DOCSLIB.ORG

Review of the Re-Listing of Abu Sayyaf Group, Jamiat Ul-Ansar and Al-Qa’Ida in Iraq

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Review of the Re-Listing of Abu Sayyaf Group, Jamiat Ul-Ansar and Al-Qa’Ida in Iraq The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia Review of the re-listing of Abu Sayyaf Group, Jamiat ul-Ansar and Al-Qa’ida in Iraq Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security February 2009 Canberra © Commonwealth of Australia 2009 ISBN 978-0-642-79136-8 (Printed version) ISBN 978-0-642-79137-5 (HTML version) Contents Membership of the Committee ............................................................................................................ v Terms of reference.............................................................................................................................vii List of recommendations .....................................................................................................................ix 1 Introduction ...........................................................................................................1 The Government’s procedures ................................................................................................ 2 Procedural comments .............................................................................................................. 5 2 The Listings ...........................................................................................................7 The criteria for listing an organisation.................................................................................... 7 Overview..................................................................................................................................... 8 Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)............................................................................................................ 8 Engagement in terrorism........................................................................................................... 12 Ideology and links to other terrorist groups/networks................................................................ 14 Links to Australia....................................................................................................................... 17 Threats to Australian interests................................................................................................... 17 Proscription by the UN or like-minded countries ....................................................................... 17 Engagement in peace/mediation processes.............................................................................. 18 Jamiat ul-Ansar (JuA)............................................................................................................. 19 Engagement in terrorism........................................................................................................... 23 Ideology and links to other terrorist groups/networks................................................................ 24 Links to Australia....................................................................................................................... 26 Threats to Australian interests................................................................................................... 26 iv Proscription by the UN or like-minded countries ....................................................................... 26 Engagement in peace/mediation processes.............................................................................. 26 Al-Qa’ida in Iraq (AQI)............................................................................................................. 26 Engagement in terrorism........................................................................................................... 35 Ideology and links to other terrorist groups/networks................................................................ 36 Links to Australia....................................................................................................................... 37 Threats to Australian interests................................................................................................... 37 Proscription by the UN or like-minded countries ....................................................................... 37 Engagement in peace/mediation processes.............................................................................. 38 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 38 Appendix A – List of Submissions ...........................................................................39 Appendix B – Witnesses appearing at private hearing ..........................................41 Canberra................................................................................................................................... 41 Membership of the Committee Chair The Hon Arch Bevis MP Deputy Chair The Hon Philip Ruddock MP Members Mr Daryl Melham MP Senator Michael Forshaw Mr Mark Dreyfus QC MP Senator Gavin Marshall Senator Julian McGauran vi Committee Secretariat Secretary Dr Margot Kerley Inquiry Secretary Mr Robert Little Research Officers Ms Philippa Davies Office Manager Mrs Donna Quintus-Bosz Terms of reference This inquiry and report is conducted under the following powers: Criminal Code Act 1995 Section 102.1A Reviews by Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security Review of listing regulation (1) If a regulation made after the commencement of this section specifies an organisation for the purposes of paragraph (b) of the definition of terrorist organisation in section 102.1, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security may: (a) review the regulation as soon as possible after the making of the regulation; and (b) report the