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Southeast Asia
Police arrest widow of Jemaah Islamiyah leader Marwan
2018-02-26
[RAPPLER] The widow of notorious Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader Marwan has been tossed in the clink
Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit!
 on Sunday, February 25, the Philippine National Police announced.

Juromee Dongon was arrested by police operatives in an operation in Tubod, Lanao del Norte early Sunday morning.

Dongon was married to a big shot of the notorious Abu Sayyaf
...also known as al-Harakat al-Islamiyya, an Islamist terror group based in Jolo, Basilan and Zamboanga. Since its inception in the early 1990s, the group has carried out bombings, kidnappings, murders, head choppings, and extortion in their uniquely Islamic attempt to set up an independent Moslem province in the Philippines. Abu Sayyaf forces probably number less than 300 cadres. The group is closely allied with remnants of Indonesia's Jemaah Islamiya and has loose ties with MILF and MNLF who sometimes provide cannon fodder...
 kidnap-for-ransom group, Khadaffy Janjalani. After his death in 2006 she married Malaysian bombmaker Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, who was killed in 2015 in the Philippines, police said.

Aside from Dongon, arrested were her sister Lorilie Atta y Dongon and SPO4 Andy Atta, Lorilie's husband.

Confiscated from the 3 were:

One fragmentation grenade
6 blasting caps
One blasting cap assembly
One electric detonating cord
One non-electric detonating cord
One plastic container
Two sling bags
One 9mm Glock 17 pistol issued by the PNP
3 magazines for the Glock 17 pistol
37 live ammunition for the 9mm pistol

"[Dongon] assists, associates, networks and supports terrorist groups," regional police front man Superintendent Lemuel Gonda told Agence La Belle France-Presse.

"Juromee is linked with Abu Sayyaf during the time of Janjalani and then later Jemaah Islamiyah," he added, referring to a Southeast Asian bully boy group.

Marwan was a leading member of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and a suspect in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202 people as well as in two deadly Philippine attacks.

He died in a raid in the southern Philippines that also left 44 police commandos dead. The US had offered a $5 million bounty for him.

Father of Romeo Dongon arrested
In a separate operation, cops also arrested Romeo Dongon, alias "Faisal" at Sitio Tinago, San Juan, Baroy, Lanao del Norte, and found illegal firearms in his possession. Dongon's daughter Norein Dongon Santos was also arrested.

Romeo Dongon is the father of Renierlo Dongon, who was the terrorist who had a love affair with a police official, Superintendent Cristina Nobleza. It can be recalled that Nobleza and Dongon were arrested back in April 2017, when the two attempted to evade capture during a police operation against the Abu Sayyaf in Bohol. (READ: Cop detained over alleged plot to rescue ASG in Bohol)

The team was composed of operatives from the regional Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Special Action Force, provincial and municipal cops.

Cops seized the following from the house:

One Colt MK1V .45 caliber pistol
One magazine of caliber .45 bullets
3 pieces of caliber .45 cartridges
One M61 fragmentation hand grenade
One gray empty blasting cup
One two-feet yellow detonating cord

Cops also confiscated a Samsung tablet, a Lenovo laptop with a handbag case, a 4 mobile phones, and two electrical wires.

Dongon family's terror links
An exclusive report by Rappler's Maria Ressa back in April revealed that the Dongon family is no stranger to controversial terror-linked marriages.

Zainab Dongon, another Dongon daughter, was the wife of Zulkifli Bin Hir, alias Marwan. Zainab had also married the brother of Abu Sayyaf founder Abdujarak Janjalani, Khadaffy Janjalani, who was killed by government forces.

Another sister, Aminah, married Jainal Antel Sali, also known as Abu Solaiman. A 41-year-old civil engineer, he was Khadaffy Janjalani's deputy.

Romeo Dongon's wife, Judith Dongon, was arrested with Renierlo and Nobleza in the April 2017 incident in Clarin, Bohol.

Norein herself is apparently the wife of Ahmad Santos, the founder and leader of the Rajah Solaiman Movement until his arrest in 2005.

They have been put under the custody of the CIDG, which handles high-level suspects and criminals.
Link


Southeast Asia
Experts question incentives in Rewards for Justice program
2016-01-31
[Inquirer] The $5 million price tag for the capture, dead or alive, of Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, has caught the attention of experts in the aftermath of a tragic police operation to take him down in Mamasapano, Maguindanao province, a year ago.

