The Sources of the Abu Sayyaf's Resilience in the Southern
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MAY 2010 . VOL 3 . ISSUE 5 A number of conclusions can be drawn The Sources of the Abu the creation of AHAI in 1989 to pursue from this incident. The kidnappings Jihad Fi Sabilillah, defined as “fighting and and Khwaja’s subsequent execution Sayyaf’s Resilience in the dying for the cause of Islam.”2 Yet it show the generational change among Southern Philippines was only in 1993 when AHAI formally militants in Pakistan and the evolving organized with Abdurajak as the amir.3 relationship between the ISI and By Rommel C. Banlaoi Taliban fighters. Khwaja, for example, Since the formal launch of AHAI in was a controversial figure due to his since the launching of the global war 1989, Abdurajak delivered several associations with the ISI and links with on terrorism in the aftermath of the khutbahs or sermons and released several certain militant groups. After he retired September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on fatawa using the nom-de-guerre “Abu from the military, he worked as a lawyer the United States, the Philippines has Sayyaf,” in honor of Afghan resistance and defended suspected militants been engaged in a prolonged military fighter Abdul Rasul Sayyaf.4 While and Islamist politicians.17 He even campaign against the Abu Sayyaf Group Abdurajak idolized this Afghan leader, reportedly once maintained contacts (ASG). Key ASG leaders have been the suggestion that Abdurajak was an with Usama bin Ladin. It appears that killed in this battle, while others have Afghan war veteran is still a subject the Asian Tigers killed him as revenge been imprisoned for various crimes for verification.5 Some living Filipino against the ISI and against the jihadist associated with terrorism. Despite these Afghan war veterans, for example, have groups it believes are still working for successes, authorities have not been challenged the claim that Abdurajak the spy agency. able to eliminate the ASG completely, actually fought in the Afghan war— and the group remains a threat to arguing instead that it was his younger The new generation of militants in Philippine internal security. Even after brother, Hector, who participated in the Pakistan is more independent and is losing key field commanders, the ASG conflict.6 pursuing more radical goals. Moreover, is still able to replenish its membership these domestic militant groups share primarily from affected and influenced Abdurajak’s khutbahs and fatawa became links with transnational terrorist villages in Sulu, Basilan and Tawi- popular not only in Basilan but also in networks such as al-Qa`ida, and they Tawi (BASULTA) in the southern Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Zamboanga City. are angry with Pakistan’s government Philippines. His popularity caught the ire of police and for aligning with the United States and military authorities because Abdurajak NATO in the “war on terrorism.” It After providing a brief background was associated with the Moro National appears that they want to embarrass of the ASG, this article examines the Liberation Front (MNLF), a group that Pakistan’s government and force sources of the ASG’s resilience in the declared jihad against the Philippine it to accept their demands. Future face of government and international government. Since Abdurajak used the kidnapping attempts of high-profile pressure. It argues that the ASG is pen name “Abu Sayyaf,” the military security officials and other more a product of complex tensions in the described his followers as a group of Abu aggressive tactics are likely as the southern Philippines, where criminal, Sayyaf, which was popularized in media Pakistani Taliban grow more diffuse political and militant groups at times as the Abu Sayyaf Group, or ASG. The and increasingly unpredictable. collaborate to achieve shared goals. popularity of this group spread widely It also shows the limits of countering in Mindanao and was locally known Rahimullah Yusufzai is a senior Pakistani terrorism in the southern Philippines. as Juma’a Abu Sayyaf. In August 1991, journalist and political and security analyst Abdurajak publicly used the name ASG presently working as Resident Editor of the A Deeper Look at the Founding of the ASG in connection with the bombing of the English daily The News International Analysts traditionally trace the MV Doulos, a Christian missionary ship in Peshawar. He is also an analyst for the evolution of the ASG to Abdurajak docked at the Zamboanga City port.7 leading Pakistani Urdu TV channel, Geo. Janjalani, who reportedly founded the He has been reporting on Afghanistan and group in the early 1990s. While there From Islamic Movement to a Bandit Group Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province is no doubt that the ASG’s original From an Islamic movement in the late (NWFP), Federally Administered Tribal ideological foundation is attributed 1980s and early 1990s, the ASG received Areas (FATA), and Baluchistan since the to the