Committee’s comments and recommendations to each House of the Parliament before the end of the applicable disallowance period. And Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) Criminal Code Amendment Regulations 2008 (No 4) Registered: 31 October 2008 (FRLI: F2008L03611) Jamiat ul-Ansar (JuA) Criminal Code Amendment Regulations 2008 (No 6) Registered: 31 October 2008 (FRLI: F2008L03610) Al-Qa’ida in Iraq Criminal Code Amendment Regulations 2008 (No 5) Registered: 31 October 2008 (FRLI: F2008L03612) viii List of recommendations 2 The Listings Recommendation 1 The Committee does not recommend the disallowance of the regulations, made under the Criminal Code section 102.1, to list the three organisations: Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) Jamiat ul-Ansar (JuA) Al-Qa’ida in Iraq (AQI) as terrorist organisations 1 Introduction 1.1 This review is conducted under section 102.1A of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (the Criminal Code). Section 102.1A provides that the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (the Committee) may review a regulation specifying an organisation as a terrorist organisation for the purpose of paragraph (b) of the definition of terrorist organisation in section 102.1 of the Criminal Code and report the Committee’s comments to each house of the Parliament before the end of the applicable disallowance period. 1.2 The regulations under review have specified the following organisations as terrorist organisations for the purposes of section 102.1 of the Criminal Code: Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) Jamiat ul-Ansar (JuA) Al-Qa’ida in Iraq (AQI) 1.3 This is a review of the re-listing of these three organisations. 1.4 The Committee notes that the Attorney-General recently considered advice from the Director-General of Security and the Australian Government Solicitor that the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) did not meet the requirements for listing under the Criminal Code. He stated he would not be re-listing GIA as a terrorist organisation under the Criminal Code after the current listing expired on 2 November 2008.1 1 Submission No. 1. 2 1.5 ASG and JuA were last re-listed as terrorist organisations by Criminal Code Amendment Regulations 2006 (No. 4) and (No. 5) respectively, with effect from 3 November 2006. 1.6 AQI was last re-listed as a terrorist organisation under its previous name, Tanzim Qa’idat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn, by Criminal Code Amendment Regulations 2007 (No. 1), with effect from 17 February 2007. 1.7 In a letter to the Committee on 23 October 2008, the Attorney-General advised that he intended to re-list these three organisations prior to the lapsing of their current listing as provided for in section 102.1(3). The Attorney provided statements of reasons for the re-listings. These are accepted as submission number one to this review. 1.8 The regulations were signed by the Governor-General on 31 October 2008. They were then tabled in the House of Representatives and the Senate on 10 November 2008. The disallowance period of 15 sitting days for the Committee’s review of the listing began from the date of the tabling. Therefore the Committee was required to report to the Parliament by Monday 9 February 2008. 1.9 Notice of the review was placed on the Committee’s website. 1.10 In its first report, Review of the listing on the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the Committee decided that it would test the validity of the listing of a terrorist organisation under the Criminal Code on both the procedures and the merits. This chapter will examine the Government’s procedures in listing the three organisations and chapter two will consider the merits of the listings. The Government’s procedures 1.11 In a letter sent to the Committee on 3 November 2008, the Attorney- General’s Department informed the Committee that it had adhered to the following procedures for the purpose of listing the organisations: The following processes
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
    Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses www.rsis.edu.sg ISSN 2382-6444 | Volume 10, Issue 9 | September 2018 A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR POLITICAL VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM RESEARCH (CTR) The Lamitan Bombing and Terrorist Threat in the Philippines Rommel C. Banlaoi Crime-Terror Nexus in Southeast Asia Bilveer Singh India and the Crime-Terrorism Nexus Ramesh Balakrishnan Crime -Terror Nexus in Pakistan Farhan Zahid Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses Volume 9, Issue 4 | April 2017 1 Building a Global Network for Security Editorial Note Terrorist Threat in the Philippines and the Crime-Terror Nexus In light of the recent Lamitan bombing in the detailing the Siege of Marawi. The Lamitan Southern Philippines in July 2018, this issue bombing symbolises the continued ideological highlights the changing terrorist threat in the and physical threat of IS to the Philippines, Philippines. This issue then focuses, on the despite the group’s physical defeat in Marawi crime-terror nexus as a key factor facilitating in 2017. The author contends that the counter- and promoting financial sources for terrorist terrorism bodies can defeat IS only through groups, while observing case studies in accepting the group’s presence and hold in the Southeast Asia (Philippines) and South Asia southern region of the country. (India and Pakistan). The symbiotic Wrelationship and cooperation between terrorist Bilveer Singh broadly observes the nature groups and criminal organisations is critical to of the crime-terror nexus in Southeast Asia, the existence and functioning of the former, and analyses the Abu Sayyaf Group’s (ASG) despite different ideological goals and sources of finance in the Philippines.