How the bounty affected the overall conduct of the operation is not clear. However, a Jakarta-based think-tank has urged a rethinking of the role of rewards in the war on terror. As with other terrorists, the bounty for Marwan's capture was put up by the U.S. Rewards for Justice program. The program is credited for aiding in the downfall of key Abu Sayyaf leaders. As of 2012, intelligence firm Strategic Forecasting said, more than $11 million in bounties had been paid out in the Philippines by the program.

The program's website listed as part of its success stories the capture of key Abu Sayyaf figures: Toting Craft Hanno, Khadaffy Janjalani (deceased), and Abu Solaiman and Hamsiraji Marusi Sali. It paid $100,000 for Hanno, $5 million for Janjalani, $5 million for Solaiman, and $1 million for Sali.

In a report, the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, said,"The huge bounties placed on the heads of foreign jihadis have helped to burnish their reputations as world-class terrorists, perhaps out of proportion to their actual roles. They encourage killing high-value targets rather than making any effort to arrest them alive."

In 2008, a Brussels-based think-tank warned about the distorting effect of monetary rewards in the drive against terrorists in the Philippines. In its report, the International Crisis Group noted that military informants "equate amount of bounty with the importance of the individual concerned."

It cited the case of Jemaah Islamiyah operatives Umar Patek and Dulmatin. Dulmatin, who reports to Umar Patek, commanded $10 million in reward for his capture while his boss only fetched $1 million.

The Rewards for Justice program now lists four terrorists in East Asia and the Pacific region whose capture merits its bounty. They are Isnilon Hapilon of Abu Sayyaf, up to $5 million; Radullan Sahiron of Abu Sayyaf, up to $1 million; and Indonesian Jemaah Islamiyah operative Aris Sumarsono alias Zulkarnaen or Daud, up to $5 million. Abdul Basit Usman of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, who was killed last year, is still on the list, with a reward of up to $1 million.
Link


Bangladesh
13 accused acquitted in Barisal
2008-12-04
A court here yesterday acquitted 13 people, including seven activists of the banned Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), of charges of serial bomb blasts in front of Barisal Club on August 17, 2005.

The are Golam Morshed Chowdhury Reza, Jalal Arefin, Hafez Saiful Islam, Abu Yusuf Majumdar, Abu Solaiman Sujan, Md Maruf, Jasimuddin, Abdus Sobahan, Giasuddin, Sarwar, Abdur Rahim, Zahid Babu and Ziaur Rahman Zia.

Of them, nine are now in jail while the rest have been absconding since the filing of the case. Judge Rabiul Hassan of the Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal also passed an order to release the nine if they are not accused in any other cases

But the same court on July 30 this year sentenced seven of the 13 to life imprisonment for their involvement in bomb explosions in front of Barisal Central Jail on the day. They are Abu Yusuf, Abdus Sobhan, Giasuddin, Sarwar, Abdur Rahim, Zahid Babu and Ziaur Rahman.

Sub-Inspector (SI) Mosharraf Hossain of Barisal Kotwali Police Station filed the case in connection with the serial blasts on August 17, 2005.

Sub-Inspector Bhoran Reza of the Detective Branch (DB) submitted the charge sheet of the case accusing the 13 on December 25 the same year.

Special Public Prosecutor Kazi Munir Hussein told The Daily Star that all the 13 were acquitted, as the charges brought against them could not be proved.
Link


Southeast Asia
Meet the new leader of Abu Sayyaf
2008-10-03
The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) has a new leader: Ustadz Yasser Igasan. According to a reliable Army Commander, Igasan is a religious scholar, not a warrior. Sulu Representative Yusof Jikiri said he had heard Igasan was "very spiritual," but he also noted Igasan was a Tausog, an ethnic group known as fierce fighters.

Muhammad Jamal Khalifa, al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's brother-in-law, established Darul Imam Shafin in 1988. Khalifa's International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO) funded the religious school.
When the news first leaked that ASG commanders had met to choose a new leader, not much was known about Igasan. Since then, a more complete portrait has emerged. Igasan, in his 40s, was among the original members of ASG, along with its founder, Ustadz Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani. In 1993, Igasan was a classmate of Abdurajak's brother, Khaddafy Janjalani, at Darul Imam Shafin, an Islamic institution in Marawi City. Muhammad Jamal Khalifa, al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's brother-in-law, established Darul Imam Shafin in 1988. Khalifa's International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO) funded the religious school. The IIRO ostensibly was engaged in charity work. Investigators say Khalifa was funneling funds to terrorists and supporting secessionist movements in the southern Philippines. He was ASG's link to al-Qaeda. The Philippine Anti-Money Laundering Council has since frozen IIRO accounts.