political and religious ideas of the label of a bandit group from the early 1980s. Abdurajak, what he actually organized was a group called al-Harakatul al- 2 Ibid. Islamiyyah (AHAI) or the Islamic 3 Ibid. Movement, whose original members 4 Ibid. were drawn from his followers in Jamaa 5 Personal interview, Noor Muog, former member of the Tableegh, an Islamic propagation group Abu Sayyaf Group, April 8, 2010. that he formed in Basilan in the early 6 There is need to conduct research on the life and sto- 1 1980s. Abdurajak officially declared ries of Filipino Muslim veterans of the Afghan war. Some have died, some have been imprisoned but there are still 1 For a more detailed history, see Rommel C. Banlaoi, remaining veterans all over Mindanao. There are a few “The Abu Sayyaf Group and Terrorism in the South- staying in Muslim communities in Manila trying to make ern Philippines Seven Years After 9/11: Threat and Re- a living peacefully. sponse,” Philippine Institute for Political Violence and 7 “Abu Sayyaf Kidnappings, Bombings and Other At- 17 Mir. Terrorism Research, September 2008. tacks,” GMANews.tv, August 23, 2007. 17 MAY 2010 . VOL 3 . ISSUE 5 Philippine government for partaking in From a Bandit Group to a Terrorist Group to an estimated 200 members at the several bombing, extortion and kidnap- The aftermath of 9/11, however, resulted conclusion of the campaign in 2007.17 for-ransom activities. Although the ASG in the redesignation of the ASG from received initial funding from al-Qa`ida a bandit group to a terrorist group. Yet the ASG was able to recover its in the mid-1990s through the activities The United States listed the ASG as a membership when it mounted a series of Muhammad Jamal Khalifah, external foreign terrorist organization, justifying of kidnapping activities in 2008. This funding was cut off when Philippine the deployment of U.S. troops to the allowed the group to amass money, authorities discovered Khalifah’s southern Philippines to assist and train which attracted Muslim youth to join clandestine operations in the country.8 the Philippine military in countering the spree. The massive kidnapping the threat. Since 9/11, the ASG has activities of the ASG started in June To mobilize resources, the ASG resorted engaged in a series of terrorist activities 2008 with the abduction of well-known to a kidnap-for-ransom spree in the such as the Davao International Airport Filipina journalist, Ces Drilon, and her late 1990s. The ASG’s most publicized bombing in March 2003 that killed cameraman. This was followed by the kidnap-for-ransom activities were the 21 people, the Superferry 14 bombing in kidnappings of three workers of the March 2000 attacks in elementary February 2004 that killed 116 people International Committee of the Red schools in Basilan,9 the April 2000 attack and the Valentine’s Day bombing in Cross (ICRC) in January 2009 and two at the Sipadan resort of Malaysia10 and February 2005 that killed 20 people.14 Chinese nationals in November 2009. the May 2001 attack at the Dos Palmas During this period, the ASG engaged In between those dates, several local resort of Palawan.11 These attacks in several bombing activities that were residents were kidnapped, with one local prompted the Philippine government to hallmarks of terrorism rather than teacher in Jolo beheaded in November describe the ASG as a group of bandits banditry.15 2009.18 Indeed, the ASG degenerated interested in money-making through into a bandit group again. kidnapping activities. As a result of ASG’s bomb-making skills were limited foreign funding since 9/11, the acquired through joint training with With money in their pockets resulting ASG has relied on kidnapping activities Jemaah Islamiya (JI) operatives in the from several ransom payments, the as its major source of funding—this southern Philippines. Dulmatin and ASG was able to accommodate younger continues today.12 Other sources of its Umar Patek, alleged masterminds recruits not interested in ideology, but funding come from extortion activities of the 2002 Bali bombing, have been in guns and money. Muslim parents in (disguised as zakat, or alms giving), identified by Philippine intelligence impoverished villages of BASULTA counterfeiting of goods, illegal drug authorities as key trainers of the even volunteered their sons to join the sales or serving as bodyguards for local ASG on the manufacture and use ASG in exchange for a monthly supply politicians.13 of improvised explosive devices.16 of rice and financial support to the Dulmatin and Umar Patek trained family of around $200.19 Some fathers 8 The discovery is fully described in the report, “The some ASG members with members of even reportedly traded their sons for 20 Islamic Fundamentalist/Extremist Movements in the the Special Operations Group (SOG) guns. There were cases where young Philippines and their Links with International Terrorist of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front recruits joined the ASG as a status Organizations,” December 1994, produced by the Special (MILF).