PLO OPERATIVE ARRESTED IN PHILIPPINES

KHALEEJ TIMES/AFP: Former PLO member arrested in Philippines

MANILA - Authorities arrested a former Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) member in the southern Philippines, a report said Saturday, amid suspicions he was involved with local Islamic militants.

Immigration, police and military personnel arrested Yussof Umar Animour, 41, also known as Yusop Omar, in the town of Sibalu in the southernmost islands of Tawi-Tawi on November 1 for illegally staying in the country, an Immigration Bureau report said.

However sources in the intelligence community believe he has ties with local Muslim militants who have battled the government.

Intelligence reports say that in 2000 he was spotted in a Philippine camp with insurgents of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) while the military was launching an assault against the group.

It was unclear what he was doing in the Philippines at the time of his arrest.

Omar was as a communications specialist with the PLO in Lebanon from 1982 to 1984, then went to Manila to study in 1986. However schools rejected his application because he did not have a student visa, the bureau report said.

• THE PHILIPPINES HAVE LONG BEEN AN IMPORTANT HUB OF JIHADIST TERROR.

• THE PLO - IN THE PHILIPPINES!?!? BUT THEY DON'T HAVE MANY JOOOOOOZE THERE.

• D'YA THINK MAYBE JIHADOTERROR AIN'T ABOUT THE JOOOOOOZE, THEN!?

• AND NOT ABOUT ISRAEL.

• AND NOT ABOUT THE NEOCONS OR THE GOP.

• AND TWISTING ISRAEL'S ARMS TO GIVE CONCESSIONS TO THE JIHADISTS WILL NOT END OR EVEN REDUCE TERROR.

• IT WILL ONLY INCREASE IT BECAUSE IT SENDS A CLEAR MESSAGE: TERROR WORKS.

• BUSH IS WRONG TO MAKE ISRAEL GIVE INTO FATAH.

• IT WILL COME BACK TO HURT US ALL.