As a teenager, Igasan reportedly traveled to Afghanistan to fight the then-Soviet army. How involved Igasan was in any fighting is unclear. The Arabs of al-Qaeda and their Taliban allies regarded Southeast Asian Muslims as not real Muslims. They often gave them lesser duties in camp. Igasan met Janjalani in Afghanistan, and the two talked about a separate Islamic state in the Philippines. When they returned home, they cooperated in establishing the Abu Sayyaf Group. Igasan was in the first ASG camp in Basilan-Camp Al-Madinah. He was there when marines overran the camp. Igasan also was with the Abu Sayyaf guerrillas who raided the town of Ipil in 1995, killing more than 50 people. He reportedly was wounded during the army's pursuit operation.

In 1998, Janjalani's death left ASG with three choices for a new leader or emir: Igasan, Khadaffy Janjalani and Radulan Sahiron. The election quickly became a choice between Igasan and Khadaffy. Those who favored Igasan noted that although he and Khadaffy were fellow students at Darul Imam Shafi, it was Igasan that Khalifa had appointed "mushrif"-top of the class. Igasan subsequently became head of Quranic Studies for the IIRO. Igasan also was Khadaffy's senior by three years and thus had three years more field experience. Igasan's supporters believed he had religious credentials almost as good as those of the elder Janjalani. In the end, however, the field commanders threw their support behind Khaddafy, the dead emir's brother.

By the late 1990s, Igasan had left the Philippines for further Islamic studies in Libya and Syria.
By the late 1990s, Igasan had left the Philippines for further Islamic studies in Libya and Syria. He took a lesser role in ASG after Khaddafy's election and left the country again in 2001. This time, he traveled to Saudi Arabia as an overseas Filipino worker, but it was a cover for his real activities. Igasan made contact with Abu Abdurahman, who was involved with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. Igasan began to funnel money from jihadist supporters in Saudi Arabia to Abu Sayyaf. He also might have facilitated the travel of two unidentified militants from Yemen, who were in Basilan with ASG. They left for Mindanao with Khadaffy and his second-in-command, Abu Solaiman. Hostages confirmed the unidentified Yemenis were present when the militants celebrated the September 2001 attacks in the United States.

ASG commanders might have supported Igasan's election because of his foreign contacts. They badly need funding, and Igasan's past activities provide the guerrillas with legitimacy as jihadists rather than common criminals. Igasan's next move likely will be to target Westerners in kidnappings for ransom, particularly foreign aid workers, businessmen and tourists. The abductions also can be a tactic to persuade foreign militants that Abu Sayyaf is part of the global jihad.

Igasan's religious credentials make him an equal religious authority with the Muslim religious scholars who have issued fatwas, or religious edicts, condemning ASG. His background also could curry favor with Ustadz Habier Malik, a renegade member of the Moro National Liberation Front who withdrew from a peace agreement with the government. In addition, Igasan as leader would make Abu Sayyaf more appealing to the regional Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist group.

Sources inside the Moro Islamic Liberation Front discount all the speculation about Igasan. They say ASG has adopted the loose "inverted pyramid system of leadership" favored by al-Qaeda. Such a leadership style allows individual commanders autonomy to protect the secrecy of their operations. It means that Igasan would function as a spiritual guide rather than operational planner.
Link


Southeast Asia
Winning hearts and minds in Philippines restive south
2007-03-11
EFL
Muslim cleric Abhasaan Idlasan sat quietly under the shade of a coconut tree as an MG-520 attack helicopter roared overhead, signaling the arrival of a US military convoy he now associates with development aid. Idlasan, in his long white robe and Muslim headscarf, is the spiritual guide to the several hundred families in this remote and impoverished coastal village on the southern island of Jolo, a key Southeast Asian theatre in the US-led "war on terror".

The area has changed little in the past 50 years. Many villagers live in houses on stilts, electricity is limited, fresh water is a daily problem and school remains a luxury only a few can afford. Waves lap on the jagged shoreline, and children swim in the shallows beneath the rickety stilts as their fathers dry-dock their small fishing boats.