    [Show full text]
  • Emindanao Library an Annotated Bibliography (Preliminary Edition)
    eMindanao Library An Annotated Bibliography (Preliminary Edition) Published online by Center for Philippine Studies University of Hawai’i at Mānoa Honolulu, Hawaii July 25, 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface iii I. Articles/Books 1 II. Bibliographies 236 III. Videos/Images 240 IV. Websites 242 V. Others (Interviews/biographies/dictionaries) 248 PREFACE This project is part of eMindanao Library, an electronic, digitized collection of materials being established by the Center for Philippine Studies, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. At present, this annotated bibliography is a work in progress envisioned to be published online in full, with its own internal search mechanism. The list is drawn from web-based resources, mostly articles and a few books that are available or published on the internet. Some of them are born-digital with no known analog equivalent. Later, the bibliography will include printed materials such as books and journal articles, and other textual materials, images and audio-visual items. eMindanao will play host as a depository of such materials in digital form in a dedicated website. Please note that some resources listed here may have links that are “broken” at the time users search for them online. They may have been discontinued for some reason, hence are not accessible any longer. Materials are broadly categorized into the following: Articles/Books Bibliographies Videos/Images Websites, and Others (Interviews/ Biographies/ Dictionaries) Updated: July 25, 2014 Notes: This annotated bibliography has been originally published at http://www.hawaii.edu/cps/emindanao.html, and re-posted at http://www.emindanao.com. All Rights Reserved. For comments and feedbacks, write to: Center for Philippine Studies University of Hawai’i at Mānoa 1890 East-West Road, Moore 416 Honolulu, Hawaii 96822 Email: [email protected] Phone: (808) 956-6086 Fax: (808) 956-2682 Suggested format for citation of this resource: Center for Philippine Studies, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.
    [Show full text]
  • Mcallister Bradley J 201105 P
    REVOLUTIONARY NETWORKS? AN ANALYSIS OF ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN IN TERRORIST GROUPS by Bradley J. McAllister (Under the Direction of Sherry Lowrance) ABSTRACT This dissertation is simultaneously an exercise in theory testing and theory generation. Firstly, it is an empirical test of the means-oriented netwar theory, which asserts that distributed networks represent superior organizational designs for violent activists than do classic hierarchies. Secondly, this piece uses the ends-oriented theory of revolutionary terror to generate an alternative means-oriented theory of terrorist organization, which emphasizes the need of terrorist groups to centralize their operations. By focusing on the ends of terrorism, this study is able to generate a series of metrics of organizational performance against which the competing theories of organizational design can be measured. The findings show that terrorist groups that decentralize their operations continually lose ground, not only to government counter-terror and counter-insurgent campaigns, but also to rival organizations that are better able to take advantage of their respective operational environments. However, evidence also suggests that groups facing decline due to decentralization can offset their inability to perform complex tasks by emphasizing the material benefits of radical activism. INDEX WORDS: Terrorism, Organized Crime, Counter-Terrorism, Counter-Insurgency, Networks, Netwar, Revolution, al-Qaeda in Iraq, Mahdi Army, Abu Sayyaf, Iraq, Philippines REVOLUTIONARY NETWORK0S? AN ANALYSIS OF ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN IN TERRORIST GROUPS by BRADLEY J MCALLISTER B.A., Southwestern University, 1999 M.A., The University of Leeds, United Kingdom, 2003 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSPHY ATHENS, GA 2011 2011 Bradley J.
