Abu Sayyaf: Terrorist Event - Case Study Example

Abu Sayyaf: Terrorist Event Introduction Terrorists have plagued diverse parts of the world for various motivations. The examination of domestic terrorism in the United States over a thirty year period revealed a decrease in frequency and number of terrorist activities. However, the trend and potential threat to human lives and properties remains due to the advancement in technological warfare and the development of Weapons of Mass Destruction. Further, since governments adhere to the policy of no ransom and not giving in to the terrorists’ demands as part of their counterterrorism strategies, the terrorists become more innovative in devising changes in the nature of their terrorist threats. In the Philippines, a terrorist organization named Abu Sayyaf was formed in the early 1990s. The name Abu Sayyaf is an Arabic word for “bearer of the sword” (Council on Foreign Relations 2008). Its main mission is to seek a separate Islamic state for the Muslims of the Philippines. On January 15, 2009, members of the Abu Sayyaf intercepted the “vehicle carrying three representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The workers are 62 year-old Italian national Eugenio Vagni; 38 year-old Swiss national Andreas Notter; and 44 year-old Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba.” (Teves & Romero 2009) It is in this regard that this essay is written to explain who committed the act, why it was committed, how it was committed, and the effects of the event. Who Committed the Act According to the report of the Council on Foreign Relations (2008), “the White House says Abu Sayyaf is a terrorist organization that boasts of ties to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, as well as the Indonesian network of Jemaah Islamiyah.” Their first leader was identified as Abdurajak Janjalani, a Philippine Muslim who fought in the international Islamist brigade in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation (ibid). This terrorist group operates in the Southern part of the Philippines but extends to other parts of Asia like Malaysia for kidnapping purposes. Their terrorist activities range from bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, and extortion, to name a few. For almost a decade since its inception, the Abu Sayyaf focused their terrorist activities solely in the Philippines. However, when the right opportunity came, in 2000, the group kidnapped several foreigners and international journalists in Sidapan and demanded ransom. In a May 2001 kidnapping incident involving twenty people including three Americans, the Abu Sayyaf beheaded one of the Americans captives. They held the other two American missionary couples, the Burnhams, but only Gracia was freed. One of the spokesman for the group relayed that they really wanted to kidnap Americans to rationalize that they are not afraid of them and that they wanted to fight the American people. Further, they revealed that Western hostages give larger ransom payments. According to Clark (2002) who reported for the Center for Defense Information, “from then on, it operated as an organization with global reach, focusing not only the creation of an independent Muslim state but the founding of a commission to improve the plight of ethnic Filipinos in Malaysia and, eventually, the release of incarcerated World Trade Center bomber Ramsey Yousef, a group ally who trained them in explosives.” Why the Act was Committed From the time the three hostages where kidnapped, the Philippine government has coordinated with the local government of Sulu and with the Chairman of the Philippine Red Cross regarding the status of the conditions of the victims. The government has endorsed the no-ransom policy in the ICRC kidnapping. Coordination with governments of the Swiss national and Italian national regarding the no-ransom policy have also been relayed. On February 2, 2009, Teves & Romero (2009) reported that “Abu Sayyaf leaders release a letter, written in English, claiming custody of the ICRC workers and saying that they want military operations in Sulu province to stop in exchange for the release of the three workers. The letter is signed by Abu Jumdail, alias Doctor Abu, Raddulan Sahiron alias “Komander Putol,” and KUmander Alabader Parad.” Subsequently, on February 8, 2009, reports from another Islamic separatist group in the Philippines, the Moro International Liberation Front (MILF) on its website reveal that its men in Sulu are verifying the supposed ransom demanded by the ASG of between P5-10 million. (ibid) How was the Act Committed On January 15, 2009, members of the Abu Sayyaf intercepted the “vehicle carrying three representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The workers are 62 year-old Italian national Eugenio Vagni; 38 year-old Swiss national Andreas Notter; and 44 year-old Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba.” (Teves & Romero 2009) Three minors who worked as gunmen for the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) were the ones who kidnapped the three volunteers of the ICRC by intercepting their vehicle. There had been previous reports attesting to the recruitment by the ASG of minors who are trained for warfare and terrorist activities. The vehicle of the ICRC workers was subsequently found abandoned near the mountainous Patikul town, where Abu Sayyaf group (ASG) members hide. Effects of the Event Despite the efforts of the government to rescue the hostages, the ASG remains firm on their demands. On March 19, 2009, one of ASG leaders, Albader Parad was threatened to behead one of the European hostages if the military continues to open fire. On March 30, 2009, even Pope Benedict XVI sent a message to the ASG saying, "The