For years residents lived literally under the barrel of the gun, with marauding Al-Qaeda linked Abu Sayyaf militants terrorizing them and taunting government authority that seemed powerless hundreds of kilometers (miles) away in Manila. "We are thankful that the atrocities have stopped. The Americans helped us when they arrived, they helped repair our mosque and renovate the school," Idlasan, 54, told Agence France Presse recently as he joined a group of local officials in greeting visiting US envoy Kristie Kenney and military officials. "The soldiers are very polite, they are specially playful with children," he said. "We feel safe having them around."

Idlasan's support is key to the US troops' goal of "winning hearts and minds" here and elsewhere in Jolo, considered by defense experts as an important Southeast Asian front in the US-led global counter terrorism campaign. As the local cleric, Idlasan is highly respected and his openness allows joint US and Philippine forces to move towards finally isolating and crushing the Abu Sayyaf.

During a two-week visit, the troops built a four-kilometer (two-and-a-half-mile) road and bridges linking Bato-Bato to other towns.

While US troops are prevented from joining combat, Philippine officials said they had provided intelligence that led to the recent killing of Abu Sayyaf leaders Khadaffy Janjalani and Abu Solaiman. The two had engineered the Abu Sayyaf's worst terrorist attacks as well as the kidnapping and murder of two US citizens in 2001.

The self-styled militants have now disintegrated into smaller units in Jolo's jungles with Umar Patek and Dulmatin, two Indonesians who are leaders of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), which was behind the Bali bomb attacks in 2002. And with the help of the local community, officials said the rebels would be flushed out of their hideouts and neutralized.

"They are now disorganized and leaderless," said Major General Eugenio Cedo, commander of the Philippine Army’s 6th Infantry Division, stressing that public support for the US-Philippine joint exercises could lead to "isolating the Abu Sayyaf".

AFP article showing US military in a positive way? Does the French version say the same thing?
Link


Terror Networks
Albader Parad Whacked
2007-02-27
The military is confirming reports that Abu Sayyaf leader Albader Parad had died from wounds suffered during a series of encounters with troops in Indanan, Sulu since Saturday. Troops earlier killed Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani and terrorist commander Jainal Antel Sali Jr., alias Abu Solaiman.

Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo, Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, said troops are tracking down the remaining leaders of the Abu Sayyaf, among them Radulan Sahiron, Umbra Jumdail alias Dr. Abu Pula, Jul Asbi and Isnilon Hapilon, along with Jemaah Islamiyah bombers Dulmatin and Umar Patek.

"The operations continue to comply and meet the deadline to finish the Abu Sayyaf and the JI bombers who are still hiding in Sulu," he said. Cedo spoke to reporters during a visit to a military hospital where he awarded medals to Army Scout Rangers who were wounded in the encounter last Sunday.

At least eight of the 13 wounded Scout Rangers airlifted to Camp Navarro General Hospital were also given cash incentives by Cedo from Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon. Cedo also belied reports that six soldiers were killed and two others were reported missing in action in fighting against the Abu Sayyaf and fighters of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Indanan, Sulu on Sunday. It was improbable for the military to hide casualty figures because their immediate families are being notified, he added.
Link


Southeast Asia
Dupe entry: In Philippines, U.S. making progress in war on terror
2007-02-27
I think 49 Pan has been telling us this!

CAMP BAUTISTA, Philippines — Thousands of miles from the bazaars of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan, U.S. military forces are quietly helping defeat terrorists in the jungles of the southern Philippines, a forgotten front in the global war on terrorism.

Working behind the scenes with a rejuvenated Philippine military, U.S. special forces have helped kill, capture or rout hundreds of Abu Sayyaf guerrillas who have links to the Islamic terror groups Jemaah Islamiyah and al-Qaeda, Philippine and U.S. military commanders say.

The Abu Sayyaf, responsible for 16 years of bombings, kidnappings and beheadings in the southern Philippines, has been forced to flee into the mountainous terrain here on Jolo island in the remote Sulu Archipelago.

But its numbers are dwindling and its leadership almost wiped out, says Brig. Gen. Ruperto Pabustan, commander of Philippine special forces on Jolo.

"They are on the run," Pabustan says. "They are evading our troops now, and they are short of ammunition. … We are slowly neutralizing Abu Sayyaf."

American officials agree.