    [Show full text]
  • The Jihadi Industry: Assessing the Organizational, Leadership And
    The Jihadi Industry: Assessing the Organizational, Leadership, and Cyber Profiles Report to the Office of University Programs, Science and Technology Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security July 2017 National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism A Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Center of Excellence Led by the University of Maryland 8400 Baltimore Ave., Suite 250 • College Park, MD 20742 • 301.405.6600 www.start.umd.edu National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism A Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Center of Excellence About This Report The authors of this report are Gina Ligon, Michael Logan, Margeret Hall, Douglas C. Derrick, Julia Fuller, and Sam Church at the University of Nebraska, Omaha. Questions about this report should be directed to Dr. Gina Ligon at [email protected]. This report is part of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) project, “The Jihadi Industry: Assessing the Organizational, Leadership, and Cyber Profiles” led by Principal Investigator Gina Ligon. This research was supported by the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate’s Office of University Programs through Award Number #2012-ST-061-CS0001, Center for the Study of Terrorism and Behavior (CSTAB 1.12) made to START to investigate the role of social, behavioral, cultural, and economic factors on radicalization and violent extremism. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • U.S. Military Engagement in the Broader Middle East
    U.S. MILITARY ENGAGEMENT IN THE BROADER MIDDLE EAST JAMES F. JEFFREY MICHAEL EISENSTADT U.S. MILITARY ENGAGEMENT IN THE BROADER MIDDLE EAST JAMES F. JEFFREY MICHAEL EISENSTADT THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY WWW.WASHINGTONINSTITUTE.ORG The opinions expressed in this Policy Focus are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Washington Institute, its Board of Trustees, or its Board of Advisors. Policy Focus 143, April 2016 All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publica- tion may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing fromthe publisher. ©2016 by The Washington Institute for Near East Policy The Washington Institute for Near East Policy 1111 19th Street NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20036 Design: 1000colors Photo: An F-16 from the Egyptian Air Force prepares to make contact with a KC-135 from the 336th ARS during in-flight refueling training. (USAF photo by Staff Sgt. Amy Abbott) Contents Acknowledgments V I. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF U.S. MILITARY OPERATIONS 1 James F. Jeffrey 1. Introduction to Part I 3 2. Basic Principles 5 3. U.S. Strategy in the Middle East 8 4. U.S. Military Engagement 19 5. Conclusion 37 Notes, Part I 39 II. RETHINKING U.S. MILITARY STRATEGY 47 Michael Eisenstadt 6. Introduction to Part II 49 7. American Sisyphus: Impact of the Middle Eastern Operational Environment 52 8. Disjointed Strategy: Aligning Ways, Means, and Ends 58 9.
    [Show full text]
  • Counter-Insurgency Vs. Counter-Terrorism in Mindanao
    THE PHILIPPINES: COUNTER-INSURGENCY VS. COUNTER-TERRORISM IN MINDANAO Asia Report N°152 – 14 May 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS................................................. i I. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 II. ISLANDS, FACTIONS AND ALLIANCES ................................................................ 3 III. AHJAG: A MECHANISM THAT WORKED .......................................................... 10 IV. BALIKATAN AND OPLAN ULTIMATUM............................................................. 12 A. EARLY SUCCESSES..............................................................................................................12 B. BREAKDOWN ......................................................................................................................14 C. THE APRIL WAR .................................................................................................................15 V. COLLUSION AND COOPERATION ....................................................................... 16 A. THE AL-BARKA INCIDENT: JUNE 2007................................................................................17 B. THE IPIL INCIDENT: FEBRUARY 2008 ..................................................................................18 C. THE MANY DEATHS OF DULMATIN......................................................................................18 D. THE GEOGRAPHICAL REACH OF TERRORISM IN MINDANAO ................................................19
    [Show full text]
  • Southern Philippines, February 2011
    Confirms CORI country of origin research and information CORI Country Report Southern Philippines, February 2011 Commissioned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Division of International Protection. Any views expressed in this paper are those of the author and are not necessarily those of UNHCR. Preface Country of Origin Information (COI) is required within Refugee Status Determination (RSD) to provide objective evidence on conditions in refugee producing countries to support decision making. Quality information about human rights, legal provisions, politics, culture, society, religion and healthcare in countries of origin is essential in establishing whether or not a person’s fear of persecution is well founded. CORI Country Reports are designed to aid decision making within RSD. They are not intended to be general reports on human rights conditions. They serve a specific purpose, collating legally relevant information on conditions in countries of origin, pertinent to the assessment of claims for asylum. Categories of COI included within this report are based on the most common issues arising from asylum applications made by nationals from the southern Philippines, specifically Mindanao, Tawi Tawi, Basilan and Sulu. This report covers events up to 28 February 2011. COI is a specific discipline distinct from academic, journalistic or policy writing, with its own conventions and protocols of professional standards as outlined in international guidance such as The Common EU Guidelines on Processing Country of Origin Information, 2008 and UNHCR, Country of Origin Information: Towards Enhanced International Cooperation, 2004. CORI provides information impartially and objectively, the inclusion of source material in this report does not equate to CORI agreeing with its content or reflect CORI’s position on conditions in a country.
