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Beheading draws attention to forgotten Philippine war
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AP Photo/Aaron Favila
Abu Sayyaf Facts
- Name means "Sword of God" in Arabic
- Seeks an independent Islamic state in Mindanao and the Sulu islands
- Attracts local supporters in Jolo and Basilan by offering portions of kidnap ransoms as rewards
- Current strength estimated at around 200 individuals
Three days prior to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to Manila, Abu Sayyaf militants beheaded a teacher kidnapped on the island of Jolo. The BBC reported that Gabriel Canizares was killed when his family refused to pay a ransom equivalent to US $42,000. While Abu Sayyaf has kidnapped teachers before, Canizares is the first that they have executed. The militants may have intended the beheading as a threat to the United States, which has worked with the Philippine government against Abu Sayyaf for seven years.
Though the American public remains preoccupied with conflicts in Iraq and Afganistan, the southern Philippines is home to no less than three militant Islamic groups: the Moro National Liberation Front, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Abu Sayyaf. Spanish colonists coined the term "Moro" more than a century ago (referencing the Muslim Moors who once controlled Spain) when referring to Muslim Filipinos. Of the Islamic groups, Abu Sayyaf is the smallest, but also the most violent and radical. Originally a splinter group of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), it is responsible for several high-profile kidnappings and bombings, including the 2004 Manila ferry bombing that killed 100 people.
The United States lists Abu Sayyaf as a terrorist organization, and claims that it is linked with al-Qaeda.
As a result, the US military has quietly assisted the Philippine government with counterinsurgency efforts since 2002. The Joint Special Operations Task Force works with the Philippine military in an advisory role, training Philippine soldiers in counterinsurgency warfare and providing them with equipment and financial support. These military advisors complement civilian programs dedicated to improving infrastructure, schools, and medical care to create what the US embassy refers to as both an "iron fist and [a] hand of friendship."
Independent security consultant Tom Green, who is based in Manila, commented in 2008 that
"f you've got a constructive presence in a village, you've hopefully got a medium to long term contribution to employment, to health, to education [...] And, more tactically, with a constructive relationship with the villagers, they start talking to you.
In many ways, the US presence in the Philippines is a more successful version of efforts in Afghanistan, where violence has made it all but completely impossible to extend the "hand of friendship" necessary to win the support of the local population.
Still, many Filipinos remain wary of US military involvement. The Philippines were formerly a US colony and served as a major base for the US military in the Pacific up until 1991. Some speculate that the US is primarily interested in using the Philippines as a jumping-off point for operations against radical Islamic groups in the south Pacific, especially in Indonesia. Others insist that the US hopes to reestablish a dominant presence in the Philippines amounting to de-facto colonialism. Still more, like director of the Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy, Amina Rasul, insist that US advisors should shift their focus away from the Philippine military, arguing that
they should be strengthening the capacity of local police agencies [...] they are local, they know local intelligence, they are plugged into local networks. Any act they do against terrorists will never be seen as a move of the non-Muslim majority against a Muslim community.
Yet there is no doubt that the US efforts have been effective. Abu Sayyaf's numbers have been reduced by more than half since 2006, and Rasul herself went so far as to describe the organization as "decimated."
Meanwhile, some 600 US military advisors remain stationed in the Philippines. Though they are legally barred from participating in combat operations, they are still at risk. In September, two men were killed when a land mine detonated underneath a military convoy, making them the first US casualties in the Philippines since 2002.
Philippine security issues (and therefore US involvement) will be a key topic during US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's upcoming visit to Manila on November 12th.
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