"I've felt a turn in the tide," says Kristie Kenney, U.S. ambassador to the Philippines. "There are a lot of good things going on."

Backed by U.S. intelligence, equipment and training, Philippine forces have killed or captured 200 of the 400 Abu Sayyaf fighters on Jolo since they began Operation Ultimatum last August, Pabustan says. Among the dead are Abu Sayyaf leader Khadafi Janjalani, whose corpse was identified in January four months after he suffered fatal wounds in a firefight with Philippine forces. Abu Sayyaf military planner Abu Solaiman was killed by Philippine special forces Jan. 16.

"They've been kicking some butt," says U.S. Army Maj. Kevin Brown, a member of the Utah National Guard based at this Philippine military camp on Jolo. "I think they're close to breaking this thing open."

Abu Sayyaf is the most notorious of several militant groups fighting to create a fundamentalist Muslim state in the Philippines. It mutated over time into a criminal gang, engaged mostly in lucrative kidnappings. Hiding on Jolo with the Abu Sayyaf survivors are a handful — fewer than 10 — members of Jemaah Islamiyah, including two suspects in the 2002 Bali bombing, the Philippines government says.

U.S. forces have maintained a low profile in the southern Philippines since early 2002. Numbers fluctuate, but there are now about 450 — more than half of them members of the special forces.

The U.S. force is split between Jolo and Zamboanga city on the large island of Mindanao, says U.S. Air Force Maj. John Redfield, U.S. military spokesman in Zamboanga. In 2002 they helped drive Abu Sayyaf off the island of Basilan.

"The U.S. has done much better than the critics expected," says Philippines specialist Kit Collier, visiting fellow at Australian National University. "Five years ago, when U.S. troops were first sent to Basilan, many predicted 'a new Afghanistan.' Instead, the security environment there has been transformed."

The U.S. role is controversial. The Philippine constitution forbids foreign troops from establishing bases in the Philippines and, by many interpretations, bars them from combat. So U.S. forces have played a limited role in areas such as:

•Fostering goodwill among the predominantly Muslim communities by conducting medical missions, paving roads and refurbishing schools.

•Using satellite imagery and other technology to help the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) track Abu Sayyaf.

•Equipping Philippine soldiers with night-vision goggles and other gear to give them an edge on the battlefield.

•Training Philippine troops, whose efforts to subdue Abu Sayyaf had failed.

"We have provided some assistance, but the AFP is doing the heavy lifting," says U.S. Army Col. David Maxwell, commander of the U.S. military task force in the southern Philippines.

Critics say military operations and aid projects aren't enough. The Muslims of the southern Philippines — a minority in a majority Christian country — have long-standing grievances. They are among the poorest people in the Philippines. They have long been ignored by the Christian political elite in Manila. Promised development money rarely arrives.

"I don't care how many medical missions the Americans do," says Astrid Tuminez, researcher with the U.S. Institute of Peace, a government-funded organization trying to help arrange a peace deal between the Muslim separatists and the government. "Those grievances are still there."
Link


Southeast Asia
In Philippines, U.S. making progress in war on terror
2007-02-15
CAMP BAUTISTA, Philippines — Thousands of miles from the bazaars of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan, U.S. military forces are quietly helping defeat terrorists in the jungles of the southern Philippines, a forgotten front in the global war on terrorism.
Forgotten. As in "no media around".
Working behind the scenes with a rejuvenated Philippine military, U.S. special forces have helped kill, capture or rout hundreds of Abu Sayyaf guerrillas who have links to the Islamic terror groups Jemaah Islamiyah and al-Qaeda, Philippine and U.S. military commanders say. The Abu Sayyaf, responsible for 16 years of bombings, kidnappings and beheadings in the southern Philippines, has been forced to flee into the mountainous terrain here on Jolo island in the remote Sulu Archipelago. But its numbers are dwindling and its leadership almost wiped out, says Brig. Gen. Ruperto Pabustan, commander of Philippine special forces on Jolo. "They are on the run," Pabustan says. "They are evading our troops now, and they are short of ammunition. … We are slowly neutralizing Abu Sayyaf."

American officials agree. "I've felt a turn in the tide," says Kristie Kenney, U.S. ambassador to the Philippines. "There are a lot of good things going on."