    [Show full text]
  • Philippines Page 1 of 25
    2008 Human Rights Report: Philippines Page 1 of 25 2008 Human Rights Report: Philippines BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND LABOR 2008 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices February 25, 2009 The Philippines, with a population of 89 million, is a multiparty republic with an elected president and bicameral legislature. In May 2007 approximately 73 percent of registered citizens voted in mid-term elections for both houses of congress and provincial and local governments. The election generally was free and fair but was marred by violence and allegations of vote buying and electoral fraud. Long-running Communist and Muslim insurgencies affected the country. Civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces; however, there were some instances in which elements of the security forces acted independently. Arbitrary, unlawful, and extrajudicial killings by elements of the security services and political killings, including killings of journalists, by a variety of actors continued to be major problems. In recent years, following increased domestic and international scrutiny, reforms were undertaken and the number of killings and disappearances dropped dramatically. Concerns about impunity persisted. Members of the security services committed acts of physical and psychological abuse on suspects and detainees, and there were instances of torture. Prisoners awaiting trial and those already convicted were often held under primitive conditions. Disappearances occurred, and arbitrary or warrantless arrests and detentions were common. Trials were delayed, and procedures were prolonged. Corruption was a problem throughout the criminal justice system. Leftwing and human rights activists often were subject to harassment by local security forces. Problems such as violence against women, abuse of children, child prostitution, trafficking in persons, child labor, and ineffective enforcement of worker rights were common.
    [Show full text]
  • 'Battle of Marawi': Death and Destruction in the Philippines
    ‘THE BATTLE OF MARAWI’ DEATH AND DESTRUCTION IN THE PHILIPPINES Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 7 million people who campaign for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all. Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations. © Amnesty International 2017 Except where otherwise noted, content in this document is licensed under a Creative Commons Cover photo: Military trucks drive past destroyed buildings and a mosque in what was the main battle (attribution, non-commercial, no derivatives, international 4.0) licence. area in Marawi, 25 October 2017, days after the government declared fighting over. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode © Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images For more information please visit the permissions page on our website: www.amnesty.org Where material is attributed to a copyright owner other than Amnesty International this material is not subject to the Creative Commons licence. First published in 2017 by Amnesty International Ltd Peter Benenson House, 1 Easton Street London WC1X 0DW, UK Index: ASA 35/7427/2017 Original language: English amnesty.org CONTENTS MAP 4 1. INTRODUCTION 5 2. METHODOLOGY 10 3. BACKGROUND 11 4. UNLAWFUL KILLINGS BY MILITANTS 13 5. HOSTAGE-TAKING BY MILITANTS 16 6. ILL-TREATMENT BY GOVERNMENT FORCES 18 7. ‘TRAPPED’ CIVILIANS 21 8. LOOTING BY ALL PARTIES TO THE CONFLICT 23 9.
