to honor and abide by the 49 consensus points” on the issue of ancestral domain “” the size of a territory that could be administered by minority Muslims.
“This is a tragic decision,” said Muhammad Ameen, who heads a rebel secretariat. “Arroyo will leave the presidency with blood on her hands.”
“We do not like war, war is a menace to everyone, but … those who want peace to prevail must prepare for war,” Ameen said.
Chief government negotiator Rodolfo Garcia said the government would not abandon the talks, and the military has given assurances it will respect the negotiations….