Backed by U.S. intelligence, equipment and training, Philippine forces have killed or captured 200 of the 400 Abu Sayyaf fighters on Jolo since they began Operation Ultimatum last August, Pabustan says. Among the dead are Abu Sayyaf leader Khadafi Janjalani, whose corpse was identified in January four months after he suffered fatal wounds in a firefight with Philippine forces. Abu Sayyaf military planner Abu Solaiman was killed by Philippine special forces Jan. 16. "They've been kicking some butt," says U.S. Army Maj. Kevin Brown, a member of the Utah National Guard based at this Philippine military camp on Jolo. "I think they're close to breaking this thing open."

Abu Sayyaf is the most notorious of several militant groups fighting to create a fundamentalist Muslim state in the Philippines. It mutated over time into a criminal gang, engaged mostly in lucrative kidnappings. Hiding on Jolo with the Abu Sayyaf survivors are a handful — fewer than 10 — members of Jemaah Islamiyah, including two suspects in the 2002 Bali bombing, the Philippines government says.

U.S. forces have maintained a low profile in the southern Philippines since early 2002. Numbers fluctuate, but there are now about 450 — more than half of them members of the special forces. The U.S. force is split between Jolo and Zamboanga city on the large island of Mindanao, says U.S. Air Force Maj. John Redfield, U.S. military spokesman in Zamboanga. In 2002 they helped drive Abu Sayyaf off the island of Basilan. "The U.S. has done much better than the critics expected," says Philippines specialist Kit Collier, visiting fellow at Australian National University. "Five years ago, when U.S. troops were first sent to Basilan, many predicted 'a new Afghanistan.' Instead, the security environment there has been transformed."

The U.S. role is controversial. The Philippine constitution forbids foreign troops from establishing bases in the Philippines and, by many interpretations, bars them from combat. So U.S. forces have played a limited role in areas such as:
•Fostering goodwill among the predominantly Muslim communities by conducting medical missions, paving roads and refurbishing schools.

•Using satellite imagery and other technology to help the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) track Abu Sayyaf.

•Equipping Philippine soldiers with night-vision goggles and other gear to give them an edge on the battlefield.

•Training Philippine troops, whose efforts to subdue Abu Sayyaf had failed.
"We have provided some assistance, but the AFP is doing the heavy lifting," says U.S. Army Col. David Maxwell, commander of the U.S. military task force in the southern Philippines.

Critics say military operations and aid projects aren't enough. The Muslims of the southern Philippines — a minority in a majority Christian country — have long-standing grievances. They are among the poorest people in the Philippines. They have long been ignored by the Christian political elite in Manila. Promised development money rarely arrives. "I don't care how many medical missions the Americans do," says Astrid Tuminez, researcher with the U.S. Institute of Peace, a government-funded organization trying to help arrange a peace deal between the Muslim separatists and the government. "Those grievances are still there."
I'm sure the Special Forces could walk around handing out million dollar bills and Astrid would still be pissed.
Link


Southeast Asia
AFP girds for final battle with Sayyaf
2007-01-28
The military has embarked on a final assault against the Abu Sayyaf Group and its terrorist ally, Jemaah Islamiyah. The major offensive involves 8,000 soldiers and represents the final stage of Oplan: Ultimatum, said Brig. Gen. Ruben Rafael, commander of Task Force Comet, which was formed late last year to go after the terrorist groups.

With their leaders Khadaffy Janjalani and Abu Solaiman dead, Abu Sayyaf has been reduced into smaller groups, Rafael said. “The deaths of Janjalani and Solaiman have dealt a big blow to the already disorganized group.”

The groups, run by so-called sub-leaders, were expected to re-group soon and join forces to stop the military assault. Rafael would not confirm reports that the aging Radullan Sahiron and the younger, more aggressive Albader Parad have taken over the ASG top leadership. But he said the remaining ASG leaders including Isnilon Hapilon should not be underestimated because they were also capable of leading the ASG remnants citing their vast experience with the group being senior leaders.

Rafael said the 8,000 troops were enough to finish the job of wiping out the Abu Sayyaf. “I have enough forces there to go after them but how we are going to deal with the terrorist group, I would not tell you. That is my secret.”