Holy Father... asks for their release and calls on the authorities to favor a peaceful outcome to the tragic situation," the communiqué said. (ibid) The government did not give in to the demands of the ASG saying that if the military would pull out from the area, more kidnappings would occur in Sulu, and possibly in other nearby areas. The subsequent events of this terrorist act are: (1) Five Marines were wounded as military closes in on the Abu Sayyaf in Paligue village in Indanan, Sulu, where the ICRC hostages are said to be held (ibid); (2) Eventually, on April 2 the ASG releases Filipina hostage Mary Jean Lacaba; (3) On April 18, Swiss national Notter walked free from the ASG. Although Notter is free, it is still unclear whether he was released by the ASG or rescued by government troops; (4) On May 7, while efforts were being instituted by the local military of Sulu to rescue Italian national Vagni, the provincial police chief and at least three other people died in an ambush by the ASG (GMA News 2009). Up to this date, Vagni remains captive to this terrorist group. In this regard, the effects of this drastic act are as follows: (1) negative impact on the economy of the Philippines. As noted in my previous paper, the effects of terrorist activities on the economy of a country besieged by violent attacks could not be ignored. These activities hamper investment opportunities and erode public and investor confidence. In addition, terrorist activities limit economic growth because more government funds are being allocated for security and defense. (2) This increased the number of casualties and hostages from the time of the inception of ASG. In the report of Clark (2002) “about 140 hostages have been taken during their last two years of violent kidnapping sprees (the number held for short terms and for smaller ransoms are not included here; Abu Sayyaf terrorizes the local population with startling regularity) and 16 people have been killed over that time. More than 300 Filipino soldiers have died in the fight to eliminate Abu Sayyaf.” Due to this recent terrorist act, the numbers of deaths and hostages have increased, as well as the number of terrorized population. (3) World wide media concern was intensified due to the nationalities of the hostages involved. Up to the present time, the Italian national Eugenio Vagni remains captive. This is tantamount to severe emotional and physical torture for the captive as well as for his family and countrymen. Being far from their home land, it is a heavy burden for his family to be hopelessly thinking of ways and means to free Vagni. The fact that even the Pope extended his message for the release of the hostages, it meant world wide coverage of the event. (4) With the release of the two ICRC hostages, there were speculations that ransom money were indeed paid to the ASG. Joven (2009) wrote in his article on Abus want $5-M ransom for hostages release reveal that a military intelligence officer averred: “What is definite is that Abu Sayyaf is there primarily for money. These are bandits…you think they will release the two hostages just like that…it’s not in the history of the Abu Sayyaf that they release anybody they hostaged without payment.” The effect of this payment would further strengthen terrorist activities of the group in terms of being able to procure additional arms and recruit more members. Conclusion There have been counterterrorism efforts exerted by the Philippine government which have killed and captured some members and leaders of the ASG. However, their complete eradication is difficult due to the well hidden base of ASG in the jungle on Basilan's Mohajid mountain which is considered virtually impenetrable. In addition, their continued terrorist activities continue to provide them with the necessary funds to improve ties with other terrorist organizations thereby enhancing their capabilities and furthering their mission to spread havoc and fear in southern region of the Philippines. The Abu Sayyaf engages in both domestic and transnational terrorism. The group employs myriad modes of attack ranging from bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, extortion which are all chosen to optimally trade off risks and returns. They seem to make their attacks appear random in order to maximize the population’s fear and anxiety as risks seem ubiquitous and unpredictable. But the truth of the matter, the attacks are not random but are planned to best exploit perceived target weaknesses and value. The fate of the Italian national still remains in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf. Until now, there are no reports on the status of the captive’s condition. Although the government of the Philippines, through its military and its Crisis Management Team have exerted appropriate efforts to save the hostages, the lives of the victims remain at risk. Until such time that their demands have been satisfied, terrorist attacks would remain to be the most dangerous threat to humans domestically and all over the world. References Council on Foreign Relations. (2008). Abu Sayyaf Group (Philippines, Islamist separatists). Retrieved on May 22, 2009 from < http://www.cfr.org/publication/9235/> GMA News. (2009). Abu Sayyaf bandits holding Vagni kill Sulu police chief. Retrieved on May 22, 2009 from < http://www.gmanews.tv/story/160264/Abu-Sayyaf- bandits-holding-Vagni-kill-Sulu-police-chief> Joven, E. (2009). Abus want $5-M ransom for hostages release – AFP. Retrieved on May 22, 2009 from < http://www.dpinoyweb.com/2009/04/07/abus-want-5-m-ransom-for-hostages-release-afp> Teves, M.A. & Romero, P. (2009). Timeline: Kidnapping Of ICRC Hostages by the Abu Sayyaf Group. Abs-Cbn News.com. Retrieved on May 22, 2009 from Read More