    [Show full text]
  • 11 July 2006 Mumbai Train Bombings
    11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings July 2006 Mumbai train bombings One of the bomb-damaged coaches Location Mumbai, India Target(s) Mumbai Suburban Railway Date 11 July 2006 18:24 – 18:35 (UTC+5.5) Attack Type Bombings Fatalities 209 Injuries 714 Perpetrator(s) Terrorist outfits—Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT; These are alleged perperators as legal proceedings have not yet taken place.) Map showing the 'Western line' and blast locations. The 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings were a series of seven bomb blasts that took place over a period of 11 minutes on the Suburban Railway in Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay), capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and India's financial capital. 209 people lost their lives and over 700 were injured in the attacks. Details The bombs were placed on trains plying on the western line of the suburban ("local") train network, which forms the backbone of the city's transport network. The first blast reportedly took place at 18:24 IST (12:54 UTC), and the explosions continued for approximately eleven minutes, until 18:35, during the after-work rush hour. All the bombs had been placed in the first-class "general" compartments (some compartments are reserved for women, called "ladies" compartments) of several trains running from Churchgate, the city-centre end of the western railway line, to the western suburbs of the city. They exploded at or in the near vicinity of the suburban railway stations of Matunga Road, Mahim, Bandra, Khar Road, Jogeshwari, Bhayandar and Borivali.
    [Show full text]
  • {Name of Organisation}
    UNCLASSIFIED Jamiat ul-Ansar (JuA) (Also known as: Al-Faran, Al-Hadid, Al-Hadith, Harakat ul-Ansar, Harakat ul-Mujahideen, Harakat ul-Mujahidin, HuA, HuM) The following information is based on publicly available details about Jamiat ul-Ansar (JuA), formerly known as Harakat ul-Mujahideen (HuM), the name that is still commonly used for the group. To the Australian Government’s knowledge, these details are accurate and reliable and have been corroborated by classified information. Basis for listing a terrorist organisation Division 102 of the Criminal Code provides that for an organisation to be listed as a terrorist organisation, the Attorney-General must be satisfied on reasonable grounds that the organisation: (a) is directly or indirectly engaged in, preparing, planning, assisting in or fostering the doing of a terrorist act (whether or not a terrorist act has occurred or will occur); or (b) advocates the doing of a terrorist act (whether or not a terrorist act has occurred or will occur). Details of the organisation Objectives JuA wants to unite all of Kashmir with Pakistan and establish a caliphate based on Sharia law. JuA has advocated the use of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons against India, and opposes efforts to normalise relations between the two countries. JuA also has pledged support for Afghan militants fighting Coalition forces in Afghanistan. Some elements within JuA have wanted to re-focus their activities and bring them more into line with Usama bin Laden’s global jihad against the US and Israel and their allies. Leadership The leader of JuA is Fazlur Rehman (sometimes Rahman) Khalil (also known as Maulana Farzul Ahmed Khalil and Maulana Ahmed Khalil).
    [Show full text]
  • 2020 Jolo Suicide Attack: Evolving Tactics
    www.rsis.edu.sg No. 165 – 31 August 2020 RSIS Commentary is a platform to provide timely and, where appropriate, policy-relevant commentary and analysis of topical and contemporary issues. The authors’ views are their own and do not represent the official position of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, NTU. These commentaries may be reproduced with prior permission from RSIS and due recognition to the author(s) and RSIS. Please email to Mr Yang Razali Kassim, Editor RSIS Commentary at [email protected]. 2020 Jolo Suicide Attack: Evolving Tactics By Kenneth Yeo and Remy Mahzam SYNOPSIS The 24 August 2020 suicide bombing in Jolo which involved female attackers has brought attention to the emergence of the pro-Islamic State (IS) Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan faction of the Abu Sayyaf Group and its tactic of engaging women for this role. COMMENTARY AFTER A nine-month hiatus from the last suicide attack in Mindanao, another incident struck in a plaza near a cathedral in the southern Philippine town of Jolo, a stronghold of the pro-IS Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). The two-stage attack, which killed at least 14 and wounded 75, is the fifth case of suicide terrorism in the Philippines orchestrated by the IS-aligned Sawadjaan faction of ASG. The first suicide bomber detonated herself near a parked motorcycle while the second blew herself up after a soldier approached her following the first explosion. One of the suicide bombers is believed to be an Indonesian national who was the wife of 23-year-old Norman Lasuca, the first Filipino suicide bomber who killed himself in 2019.
    [Show full text]