Rafael said the troops have been recharged and re-energized and are raring to go after the terrorists following their successive operations, which resulted in the killing of Janjalani and Solaiman. Government forces have kept the ASG bandits on the run forcing them to split into smaller groups though they have already been virtually trapped in the jungles of Sulu. “We have also kept the two JI bombers—Dulmatin and Omar Patek—running with ASG bandits,” Rafael said as he confirmed intelligence reports that the duo, who allegedly masterminded the 2002 Bali bombings that killed more than 200 people mostly Australian tourists, were still in Jolo.
Link


Southeast Asia
Bali bomber hurt in Filipino gunfight
2007-01-25
SOUTHEAST Asia's most wanted terrorist, Bali bomb mastermind Dulmatin, has been wounded in a fierce gunfight on remote Jolo Island in a significant win for US-backed Philippines forces battling to "eliminate" the Jemaah Islamiah kingpin and his Abu Sayyaf cronies. The Australian, in a series of interviews with the top Philippines and US commanders in the southern Philippines, has also learned that Dulmatin, along with his JI Bali bomber partner Omar Patek, are on the run for their lives on Jolo. The pair spend no longer than six hours in one place on the jungle-covered volcanic island. According to Philippines Brigadier-General Ruben Rafael, they have even resorted to cross-dressing sporting wigs and burkas to evade 6000 troops hunting them.

Dulmatin, who has a $US10million ($13 million) bounty on his head, has hidden two of his children away on the nearby island of Basilan, probably with the widow of Abu Sayyaf founder Abburajak Janjalani, one commander said. However, he is unable to leave Jolo to see them because of intense coastguard surveillance and regular reconnaissance flights by US Orion spy planes. "Dulmatin is here till he dies," Captain Abdurassad Sirajan, of the 104th Brigade of the Philippines army, in Jolo, told The Australian. "His assignment is to lead the Abu Sayyaf group - that is why he was sent here from Indonesia."

JI, the Southeast Asian affiliate of al-Qaida, is aligned to the Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf. Captain Sirajan, a Jolo-raised Muslim and former Moro National Liberation Front commander, said the bomb technician, who planned the 2002 Bali attacks that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, was injured last week as Philippines soldiers overran a joint JI/Abu Sayyaf terrorist camp in the southern Philippines. Dulmatin, was shot during the three-hour battle involving about 60 Abu Sayyaf and JI gunmen. Abu Solaiman, Abu Sayyaf's spokesman, who had a $US5million ($6.4 million) bounty on his head, was killed during the raid.

But Dulmatin, who goes by one name, escaped on foot. According to unconfirmed sightings, he was with Patek. "They are on the run and we have many informants covering Dulmatin and Patek in Sulu, so we are expecting good developments within this week," said General Eugenio Cedo, Philippines military chief for Western Mindanao, including Jolo and the Sulu islands. "They realise that they are losing some leaders and maybe they will make themselves vulnerable by attempting or trying to get even. Revenge, you know it is part of their culture. They make the war more personal."

The Abu Sayyaf group and their supporters are threatening locals with violence to force them to offer shelter and support - including food and money - to their members and to Dulmatin and Patek. The US-backed Philippines military operation Ultimatum, under way in Jolo since August, has successfully targeted "high-value terrorists" from JI and Abu Sayyaf, including local leader Khadaffy Janjalani. DNA tests last week confirmed the 31- year-old guerilla was iced killed in clashes in Jolo in September.

Janjalani and Solaiman were wanted for numerous terrorist bombings, killings and beheadings of Christians and westerners, including the 2004 super ferry passenger bombing near Manila that killed more than 100, the 2005 Valentine's Day bombings in the capital and a string of attacks in the southern Philippines. Binang Sali, the leader of the Abu Sayyaf urban terrorist group, has also been killed during the military offensive, aided by hundreds of US special forces and intelligence experts. Earlier this month, Philippines forces killed an Indonesian member of JI, in a sea battle near the Tawi-Tawi islands south of Jolo, as he tried to escape for Sabah in Malaysia.

Australia, which is seeking to upgrade defence relations with The Philippines through a status of forces agreement, has offered significant support and training to the Philippines police and military. For the first time, Philippines police have confirmed the presence of Australian special forces officers in the southern Philippines. Zamboanga Port police commander Francisco Clavesillas told The Australian he met Australian SAS officers last year, and also detailed comprehensive training in port security offered in Mindanao by the Australian transport department.
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Southeast Asia
Philippine military gets ready for reprisal attacks
2007-01-22
MILITARY intelligence agents went on high alert yesterday to thwart revenge attacks by Muslim extremists after the government confirmed the death of the leader of the Abu Sayyaf group. Security forces were monitoring urban centers, especially in southern Mindanao, where members of the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiyah network are known to operate, a military spokesman said. “Intelligence [are] monitoring to prevent any retaliatory attacks,” Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said over dzBB radio.

