WASHINGTON – The United States is weighing additional support to the Philippine military to fight an Islamist insurgency in the south, a U.S. defense official said Tuesday. Discussions are "pretty advanced" and would see the U.S. provide increased surveillance drone capabilities and training for local forces, the official said. The drones could hypothetically be used to conduct strikes, the official added, although that would only be for self-defense to protect U.S. or partner forces and would not signal another front in America's drone wars. "It's not necessarily what those (drones) are there for. Those are there for ISR and support," the official said, using an acronym for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.