The warning came a day after the military announced that DNA tests carried out by US investigators confirmed that a body recovered in December in Jolo was that of Abu Sayyaf leader Khadaffy Janjalani. But President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered the military to be vigilant and deal the terrorists the “final blow”—even as the United States praised the Philippines for Janjalani’s death.

“Perpetual vigilance is indeed the price of freedom, and we must never let our guard down,” Mrs. Arroyo said. “We must continue to destroy the spawning grounds of terror by a combined strategy of grassroots vigilance, economic development, interfaith solidarity and international cooperation,” she said.

“The death of Khaddafy Janjalani is an important and positive step forward in the ultimate goal of eliminating the ruthless and dangerous Abu Sayyaf group, and in destroying its links with international terrorist groups such as the Jemaah Islamiyah, the US embassy in Manila said in a statement. “The US will continue to work with partners in the Philippines’ military, law enforcement, and national and local governments to bring terrorists to justice and to build peace and prosperity in Mindanao and throughout the Philippines,” the embassy said.

Armed Forces Chief Hermogenes Esperon described the confirmation of Janjalani’s death as “hitting the jackpot,” and that was because it ended speculations that the body that the military had dug up in Jolo last month was not that of Southeast Asia’s most wanted man.

Janjalani, also known as the Emir, became the overall leader of the Al Qaida-linked group when his brother, Abubakar Abdurajak Janjalani, was killed by police in 1998. The elder Janjalani founded the Abu Sayyaf in the early 1990s to fight for an independent Islamic state in Mindanao. At one time, he allegedly received financing from Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaida network.

Under the younger Janjalani’s leadership, the Abu Sayyaf adopted terror tactics, specializing in kidnappings for ransom and bombings. Together with another top Abu Sayyaf leader, Abu Solaiman, Janjalani masterminded the kidnapping deaths of two US citizens in 2001 and the firebombing of a ferry on Manila Bay that left over 100 dead.

The military said it killed Solaiman last week, creating a “leadership vacuum,” Bacarro said. “They have a leadership vacuum now and are disorganized. We will take the advantage by keeping up the tempo and continuing the operations against them,” he said. He said it would take some time for the scattered Abu Sayyaf members to regroup under one command, but conceded desperate militants could stage random attacks.

More than 5,000 troops are scouring the dense jungles of Jolo for remnants of the Abu Sayyaf, who are also believed to be protecting wanted Jemaah Islamiyah bomb experts Dulmatin and Umar Patek, wanted for the October 2002 bombings in Bali. The Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah are both on the US watch list of foreign terrorist organizations. US forces are providing intelligence backup to their Filipino counterparts in Jolo.
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Southeast Asia
Philippine troops overrun Muslim militant camp on southern island
2007-01-16
Troops battled al-Qaida-linked Muslim extremists on a southern Philippine island, capturing a rebel camp and killing one militant, officials said Tuesday.

Army soldiers fought 60 Abu Sayyaf members in mountainous Talipao town on Jolo island on Monday, military spokesman Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said. Talipao is 950 kilometers (590 miles) south of Manila. The clash with the group of Abu Solaiman, a senior Abu Sayyaf leader on a U.S. list of terrorists, also left two soldiers wounded.

"We believe that Abu Solaiman was wounded," Bacarro added without elaborating. The U.S. government is offering a U.S.$5 million (€3.86 million) reward for Solaiman's capture. Bacarro said troops overran the militant's jungle camp, where soldiers found 17 bunkers and bomb-making tools.

Last week, troops killed senior Abu Sayyaf militant Binang Sali in a gunfight in Jolo's Patikul town. Officials said Sali led an urban terror unit of the Muslim extremist group. Earlier this month, soldiers clashed with militants aboard a motorboat off nearby Tawi Tawi province, 1,050 kilometers (656 miles) southwest of Manila, killing Gufran, an Indonesian terrorist suspect who goes by one name, and five Abu Sayyaf members.

Gufran was a key aide of Dulmatin, a top Indonesian terror suspect who has been hunted by troops in a monthslong U.S.-backed offensive on southern Jolo island, officials said. Gufran's reported death bolsters military reports that Indonesian militants have taken refuge in the southern Philippines — scene of a decades-old Islamic separatist insurgency.
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